There aren't supposed to be any mountain lions in New York State, but I saw one dead at the side of the road several years ago. It was definitely a mountain lion - it was a large, tawny cat with a long tail, and rounded, black-backed ears. (My biology degree and eye for details do come in handy sometimes).

So, even though they don't "officially" exist today in New York State, one certainly did live in the state until it had a lethal encounter with a vehicle. Perhaps it was just an escaped exotic pet, but there have been occasional reported sightings of mountain lions in New York.

Anyway, it's best to be safe when any large predators are around.