Pennsylvania officials recently identified an animal assumed to be a mountain lion in Lower Macungie on Sunday (October 15). According to The Morning Call, the alleged mountain lion (a species commonly referred to as "ghost cats" due to their skillful hiding techniques) was just a feral house cat.
A resident spotted the mysterious feline in a field near 1013 Village Round in Lehigh County, snapped a quick photo, and called local authorities. Pennsylvania State Police in Fogelsville responded to the call and arrived on the scene with Pennsylvania Game Commission officials to determine if the animal was a mountain lion. The Morning Call mentioned that game commission officials returned to the site Monday morning to get a closer look at the animal's paw prints in the field. After further examination, they determined that the alleged lion was merely a house cat whose image appeared larger in the distorted photo shared with police.
Pennsylvania Game Commission Furbearer Biologist Thomas Keller mentioned other ways that game commission officials identified the supposed "ghost cat."
"Based on the photos taken using the cutout in comparison to the original photo, it appears that the animal in question was a large feral house cat. We get hundreds of these every year."
The last confirmed mountain lion sighting in Pennsylvania was in Berks County in 1874. Information regarding the possible capture of the feral house cat has yet to be released.