Crime & Safety

Some Officials Dispute Mountain Lion Sighting

Police said a paw print found in town earlier this month belonged to the animal.

State officials disputed a report by Winchester police that a recent paw print found in town was that of a mountain lion.

Police said the took a photo of the print, which was found in early March.

"(The photo) was sent to several independent mountain lion organizations in the United States," Winchester police said in a statement Thursday. "Experts from those organizations have conclusively stated that the paw print belongs to a mountain lion."

The Massachusetts Department of Fish & Game disputed that claim, saying the print belonged to a coyote or dog, according to CBS Boston.

The last confirmed mountain lion sighting in Massachusetts was in 1858.

Read the full CBS Boston report


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