Possible mountain lion sighting on South Chesterfield Road in Goshen
By Ashley Shook,
17 hours ago
GOSHEN, Mass. (WWLP) – Officers are warning the public of a possible sighting of a mountain lion in the Hampshire County town of Goshen .
According to the alert posted by Chesterfield Animal Control on Friday, the sighting was on South Chesterfield Road in Goshen. Although mountain lions are rare in Massachusetts, there is no evidence they are reproducing, according to MassWildlife .
The Chesterfield Animal Control says, “For those of you asking if this person knew it was for sure a mountain lion, yes, it was. As someone who is educated in animals and wildlife, I can confirm that I, myself, have seen mountain lions on our property in Chesterfield.”
Residents are being asked to be wary of their surroundings and call 911 if they are in danger or need assistance.
MAP: Mountain lion in Goshen
Confirmed reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts
MassWildlife says that there have been only two cases so far where evidence supports the presence of a mountain lion in Massachusetts. Reports are often mistaken for large bobcats or coyotes.
April 1997: A lab test of scat found at the Quabbin Reservation confirmed it came from a mountain lion.
March 2011: Photos of a track trail in the snow near the Gate 8 boat launch area of Quabbin Reservoir.
A Department of Fish and Game spokesperson told 22News on Friday that MassWildlife is aware of the recent claim of a mountain lion sighting in Goshen however, supportive evidence has not yet been received.
RESOURCES: Mountain lions in Massachusetts
Mountain lions, also known as the cougar, puma and panther, are a large tan cat species native to the Americas. Males can weigh over 200 pounds and females can weigh up to 140 pounds, according to the National Wildlife Federation .
Safety tips if you see a mountain lion
Never approach a mountain lion
Back away slowly
Stand tall, face the animal, make noises, and try to look bigger by waving your arms or throwing objects
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local News
