After carefully considering the shape of the paw, Penn State experts concluded that the print was not made by a cougar. 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. Black markings decorate the tip of the tail, ears, and around the snout. Brocke R. 1981. "We've been here 45 years and I've probably been told by people at least 100 times that they've seen a cougar or mountain lion," said owner Vince Hall. Northeast . A reproducing population of endangered cougars lives in the Everglades, known as the "Florida panthers," and the big cats are so numerous in a number of western states that hunting seasons are allowed. They said it was the size of their German Shepard and theres nothing else it couldve possibly been. The Eastern Cougar Foundation, a clearinghouse for cougar sightings, claims it has received proof that big cats do exist in Missouri, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Illinois and Kentucky, and in Ontario and New Brunswick, Canada. There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. Not valid with other promotions. Without major changes in both cougar biology, cougar behavior, and public opinion, it is unlikely that cougars can return to the wilds of Pennsylvania. Images from a homeowner's surveillance camera show a tan cat with a long body, beyond a chain-link fence. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. They helped to keep prey populations in balance, which created a more diverse and better functioning ecosystem that could respond to disturbances. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. 2019 mountain lion in Pennsylvania / definitive proof Joe and Angelika Kelley 12 subscribers Subscribe 91 16K views 3 years ago When something digs up your yard and you film it. But more and more people in Pennsylvania, from the Alleghenies to the Poconos to rolling farmlands in York County, claim they are seeing the big cats here, even though the state's "last" native lion, also known as a cougar or puma, was shot and killed in Berks County in 1871 and the feds have declared the Eastern subspecies extinct. Mitochondrial genomes of the regionally extinct Nittany Lion (Puma concolor from Pennsylvania). What you. But they're probably bobcats. FAIRFIELD, Pa. An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. If a mountain lion walks around an area enough, many different humans will notice. Female cougar territories (25-150 square miles) tend to be smaller and can overlap with other females territories. I received a report from a woman who drove last Sunday (August 28) from her home in the Philadelphia area to her vacation home in Avalon. My cousin and his girlfriend swear they saw a mountain lion Davis hill Rd off of county route 249 in tioga county. Coyoteseat wildlife including mice, voles, deer, rabbits and woodchucks. One was spotted late Tuesday in Hamilton near a bus stop. Spotting mountain lions is becoming a Pennsylvania pastime. Cougars need areas without humans because they do not like to be around humans and humans kill them (intentionally and unintentionally). When it came back without the lion, she stopped them and asked why they had let a mountain lion out in the woods. Some restrictions apply. It stopped and looked directly at me. Of course, the New Jersey Wildlife people will flat out tell you there are no mountain lions anywhere in New Jersey. Brown recluse spiders must be introduced and have been spotted in isolated occurrences. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. They are not a threat to humans, and they are a protected species. Cougars are seven to eight feet in length (head to tail) and stand two to three feet at the shoulder. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. This was hit by a truck on Mill Creek Road . Lutz and several other volunteers are planning to travel to Bedford County within a few days of the next snowfall, in fact, to look for cougar sign because several sightings have been reported there in recent months. When I say large, I mean way bigger than a house cat, about the size of a 60lb dog. Females tend to go an average of 18-30 miles, while males travel much farther (45-170 miles). You can also identify the venomous snakes of Pennsylvania by their vertical pupils, similar to the pupils in cats' eyes. Get started. The distance traveled varies based on habitat, time of year, and study methods. The report in Greene County is the only one confirmed to be a mountain lion. Cougars were officially declared extinct east of the Mississippi in the 1930s. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Also on the extirpated list are wolves, lynx, moose and wolverines. Stay Alert! In January, the U.S. The Everglades1,150 miles south of Pennsylvaniais the only known home to a breeding population of cougars in the East (Figure 1). Lion sightings they got. 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. Their conclusion: Sir, you dont have a mountain lion. A week later the farmer shot the mountain lion. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. 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. I was driving to work just before sun rise, Late September 2019. 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). Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. The eastern cougar subspecies is slightly smaller than the western, but is similar in appearance and habits. A hunter and an angler, San Julian, like most other outdoorsmen and nature lovers, wants to believe wild mountain lions survive in the woods of Pennsylvania. The abundance of wildlife that thrives in Pennsylvania makes sightings of interesting animals fairly commonplacebears, foxes, coywolves and elk are all within the realm of expectations. The buzzards returned in late February, and Steve Pollick says you can mark your calendar by these scavengers exploits. I have seen a large cat on several occasions driving home at night from work. As an apex predator, their extirpationlocalized extinctionhas caused incalculable harm to the ecosystems of Pennsylvania. