Mountain Lion Sighting Reported In Milford

MILFORD, CT — Milford police received a mountain lion sighting report in the area of Wellington Road Friday.

Mountain lion sightings were reported in Woodbridge earlier this month, but state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officials said it was more likely a bobcat.

DEEP gets about 100 mountain lion sighting reports per year, but many are later confirmed to be bobcats, according to Hearst CT. Mountain lions went extinct in Connecticut during the 1800s, but bobcats are still seen regularly.

The last confirmed mountain lion sighting in Connecticut occurred in 2011. The big cat traveled some 1,100 miles before his life came to a tragic end after being hit by a SUV on Route 15 in Milford. The mountain lion's journey at the time was nearly double that of any other recorded for the species.

Adult male mountain lions can be more than 8 feet long and weight between 130 and 150 pounds; females are typically smaller at 7 feet long and between 65 and 90 pounds. They typically feed on deer, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service.

Bobcats are the only wild cat found in Connecticut, according to DEEP. Adult males are between 18 and 35 pounds and measure 32 to 37 inches in length, while females are between 15 and 30 pounds and 28 to 32 inches long. They have a short "bobbed" tail and faint black spots on their tan or gray coat. Their diet includes wild animals like rabbits, woodchucks, birds and the occasional vulnerable deer, however, they also prey on domestic animals including poultry, sheep and goats.