When I lived in Western Massachusetts, the outdoor column of the local newspaper contained persistent reports of lion sightings in the central part of the state especially in the watershed of the Quabbin Resevoir, a large very remote uninhabited region with very restricted access as it was the prime water supply for the city of Boston. I do recall that a wildlife biologist from the University of Massachusetts did confirm that scat taken from that area did indeed come from a mountain lion. Does that " prove" the existence of an indigenous, self-sustaining lion population? No. But other sightings in other parts of the state, as reported to the outdoor writer, seemed lend support to the possibility. Besides, wolves and moose are moving back into ranges from which they were previously exterminated. Why not cats? I now live in VA and haven' t heard of any big cats in these parts which is not to say no reports haven' t been filed. I have heard about Sasquatch sightings in the Blue Ridge. Anyone wanna open that can-o-worms?