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Who knows? In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. "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. PHILADELPHIA (AP) An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. 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 2,400-square-mile area has long been a popular outdoor recreation area boasting hunting, fishing, skiing, and more. I've spoken to PGC personnel, two being friends, and neither believe there are pumas in Pa. One cited how a bobcat's tail can be much longer than you expect, although I've never seen a bobcat tail longer than, at most, twice the size of the tails illustrated above of the bobcat. 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. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one. Where they always here as a relic population? How, Who, and Why? Good luck, and let me know! I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Had this been faked, I'd suspect the hoaxter would try for a more authentic background. 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 that cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. (National Park Service). I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. The rocky habitat that covers much of the state is perfect for these ambush predators, especially since humans dont inhabit much of the land. Leslie estimated that the first humans making up the Paleo-Indians lived in the upper Delaware valley as early as 11,000 B.C. In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. I want to believe they're here, but I'm having some trouble. What the Lenape Indians never did, the European colonists and their descendants did swiftly eradicate the wolf and cougars viewed as a menace to their families and livestock. Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? Mountain lions have a lifespan of about 8 to 13 years old in the wild. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. See also: Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. I'll offer my own little anecdote. Despite reported sightings throughout the East, including Pennsylvania, and a confirmed mountain lion killed in Connecticut in 2011, there has been no evidence that any of those cats were native . Depends on who you talk to, I guess. These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. I believe Kross fully, but I wanted to hear more. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Nevertheless, I put up a MOULTRIE game camera -- a brand that I've had tremendous satisfaction with -- at the carcass, hoping that scavengers would visit. I hope no one ever shoots a puma to prove their existence here, but I hope someone gets a great photo, of the cat, of a road-kill, of tracks, and that I see it. So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". These experiences are still available, but the reality is there is so much more for the mature traveler to enjoy in the Pocono Mountains. "While it seems unlikely, it's not impossible that these animals are showing up in PA," said David Foster, a biology professor at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg. For our list, we only included US states with a stable breeding population. It also mentioned that someone raising a mountain lion without a license may either have let it go when it became too large to handle, or that the animal had escaped. So how or why could there be a conspiracy? 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. 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. Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions. You've got a mountain lion story or photo? Despite reported sightings throughout the East, including Pennsylvania, and a confirmed mountain lion killed in Connecticut in 2011, there has been no evidence that any of those cats were native to the East. I believe them. The story behind our new web site. Only when I reviewed the images on my laptop did I discover that I had a mountain lion! . Do elk live in Pennsylvania? "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. Newspapers carried stories in 1956 about hunters supposedly seeing and killing wolves in Pike and Monroe Counties. 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? All rights reserved (About Us). Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. 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. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. Yet, except for Florida, which has about 100 of them "Florida panthers"), no eastern state has a verifiable population of these large 100- to 200-pound cats that were extirpated 100 years ago. All of the above images are of bobcats. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. How do I deal with shaving weight for carrying my gear? That solution: Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up. 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. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. One man, in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, had seen one, at night, about 25 years ago. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Some outdoor enthusiasts insist they have seen the big cats here and believe them to be naturally occurring, native animals. 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. It was decided that this shouldn't influence the decision and, in fact, an infusion of new genes produces a hybrid vigor, lessening the chance of in-breeding. I've seen scores of leopards in the grasslands and deserts of East Africa and I've never seen, nor spoke with anyone, who has seen a black leopard there. But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. Who knows? What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! years are available through this link. ", (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence, including in a reported Berks County sighting on January 8. Is there a Puma conspiracy? "Given the period of time that has passed without verification of even a single eastern puma, the service concludes that the last remaining members of this subspecies perished decades ago," the Fish and Wildlife Service said in a Federal Register notice. I'm a photographer, yet I've never had a chance to snap a photograph of one of these bears. All rights reserved. It was estimated to be a young adult American Mastodon that had died about 12,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. People can manipulate, enhance or combine photos and then create their own stories about the subject's origin, location and even identification. Many people have claimed to see them, and this writer chronicled numerous such reports in the local press from the mid-1990s to the 2010s. The sightings were great bear views, but too fast or fleeting to allow me to grab a camera. Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. 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 owners. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. And yes, there are people in Pennsylvania who say they exist here. Images from a homeowner's surveillance camera show a tan cat with a long body, beyond a chain-link fence. Then there is Rocky. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. With the Great Lakes in its way, the cat moved either north or south of the water, and the latter route would have seen it pass through at least some of Pennsylvania. with a fluted projectile point were found near Middletown, Orange County, New York. He notes how over the millennia, the region was inhabited by humans, only to be depopulated by migration brought on by the search of food due to a fickle climate, war or epidemic. Geologist Dr. John Yolton made the identification. More about mountain lions in Pennsylvania: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 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. This happens usually around the 18-month mark. He said he'd never forget the sighting, but it was only when he saw another, a few months ago, in daylight, from his cabin, that he decided it was time to tell someone. About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Fish and Wildlife Service. Looking for things to do in the Poconos? One sighting I give complete belief in was from a friend who told me a puma crossed right in front of their vehicle, and paused on the berm for a few seconds, at a distant of ten yards or less. 