NY Man Grabs Baseball Bat as “Rawr” Mountain Lion Roams His Neighborhood [WATCH]

Multiple residents in a Rochester neighborhood say they encountered what appeared to be a mountain lion roaming their streets last Wednesday, prompting a temporary shelter-in-place order and a search effort involving local authorities and wildlife officials.

Curtis Jones, a local resident, said he armed himself with a baseball bat after coming face-to-face with the large feline in his neighborhood.

“It went right over there, and it said ‘Rawr!’” Jones told WHAM.

“I seen it, see me, see it.”

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The sighting reportedly occurred around dusk, and Jones said the encounter was enough to send neighbors fleeing indoors.

“I heard the ‘Rawr,’ I felt the ‘Rawr.’ I know he be pushing, I know that,” he said.

“In my head I’m like, ‘No, I gotta go, man. I’m out.’”

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Local authorities responded swiftly after similar reports came in from other neighbors in the area.

Out of caution, police issued a shelter-in-place order and began investigating the area.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deployed a drone to aid the search, and nearby residents were urged to remain indoors while the search was underway.

Despite efforts to locate the animal, law enforcement was unable to confirm the presence of a mountain lion in the area, and the shelter-in-place order was lifted.

However, several witnesses, including Jones, remain convinced of what they saw and continue to exercise caution.

“They ain’t find it last night. It’s still out here, it could be out here in one of these bushes,” Jones said, motioning toward a cluster of trees.

“You know them mountain lions, it be ‘Rawr,’ they be crawling, you know. They serious.”

Jones described the animal’s movement as stealthy and deliberate.

“It about like this big, it was just walking, slithering. I don’t know man,” he said.

“Imma keep this bat right here, man, just in case. I’m gonna protect this. I ain’t gonna let nothing happen to us, nothin’, okay?”

Though he remains vigilant, Jones said he hopes to avoid any further confrontation with the animal.

“I don’t play with lions, I don’t play with tigers, bears, nothin’ with the wild, I don’t play with those. I promise you,” he said.

“I don’t even do roller coasters. I’m good.”

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Surveillance footage from a home security camera in the neighborhood appeared to capture a large feline walking down the sidewalk that same evening.

Wildlife experts reviewing the footage have not ruled out the possibility that the animal was a mountain lion.

The Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) acknowledged the report and issued a statement regarding the incident.

“DEC is actively investigating reports of a big cat in a Rochester neighborhood and determining if there is evidence to validate the images,” the statement read.

“Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.”

The DEC also provided guidance for the public, urging individuals to treat any encounter with the animal as they would with any other large or potentially dangerous wild animal—or even an unfamiliar dog.

Rochester’s Seneca Park Zoo confirmed that all its animals are accounted for and that none have escaped.

According to the DEC, mountain lions—also referred to as cougars or pumas—have not had a sustained population in New York since the 1800s.

However, the department noted that the animals are capable of long-range travel.

The last confirmed sighting in New York occurred in 2011, involving a mountain lion that had traveled from South Dakota.

As of now, the DEC has not verified the presence of a mountain lion in Rochester, but the investigation remains open.

Residents are encouraged to stay alert and report any further sightings.

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