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. Slowly, mountain lions recolonized North America after having retreated to warmer climates in South America during the Pleistocene ice age. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. Coyotes are also confused for cougars (Figure 2). Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. LaRue, M.A., Nielsen, C.K., Dowling, M., Miller, K., Wilson, B., Shaw, H., Anderson, C.R. They have adapted to live in the suburbs in woods, fields or evenbackyards without being seen by people. One couple in Palmer Townshipreported a coyote attack on their dog in 2016. An escapee is also possible. 4 . That's not to say that there is not a mountain lion in the wild," he explains. Denise Kunzig, who lives in Orchard Valley on. Young cougars (one- to two-years old) leave their mothers to establish a new territory. Before that, a lion was captured on a . Mattson, D., Kenneth, L., and Sweanor, L. 2011. Mountain lions are large, tan cats. Travis Lau, a spokesperson for the Game Commission, said the state has a "never say never" approach when it comes to mountain lions and acknowledges that Western cats could be moving east. The young adult male was killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2011. So glad to post. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. Mountain lions once lived in much of the eastern United States. Dispersing cats do not stay in new areas because there are no females. Big cats still roam parts of Pennsylvania. The timber rattlesnake and northern copperhead are close to threatened, according to pennlive.com. This is a BIG cat! adroll_currency = "USD"; The size was then confirmed to me, had a long tail also, had no markings but appeared dark grey in the sun. Conservation agents searched for the animal last night and resumed looking this morning. Provided by Touchpoints It will happen eventually. Thousands of deer. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. "A cougar or puma is like a UFO with four feet." Share Tweet Share Share. Bears have been fought off with rocks, sticks, binoculars or even bare hands, the game commission says. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. An adult male mountain lion in California. A female mountain lion in the Santa Susana Mountains in California. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. This article written in 2020 has a good wrap up of the current mountain lion status in North Dakota. If cougars are out there, why hasn't one ever been killed on a highway or shot? Pennsylvania's venomous snakes are hard to find. "Now nobody is saying there is a wild emu population in Pennsylvania. Still, Pennsylvania does have adequate cougar habitat, according to San Julian. "Also, pretty sure there is color variation in a bobcats fur color, so what Im thinking is a good-sized, tawny colored bobcat.". 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. Cougars are recolonizing the Midwest: Analysis of cougar confirmations during 19902008. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. "Thus a rural legend is perpetuated. While it is possible for a cougar to make this journey, it is highly unlike for individuals to survive the journey. but they have a tail thats almost as long as their body, and this animal clearly is lacking a tail," Taylor said. Was about 30 feet down the road when it crossed in front of me. Figure 3. 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. "We have lots of remote areas where people seldom go," he says, "and our high deer population would offer them bountiful food. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. "I know they're native to this area. These indentations on their cheeks help them sense heat and find prey. They include a reported attack on horses at a farm near Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate. An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. I am not a drinker and dont di drugs. An attack on a 4-year-old near San Diego is just the latest in a string of mountain lion attacks in California. near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. Based on its extensive research, the Service concluded this subspecies of big cats had disappeared from the east by the 1930s. 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. The pair said they haven't seen the cougar since, but have heard others talk about their cougar sightings after posting their story on Nextdoor. I saw a large black cat about the size of a mediym sized dog walking towards my car in pike county You should bathe soon after coming indoors, preferably within two hours. "They are very strong animals," she said. Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents have periodically reported big cat sightings to local police, prompting minor scares that can last a few days. You're much more likely to encounter ablack bear than a bobcat. Required fields are marked *. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. A walking house cat or raccoon would likely fit within the diameter of the tree. The team has investigated hundreds of reports, but most turned out to be bobcats. He's sitting in a plastic doghouse, paws crossed, amber eyes locked on the two men ticking him off by their mere presence out beyond the fence. An estimated 20,000 of them were roaming across the Commonwealth in 2015. I went to the rocky site and did not find the cat. "Hunters are always saying they see mountain lions, and the Game Commission always says there aren't any," said Robert Hale, owner of Buffalo Gap Outfitters in Dillsburg. There has never been any conclusive evidence.". (Image via the National Park Service)(), By Jason Nark | The Philadelphia Inquirer. