MANCHESTER — Some say it was a mountain lion, others speculate it was a bobcat. But everyone agrees it isn't something you often see roaming an urban community such as Manchester.

A city man spotted a wild animal prowling his backyard on Brady Circle, near the McLaughlin and Green Acres schools this week.

“It was stalking like a jaguar, like nothing I had seen before,“ Brady Circle resident Keith Raho said.

An avid hiker, Raho saw the very presence of such a creature of the wild as quite unusual. He grabbed his camera and started taking pictures and video.

The Raho's yard backs up to a small strip of woods by the side of Interstate 293. It is a small, wooded area that he says seems to be a popular refuge for deer. “Many people have said deer go back there because they can't be touched by hunters, being near the highway and the schools,” Raho said.

At first Raho thought the critter was a bobcat, but friends said it appeared to be a mountain lion, because of its short hair and lack of spots.

Manchester police Lt. Mike Hurley said workers with the state Fish and Game Department took a look at Raho's video and figured it was a bobcat. Click here for Keith Raho's Facebook video of the animal.

Bobcat or mountain lion, the visit was rare enough to have people talking.

”It was on the move. It stopped to look at me for probably two minutes, that's when I snapped the video,” Raho said. “The way it was kind of stalking along the perimeter made me feel it was maybe hunting, it was kind of staking out the area.”

Both bobcats and mountain lions are meat eaters. Bobcats eat mainly rodents, rabbits and other small animals. Mountain lions will make a meal out of deer.

“I've seen deer in the backyard, but there are probably several acres by the highway untouched by people which makes a good spot for deer to hang out largely untouched,“ Raho said.

At first, Raho didn't report his discovery to police or warn neighbors. But on the advice of friends, he called Manchester police to let them know what he had seen.

The principal of nearby Green Acres School sent an advisory to parents and neighbors of the school. “There is no need to panic but precautions should be taken.” said the notice from Principal Rick Norton. He advised staying out of wooded areas, keeping pets at home and in the house at night, and slowly moving away from any sighting of the animal.

Raho and his wife are expecting their first child, but he said he's not worried about the animal making a return trip. Still, just in case the furry visitor has figured out that the deer population and other potential meals are fond of the area, he'll keep some distance. Raho will mow his lawn during the day and stay out of the yard at night when such animals are likely to be making their rounds.

The image of the wild animal meandering in his yard is one that will last in his mind as much as on video.

“l never heard of something like this happening. I like to hike a lot and would take pictures if I saw this in the mountains while hiking,” he said.”

“The fact that it is happening in the largest city in New Hampshire is kind of exquisite.”