No one needs to panic.". Send it to me at mkuhns@poconorecord.com. Bushkill Falls Trail. The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Mountain lions typically eat about one deer per week, along with other smaller prey as the opportunity arises. The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. That may be true, or was once true, but even a declawed puma, if it can survive off rabbits and squirrels, and breeds, its offspring would be fully equipted to survive. Some experts predict that this wide-ranging predator, which can travel 600 miles in search of a territory, will surely reach our eastern states sometime in the next few decades. "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. Currently, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback in regard to their historic range. Pocono Mountains - Wikipedia I'm wondering, then, if the complete dismissal of sightings of Eastern pumas (other than the acknowledgement of released or escaped pets) isn't motivated by economics. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! It is an Italianate Villa home that features authentic Victorian furniture and finishing. An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. Pocono Mountains: Best Things To See And Do - TravelAwaits Looking for things to do in the Poconos? Over the last two years I have occasionally posted a Question of the Month soliciting sightings from people who believed that they have seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania or in other areas in the mid-Atlantic states. . The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The Game Commission concluded they were coyotes. They mostly live in the far western Trans-Pecos region of the state, with about 50,000 to 80,000 acres of suitable land currently being used by the cat. If youve done any research on your own, you may have noticed that we didnt include a lot of states that have had cougar sightings, especially in the last few years. Let me know if you have seen one! Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. "It was in Worthington State Forest just across the Delaware River from Smithfield Beach). By the mid-1900s pumas were eliminated from almost all of the eastern states, and by mid-century were officially extinct east of the Mississippi, except for a remnant population in southern Florida. Editor's note: The Pocono Record and Tri-County Independent have collaborated for a series of stories called Mountain Beasts: Pocono cryptids, legends and lore. Is it the New Best Pack? Not only do hunting licenses support the various state game commissions, and in some states the acquisition and maintenance of public hunting lands, but hunters are a huge boon to local economies each fall, with purchases of food, lodging, hunting equipment, etc. All rights reserved. On the second night, a mountain lion passed by, apparently drawn by the smell but put off by the stench, as the cat did not visit the kill. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? Pa Mountain lion, cougar, or big cat in bucks county Pennsylvania The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. Mountain lions (cougars, pumas, and more) are among the top predators that live in the United States. The mountain lion population in Nevada is essential to the control of deer and rodent populations in the mountainous regions of the state. Most, quite honestly, don't know or can't believe or accept what they saw, they really can't believe their eyes. "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. 10 Stunning Mountains In Pennsylvania - AZ Animals I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! (National Park Service). Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. Discover the Little-Known U.S. River Gorge That's, The 9 Best Books About National Parks for Travelers, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback. Bo Ottman is a landscaper in Connecticut who founded an . If you see or photograph a puma in the mid-Atlantic states, please email or call me. An escapee is also possible. It was estimated to be a young adult American Mastodon that had died about 12,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating. In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. They once inhabited the entire United States, but were killed off and pushed west. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? It's sort of like big foot, some people say they've seen him.". Although unconfirmed, mountain lions continue to be reported in many spots across Pennsylvania, including several reports in the past couple months. The Cougar Network, working with state agencies, have documented multiple mountain lions as far east as Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan in recent years, as well as one cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. There are, from time to time, eyewitness accounts from hunters or hikers who claim to have seen the cat. Outdoor adventures abound, and so do our fabulous shopping and restaurants. I receive about one email or phone call a month, on average, from people that I do not know who are contacting me because their sighting compelled them to do a Google search on puma sightings, and they found my site and previously posted questions. The same goes for New York and several other eastern states. All rights reserved (About Us). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. For our list, we only included US states with a stable breeding population. Biologists who investigate these reports claim that several may, indeed, be mountain lions, but most likely they're animals that have escaped from captivity or have been released by their. Additionally, California banned the hunting of cougars back in 1972, encouraging population growth. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? Over the last two years I have occasionally posted a Question of the Month soliciting sightings from people who believed that they have seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania or in other areas in the mid-Atlantic states. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. He also noted that if the cat was here, wouldn't they be reproducing and increasing in population by now? I'd love to hear of any reports you have. Pocono Mountains - Travel guide at Wikivoyage Currently, there are only 15 states that meet that qualification. I'm a photographer, yet I've never had a chance to snap a photograph of one of these bears. In his 1973 book "Faces in Clay" Leslie lays open the archaeological treasures of stone arrow or spear points and tools lost long ago by a succession of native peoples. Are Mountain Lions in Missouri Making a Comeback? It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. The name Pocono is derived from the . The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. But more importantly, he also said that regardless of color, he saw a big cat, with a tail that looked to be about 4 feet long! Let's say the facts indicate that there have been a lot of 'pet' pumas, and many of these escaped. Mountain Lions - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service) And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. I believe them. