An Amish farmer along 944 in Cumberland County complained to the PGC a mountain lion was killing his sheep. Hildreth says the animals are capable of moving long distances across the state. If cougars are out there, why hasn't one ever been killed on a highway or shot? I just wanted to post that not only have we been hearing what we thought was a mountain lion, we spotted it the night before last. Besides a lack of physical (scat, hair, or tracks) and photographic evidence, the absence of cougars is also demonstrated by a lack of road-killed cougars. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. I went to the rocky site and did not find the cat. adroll_pix_id = "UONCO23J7FHDDMDTKEX733"; Expand. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Cougars are a tawny brown to orange and much larger than bobcats; cougars weigh up to a muscular 220lbs; bobcats are grey to brown with black spots and only weigh on average 25lbs. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. The last promising scat turned out to be from a large coyote that had eaten a lot of meat. U.S. FOREST SERVICE PHOTO The tail of the cat is an excellent identification tool: cougars have two- to three-foot-long wiry tails with a black tip, and bobcats have a short bobbed tail that is only three to eight inches long. If you are already an OutdoorNews.com subscriber, you can log in here. Over time, this will help us evaluate problem areas, movement barriers for wildlife, and potential for human-puma conflict. Nov. 11, 2021 - A California Mountain Lion was seen at approximately 4:52 p.m. on Nov. 11 near the University Glen water tanks and on the main part of the campus near Santa Barbara Street and Camarillo Street. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. So, if you live close to here please keep this in mind while you are hiking or walking along the wooded areas. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Please enter your email address below to create account. Cougars distaste for humans runs so deep that a study found that simply playing talk radio was enough to get these cougars to permanently abandon what they were eating. They helped to keep prey populations in balance, which created a more diverse and better functioning ecosystem that could respond to disturbances. That the ultimate proof would come from Penn State seemed ironic -- the university's well-known mascot is a "Nittany" lion, and a mounted cougar killed in Susquehanna County in 1856 stands guard in the campus library. Mountain lions are large, tan cats. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Share Tweet Share Share. A report in 1981 found that it would be impossible to restore cougars to Adirondack Park in New York because there were too many humans. You can also identify the venomous snakes of Pennsylvania by their vertical pupils, similar to the pupils in cats' eyes. 4 . The Florida panther reached a population low of 20-30 individuals in 1970s, and currently are between 120-200 sub-adults and adults. Cougars, also known as mountain lions or pumas, once were native to the eastern U.S. Michael Tanenbaum "We have lots of remote areas where people seldom go," he says, "and our high deer population would offer them bountiful food. Im 62 and hunted most of my life here in PA. Dont EVER expect to get the truth from anyone with Game departments in any U.S. state. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, feline predators such as the eastern cougar, which is also known as the mountain lion, are "extirpated," meaning they're all but wiped out in the northeastern United States. Bobcats are much smaller, only two to three feet long (head to tail) and one to two feet high at the shoulder. Add Michael's RSS feed to your feed reader But many others believe wild mountain lions are traveling from Western states, where as many as 30,000 could exist, and across the Midwest to Pennsylvania seeking new territory. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. "I know they're native to this area. The timber rattlesnake and northern copperhead are close to threatened, according to pennlive.com. Black markings decorate the tip of the tail, ears, and around the snout. "Over the years, I've received a number of cougar reports, some pretty factual, such as a partly devoured calf left up in a tree, but nobody has ever provided clear proof. Figure 3. I saw a mountain lion crossing a state highway,the Oklahoma-Salem FRoad near DuBois PA about 4:30 pm. Some restrictions apply. If you have an encounter with a mountain lion, contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays: CPW Headquarters (Denver): (303) 297-1192. "It's so hard to pin anything down," said John Lutz, the West Virginia man who heads the network, a non-scientific affiliation of mountain lion seekers across the eastern United States. Flickr/Valerie. 1. Pennsylvania is currently home to only one wild cat: the bobcat. Bobcat and coyote tracks have been misidentified as cougar tracks. Confirmed Mountain Lion Reports Watch our Mountain Lions in Missouri video to learn why mountain lions are roaming into our state, how we confirm reported sightings, and what to do in the very unlikely event you encounter a mountain lion. Journal of Mammalogy 97(5):1435-1440. Pennsylvania is too inhabited to support a population of cougars, unless there are major changes in cougar biology, cougar behavior, and public opinion. So it's possible that cougars survive. The cougar is much larger and needs at least four trees to be covered. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. Foster, the Messiah College professor, said he has investigated about 15 reported mountain lion sightings since late May, and believed "three or four are pretty likely a mountain lion." Find Easton area news on Facebook. Someone photographed the animal at the Brunswick School on Greenwich, Connecticut about 40 miles away on June 5th. My horse was spooked twice & I heard a guttural growling but never seen any animal. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". They're responsible for80 percent of the pollination of the fruit, legume and vegetable plants we need to eat. