Mountain Lion Reportedly Spotted Near Pleasantville

A mountain lion may be roaming near Pleasantville.

Louis Alagno, Mount Pleasant's police chief, confirmed the department received calls "just before 5 p.m." today reporting, "a large cat—possibly a mountain lion" roaming the streets of a neighborhood in the vicinity of Heritage Drive, in northern Mount Pleasant.

"Patrol officers have checked that area with negative results," Alagno reported. "They have not observed anything."

The first caller reported seeing a large cat in the street near 60 Heritage Dr., while a second caller said an animal that appeared to be a mountain lion was spotted climbing a tree.

"When officers got there, there was nothing to be found," said the chief, though he added officers are still at the scene interviewing the second caller.

"We have notified the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation," said Alagno, "to let them know there was a reported sighting."

While Alagno said he doesn't recall ever receiving a report of a mountain lion in the town in the past, "It's not as uncommon as you would think," he pointed out, referencing in nearby Greenwich, CT.

That mountain lion, later killed on the Wilbur Cross Parkway, was traced back to South Dakota. That discovery was "pretty phenomenal," said Alagno.

If you see a wild animal in your neighborhood, "Get to safety, get inside and call police," advised the chief.