Crime & Safety

Report of Mountain Lion in Hamilton a Hoax

A picture of a mountain lion dragging a buck, supposedly taken in Hamilton, has been circulating online on Tuesday.

A photo of a mountain lion dragging a deer, supposedly taken near Black Oak Farm in Hamilton, is a hoax, according to Hamilton’s animal control officer.

The photo came from a game camera in the western United States and not from Hamilton, said Hamilton Animal Control Officer Stephen Kavanagh.

“Upon investigation, it was determined to be a hoax,” he said on Tuesday afternoon.

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The photo, which in at least one instance was posted at about midnight on Tuesday morning on Facebook, has been credited to have been taken in locations all over the country in the past few years.

On the “Buck Manager” website - where the authenticity of the photo was verified - commenters dating back to 2009 said the photo was allegedly taken in their area of the country, ranging from Pennsylvania to Alabama. Managers at Black Oak Farm said Tuesday that the photo was originally taken in Texas.

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On the Buck Manager website it says the photo was taken in south Texas. It was not immediately clear why it was posted online Tuesday with a message saying it was taken in Hamilton.

The photo’s posting prompted concern in Hamilton. Next to the picture’s posting on Facebook, saying it was taken in Hamilton, one user said “hold your dogs close, cause this is a big animal for the burbs!” and another said “Wow, I guess I won't take my dog to Appleton (Farms) anymore.”

But those fears are unfounded, Kavanagh said.


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