Seminar on Mountain Lions This Week

The recent mountain lion sighting in Tolland may not have been confirmed, but it has people talking about the possibility of crossing the big cat’s path.

Concerned that there seems to be mixed messages about mountain lions and their existence in the state, Conserving Tolland, a nonprofit conservation-oriented organization, is on Thursday, July 7, in an effort to educate the public about the wild animal and how to keep it, and the general public, safe.

After several people in southwestern Connecticut reported seeing a mountain lion in the Greenwich area Tolland public safety officials got a call from a woman who thought she saw one of the animals on Sand Hill Road on June 17.

After searching the surrounding area, emergency personnel, including those from the state police and animal control, did not find any evidence of animal.

State police and state environmental protection officials do not dispute that a woman saw the giant cat along Sand Hill Road on June 17, but they have not been able to confirm the sighting, according to Tolland Resident State Trooper Sgt. Scott Smith.

Although the Tolland sighting hasn’t been confirmed, Roseann Gottier, founder and president of Conserving Tolland, is not convinced that the animals do not exist in the state, despite state officials saying the big cats have existed in Connecticut for nearly 100 years.

“I personally saw one in Hampton (Connecticut) along the airline trail a few years ago. I asked people at a hike that Conserving Tolland held a few nights ago and about 20 (percent) of the group had seen one in New England, mostly in (Connecticut),” Gottier said in a recent e-mail.

To date, the only mountain line confirmed in the state is one that was struck and killed in Milford on June 11. State environmental officials are working with various public and private agencies to determine whether the animal was held illegally in Connecticut or originated from captivity from another state.

People interested in attending the Conserving Tolland discussion, which will include a PowerPoint discussion led by Bill Betty at from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 7, can find more information on the Conserving Tolland Web site or by contacting Gottier at rgottier@comcast.net. The program is $10, with children 18 years and younger free, and is appropriate for children at least 8 years of age.

People who think they've seen a mountain lion are able to call the state environmental protection agency’s hotline at 860-424-3333 and should report any evidence, such as pictures, paw prints, hair or feces, to help in any investigation.

Tolland Animal Control offered these tips for residents on how to protect their property, themselves and the wildlife:

• Do not leave food, garbage and other items that are attractive to wildlife outside in areas close to houses so as to not attract animals to residential areas; 
• Do not leave children or small pets unattended;
• Wildlife should be enjoyed from a distance; people should refrain from getting too close and should never try to pet or feed any type of wild animal.