(NECN: Josh Brogadir, Winchester, Mass.) - The mystery deepens in Winchester, Mass., where police say they have a confirmed sighting of a mountain lion; however, state wildlife officials say otherwise.
The state says there hasn't been a sighting since 1858, but in the past few weeks especially, people who live around in Winchester think there is a mountain lion living somewhere in the woods.
"I was like 'What is that?' so I turned around," said Jacqueline Gebolys, who was driving along Mystic Valley Parkway from Medford into Winchester about a week and a half ago and couldn't believe her eyes.
"It was spectacularly bigger than anything I've seen before. It was beautiful, short hair, tan color, very proud of itself and it matched with a mountain lion," Gebolys said.
The next day, she set out to find its tracks in the snow, took some photos and drove to the Winchester Police Department.
Officers sent the photo to experts who tell them it's a mountain lion print.
But Massachusetts Wildlife says no.
In a statement, they say, "We stand by our contention that this is absolutely not a mountain lion. We have sent the photos to several out-of-state experts…and all the feedback we have received is supportive of our original interpretation, that these tracks were made by a coyote or dog."
"I can tell you, the cat, the animal I saw didn't have a sign that says 'I am a mountain lion or catamount,'" Gebolys joked.
Jacqueline Gebolys is not the only one in recent weeks to spot the elusive animal.
Diane's husband was with their dog, when he says he saw a mountain lion in this construction site on Dunster Lane at the end of February and called police.
"I'm thinking coyote, but my husband was very very (convinced). In fact, we looked it up on the computer, and he said that's it, that's what I saw," she said.
Winchester police's mountain lion expert is Ray Weber of a group called Cougars of the Valley in Canton, CT.
Weber sent the print photo to seven out-of-state experts who all agree it is a big cat, not a dog.
He told me the bottom line for people in this community is not to worry for their personal safety, but they should be aware for their small pets.
