Unusual Wild Cat Sightings Spark Mountain Lion Speculation in NY

Residents of New York are buzzing after reports of an unusual animal possibly roaming the streets.

Footage captured on a home security camera shows what appears to be a large wild cat—sparking curiosity and concern about whether a mountain lion or another exotic feline might be wandering nearby.

Stephany Baez caught the surprising footage on her ring camera in Rochester, New York.

You can see the large animal lurking in right at the start of the video. “It doesn’t look like a dog or a normal cat but maybe a wild cat, like a mountain lion or a tiger?" she shared along with the video on social media.

DEC Investigating

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is investigating.

DEC Regional Wildlife Manager Michael Palermo told Rochester First, “It’s not impossible for a wild cougar to travel to New York; it’s happened before.”

While mountain lions haven’t had a native population in New York since the 1800s, there have been isolated sightings of cougars passing through—none native to the state.

In some cases, the animals were captive mountain lions that escaped from licensed facilities within the state. Another sighting involved a wild cougar that made an incredible journey—traveling nearly 1,800 miles east from its native range in South Dakota before passing through New York.

It didn't come from the Seneca Park Zoo.

"Rest assured, all Seneca Park Zoo cats are here at the Zoo," they shared on social media after getting a lot of calls.

Mistaken Identity

While the DEC gets several cougar sighting reports every year, most turn out to be cases of mistaken identity. People often confuse cougars with wild bobcats, fishers, coyotes, or even domestic housecats and dogs.

Get our free mobile app

The Rochester Police Department received multiple 911 calls about similar sightings, prompting a shelter-in-place order that was later lifted when authorities couldn’t confirm the animal’s presence.