Woman spots mountain lion in Middletown

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. (WPRI) -- A mountain lion in Middletown may seem far-fetched, but one woman is convinced she saw one.

Police tell us there are in fact a lot of things that roam in the woods there, so mountain lion or no mountain lion, it's important to take precautions.

According to the woman's report, she claims to have seen the large feline near the NEX Store on Green Lane last week.

Officers say they have not received any additional reports.

"I live off the island and I've got bears in my neighborhood now, we've never had bears before, so it's possible, anything is possible," said Lt. Robert Nutt of the Middletown Police Department.

Residents of that area were surprised to hear about the report, and tell us that it's just a part of nature.

Bothered or not, police say it's a good idea to stay vigilant when going for a leisurely hike in the woods.

"People should take precautions anyway, because of the coyote population that we have," said Nutt. "If you see a large animal that you don't recognize, you should stay away from it number one, and call the police."

The Department of Environmental Management tells us they did have at least one sighting of a mountain lion in Matunuck last year, but they didn't expand on their findings.