A town near the Hudson Valley warned its residents following reports of mountain lion sightings.

On Thursday, the Town of Halfmoon warned residents that other residents reported "sightings of a mountain lion," WGNA reported. Halfmoon is located in the southern part of Saratoga County.

"We would just like to alert everyone to please be aware for the safety your families and pets," the Town of Halfmoon wrote on Facebook.

Halfmoon Supervisor Kevin Tollisen confirmed to the Times Union he told his staff to post the notice on Facebook after a number of residents reporting seeing a large animal in their neighborhood. Another resident reported large paw prints.

"People are saying, literally, they saw a lion," Tollisen told the Times Union.

The DEC later told the Times Union wildlife biologists were told a mountain lion was spotted on Route 67 in Halfmoon on Monday.

According to the DEC, mountain lions (eastern cougars) are not native to New York State and have been absent from the Empire State since the late 1800s. However, the DEC reports there have been isolated sightings which involved cougars that are not native to New York.

A couple of sightings involved captive mountain lions that escaped from licensed facilities in New York State. Another sighting involved a wild cougar that traveled from South Dakota to New York.

More From Hudson Valley Post