WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) — Armed with camcorders and Velcro, a group of residents hopes to prove that mountain lions call Connecticut home.

The Republican American reports that the group, called Cougars of the Valley, is raising money to buy equipment to prove their case.

The group wants to place high-definition camcorders in wooded areas and put Velcro on trees for the cats to rub against and perhaps leave behind fur and droppings for DNA testing.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the eastern mountain lion has been extinct for decades. However, a mountain lion killed on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford last year renewed debate.

Dennis Schain, a spokesman for the state environmental agency, says there are no native mountain lions, but efforts to provide more information and evidence are welcome.