DEP: Latest Scat Sample Was from Canine, Not Mountain Lion

State environmental officials say the animal scat found on Audubon Greenwich property nearly two weeks ago is canine, not feline – dashing theories that a second mountain lion was stalking the backcountry area of Greenwich.

In a statement released Thursday, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection said, “DNA tests conclusively indicate a sample of animal scat found on Audubon property in Greenwich on June 12, is from the canine family (coyotes, dogs, foxes, etc.) and is not from a mountain lion.”

The sample tested was collected following a John Street family’s report they saw  a mountain lion in their yard and take two leaps to scale a 25-foot high wall, heading into the Audubon property. Following that incident, the Audubon closed its trails.

 The sample was analyzed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (U.S. Forest Service) Rocky Mountain Research Center in Montana.

 “These results are another step in our efforts to determine if the mountain lion struck and killed by a car in Milford on June 11 was the same mountain lion that had been spotted earlier in Greenwich,” DEP Deputy Commissioner Susan Frechette said in the statement.

She added, “The U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the University of Arizona and the New York State Museum are also conducting tests that may help us determine if the animal killed in Milford was a captive animal that had escaped or been released. We will continue to release results from tests and a necropsy that has been conducted as they become available.”

A mountain lion was killed on the Merritt Parkway early June 11 when it was struck by an SUV. This followed previous reports of sightings in Greenwich, some 40 miles away. The DEP has maintained that mountain lions are not native in Connecticut and the closest population is in southern Florida, leading officials to believe the dead cat was held in captivity.

On June 20, the Greenwich Police Department said it had received verbal confirmation that a previous scat sample collected on June 5 from the King Street campus of the all-boys Brunswick School was from a mountain lion. The campus abuts the Westchester County Airport and Rye Lake Drive.

The King Street sample was sent to a private California laboratory for analysis. Greenwich officials are waiting final written results.  

 The DEP Environmental Conservation Police continues to investigate to determine the ownership of the animal and if it was held illegally in Connecticut or originated from captivity from another state.  The DEP continues to solicit credible reports and will investigate physical evidence to substantiate such reports.