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New Jersey 'mountain lion' identified as house cat

By Daniel Uria
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection determined a possible mountain lion spotted in the area was actually a house cat. Grainy photo and video taken of the animal near a vineyard and nearby wooded area made the cat appear much larger, but a DEP spokesman said mountain lions have not existed naturally in the area for about a century. 
 Screen capture/CBS Philadelphia/AOL
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection determined a possible mountain lion spotted in the area was actually a house cat. Grainy photo and video taken of the animal near a vineyard and nearby wooded area made the cat appear much larger, but a DEP spokesman said mountain lions have not existed naturally in the area for about a century. Screen capture/CBS Philadelphia/AOL

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HAMMONTON, N.J., Oct. 18 (UPI) -- A supposed mountain lion seen running through a New Jersey winery was ultimately identified as a mere house cat.

Plagido's Winery in Hammonton initially shared footage of a seemingly large cat sprinting through their vineyard in late September.

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A photo of the same animal taken by a trail cam was later reviewed by New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection, which determined the images showed a large house cat.

"Larry Herrighty, our assistant director for operations in the division of fish and wildlife, reviewed the video and the trail-cam photo, and concluded the animal in both is, in fact, a house cat," spokesman Larry Hajna told CBS Philadelphia . "We'd much rather that it be a house cat than a mountain lion, to be honest with you."

Winslow Police Lt. Christopher Dubler told The Philadelphia Inquirer a mountain lion was within the realm of possibility, but the animals had not existed in the area naturally for more than a century.

No reports of contact with people and large cats were made since the sightings and Hajna said the animals generally avoid people.

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"You may run into a coyote, or even a bear. The general rule of thumb is just to leave wildlife alone," he said.

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