New Castle County Police are investigating an early morning sighting of a cougar near the Clearview Ridge Townhouses in Pike Creek, Del.
A 45-year-old man walking his dog on the 100 block of Benham Court at about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday called 911 after he saw a mountain lion watching from under a tree, police say.
According to the man, his dog began acting strangely and tried to pull him toward a nearby wooded area on Benham Court. Then the man saw the cougar, which was twice the size of his full-grown boxer.
The mountain lion watched the man and his dog for about eight minutes, while making a high-pitched growl, before walking into the woods, the man told police.
Police searched the area but found no signs of the animal.
The cougar, also known as a puma, panther, or mountain lion, is the second heaviest cat in the American continents, after the jaguar. Its prey includes deer, elk, and moose, as well as domestic cattle, horses and sheep.
It is a reclusive cat and usually avoids people.
