In the cover photo, a cougar is walking by a mature red pine that is roughly 12 to 14 inches in diameter. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. Was about 30 feet down the road when it crossed in front of me. When it came back without the lion, she stopped them and asked why they had let a mountain lion out in the woods. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. Bobcat and coyote tracks have been misidentified as cougar tracks. "Over the years, I've received a number of cougar reports, some pretty factual, such as a partly devoured calf left up in a tree, but nobody has ever provided clear proof. By Rudy Miller | For lehighvalleylive.com. They will not find a female in these areas, so they eventually make their way back to the western range or die in the attempt. The team has investigated hundreds of reports, but most turned out to be bobcats. Fear of the human super predator reduces feeding time in large carnivores. This cat was in extremely poor condition when it was killed. Brocke R. 1981. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. (The fear of cougars is unfounded. If you see a bobcat or mountain lion, you can report the sighting to the DEC by calling (518) 357-2158. The mountain lion was killed east of Altoona and south of State College , Pa. northeast of Raystown Lake between Mt. The buzzards returned in late February, and Steve Pollick says you can mark your calendar by these scavengers exploits. Isolated juvenile males have been found as far east as Michigans Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin. Hard evidence that wild, free-ranging mountain lions are living in the state they did not. Since the policy's inception March 1, 19 mountain lion sightings have been reported. Their bodies are mainly covered in tawny-beige fur, except for the whitish-gray belly and chest. Juvenile males are the individuals that are seen outside of traditional" cougar range in places like Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. "Who knows, could be a mutant. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, feline predators such as the eastern cougar, which is also known as the mountain lion, are "extirpated," meaning they're all but wiped out in the northeastern United States. Human-Wildlife Interactions 5(1) 135-158. Coyotes are much smaller, and they have shorter fluffier tails, a pointed face, and large triangular ears. They came out and investigated. Its so hard to pin anything down, said John Lutz, the West Virginia man who heads the network, a non-scientific affiliation of mountain lion seekers across the eastern United States. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. All three are pit vipers, which means you can identify them by "facial pits." " No humans were injured, but the mountain lion was apparently injured and stunned. As an apex predator, their extirpationlocalized extinctionhas caused incalculable harm to the ecosystems of Pennsylvania. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. This was hit by a truck on Mill Creek Road . Upon investigation, the mountain lion was clearly a Florida panther that had wandered . A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. I told her I knew what a Maine Coon cat looked like and this was BIG, had short hair and LONG tail. You should stay calm and back away from the bear. In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. They were extirpated from Indiana by the late 1800s. Slowly, mountain lions recolonized North America after having retreated to warmer climates in South America during the Pleistocene ice age. Pennsylvania Game Commission spokesman Jerry Feaser notes that his agency agrees with San Julian. Then there is Rocky. The green shading represents areas with established breeding populations. I called the game commission and they told me there have been no mountain lions reported in PA. If you have seen a mountain lion (also commonly called cougar, panther, or puma) in Pennsylvania or surrounding states (New York, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio), please give Kerry Gyekis a detailed description of the animal such as length of body, length of tail, approximate weight, size, thickness, coloring, etc. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. Mountain Lions do remain in the western states and there is evidence that in 2011, a . Cougars were seen as threats to humans, livestock, and game species, resulting in unlimited harvest and bounties in some states. Stay Alert! The Fort Worth Star-Telegraph reports on a mountain lion sighting in April 2022. Orange and tan house cats are also confused for cougars. Before that, a lion was captured on a . I know I am not the only one who spotted this cat around the woods right outside town . This number of car strikes is in spite of having low population densities and the significant efforts to reduce car strikes, such as reduced speed limits, warning signs, and obstacles (fences and road underpasses) built along or under roads that cut through panther habitat. Do elk live in Pennsylvania? While it is possible for a cougar to make this journey, it is highly unlike for individuals to survive the journey. Officials with the Pennsylvania Game Commission told WHNT the cat in Clarks Summit could be a bobcat, though they tend to be more active at night. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. The Game Commission is hiding this information from the public either that or they dont know what a mountain lion looks like. "They are very strong animals," she said. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. They often carry their tails erect, which is rare for cougars and when done clearly has a bow to it; and house cats can have long coats, which is a sharp contrast from the short coat of a cougar. I saw a mountain lion crossing a state highway,the Oklahoma-Salem FRoad near DuBois PA about 4:30 pm. 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. If you encounter a bear that hasn't had time to leave, the game commission advises you to make a noise to alert the bear of your presence. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "So the mystery goes on," says Gary San Julian, professor of wildlife resources in the College of Agricultural Sciences. 2016. This development promised to resolve a decades-old controversy. A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." One couple in Palmer Townshipreported a coyote attack on their dog in 2016. Secondly, the sightings of mountain lions are likely the result of escaped or released animals that were once captive. It is a known fact that when an area is overpopulated, wild animals will migrate out of an area and into a new area that is less populated. How to find mountain lion sightings near me Open Google Maps on your computer or APP, just type an address or name of a place . They denied there was a mountain lion in their truck. When they are in these new areas, the young males are almost constantly moving looking for an area with females. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. "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. adroll_version = "2.0"; 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. 3 Last 10 Years. The other was seen roaming in Arlee on. The one pictured is in a New York zoo. The report says 58 people suffered allergic reactions and died from stings in Pennsylvania between 2001-13. I have seen three mountain lions in pa. One full grown in Erie county in 1998 and two kittens (yes I am sure they were mountain lions, not bobcats) in McKean county in 2001. If you ask me, the answer is yes. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. One was spotted late Tuesday in Hamilton near a bus stop. Other sightings have been reported in Forks Township. Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. Expand. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. An Amish farmer along 944 in Cumberland County complained to the PGC a mountain lion was killing his sheep. There is no doubt this was a mountain lion. They are not a threat to humans, and they are a protected species. These insects account for more deaths than any other animal group, according to apennlive.com report. That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. I am not a confirmed believer that they do travel Penns woods, however I would NOT rule it out either. I had a mountain lion in the field across from my house a couple years ago. The young adult male was killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2011. If you are already an OutdoorNews.com subscriber, you can log in here. Offer valid thru 3/31/23. Bobcats are much smaller, only two to three feet long (head to tail) and one to two feet high at the shoulder. Some biologists thinks it's time to bring them back to help manage deer populations. I have seen a large cat on several occasions driving home at night from work. "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. Although mountain lions were part of Nebraska's native fauna, they were extirpated by the end of the 19th century. Hard evidence that wild, free-ranging mountain lions are living in the state they did not. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. Add Michael's RSS feed to your feed reader Black widows are native to the state. Unfortunately, is it unlikely that cougars will return to Pennsylvania in the near future. A friend sent this to me. "It's probably a bobcat, but looks like a mountain lion," Nick Dodge told the station. The Florida panther reached a population low of 20-30 individuals in 1970s, and currently are between 120-200 sub-adults and adults. Hawley, J.E., Rego, P.W., Wydeven, A.P., Schwartz, M.K., Viner, T.C., Kays R., Pilgrim, K.L., and Jenks, J.A. They include a reported attack on horses at a farm near Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate. Fish and Wildlife Service thinks cougars wereprobably wiped out in the 1930s in the eastern United States. Cougars need areas without humans because they do not like to be around humans and humans kill them (intentionally and unintentionally). Sounded like a giant animal was sprinting down the mountain right before we saw it. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. Reintroduction of the cougar (Felis concolor) in Adirondack Park: A problem analysis and recommendations. Cover Image: A cougar in Michigans Upper Peninsula (photo credit: Michigan DNR). Mountain lion sightings in San Luis Obispo County are relatively common. Courtesy photo. Dashboard for displaying mountain lion reports to the public. So it's possible that cougars survive. Please enter your email address below to create account. 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." Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. 0:57 A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. I am not a drinker and dont di drugs. http://cougarrewilding.org/CougarNews/?p=938, have seen mountain lion in armstrong co.Pa, neibore has seen 2. 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). The eastern massasauga is endangered in Pennsylvania. That's not to say that there is not a mountain lion in the wild," he explains. You read it here first: Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania: Just prior to the start of Pennsylvania's two-week firearms deer season, the volunteers at the Eastern Puma Research Network put out a call to hunters. Yes I believe their are mountain lion ghost cats in PA. PA mountain areas are remote and it is impossible to kill all of the cats who are quite secretive. Im 62 and hunted most of my life here in PA. Dont EVER expect to get the truth from anyone with Game departments in any U.S. state. There have been no "confirmed" reports of mountain lions, AKA Puma concolor, in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s. Figure 1. They helped to keep prey populations in balance, which created a more diverse and better functioning ecosystem that could respond to disturbances. The U.S. These young males are looking to establish a new territory and they do not stay in areas without females. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, FISH: Pennsylvania Frog and Toad Breeding Phenology, Questions and Answers about Centipedes, Ladybirds and Butterflies, The Effect of Coyotes on Pennsylvanias Deer Herd, Protected Species in Pennsylvania: The Bog Turtle, Protected Species in Pennsylvania: Northern Flying Squirrel. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. They have adapted to live in the suburbs in woods, fields or evenbackyards without being seen by people. The only native North American mountain lion species (Puma concolor) has long since been extirpated from the eastern United States, with the exception of a small population of Florida panthers whose genetic roots are a subject of debate. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. In August, Amy Walters said her 12-year-old son was spooked by a mountain lion in Forest County in northwest Pennsylvania while riding his dirt bike. The Royal Society 284(1857). If you're hiking, stay on the path and don't venture into the woods. Absolutely bobcat," Taylor said. "Also, pretty sure there is color variation in a bobcats fur color, so what Im thinking is a good-sized, tawny colored bobcat.". Here and youtubes terms of Service is available here and youtubes terms of Service is available here youtubes! Not the only one who spotted this cat around the woods Pleistocene ice.... 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