Police: Mountain Lion story in Dolgeville a hoax

Tools

Police: Mountain Lion story in Dolgeville a hoax

By PAT BAILEY

DOLGEVILLE, N.Y. (WKTV) - A picture of a man holding a mountain lion has been circulating throughout the mohawk valley. Rumor is the animal was killed in Dolgeville Friday, but police say it is not true.
    
Dolgeville police say the whole thing was a hoax, however it kept them busy for several hours Friday.
    
Police say someone circulated the picture, of a man holding a dead mountain lion, via e-mails and text messaging on cell phones. The story , along with the picture, was sent out to hundreds of people in the valley saying the mountain lion was killed in Dolgeville. Another rumor stated it was killed in Stratford, and a third rumor was the animal was killed in Salisbury. The information started circulating early in the afternoon, Friday.
    
Dolgeville police say they spent close to five hours Friday, trying to figure out the real story. Their department and the 9-1-1 center, were flooded with calls, mostly from concerned village residents. Dolgeville police say there is absolutely no evidence that this or any mountain lion was ever in the Dolgeville area.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/animals/mountainlion2007.asp#photo

View comments

The following comments do not necessarily represent the views of NBC-WKTV News Channel 2. Users have agreed to these terms and in doing so accept full responsibility for their comments. Moderation is limited.

Friday, Oct 17 at 6:28 AM ME from AZ wrote ...

That cat was killed by a car in AZ in 2007 between Williams and Vail on the highway. It was a very large cat weighing about 200 pound and the average weight is 165 for an adult male. The man in the photo is a law enforcement officer that put the cat down due to the extent of injuries sustained when it was hit. Just thought I would let you know.

9342809 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Monday, Oct 6 at 4:16 PM White Lightning wrote ...

I do know for a fact I saw a bobcat running across the road on rte 162 few years ago, north of Sloansville, NY. What does that tell us?

8856784 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Monday, Oct 6 at 12:49 PM People Please wrote ...

Seriously, spend your time on something else. These text messages have been going around for years, and the fact that people beleive them is amazing. Besides, no one recongnizes the person in the picture right..... It's dolgeville people, everyone knows everyone.... And by the way DEC is not out to hide anything..... What would be in it for them to hide the fact that there are mountain lions...... Nothing, Move on!!!

8847818 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Monday, Oct 6 at 10:10 AM Anonymous wrote ...

Well, turkeys were all but extinct in NY until the 80s...and then came the turkey buzzards during the 90s, wolf sitings in the ADKS and an increase in coyote population throughout the northeast. Deer population has increased, due to a decrease in hunting. Cover and food is plentyfull...Seems to me that this would be prime habitat for a large cat to survive and thrive.

8841399 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Monday, Oct 6 at 8:21 AM DEC Site wrote ...

This photo is on the DEC website http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/44564.html Says it was hit by a truck in Arizona 2007.

8837974 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Monday, Oct 6 at 7:22 AM Jessica wrote ...

Well this why the DEC won't admit to people but, they are out there in the wild people! But, people will freak out if its admitted from the DEC! Its life & its beautiful

8836849 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Sunday, Oct 5 at 6:18 AM Robin wrote ...

Im in otsego county and I saw a large cat running across the road from a wooded area to another wooded area, no tail Bobcatmaybe) uummm

8817238 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Sunday, Oct 5 at 3:57 AM Richard Hardenor wrote ...

You're right "The Truth"! Its a big conspiracy between the DEC and Mountain Lions. The lions don't want people to know that the DEC is planting these cats close to trailer parks to help "thin the herd". Do me a favor, the next time you see one of these lions, try and pet it.

8816794 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Saturday, Oct 4 at 5:24 PM hmmmmmmmmm wrote ...

My mother lives in Piseco and she saw one over the summer. Large cat, with long tail. She called DEC

8807498 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Saturday, Oct 4 at 4:42 PM hunter wrote ...

I have hunted and worked in the woods around CNY. And have never seen any sign of Mountain Lions, if you have ever been out west you will know a lion puts down a different track. They dont hibernate and are very active in there mating season. Till someone shoots a mtn. lion around here, i am not a believer, maybe sasquatch is around too. So prove me wrong lol

8806278 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Saturday, Oct 4 at 3:51 PM waterville ny wrote ...

over forty miles a day they figure they will be gone by morning this will cont till someone is hurt

8805108 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Saturday, Oct 4 at 3:47 PM waterville ny wrote ...

maybe the pic is a hoax but my wife and 7 year old at the time both spotted a large light brown cat about six feet long with a long tail. i heard about it and found the prints thet were the size of an adult humans no claws out i called dec they would not even come to see.. they must be super busy although one dec officer gave me a number to a man who has seen them and knows there around if dec says they are here then that means they have to control there areas but for an animal that can travel

8805044 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Saturday, Oct 4 at 3:27 PM Seeing is believing wrote ...

I saw a mountain lion just north of Clinton last summer (07). I asked the DEC about it and they denied that there are any mountain lions in this area. Are they afraid to let the public know?

8804493 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Saturday, Oct 4 at 12:40 PM the king wrote ...

well lets see, i can confirm there are mountain lions in the area cause i have pictures to prove it. maybe this is a hoax but police and dec should tell people these animals are here and are a danger to people.. its just like they say not around here but maybe some people are idiots. but what i know there are animals like this here and i can prove it.

8800004 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Saturday, Oct 4 at 10:37 AM The Truth wrote ...

The DEC needs to own up to it! It is a true story and it did not happen this past Friday, it has been over a week now that this has happened. Good old DEC trying to keep it hush hush!

8797118 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Saturday, Oct 4 at 9:54 AM WC wrote ...

If you go to snopes.com you will find out that this is NOT true. This is an old e-mail hoax from more than a year ago.

8796094 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Saturday, Oct 4 at 9:39 AM yeah right - hoax? wrote ...

Funny - there have been sightings in a few places in North-Western Oneida County by some reputable people yet the DEC denies and states they do not exist in this area - I guess we are all just crazy then.

8795743 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Saturday, Oct 4 at 8:59 AM BRAD wrote ...

D.E.C AND POLICE DO NOT WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW,BUT THERE ARE MOUNTAIN LIONS IN THE MOHAWK VALLEY,AND THE SOUTHERNTEIR.IN THE EARLEY 1990,S THER WAS A MOUNTAIN LION SPOTTED ON ROCKHILL RD IN MOHAWK,

8794913 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Saturday, Oct 4 at 12:31 AM ME wrote ...

Check out snopes.com and you can find out the truth behind the picture. It is an actual picture of a mountain lion that someone killed but it wasn't around here. It's amazing how everyone believes everything that they read on the net in emails.

8791003 Inappropriate? Alert Us!

Add a comment

Name:

Comment: 500 Characters Left

NBC-WKTV News Channel 2 and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the content of comments posted or for anything arising out of use of the above comments or other interaction among the users. We reserve the right to screen, refuse to post, remove or edit user-generated content at any time and for any or no reason in our absolute and sole discretion without prior notice, although we have no duty to do so or to monitor any Public Forum.

I have read and agree to the terms

Hide comments

Weather

Icon
Current Temp 56.0 °F
Fair
More Weather

AP Video

Stock Quotes

Permanent Client link holder

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

What's On