New York Man Gives All-Time Great News Interview About Mountain Lion Spotted In His Neighborhood: “I Felt That ‘RAWR'”

As this New York man says, if you hear the “RAWR,” you best be ready to protect yourself.

Every now and then, a news interview proves itself to be so entertaining (and informative) that it goes viral. We’ve seen happen countless times throughout the age of the internet, with one of my personal favorites being the “Ain’t Nobody Got Time For That” bronchitis lady.

Sometimes the person being interviewed about the news become bigger than the news itself.

That phenomenon played out recently in Rochester, New York when a man by the name of Curtis Jones was interviewed about a mountain lion spotting in his neighborhood. Jones saw and heard the big cat with his own eyes, and opened up his interview with 13WHAM by saying that he didn’t just see the mountain lion… he felt it’s presence:

“I heard the ‘RAWR.’ I felt that ‘RAWR.’ I knew to keep it pushing, I knew that.”

Jones went on to say that he was walking around the neighborhood late on Wednesday night when he first spotted a group of people running away from the mountain lion. Shortly after, he set his eyes on the big cat himself… and the wild animal was looking right back at him:

“After I see the people run, I just see something big, just walking just right over there. It went right over there I swear, I promise you, it went right over there. And it said ‘rawr,’ and I just kept walking. I seen it, seeing me, see it, so in my head I’m like, ‘Nah, I got to go man, I’m out.'”

Rochester Police did confirm that they became aware of a video on social media and immediately took the reports seriously. Considering the last documented mountain lion sighting in the state of New York was in 2011, it definitely triggered some concern – and questions as to how the big cat found its way to the area.

And Curtis Jones said that it was a sizable mountain lion. In the interview, he suggested that the mountain lion was about waist high (which would be huge) and that it was “walking and slithering” around. Rochester Police issued a “Shelter in Place” order when they received numerous mountain lion sighting calls, but they lifted it after they were unable to verify the wild animal’s presence in the community.

But for those that claim to have seen the mountain lion with their own eyes – like Curtis Jones – they’re now a little fearful that the big cat is still on the loose:

“That’s why I keep this bat right here. I’m gonna keep this bat right here, just in case. To protect us… I ain’t gonna let anything happen to us. They didn’t find it last night. It’s still out here. It could be out here in one of these bushes or something. Those mountain lions… ‘RAWR,’ they crawling and they’re serious.”

Why carry a bat around? Well, Mr. Jones is hoping he doesn’t ever have to use it, but he later stated that he doesn’t play around when it comes to his safety being threatened:

“I don’t play with lions, I don’t play with tigers. Nothing in the wild. I don’t play with bears. I don’t play with those. I promise you. I don’t even do roller coasters. I’m good.”

Like I said earlier, that’s a news interview that will stand the test of time.

Because of that interview, this story out of Rochester, New York has gotten a lot of extra attention. As for the mountain lion itself, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation was still working to validate images and videos of the big cat yesterday, and released this statement:

“DEC is investigating and working to substantiate reports of a big cat in a Rochester neighborhood and determining if there is evidence to validate the images. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available. DEC reminds the public to treat an encounter like any other with a large, potentially dangerous wild animal or unfamiliar dog. Keep a safe distance, and slowly back away. Only take photos from a very safe distance and immediately report it to law enforcement.

DEC encourages the public to submit reports if they observe this animal, especially if they obtain photo or video evidence. These reports can be directed to the regional wildlife office at 585-226-5380 or r8wildlife@dec.ny.gov, or directed to DEC Environmental Conservation Officer dispatch after-hours or on weekends at 844-332-3267. If the public has immediate safety concerns about an observed, unusual animal, they should call 911.”

And in addition to calling 911, those with immediate safety concerns might want to follow in the footsteps of Curtis Jones and make sure you keep a metal bat handy…The post New York Man Gives All-Time Great News Interview About Mountain Lion Spotted In His Neighborhood: “I Felt That ‘RAWR'” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.