New Jersey

No, Mr. Mayor, ‘We Don't Have Mountain Lions in New Jersey'

An ominous warning from an NJ township mayor's office about a possible mountain lion or bobcat roaming a community was posted to Facebook Thursday

What to Know

  • An ominous warning about a possible mountain lion or bobcat prowling around a New Jersey community has proved unfounded
  • The Ewing Township mayor's office had issued the warning on Facebook Thursday night; it turns out the creature was just a big cat
  • DEP spokesman Larry Hajna said "we don't have mountain lions in New Jersey," and bobcats have short tails unlike the one spotted around

If you saw the ominous warning about a possible mountain lion or bobcat roaming a New Jersey community, you can rest easy. It's just a big cat. 

New Jersey environmental officials said Friday the reports about a dangerous feline in Mercer County were unfounded. As DEP spokesman Larry Hajna said, "We don't have mountain lions in New Jersey." 

He also noted that bobcats have short tails, and the animal seen in surveillance images "clearly has a long tail."

The warning from Ewing Township officials came Thursday following a sighting near Interstate 295.

"This is the Office of Mayor Bert Steinmann on March 29th, 2018 with an important message," a post on the local police department's Facebook page read Thursday. "Ewing Township has been informed that a large cat-like animal, possibly a mountain lion or bobcat, has been spotted in the area of Scotch Road and Route 95/295."

The post warned anyone who thought they saw the animal to call 911, and said that New Jersey State wildlife officials had been called in to help. No pictures of the apparent "large cat" were provided.

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