[JB]

From the Asbury Park Press newspaper March 12, 2010

MANALAPAN, N.J.— Authorities are trying to determine whether a mountain lion was prowling around town Thursday morning, after two people reported seeing such an animal near Robertsville Road.

A man told police he saw a mountain lion following a deer across Robertsville Road, near Taylors Mills Road, at about 7:30 a.m., according to Manalapan police. Police and animal control officers searched the scene but did not locate the cougar.

A short while later, Marlboro Animal Control Officer Anthony Lena, who had investigated that report, was on Robertsville Road when he saw what he described as a "large cat with a long tail" traveling along a creek bed in the woods.

Another search ensued, this time with a helicopter doing aerial surveillance. No animal was found, but police said a 'feline track' was observed in a muddy creek bed.

A wildlife biologist is analyzing photos of the tracks to determine their origin, police said.

Mountain lions are also known as cougars, panthers and pumas.

According to the Mountain Lion Foundation, the species are tan with black tipped ears and tail, weigh 80 to 180 pounds, stand 2 to 3 feet high at the shoulders and are 6 to 8 feet long, with the tail accounting for a third of the length.

They feed on deer, wild hogs, raccoons, rabbits, porcupines, and birds.

In the United States, they are believed to exist only in 12 western states and the tip of Florida, according to the foundation.

[Esopus Guy]

Better venue and a cheaper ticket.......

[John B]

According to the NYS Police who came into our camp during bow season, They claimed that a cat like a courgar was roaming around the mountain top in North Franklin. They say a farmer saw it earlier that week. He said it had black hair like Courteney Cox.

[upinjewett]

I love the Mountain Lion stories in the Catskills. It's way better than UFO's. I know a number of seemly reasonble people that break out in a sweat and start talking really fast at the mention of big cats. The stories never seem to stop, maybe there is a basis of truth, that keeps producing these yarns, maybe not. Why is it that regardless of the story, at the end of the day, there is never a body, a credible photo, or even a analysis of cougar scat that is released, with a solid confirmation ? Most of the stories end with a goverment agency conspriacy cover up, sound familiar ? I wanna believe, but can't short of a captive animal release. There's a good ole boy up the road from me that claims to have sighted a solid black cougar and an albino bear. Talk about great graphic graphic imagery !!!