Resident Claims Mountain Lion Spotted in Middletown

A mountain lion in Middletown?  Although the idea seems far-fetched, a recent report is not the first time a Rhode Island resident has claimed to see a large cat.

Middletown Police received a report from a woman who believes she saw a mountain lion near the NEX store on Green Lane last week.  Middletown Animal Control Officer Joseph Nunes said there have not been any other sightings reported.

This spring there were multiple reports of a mountain lion in Matunuck.

State officials first took the position that refuted eyewitness accounts, but they later concluded that residents had indeed seen a mountain lion.  

Initially, DEM officials stated they found no evidence of a mountain lion, attributing the deer carcass found to a coyote or bobcat. Officials later acknowledged the evidence provided was "convincing" there was a mountain lion in the area.

"I believe it was a big cat," wrote the investigating Environmental Police Officer (EPO) in the DEM Incident Report. "It is possible it was a mountain lion with four eyewitness[es]... giving statements to us describing a mountain lion more than a bobcat."

According to National Geographic, mountain lions like to prey on deer, though they also eat smaller animals such as coyotes, porcupines, and raccoons. They are solitary and shy animals, seldom seen by humans.

What do you think? Have you heard any stories of cat-like animals in Middletown?