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. "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. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. Mysterious big cat caught on security camera in Clarks Summit, Pa. 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. The Pocono Mountains are . Sadly, the hunting guidelines for cougars in Idaho are lax, with 400-600 cats being killed each year. Where reports dating that far back from escapees? Controlled hunting of mountain lions is allowed within the state. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? With healthy populations and strong conservation programs, however, they seem to be pushing back east. I am hoping that more and more people will learn of my own interest in this, and will pass on this information and that I'll receive more reports and, hopefully, sometime, a game camera photo that is definitive. Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. A Mountain Lion Cover Up I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one. The State cites that there are no road-kills, and in a heavily trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills. I have three observations here: 1. Colby is a freelance writer from Charlotte, North Carolina. Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. Illinois can also now be added to this list a mountain lion was found on the outskirts of Chicago. But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. The Bushkill Falls are a series of eight waterfalls in a 300-acre wooded enclave hidden amongst the Poconos. Had this been faked, I'd suspect the hoaxter would try for a more authentic background. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. The last known mountain lion in Pennsylvania was killed in Berks County in 1874. On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. The large tracts of untouched rocky land and bighorn sheep populations make for pristine mountain lion habitat. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Most of the native mountain lions live in Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, but humans rarely ever see them due to their secretive nature. Did they migrate south from Canada? Scientists debate whether the large prehistoric mammals became extinct at the end of the Ice Age due to over-hunting, or rapid climate warming. Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. Although a large proportion of the Lenape Nation was dispersed far from their ancestral homelands in the 18th century, colonial settlers and their descendants struggled to live in this region with wolves and cougars inhabiting the forests. Woolly mammoth bones were discovered in Bradford County in 1983. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. There are also big swaths of thick of forests in parts of the state. do I get an immediate, 'Oh yeah!' Where they always here as a relic population? The Poconos is a mountain area in northeastern Pennsylvania.It is 2,400 square miles of wooded mountains and valleys full of beautiful lakes, rivers, forests and wildlife. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. This is huge news for conservationists around the country and a sign that cougars may be heading east once again. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a great litter of boulders, rocks, clay and lakes covering today's landscape. The next day, another friend, who works for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, called me to ask if I had seen the photo of a Pocono mountain lion with a deer in its jaws. The image in the Upper Left was from a Game Camera, sent to me by a friend. By the time he returned the vehicle was gone, and so was the cat, and no mention was ever made of this road kill in a radio or newspaper report. I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. If so, what would happen to the hunting industry in all of these states? Good luck, and let me know! 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). I receive about one email or phone call a month, on average, from people that I do not know who are contacting me because their sighting compelled them to do a Google search on puma sightings, and they found my site and previously posted questions. At one point, there was debate whether that cat should be protected, since its genes were diluted from escapees or released pumas that originated in South America or our West. Archived Questions of the Month It will happen eventually. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Geologist Dr. John Yolton made the identification. That summer, a team from the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg excavated the nearly complete skeleton of the ancient elephant, the first of its kind found in the Commonwealth. And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. In prior interviews with the Game Commission, the suggestion was made to this writer that what many people may actually be seeing is a bobcat, perhaps in less than ideal circumstances. Flying over the area, I've looked down and commented upon the amount of habitat that would be available for a puma, if only they existed. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. 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. . Lions in the Santa Monica Mountains - National Park Service He also published a follow-up on Oct. 15 with the same mountain lion-deer hoax photo, as well as personal stories from several local residents who claim they've seen mountain lions in the Poconos. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. What does a Puma (Mountain Lion) look like on a Game Camera? Their are two web sites I know of that dealt with eastern pumas, with the one, the Eastern Puma Research Network, concentrating on sightings in the east. The Pocono Mountains are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Although in captivity, they can live much longer. This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. Ramapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization, Bigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Mountain lions, Goodrich wrote, were more dreaded than wolves as the cat could climb over any fence that could be built. So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. Many have a desire to see some clear-cut evidence. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. No projectile points or spearheads were found with the remains, indicating the animal may have died naturally rather than killed by native hunters. My friend was a former hunter and fisherman, and spent a lot of time in the woods, as did I, but neither of us had ever seen a coyote. This will be one of your best identification marks, along with size. a high priority. Continuing with that thought, if that were so, then it'd be possible, if not very likely, that the Eastern puma would be an Endangered Species. Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? "If there was mountain lions in Pennsylvania), I think we'd be getting reports from farmers and people with pets that there were attacks on their animals," Martinelli said. Encouraged by the bounties, settlers waged war on these perceived beasts. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! In July and August I received seven different reports, and everyone involved had done a search of some type to compare images of bobcats and pumas. In captivity mountain, lions can live to be about 20 years old. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Hoax photo doesn't help believability of mountain lions in Poconos I've looked in the PGC game laws booklet and saw nothing on this, which I guess you could conclude means a puma would not be legal to shoot. Mountain lions have a lifespan of about 8 to 13 years old in the wild. There also were camels, sloth and hyena, which migrated elsewhere. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Well, right behind our property lies a mountain ridge, one of several that makes a continuous forest that extends, with little interruption, for scores of miles in three directions. In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? ? Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. These cubs are born blind and helpless. Where they always here as a relic population? Now, forty years ago coyotes were rare or almost nonexistent in Pennsylvania, and had had that same sighting back then, when coyotes were thought not to exist within the state we would have had the 'facts' to doubt what we saw. The Golden State has one of the largest populations of mountain lions in the country. If there were wild cougars in our midst, the Game Commission also pointed out, eventually there would be solid evidence such as a carcass, scat and paw prints that could be verified. "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. Something to consider, even though we all trust the government. In the forests of Kenya, however, they do occur. This one streaked across the road in the early evening, and fortunately, it stopped when it climbed a hill on the other side where I had another view from my side of the truck. There are controlled hunting laws in the state of Oregon. One of the three branches or clans of the Lenape Tribe at the end of the 17th century was known as the Wolf (Minsi). They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. Armand Martinelli isn't only the mayor of East Stroudsburg, he's also a hunter who is connected with plenty of people in the area. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. And book one of these Poconos cabins rentals for the best outdoor access to these activities. Some outdoor enthusiasts insist they have seen the big cats here and believe them to be naturally occurring, native animals. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might The record size for this species is 8 feet, and it probably weighed 15 to 20 pounds, which shows how exaggerated this claim is. On a recent stifling morning in Adams County, the 290-pound mountain lion with perfect bone structure is ignoring the raw chicken breast and pork chops a handler tossed into his pen. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. Pocono Record's Micaela Hood moves on to Lehigh Valley Public Media "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". They regularly join the camp of those angrily claiming the commission has introduced the big cats back into Pennsylvania as a control measure against the state's huge deer population. Heres What the Data Says. Biologists traced it. Colorado has a large number of mountain lions within its borders, mostly due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. The agency has declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies ofmountain lions native to North America. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. Eyes are normal and are not light sensitive, and the over-all color, generally black, is usually not detrimental and may actually be of benefit. I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. Mt Lions in WV, NY, and PA - Hoot Hollow He saw a big cat. 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? 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. ARE THERE MOUNTAIN LIONS IN PA? - Page 8 - Pennsylvania Firearm Owners "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. I love the big cats and devote a huge amount of my field time photographing African lions, leopards, cheetahs, and in 2011, tigers. Most of my original Questions of the Month for the last several What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? "They are very strong animals," she said. The story behind our new web site. Although there was no evidence that the 2011 mountain lion ever set foot in Pennsylvania, DNA evidence confirmed that it had been both west and east of the state. They are there to help us. Why do I advocate manual exposure so avidly? You've got a mountain lion story or photo? DNA collected from the mountain lion killed on a roadway in Connecticut in 2011 showed the animal to have originated in South Dakota. Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". State Game Officials do concede that some people may indeed have seen a puma, but it was undoubtedly a released captive. In Michigan, there has been multiple sightings of 'black panthers,' animals that were thought to be mountain lions, or pumas, except that they were black. Many of those claiming to have encountered a cougar in Pennsylvania take that non-confirmation by the commission as an attack on their veracity and character. I spend a lot of time outdoors, and I've seen about 10 black bears in Pennsylvania, and all within ten miles of my home. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. A neighbor scared the animal away before it could finish its meal; the sheeps carcass was used as bait, to catch the big cat.
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