WASHINGTON – It’s not quite what you’d expect to see in a D.C. neighborhood, but a resident may have seen a mountain lion in Southeast Wednesday night.
The Washington Post reports an email — apparently from a resident — warned that a mountain lion had been spotted behind a neighbor’s home near Fort Dupont Park. The message was passed along to police officials and a D.C. Council member and also halted recess at nearby elementary schools.
The information spread after the D.C. Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Engagement tweeted “Danger, Public Safety Alert Mountain Lion Spotted in the 3600 block of Highwood Drive SE.”
The Post says D.C. police, animal control officials and the Washington Humane Society were unable to confirm the sighting. But it appears some school children had outdoor recess canceled just in case, according to this tweet from D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson.
Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to suspend outdoor recess b/c of a mountain lion in SE DC! #thisjobneverceasestoamaze #southeastlove
— Kaya Henderson (@HendersonKaya) October 3, 2013
Two elementary schools in Southeast D.C. have moved recess inside in response to the reported mountain lion sighting.
Neighbors say deer are common in their yards and in the park nearby, but they have never heard of a mountain lion in the area.
The reactions to the emails and phone calls about a lion on the block ranged from fear to disbelief.
Some are holding off on outdoor walks until they feel the prowler has moved on.
WTOP’s Andrew Mollenbeck contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.