A frustratingly blurry photo shows a . . . well, it shows something in Salem, New Hampshire. As to what, exactly, it shows, that depends on whom you ask. Some locals believe the animal in the photo looks like a mountain lion. But mountain lions don’t live in New Hampshire. So, what is it? The Salem, New Hampshire Police Department says it’s not a mountain lion but a bobcat—a big bobcat.
“We’ve been receiving several calls about a ‘Mountain Lion’ roaming the streets of Salem,” the department wrote in an Instagram post sharing two blurry photos of the mysterious animal. “Fun fact: we do NOT have Mountain Lions in Salem, or NH, or the NE really. If we did, you’d know it.”
Officials urge residents not to fear the bobcat but to take precautions like keeping cats and small dogs inside or under a person’s supervision when outside. Bobcats have a broad range in North America, extending from southern Canada to central Mexico. While they can carry some diseases, transmission to humans is very rare.
See the blurry bobcat in New Hampshire here: