", (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. Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? Leap transferred ownership rights to the state. Mountain lions are well-established in 14 western states and have also recently been confirmed in 10 Midwestern states: Nebraska, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. Mountain lions typically eat about one deer per week, along with other smaller prey as the opportunity arises. Did they migrate south from Canada? As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. As they get older, the cubs begin to leave the den and explore. "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. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. "We should be getting more pictures. Kross only saw the animal for a second, but it made a believer out of him. Have some feedback for us? 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. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. So how or why could there be a conspiracy? There had been 17 other mastodon finds in Pennsylvania up to 1968, but all were fragmentary. There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. Caribou meat apparently was part of their diet. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. One came to her as the result of an owner's divorce. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? I've seen hoaxes, of pumas carrying deer shot with game cameras, but these were of western cats. DNA collected from the mountain lion killed on a roadway in Connecticut in 2011 showed the animal to have originated in South Dakota. But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. I asked our Game officials about evidence, and they cite no road kills. Heres What the Data Says. All rights reserved. The coat can be spotted or solid. One man, in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, had seen one, at night, about 25 years ago. Reports of a mountain lion have come from several residents of Hemlock Farms who were hiking on. There is a small breeding population in the state, despite being killed off in the 1920s. In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. The bobcat wouldn't survive. 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. They once inhabited the entire United States, but were killed off and pushed west. These experiences are still available, but the reality is there is so much more for the mature traveler to enjoy in the Pocono Mountains. In January, the U.S. In Tennessee, the most likely places you would find them would be in the forest. 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. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. 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. Goodrich said he once saw a mountain lion spring from a thicket and kill a sheep on a public road. What would account for the long tails? 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). Thank you for reading! Fish and Wildlife Service. Once a mountain lion matures, it will leave its mother and find its own territory. Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also reports evidence that humans arrived during the last glaciation or soon after. 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? And this genetic mix has been recognized, and the Florida puma is still protected. Perhaps my Fed Ex driver was simply recalling a rural legend, but he said it was an employee that he knew, and it was a story he heard first-hand. Both were a threat to the farmer and family who carved a home in the ancient wilderness of the Poconos. 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. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. "It was in Worthington State Forest just across the Delaware River from Smithfield Beach). Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? Where reports dating that far back from escapees? A Mountain Lion Cover Up 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. (570) 325-3229. 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. Would that declaration close that ridge to hunting? However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. 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 . Let me explain this. During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? With healthy populations and strong conservation programs, however, they seem to be pushing back east. And how many would let them go, or provide an opportunity for escaping? 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. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. And yes, there are people in Pennsylvania who say they exist here. Features Writer Micaela Hood is signing off with the Pocono Record after five years of covering arts, culture, entertainment and sports in northeastern . Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. Recently, on our Arizona Hummingbird and Bat Photo Shoot, I found a deer that had been hit by a car and had moved off to die beside a stream just 200 yards upstream from our lodge. 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. And book one of these Poconos cabins rentals for the best outdoor access to these activities. RelatedBigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know. 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. 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. "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. The first settlers kept sheep to supply their household with wool. At the end of the last Ice Age, many animals in Pennsylvania died out. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? 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. The 2,400-square-mile area has long been a popular outdoor recreation area boasting hunting, fishing, skiing, and more. Suppose, instead of declaring the puma, or Eastern mountain lion, extinct, the USFWS actually recognized the existence of the cat as a wild, breeding species. Leslie estimated that the first humans making up the Paleo-Indians lived in the upper Delaware valley as early as 11,000 B.C. 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. "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. "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. years are available through this link. Interestingly, almost all of the people I've spoken to who claim to have seen a puma have not seen a bobcat, an animal that is common enough in Pennsylvania to support a legal trapping season! Everyone else, when reporting, were frustrated as they were told they had seen a bobcat. Imagination? The question is just like in the story of the boy who cried wolf) if that day ever arrives, how will we believe those first, true sightings after so many hoaxes have been perpetrated on the public? I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Joseph Pugliese 2.2K views 7 years ago Beautiful Bobcat in our yard as our. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. 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. If you can figure out how to travel far back in time for even a day, get lots of wildlife photos, as the rest of us might never believe your story. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. "While confirmed cougar sightings have occurred recently in the wild in the East, there is currently no scientific or physical evidence documenting the continued existence of a population of wild eastern cougars," according to the U.S. It wasn't, and I assumed it was a road-kill. For information on predator tracks, check out this guide: https://www.wildliferemoval.com/animal-track-identification-guide/, Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. The record size for this species is 8 feet, and it probably weighed 15 to 20 pounds, which shows how exaggerated this claim is. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. I've never seen or heard of a verified black puma anywhere, whether wild or captive, so I'd be inclined to dismiss reports of truly black big cats as misidentifications, even when a group of guys all see the same thing. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. 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! Like Arizona, New Mexico is the perfect home for mountain lions. After all, skeptics often suggest that puma sightings are just deer sightings, so it would be logical to worry that a hunter might shoot an endangered puma, mistaking it for a brown deer. 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. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. Interesting, too, are the reports I've heard from people who were told that they would be in big trouble if they shot a puma. Interestingly, the US Fish and Wildllife Service has declared the Eastern Puma extinct, except for the Florida population known as the Florida panther. Mountain Lions do remain in the western states and there is evidence that in 2011, a mountain lion migrated about 1,500 miles from South Dakota to Connecticut where it was killed by a. There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. It is almost safe to say that the panther has in these parts become extinct, Goodrich wrote. If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. I wanted to know if they're here, so I called some people I trust and asked them one simple question: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? Biologists traced it. Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? John Leap of East Stroudsburg's Lakeside Peat Humus Co. and an employee, Paul Strauser, found the bones in a peat bog off Route 209. 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. . She feeds and cares for them with donations and grants. Compare any game camera image with the shots above, or this game camera image, to confirm your identification. And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. The reintroduction of mountain lions into South Dakota is one of the great wins of modern conservation. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? The agency has declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies ofmountain lions native to North America. If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. ? This animal was undoubtedly a bobcat. 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. There's a saying that "things aren't always what they appear to be." Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? "I know they're native to this area. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". A typical home range is around 150 square miles for adult males and 50 square miles for adult females in our region. The Golden State has one of the largest populations of mountain lions in the country. 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." Colby is a freelance writer from Charlotte, North Carolina. Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. Some outdoor enthusiasts insist they have seen the big cats here and believe them to be naturally occurring, native animals. Then there is Rocky. One of the important things for any animal is a place to call home. These cubs are born blind and helpless. 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. 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? A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. Mountain lions, Goodrich wrote, were more dreaded than wolves as the cat could climb over any fence that could be built. They're common in the rural areas of the Lehigh Valley but are moving into more populated areas as evidenced by a 600-pound specimen (pictured) that was tranquilized in March after neighbors in. But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. Colorado has a large number of mountain lions within its borders, mostly due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! As a state known for its mountains, its no wonder that mountain lions live here! Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? 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. 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. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? Below is a list of physical characteristics that distinguish mountain lions from more . The bones were found perfectly preserved. A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. However, if you've seen a mountain lion, or other mystery creature, or evidence of either, in Pennsylvania, contact outdoor writer Marcus Schneck at [email protected].). But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Although in captivity, they can live much longer. Among those who have investigated the primeval times of the Pocono Plateau and Delaware River valleys and tributaries was the late Vernon Leslie, Ph.D., a Wayne County historian and archaeologist. We hope you enjoy this foray into the most weird and wonderful our beloved Pocono Mountains have to offer. The other site, The Cougar Network, is still active, and is reporting the cats expanding range from the West, but offers little about the phenomenon of Pennsylvania cats. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. The other two clans were the Turtle and Turkey. This is huge news for conservationists around the country and a sign that cougars may be heading east once again. This happens usually around the 18-month mark. 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. Very, very rarely, when I ask someone who would be a likely candidate (a hunter, someone who owns a camp in the deep woods, travels likely routes often, foresters), 'Have you ever seen a mountain lion?' I'd suspect it would still be considered very rare, after all, it was thought to be extinct. The story behind our new web site. Ashley Catherine Fontones, Pocono Record. 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. Why is bat photography so difficult? Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." In this at this distant epoch, archaeologists attempt to clear some of the mists and mysteries of prehistoric times. Noted Wayne County historian Phineas Goodrich recorded in his 1880 book on local history that the common gray wolf was much more common in this area than the cougar. In the area around the border of Pennsylvania and West Virginia there are mountains and deep caves that contain some of the coal mines that were a major part of the state's industry in the early part of the 19 th century. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? 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. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? "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. Additionally, California banned the hunting of cougars back in 1972, encouraging population growth. Let's see a clear photo, or a carcass or something. There is no known estimate of the number of mountain lions inhabiting Texas. Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? 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 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. Now consider: If it was confirmed that there was a breeding population of endangered pumas on the mountain ridge behind my house, if the USFWS recognized the existence of this endangered species, what might happen? The State cites that there are no road-kills, and in a heavily trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills. Apparently, this picture was really making the rounds. If mountain lions are discovered in PA anytime soon they'll either be big foot's pets or genetically engineered and released by the DCNR to cull the orangu-bear population. 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 coat can be spotted or solid and varies in color from light browns, reddish and silvery grey. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. Sadly, the hunting guidelines for cougars in Idaho are lax, with 400-600 cats being killed each year. "It's one of those things where I'll believe it when I see it," said Jason Farmer of Pocono Summit, my hunting partner for the last eight years. 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. I've read a lot about this, and the usual explanation is the very human desire to see something, to see what someone wants to see, and thus these people are seeing bobcats or brown cats or dogs or foxes and, because they 'want' to see a puma, they do. "They're getting a lot of that out west. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one. Woolly mammoth bones were discovered in Bradford County in 1983. Pocono Record sports writer Mike Kuhns wrote a great piece on Oct. 14, "Does the mountain lion roam PA?" Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. They're seeing an animal they don't know or recognize, and while some may be watching a smaller bobcat about 35 pounds), some believe they've actually spotted a cougar. When he isn't distracted by his backyard birdfeeder, you can find him camping, exploring, and telling everyone around him about what he's recently learned. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. 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. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. It was definitely a mountain lion, and it had a big buck, white-tailed deer in its jaws. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. Recently, a man I spoke with told me that he was reminded of a sighting he and two friends had 20 years earlier, and after recalling the incident he was motivated to call his college buddies and reflect on their observation. 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. I Googled "Pocono mountain lion" and there it was the same photo, except the caption claimed that it was taken in Oklahoma, not Pennsylvania, and various posted comments asserted that the photo was manipulated. The name Pocono is derived from the . It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. a high priority. To be fair, I've also spoken with people who, at first, thought they'd seen a puma only to find, to their embarassment, that they were looking at a house cat! 2023 www.poconorecord.com. He saw a big cat. Let's say the facts indicate that there have been a lot of 'pet' pumas, and many of these escaped. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania can a herniated disc cause hip bursitis,
Griswold Ct Obituaries,
Colt Diamondback Serial Number Lookup,
Articles A
