Mountain Lion Near Connecticut? Expert Gives Surprising Take on Photo

One of the I-95 listeners sent in a photo of a large cat they claim they spotted on Route 311 in New York, not far from the Connecticut border. According to them, this isn’t a bobcat—it’s a mountain lion.

Since this debate has been going on for years here in Connecticut, we decided to bring in our animal expert, Jen the Zookeeper. I sent her the photo, and here’s what she had to say:

Jen: "So that indeed is a mountain lion. It's a picture of a mountain lion behind a fence. I can see it—I don't need to know what its tail looks like because I can see its paws, I can see its face, I can see its color, its belly, its ears. It indeed is a mountain lion. I don't know where that picture was taken in reality, I don't know if it's A.I. Everything is open to questioning these days, and what I told you off the air is people make stuff up all the time, and people are telling the truth most of the time, so it's really hard to know what's real anymore. The only thing we can do is continue to name the facts and understand that it is possible that they are in these areas. We live in a very densely wooded state. New York is even more dense, and we also have to remember that a mountain lion, especially the males—and this cat, if it really is off of 311, that's a big cat—it looks like a male. Their range can be up to 500 square miles. So, it's possible that this rogue, transient cat is looking for a mate or is a first-year cat who is looking for territory, and somebody saw it and snapped a picture. So, they are out there, but they are not as common as they are in the western states, where they are from." 

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There was plenty more discussion, you can hear the entire chat below.

More on Jen the Zookeeper 

Jen has spent more than 30 years immersed in the fields of animal care, conservation, and science education. As the former Director of Animal Care for the New Canaan Nature Center in Connecticut, she oversaw the care of native mammals, reptiles, and birds of prey while educating the public about the important roles these wild neighbors play in our ecosystem.

Her experience also includes time with both the Bronx Zoo and the Los Angeles Zoo, where she focused on the care of African and Asian wildlife and helped teach visitors about the delicate balance between humans and natural habitats.

Later, while working at a wildlife sanctuary in Half Moon Bay, California, Jen played a key role in training and handling nearly 50 exotic species. She also developed educational programs for at-risk and foster youth, helping historically underserved kids build trust, confidence, and healing connections with the non-releasable animals at the sanctuary.

In addition to her extensive wildlife work, Jen has experience in horse and dog training, animal control, veterinary care, and all things conservation education. Today, she owns and operates Jen Kotkin Pet Care, where she provides personalized care, exercise, and enrichment for dogs, cats, horses, birds, and more.