Mountain Lion Sighted in Niantic

East Lyme Public Safety shared the following public awareness notification on Facebook: A mountain lion was sighted in Niantic, in the area of West Main Street and Fairhaven Road.

The department provided the following tips on dealing with distressed wildlife.

• Be Cautious. Never touch any wild animal if it can be avoided.
• Always keep children and pets away.
• If you must touch an animal, always wear gloves. This will protect both you and the animal.
• In many cases, an animal that bites or scratches a person will need to be killed to test it for rabies.
• If an animal appears to be sick, it may not be safe to handle it! If an animal is stumbling, staggering, walking in circles, dragging a limb or the hind end, or if it is acting strangely (approaching people or pets in an aggressive manner) never attempt to handle the animal.
• Call your local Animal Control Officer, Police Department or DEEP Dispatch (860-424-3333) immediately to get assistance.
• Wild animals can be dangerous! Their behavior is often unpredictable.
• Do not attempt to rescue a potentially dangerous animal without assistance from someone with experience.
• Assess the situation before picking up an animal! Wild animals often leave their young unattended for several hours or more.
• Be aware that animals thought to be orphans may not need your assistance.
• Do not intervene unless you are certain that the animal is orphaned, it is obviously injured or it is in immediate danger.
• If you suspect that an animal is orphaned, watch from a distance for a minimum of several hours and attempt to reunite the orphan with its mother.
• Remember that it is illegal for any person, other than a state appointed rehabilitator, to care for wildlife.
• If you think an animal needs help, make sure to contact a wildlife rehabilitator.

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Stock photo of mountain lion by digitalART2, via flickr creative commons