Caught on Camera: Is It a Mountain Lion in Hewitt, New Jersey?

My email box is filling up again!

It happens almost every time I write a story about someone seeing a mountain lion in New Jersey. Just one more story sparks emails from others who claim that they too have seen a mountain lion. (Hey, keep them coming! My email: joe.kelly@townsquaremedia.com.)

READ MORE: Mountain Lion Spotted in Morris County

READ MORE: Middle Township Police Video Goes Viral

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Are There Mountain Lions In New Jersey?

State Wildlife officials say there are no mountain lions in New Jersey.

When they say that, what I thing they really mean is there are no mountain lions native to New Jersey.

Could a mountain lion or two have made their way to New Jersey from elsewhere? Why not?

Could a mountain lion of two have escaped from captivity somewhere in the state? Why not?

There have been "animal sanctuaries" in New Jersey. Remember Joan Byron-Marasak, the so-called "Tiger Lady" from the Jackson area? She owned a tiger preserve in Jackson Township. In a highly publicized event in 1999, at least one of her tigers escaped. Were there others? Maybe.

How about private owners of mountain lions? Sure it's illegal, but it's happened. People have had wild animals that have escaped - or that just let them go. Scary thought, right?

Is a This Photo of a Mountain Lion or Bobcat?

Arnold C. reached out to me recently and shared this photo. he says it was taken out his kitchen window in Hewitt, a part of West Milford Township, New Jersey. His property is right next to Wawayanda State Park.

The cat was right next to his barn, where deer usually show up and feed on nearby flower arrangements.

The photo is actually about six years old, and was taken during the summer.

Arnold, an avid bow-hunter, says he's seen bobcats from hunting stands, and this cat is much larger, and had different shaped ears.

What do you think?