Connecticut in the Lion's Den: Now One Seen in Fairfield

Update 4:10 p.m.

Fairfield Police said officers don't shoot any healthy wildlife, including mountain lions, unless they pose an imminent threat or harm to a citizen.

Asked if mountain lions are on the state's endangered species list, Dwayne Gardner, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said, "Actually, mountain lions are extinct in Connecticut."

Gardner said the DEP believes the mountain lion killed in Milford earlier this week in a car crash was owned by someone and had either escaped or been released. Gardner said the DEP was still investigating whether the mountain lion killed in Milford was the same mountain lion reported in Greenwich earlier this week.

Asked if it would be illegal for a hunter to shoot the potential mountain lion(s) in Fairfield, Gardner said, "It's something we wouldn't encourage because of the safety issues involved."

First Selectman Michael Tetreau said he advised police to get the word out to residents and town employees, particularly those working outdoors, of Hiller's sighting of a potential mountain lion in Fairfield's Greenfield Hill neighborhood. Hiller said Friday morning that he saw the photo of the mountain lion killed in Milford and is convinced that what he saw about 8 a.m. Friday by Verna Hill Road and Mine Hill Road was a mountain lion.

Tetreau said residents should be "a little extra vigilant and use extra caution at this time." (See tips from police at bottom of article.)

"It seems we have had a number of sightings in the last few weeks in several towns in Fairfield County," Tetreau said Friday afternoon. "The first selectmen have gotten together and will have a teleconference on Monday afternoon to make sure we're coordinating efforts to maintain awareness and provide for the safety of our citizens."

The potential presence of mountain lions in Fairfield and other towns in Fairfield County may be due to an excess deer population, according to town officials.

Fairfield's Conservation Commission had planned in 2009 to establish a committee to set guidelines for the hunting of deer on town-owned properties but never moved forward with the idea. Fairfield has more than 1,000 acres of open space, and the hunting of deer on town-owned properties created a lot of controversy among animal rights activists.

Hiller, who was interviewed by a TV news station Friday afternoon, said earlier in the day that mountain lions may be useful in culling the herd of deer in Fairfield.

Original story:

The Fairfield Police Department received another report of a mountain lion sighting in the town's Greenfield Hill neighborhood Friday morning and have issued an advisory to residents.

Police said Town Fiscal Officer Paul Hiller, who lives on Burr Street in Greenfield Hill, reported the latest sighting at 8 a.m. Friday by Mine Hill Road and Verna Hill Road in Greenfield Hill. An earlier sighting, by an Easton motorist, was about 4 p.m. Tuesday by Redding Road and Old Academy Road, which also is in Greenfield Hill.

Hiller said he was driving to work when "a big animal" about four feet long darted in front of his car about 100 feet away. "He was moving so quickly. He really startled me," Hiller said.

Hiller said he'd seen photos of the mountain lion in Milford and that the animal he saw Friday morning was a mountain lion. "A big cat, just like the one you would see in the zoo...There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is a mountain lion," he said.

A news release from the Police Department states: "Although sightings are unique to this area it’s important for people to be aware of the fact these animals can pose a danger to humans as well as domesticated pets. Even though mountain lions attacks on humans are rare you should take precautions."

Police said recommended precautions at home are:

• Keep children indoors around dawn and dusk
• Do not feed wildlife that are potential prey
• Install or use motion detector lighting, especially near sidewalks and pathways
• Scatter mothballs and ammonia-soaked scraps of cloth around your yard

         If a resident comes face to face with a mountain lion, police advise:

• Do not approach
• Gather and protect your children
• Keep eye contact and back away slowly, without running
• Give the mountain lion an avenue for escape          

        Police also advise residents in wooded areas to:

• Hike with a group, not alone
• Hike with a dog on a leash
• Keep children nearby
• Keep standing, even if you pick up a child
• Carry a walking stick or pepper spray, stones – any weapon that comes to hand.

 Police said any sightings of a potential mountain lion should be reported to the Police Department’s Emergency Communications Center at 203 254-4800 so officers can be dispatched to the area.