Three sightings of large cat reported in North Canton, police say

NORTH CANTON, Ohio - North Canton police are warning residents after three confirmed large cat sightings over the past several days.

The first sighting was reported on July 25 when a woman spotted a large cat in her Fifth Street NW yard at about 2:38 a.m., North Canton Police Chief Stephan Wilder said.

"The motion sensor lights up here were on so my entire back yard was lit up and I saw this cat," Joyce Wise said.

On Saturday, a group walling through the Hoover Nature Trail near Washington Square said they saw a large, tan cat that was the size of a German Shepherd, Wilder said. North Canton police officers took photos of the animal’s paw prints and sent them to be analyzed at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Police said the third sighting happened on Monday on Wilkshire Circle, where residents said a mountain lion or cougar-like animal walked through their backyard.

Wilder said residents who see the large cat should not approach it and contact local law enforcement immediately.