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. All rights reserved (About Us). Your email address will not be published. Was running and had very long stride, at least 6 foot. Repellant can protect exposed skin from ticks. The size was then confirmed to me, had a long tail also, had no markings but appeared dark grey in the sun. From PD: Read your article about mountain lions in NJ. More than half of California is mountain lion habitat and mountain lions generally exist wherever deer are found. There has never been any conclusive evidence.". It had recently killed a buck and was dragging it across the road. Some of the regional tribes include the Tonkawa, Kiowa and Apache. An escapee is also possible. Seriously, no mountain lions in Pa? The bobcat wouldn't survive. In 1991 mountain lion tracks were found . The Game Commission believes Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion died in 1874 in Berks County. Smith, J.A., Suraci, J.P., Clinchy, M., Crawford, A., Roberts, D., Zanette, L.Y. A coyote or bobcat is a little shorter than a tire and roughly one and half the length of tire. I work near Hazleton, Pa. Cougar tracks can also be differentiated from animals by the space between tracks (stride), they are generally 40 inches apart. Females tend to go an average of 18-30 miles, while males travel much farther (45-170 miles). After carefully considering the shape of the paw, Penn State experts concluded that the print was not made by a cougar. In one case out of Reading, a sighting of an apparent cheetah turned out to be an African serval that was likely bred and domesticated illegally. "We should be getting more pictures. Lion sightings they got. The mystery of whether wild eastern cougars, also commonly known as mountain lions, pumas, or panthers, really survive in the Keystone State might finally unravel. Slowly, mountain lions recolonized North America after having retreated to warmer climates in South America during the Pleistocene ice age. While it is possible for a cougar to make this journey, it is highly unlike for individuals to survive the journey. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Without some adaptions and major changes in public opinion, it is unlikely that cougars can be restored in Pennsylvania, as the Adirondacks in 1980s was much less populated than Pennsylvania today. MISSOULA, Mont. "When I started telling people, most of them didn't believe me, but I will never forget that huge face staring right at me," said a Montgomery County woman who says she saw a lion last summer in Limerick Township while walking her dog. Are dangerous creatures lurking outside your tent flap or in the woods beyond your backyard if you live in Pennsylvania? Although they're occasionally reportedby hikers in remote locations, the U.S. Hard evidence that wild, free-ranging mountain lions are living in the state they did not. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. I told her I knew what a Maine Coon cat looked like and this was BIG, had short hair and LONG tail. but they have a tail thats almost as long as their body, and this animal clearly is lacking a tail," Taylor said. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. Saw some huge cat prints on the mountain in NEPA near white haven. The young adult male was killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2011. Heres how to pull big bluegills from Iowas West Lake Okoboji, A look at some other ways to call in a spring gobbler, How to catch and cook whitefish and tullibees, Nows the time to savor the fruits of the hunting experience. The nearest known populations of mountain lions are in Wyoming, Colorado, North . The mountain lion sightings locations can help with all your needs. "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. I am not a confirmed believer that they do travel Penns woods, however I would NOT rule it out either. Union and Huntingdon , Pa. .. One doesn't think about big cats being in this eastern part of the . Orange and tan house cats are also confused for cougars. Sunbury, PA 17801 Phone: 570-286-5671 Email . But Dave "Gadget" Jones, a retired wildlife conservation officer from Lackawanna County, claims he's seen a white bigfoot and a UFO in Pennsylvania, so who knows? If you see a mountain lion. You read it here first: Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania: Just prior to the start of Pennsylvania's two-week firearms deer season, the volunteers at the Eastern Puma Research Network put out a call to hunters. They wanted to hear from anyone who saw a mountain lion or signs of one, like tracks or scats. The diseaseproduces fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes within three to 30 days. Mountain Lion Sighting. Cougars are seven to eight feet in length (head to tail) and stand two to three feet at the shoulder. Its so hard to pin anything down, said John Lutz, the West Virginia man who heads the network, a non-scientific affiliation of mountain lion seekers across the eastern United States. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. While it would seem impossible to confuse the two after seeing them in person, Foster said many of the sightings are in the dark, from roadways and trail cams, with bodies half-concealed. Mountain lions once lived in much of the eastern United States. Tan shading indicates regions where dispersing juveniles have been sighted, but there are no established populations in these areas. While juvenile males do make long journeys when they are young, they rarely make it to the Lake States (Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin). Brocke R. 1981. The Fort Worth Star-Telegraph reports on a mountain lion sighting in April 2022. None of these sightings has been authenticated, and many of them, including a recent, alleged mountain lion picked up on a surveillance camera in Lackawanna County, turned out to be bobcats. And when our officers go out to investigate reports of mountain lions, or when our staff reviews photos that are sent to us, often we're able to verify some other animal mistakenly was reported as a mountain lion.". But Dave "Gadget" Jones, a retired wildlife conservation officer from Lackawanna County, claims he's seen a white bigfoot and a UFO in Pennsylvania, so who knows? Lion sightings they got. Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania, http://cougarrewilding.org/CougarNews/?p=938. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. By Rudy Miller | For lehighvalleylive.com. The last wild cougar in Pennsylvania was killed in 1871 and the last cougar born on the East Coast was killed in 1938 in Maine. Mountain Lions - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service) NPS.gov Park Home Learn About the Park Nature Animals Mammals Mountain Lion Mountain Lion Last updated: May 4, 2018 Was this page helpful? Mountain lions would have inhabited all of what is now Nebraska, roaming the hills and plains as an apex predator, hunting deer, elk and other large game. Breeding cougars are almost entirely west of the Mississippi in states like South Dakota, Texas, and California (Figure 1). Skip to content. Despite annual reports since the 1950s, no confirmed sighting was made in the state until the 1990s. In August, Amy Walters said her 12-year-old son was spooked by a mountain lion in Forest County in northwest Pennsylvania while riding his dirt bike. An attack on a 4-year-old near San Diego is just the latest in a string of mountain lion attacks in California. So, if a. Absolutely bobcat," Taylor said. The hikers did not see the prey animal, but the mountain lion was focused and had zeroed in on something in the bushes. I think the mountain lion situation is like that. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. I have seen a large cat on several occasions driving home at night from work. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. These tiny critters may not look that threatening but they are carriers of Lyme disease, which can result in long-term health complications and even death. Secondly, the sightings of mountain lions are likely the result of escaped or released animals that were once captive. An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. It can be difficult to tell how large an animal is in a photo, so it is best to use a known object as a scale. Florida panther population estimate updated. Cougars are recolonizing the Midwest: Analysis of cougar confirmations during 19902008. The woman, a 66-year-old grandmother, asked not to be identified because she's a senior and didn't want people "bothering" her about it. The distance traveled varies based on habitat, time of year, and study methods. adroll_current_page = "other"; In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". A recent rumor of a cougar killed by a vehicle on Interstate 80 attracted some attention at Penn State. Officials with the Pennsylvania Game Commission told WHNT the cat in Clarks Summit could be a bobcat, though they tend to be more active at night. MDC established a Mountain Lion Response Team in 1996 to investigate reports and evidence of mountain lions. Cougars were officially declared extinct east of the Mississippi in the 1930s. A few captive cougars have escaped over the years, but these cats have been quickly recaptured. I also saw a mountain lion recently crossing road next to creek in Canadensis PA. After the male mountain lion was removed from Red Hill Trail on May 11, additional sightings in that area were reported: one on May 16, and two over the weekend of May 19 and 20. A second photo of the cat, though shaded, appears to show more of a splotchy coloration on the animal's front limb. Unfortunately, is it unlikely that cougars will return to Pennsylvania in the near future. "Also, pretty sure there is color variation in a bobcats fur color, so what Im thinking is a good-sized, tawny colored bobcat.". The Royal Society 284(1857). Because this cat is rarely seen, it is commonly confused with cougars, but there are some key differences between bobcats and cougars (Figure 2). Jr. 2012. Seventy to 80 percent of victims develop a rash. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. Cougars were seen as threats to humans, livestock, and game species, resulting in unlimited harvest and bounties in some states. Lion take a fawn in a swamp 1 mile from my home in the same county. (The fear of cougars is unfounded. On Friday July 8, 2022 there was a few reported Mountain Lion sightings the last few days one actually involving an encounter with one's family in their lawn. Some attacks of humans have been reported in the United States, according to the U.S. Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. One was spotted late Tuesday in Hamilton near a bus stop. Long-distance dispersal of a subadult male cougar from South Dakota to Connecticut documented with DNA evidence. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The Dodge family in Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County, captured an image of a big cat strolling behind the fence enclosing their yard and pool. I also seen deer in my yard, a coyote, a mink, a wood turtle and a bear earlier this year as well. No An official form of the United States government. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, FISH: Pennsylvania Frog and Toad Breeding Phenology, Questions and Answers about Centipedes, Ladybirds and Butterflies, The Effect of Coyotes on Pennsylvanias Deer Herd, Protected Species in Pennsylvania: The Bog Turtle, Protected Species in Pennsylvania: Northern Flying Squirrel. The eastern cougar subspecies is slightly smaller than the western, but is similar in appearance and habits. , chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and around snout. June 5th 1970s, and around the snout they 're native to this area lions in! No confirmed sighting was made in the state until the 1990s a few captive cougars have escaped the... California ( Figure 1 ) for human-puma conflict ( head to tail ) and stand two to three feet the. 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