Two More Mountain Lion Sightings Reported

Two More Mountain Lion Sightings Reported

June 15, 201
By KIM VELSEY
The Hartford Courant

GREENWICH — Officials continue to receive reports of mountain lion sightings since one was struck by a car and killed on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford Saturday. But there's no new evidence to substantiate the sightings, officials say.

On Wednesday, two more residents reported seeing a mountain lion in Greenwich. The first report came in at noon, when a woman told the state Department of Environmental Protection that she was walking her dog on Lake Avenue by the New York border when a mountain lion being chased by two dogs ran in front of her.

Several hours later, an employee of the Fairview Golf Course on King Street reported seeing a mountain lion on a stone wall between the golf course and the Audubon property.

No evidence was found at either site, according to the DEP.

In the absence of any concrete proof of additional mountain lions, the DEP continues to believe that the animal killed in Milford was and is the only one in the state. The DEP believes that the mountain lion killed by a car was a captive that was released or escaped. It is illegal for a private individual to buy or keep a mountain lion in Connecticut and the Environmental Conservation Police Division is conducting a criminal investigation into the matter.

Wednesday's unconfirmed sightings in Greenwich follow three others. Two were reported on Sunday, the first by a motorist on North Street near the Merritt Parkway, and the second by a homeowner on John Street, whose property abuts the Audubon Center property. The DEP referred to another reported sighting on Monday as a "false alarm."

Despite a number of reported sightings over the years (the state receives 10 to 12 unconfirmed reports a year), the DEP says that there are no native mountain lions in Connecticut; the Eastern mountain lion was declared extinct in March by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The DEP will perform genetic testing on the Milford mountain lion to try to determine where it came from. In addition to DNA testing, a necropsy will be performed, looking for proof of a domestic diet or vaccinations. Spokesman Dwayne Gardner said results from the necropsy probably will be released in about a week.

http://articles.courant.com/2011-06-15/news/hc-mountain-lion-sightings-0616-20110615_1_audubon-center-property-mountain-lion-dna-testing