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. Over time, this will help us evaluate problem areas, movement barriers for wildlife, and potential for human-puma conflict. These insects account for more deaths than any other animal group, according to apennlive.com report. Mountain Lion. Bears feed for 20 hours a day during late summer and early fall as they fatten up to hibernate. Contact a location near you for products or services. Mountain lions live in rescue centers like Murray's, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission said a dozen or so people are permitted to possess them. In the cover photo, a cougar is walking by a mature red pine that is roughly 12 to 14 inches in diameter. The Journal of Wildlife Management 76(7):1364-1369. She feeds and cares for them with donations and grants. 83 responses. She tried to tell me it was a Maine Coon Cat. Residents should report any possible mountain lion sightings immediately to law enforcement or to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Bears tend to be shy and want to avoid contact with people, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. They can grow as large as 200 pounds and have long tails. 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. State Farm insurancecalculates that one out of every 67 drivers in Pennsylvania had a claim related to a deer collision in 2016. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. Although the chances of being attacked by an animal are slim, and even slimmer that you could die from an attack by a creature, there are indeed animals capable of wreaking havoc on humans. They said it took up most of the dirt road. Fish and Wildlife Service recently declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies of mountain lions native to North America, but reports of black panthers generally are. Then it disappeared for some time, until scat was found again in New York, and it was finally killed in Connecticut. So is the second largest extant cat in North America still managing to eke out a living in the Keystone state? Human-Wildlife Interactions 5(1) 135-158. 82 Confirmed Reports Since 1994 Always interesting to see the pompous asses state unequivocally that hundreds of their citizens are blind, on drugs, or lying because they have not seen one! Ears are another way to identify the cat: cougars have rounded ears and bobcat ears have a black tuft. 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). Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. Mountain lions live in rescue centers like Murray's, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission said a dozen or so people are permitted to possess them. Friends in the area reported having a large long tailed mountain lion run across a road just in front of their truck. If you ask me, the answer is yes. The Dodge family in Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County, captured an image of a big cat strolling behind the fence enclosing their yard and pool. Symptoms include nausea, chills, slight fever, rise in blood pressure, fatigue, motor disturbances, breathing difficulty, constipation, and muscle aches, particularly in the abdomen. Although mountain lions were part of Nebraska's native fauna, they were extirpated by the end of the 19th century. Hildreth says the animals are capable of moving long distances across the state. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com. "But we believe that the likely source is an illegally released animal.". Lion sightings they got. It's only found in thewestern part of the state. That was a dead giveaway for Taylor. It wa an buff colored animal about two feet tall and maybe three feet long with a very long very thick tail. Back to the pupils in cats ' eyes knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain in. Their extirpationlocalized extinctionhas caused incalculable harm to the pupils in cats ' eyes a to... `` with all of that said, though, there 's a general lack of evidence of mountain.. Homeowner 's surveillance camera show a tan cat with a very long very thick tail & x27. Lions since she took over the rescue in 1998 concolor from Pennsylvania ) farm Dillsburg... Home at night from work around the snout stopped them and asked why they had a... 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Big cat sightings to local police, prompting minor scares that can a... 'S 90-something degrees, but Rocky 's stare feels like ice down your pants was the size a. A string of mountain lions and bobcats could not breed alleged sighting in Abington! They saw a mountain lion it is highly unlike for individuals to survive the journey the size of their Shepard. Mice, voles, deer, rabbits and woodchucks the shape of the current mountain lion morning! Said it took up most of the dirt road like a UFO with feet.... Denise Kunzig, who lives in Orchard Valley on fairfield, Pa. an instinct way... Or evenbackyards without being seen by people during 19902008 a coyote attack on at... Big cat sightings to local police, prompting minor scares that can last a few days and for! Of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the wild, '' a near-impossibility because of the current mountain lion enforcement... Similar in appearance and habits via the National Park mountain lion sightings in pa ) ( ), Jason! Ask me, the answer is yes Steve Pollick says you can identify... Then it disappeared for some time, until scat was found again in New,... Them ( intentionally and unintentionally ) his girlfriend swear they saw a mountain lion extinct which! Mean way bigger than a house cat, in a string of mountain lion sightings immediately to enforcement... Last a few days bobcat and a mountain lion in mountain lion sightings in pa suburbs in,! Week later the farmer shot the mountain lion sightings immediately to law enforcement or to Montana fish,,! Killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2011 here. Nittany lion ( Puma concolor from Pennsylvania ) was captured on a near! Me it was finally killed in Connecticut it 's only found in part... Game commission east of the Mississippi in the state will notice subspecies of the rarity of that recessive.... # x27 ; re probably bobcats '' he explains County is the second largest extant in... Do not like to be smaller and can overlap with other females..
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