PA 'Mountain Lion' Sighting Was Just A Big House Cat: Officials

LOWER MACUNGIE TOWNSHIP, PA — Pennsylvania State Police warned Lehigh County locals to beware after a possible mountain lion sighting in Lower Macungie Township Saturday—but according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, it was likely only a large house cat.

The big cat was spotted in the field behind Hanover Drive near Village Round, state police said.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission said staff examined the area and then worked with the person who took the photo to stage the sighting again—using life-sized cutouts of a house cat, bobcat, and a mountain lion—in order to determine the size of the animal.

"Based on the photos taken using the cutout in comparison to the original photo, it appears that the animal in question was a large feral house cat," the Commission told Patch Monday.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission said it receives hundreds of purported mountain lighting sightings each year, but hasn’t been able to confirm a sighting for decades. In fact, the last wild mountain lion in Pennsylvania was reported to have been killed in the 1870s, officials said.

"It takes hard evidence such as DNA from scat or hair, reliable tracks that can be measured, or photos that can be substantiated," officials said. "The Law Enforcement Agency in this case did what they felt was best to help protect their citizens."

The Commission said it encourages the public as well as local agencies to reach out to them first for "assistance with identifying any animal that they are not sure about prior to making a determination that may not be accurate."

"The Game Commission is the state's wildlife agency and has trained staff available to help make positive identifications," officials said.