An animal control officer in western Massachusetts says she believes a local resident did in fact see a mountain lion recently.
Kelli Wainscott, an animal control officer for several towns – including Goshen, Massachusetts, where the animal was reportedly seen – said in a Facebook post on Friday, October 18 that she can confirm that it was a mountain lion that a resident spotted.
“For those of you asking if this person knew it was for sure a mountain lion, yes, it was,” stated the post on the Chesterfield, MA Animal Control Facebook account. “As someone who is educated in animals and wildlife, I can confirm that I, myself, have seen mountain lions on our property in Chesterfield.”
The sighting reportedly took place on South Chesterfield Road in Goshen.
Wainscott advised residents to be wary of their surroundings and call 911 if they are in danger or need assistance.
While the sighting was supported by the animal control officer, MassWildlife officials say it is difficult to know if someone saw a mountain lion without any tangible evidence.
State officials say there is no evidence of a reproducing mountain lion population in Massachusetts, and there have only been two cases where evidence supported a mountain lion being in Massachusetts. Both took place near the Quabbin Reservoir:
Case 1
In April 1997, experienced tracker John McCarter found scat near a beaver carcass at the Quabbin Reservation. McCarter sent a sample to Dr. George Amato of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York and Dr. Melanie Culver of the University of Maryland. Both labs confirmed the sample came from a mountain lion.
Case 2
In March 2011, DCR forester Steve Ward photographed a track trail in the snow near the Gate 8 boat launch area of Quabbin Reservoir. The tracks were fresh and well photographed. Tracking experts Paul Rezendes, Charles Worsham, George Leoniak, and Dr. Mark Elbroch examined the photos.
In the second case, officials said the tracks may have been made by the mountain lion documented in Greenwich, Connecticut on June 5, 2011, and killed by a vehicle six days later.
While mountain lions are considered extinct in the Northeast – with officials saying some wander into the area on occasion from other regions – sightings have increased in recent years. And some wildlife experts say it’s only a matter of time before mountain lions return to the Northeast.