Eastern cougars, or mountain lions, are wild felines that resemble the common bobcat, but cougars are larger in size and stature. Their most distinguishing features are their slender bodies, their small, broad, round heads, and most importantly, their long tail, which measures 26-32 inches. While the DEC receives several reports of mountain lion sightings each year, they are commonly mistaken for wild bobcats, fishers and coyotes, as well as large house cats and dogs. Each sighting involved cougars that are not native to New York. Eastern Cougars. Eastern Cougar Sightings How Common Are Mountain Lions in New York? They have been absent from this state since the late 1800s; however, there have been a few isolated sightings. It was in a field where my husband hunted. This morning on national fox news the are introducing a story of black mountain lions in upstate NY. I have spent my summers in Greene County NY from birth to my teens and became a full time resident in 1994. My husband and I saw the first mountain lion in 1995. An Upstate New York town is using social media to warn its residents about reports of what some are calling a mountain lion in the area. Eastern cougars (mountain lions) do not have a native, self sustaining population in New York State.