MISTY MAYNARD, Staff Writer
Thursday, May 27, 2010
GEORGETOWN, Ohio -- The Brown County Sheriff's Office has received two reports in two days of a mountain lion sighting near Georgetown, Ohio.
Police believe the animal may have escaped from a resident on Western Run Avenue in Mount Orab, Ohio who had purchased it at a flea market in Lucasville, Ohio. Sheriff Dwayne Wenninger said the owner indicated the animal had become aggressive and they planned to dispose of it. However, it escaped approximately a month ago and was never located.
Wenninger said it is unknown if the recent sightings could be the same animal but stressed the importance of obtaining proper wildlife permits and having the proper facilities to keep wild animals if a person is going to purchase the animals from flea markets.
"You may think it is neat to own an animal such as this and it is cute when it is little, but you have to remember that it is a wild animal and not a house pet," Wenninger said.
The mountain lion was reported sighted on Sunshine Road near Georgetown on Wednesday around 8:30 a.m. When deputies arrived at the scene, they were unable to locate the animal.
The person who reported the animal said she observed it through binoculars and was positive it was a mountain lion. She said it was in her open field and was the size of a small calf, according to the sheriff's office.
On Thursday, the sheriff's office received a report of a loud growling noise on Barnes Road near the Rumpke landfill. The call was placed at about 8:30 a.m., and the subject thought it may have been the mountain lion. Deputies were again unable to locate the animal on arrival, Wenninger said.
Wenninger said the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division was notified Wednesday of the possible mountain lion sighting.
Anyone who comes into contact with the animal and is threatened by it has permission to dispose of it, if it can be done safely, Wenninger said.
If the animals is seen in a residential area, Wenninger asks the Brown County Communications Center be called at 937-378-4155.
http://www.maysville-online.com/news/local/article_eaaa2e50-6a00-11df-bef9-001cc4c03286.html
(Submitted by Chad Arment)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
You only need to enter your comment once! Comments will appear once they have been moderated. This is so as to stop the would-be comedian who has been spamming the comments here with inane and often offensive remarks. You know who you are!