Strange Animal Mystifies Town
Officials Say Cat May Be Illegal Hybrid
POSTED: 7:52 a.m. EDT June 11, 2003
UPDATED: 8:10 a.m. EDT June 11, 2003
WESTFORD, Mass. -- It's bigger than a breadbox, much bigger.
An animal seen roaming the streets of Westford recently has local authorities puzzled. Police urge anyone who sees the beast to use extra caution and keep their pets far away.
Westford Police Captain Edward Cossette told the Lowell Sun that the animal was seen twice in the last week, once in the area of Depot Street and Cherry Lane. Two days later the animal was spotted near the Chelmsford, Mass., town line.
A description of the animal fits the size of a mountain lion, but state environmentalists say mountain lions haven't been seen in Massachusetts in years.
Mountain lions are tan, stretching 4 to 5 feet in length, with a long, thick tail. Wildlife officials said the animal could be a hybrid, such as a jungle cat that escaped from someone and wouldn't be reported because they're illegal to own.
Officials Say Cat May Be Illegal Hybrid
POSTED: 7:52 a.m. EDT June 11, 2003
UPDATED: 8:10 a.m. EDT June 11, 2003
WESTFORD, Mass. -- It's bigger than a breadbox, much bigger.
An animal seen roaming the streets of Westford recently has local authorities puzzled. Police urge anyone who sees the beast to use extra caution and keep their pets far away.
Westford Police Captain Edward Cossette told the Lowell Sun that the animal was seen twice in the last week, once in the area of Depot Street and Cherry Lane. Two days later the animal was spotted near the Chelmsford, Mass., town line.
A description of the animal fits the size of a mountain lion, but state environmentalists say mountain lions haven't been seen in Massachusetts in years.
Mountain lions are tan, stretching 4 to 5 feet in length, with a long, thick tail. Wildlife officials said the animal could be a hybrid, such as a jungle cat that escaped from someone and wouldn't be reported because they're illegal to own.
