Shelter in place issued after mountain lion spotted in New York

Daily Mail​

5 hours ago

Residents in an upstate New York neighborhood are on high alert after a shelter-in-place order was issued over a possible mountain lion sighting.
Rochester police were alerted to a viral social media video showing a massive cat, followed by a flurry of calls from alarmed residents who feared they had seen a wild animal far from its natural habitat, according to 13 WHAM News.
Some residents even claimed they came face-to-face with the feline as it calmly strolled down the street, fueling panic over the whereabouts of the elusive predator.
'After I see the people run, I just see something big, just walking just right over there - it went right over there I swear, I promise you, it went right over there,' Curtis Jones, who said he saw the beast while on a walk, told 13 WHAM. 'It said "rawr."'
'I don't play with lions, I don't play with tigers, bears, nothing in the wild, I don't play with those, I promise you,' Jones added. 'I don't even do rollercoasters. I'm good.'
A shelter-in-place was quickly issued on Wednesday, but later lifted after police were unable to confirm the presence of a large cat.
The Rochester Police Department first learned of the potential incident through a social media video - captured by an outdoor Ring security camera - showing a large animal slowly pacing along a row of residential homes.
Several sighting reports also poured in, including one near North Clinton Avenue and Rauber Street just after midnight on Thursday - the very spot where Jones just so happened to be out for a walk.
While out on his walk, Jones said he saw several people frantically running from what looked unmistakably like a mountain lion.
'I just kept walking,' Jones told 13 WHAM. 'I seen it, seeing me, see it - so in my head, I'm like, "Nah, I got to go man, I'm out."'
'I heard the "rawr." I felt that "rawr,"' he added. 'I knew to keep it pushing. I knew that.'
'It was just walking, slithering - I don't know man.'
Although the shelter-in-place was lifted shortly after being issued, an investigation was launched with assistance from the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, which deployed an aerial drone to scan the area, but found no trace of a mountain lion.
The Seneca Park Zoo, located in Rochester, also confirmed that none of its animals were missing or had escaped their enclosures.
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation is also assisting with the investigation, but Rochester police have stated that none of the reported sightings have been confirmed, according to the outlet.
According to the department, which reviewed the doorbell video, the animal does appear to be a potential cougar - though they caution there's no way to confirm its authenticity or rule out possible editing at this time.
However, they noted that if the animal is indeed a cougar, it's unlikely to be wild - more likely an escaped captive, possibly kept illegally as a pet.
In a statement to 13 WHAM, the DEC said they are 'actively investigating the reports of a big cat in a Rochester neighborhood and determining if there is evidence to validate the images.'
'DEC reminds the public to treat an encounter like any other with a large, potentially dangerous wild animal or unfamiliar dog,' the statement added.
'Keep a safe distance, and slowly back away. Only take photos from a very safe distance and immediately report it to law enforcement.'
But despite extensive search efforts, residents remain on edge - worried that law enforcement couldn't locate the animal. Jones, in particular, has been patrolling the neighborhood armed with a bat, unsettled by what he saw.
'I am going to keep this bat right here, man, just in case,' Jones told 13 WHAM on Thursday. 'I am going to protect us, I ain't going to let nothing happen to us, nothing. OK?'
'They ain't find it last night, it's still out here, it could be out here in one of these bushes or something,' he added.
'You know, a mountain lion, it be "rawr." They be crawling and... serious.'
Police are urging the public to remain vigilant while authorities work to verify the video's authenticity.
Residents are advised to stay indoors and call 911 immediately if they encounter a large cat.
'DEC encourages the public to submit reports if they observe this animal, especially if they obtain photo or video evidence,' the statement to 13 WHAM read.
'These reports can be directed to the regional wildlife office at 585-226-5380 or [e-mail], or directed to DEC Environmental Conservation Officer dispatch after-hours or on weekends at 844-332-3267.'
The last confirmed cougar sighting in New York was back in 2011, when the elusive beast trekked thousands of miles - from South Dakota, through Michigan's Upper Peninsula, all the way down eastern New York and into Connecticut, according to the DEC.