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. Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. In Yellowstone, definite puma country (perhaps not ideal habitat, but pumas are found in every section of Yellowstone), I've spoken to guys on road crews and with rangers, each with 20 years of field or road experience in Yellowstone, and the ranger had only seen 2 (both road kills and together) and the road crew guys two or three in all their years. 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. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Mountain lions roamed all of the continent prior to the arrival and westward spread of European settlers, but only the eastern and Florida subspecies were found east of the Mississippi. Although in captivity, they can live much longer. Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. The reintroduction of mountain lions into South Dakota is one of the great wins of modern conservation. 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. 1.8 miles, 2 hours, moderate. Mountain lions can live in almost any habitat including forests, prairies, deserts, and swamps. No projectile points or spearheads were found with the remains, indicating the animal may have died naturally rather than killed by native hunters. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. "They preyed upon the caribou, and probably the mastodon," Leslie wrote of these large animals flourishing on the grasses and cold-climate flora that sprouted following the glacier's retreat. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might The name Pocono is derived from the . Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Two weeks ago, a friend of mine who teaches in one of the Monroe County school districts called to tell me he was sending me a photo of a mountain lion taken by one of his students in the Poconos. The last documented sighting of an eastern cougar was one killed in Maine in 1938. A Mountain Lion Cover Up At the end of the last Ice Age, many animals in Pennsylvania died out. What is the Kiboko backpack? What equipment do we take in the field? I can't dismiss the eye-witnesses I've interviewed. Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. Certainly it is a romantic notion, but I've always held out the hope that pumas still roamed the east. What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? He saw a big cat. The large, undeveloped interior filled with rocky habitats perfect for mountain lions allows them to safely live and breed. 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. 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. The State Museum of Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg, displays a taxidermy mount of a mountain lion in glass case, with the notation, "This lion, found near Hawk Mountain in Berks County around 1871, is the last native mountain lion known to have been shot in Pennsylvania. Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. They often would catch sheep in broad daylight. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? You would think someone would have a picture on a trail camera or whatever. (570) 325-3229. I had three cameras positioned, so had a cat visited, I'd have had it. Mountain lions (cougars, pumas, and more) are among the top predators that live in the United States. I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. Penn State's Nittany Lion hide sampled for DNA sequencing, Mountain lion reports in Pennsylvania popular, but often a hoax, More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. Phineas Teeple of Manchester Township is thought to have killed the last wolf in Wayne County. Here's an example: A man is holding a dead eastern diamondback rattlesnake, which was found in North Carolina and measured more than 9 feet long and weighed 95 pounds. Murray also has a cross-eyed white tiger named Keisha, who crushed chicken bones with ease but delicately stepped into a metal pool to cool off. All of these forests are, with few exceptions, open to hunting, and hunting is a very important industry in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled. She feeds and cares for them with donations and grants. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. One might argue that the eastern puma is extinct, but that does not mean that there are not pumas (mountain lions, cougars) in the east. More conclusive evidence is needed: Keep your cameras handy. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. Biologists traced it. DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. I have three observations here: 1. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? About half of the state of Montana is ideal for mountain lions, primarily in her western and central regions. However, my friend and I discussed this, and agreed, we saw what we saw, and had it been 40 years ago or four months ago, we knew we saw a coyote. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. In Pennsylvania, I receive a few reports of black, big cats, which makes one wonder -- are there melanistic (black) pumas out there, or are those sightings always wrong. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. I'm thinking of the solution often suggested for pesky endangered species out west, namely wolves and grizzly bears. One might argue that the eastern puma is extinct, but that does not mean that there are not pumas (mountain lions, cougars) in the east. 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. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. 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. After a small population was reintroduced into their historic land, their population has grown to a stable and breeding group of between 200-300 individuals. 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. 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. The Pocono Mountains, commonly referred to as the Poconos / p o k n o z /, are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania.They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the north, Wyoming Valley and the Coal Region to the west, and the Lehigh Valley to the south. Mountain lion populations struggle to outpace the high hunting limits. Mountain Lion in Pocono's Pennsylvania Kacie PA 7.9K views 2 years ago Mountain lion in bucks county pa or not? There is a big community of mountain lion enthusiasts across the Northeast convinced that the animals still exist in breeding populations. Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? The Game Commission concluded they were coyotes. 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. A law was passed March 10, 1806, requiring the county to pay the person producing the scalp of a full-grown wolf or cougar, $8, and for the scalp of a young whelp or cub, $4. Features Writer Micaela Hood is signing off with the Pocono Record after five years of covering arts, culture, entertainment and sports in northeastern . A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. Mountain lions have an interesting life cycle that consists of a few different characteristics. Did they migrate south from Canada? With the Great Lakes in its way, the cat moved either north or south of the water, and the latter route would have seen it pass through at least some of Pennsylvania. Outdoor adventures abound, and so do our fabulous shopping and restaurants. Have some feedback for us? With that hope in mind, I have, for years, asked outdoors people if they ever heard of a mountain lion, or puma, in their area -- with my questioning limited to people in my home state of Pennsylvania. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. And book one of these Poconos cabins rentals for the best outdoor access to these activities. 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.