Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. 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. 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. Of interestRamapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization. There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. Scientists debate whether the large prehistoric mammals became extinct at the end of the Ice Age due to over-hunting, or rapid climate warming. All of the above images are of bobcats. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also reports evidence that humans arrived during the last glaciation or soon after. Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Those special two were across a river just outside Glacier National Park in Montana, and consisted of a mother and two cubs (Mary saw both cubs, I only saw one, and we did so separately, as we were driving two vehicles). The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Those cats for which DNA evidence was recovered had come east from South Dakota, part of the known, modern-day, U.S. mountain lion range. No An official form of the United States government. If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. ? (National Park Service). Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? years are available through this link. Knowing that pumas range widely, would my ridge be the only one closed? About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? The 'look' is from my 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. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. Would that declaration close that ridge to hunting? "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. As they get older, the cubs begin to leave the den and explore. Fish and Wildlife Service. On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. It was definitely a mountain lion, and it had a big buck, white-tailed deer in its jaws. 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. 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. I could fill pages recounting the eye-witness reports I've heard, and for every report critics could certainly say 'but there's no physical evidence!' I'll offer my own little anecdote. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? 2023 www.poconorecord.com. Did they migrate south from Canada? What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. One of the important things for any animal is a place to call home. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . 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. Any Truth Possibly, but it seems unlikely that enough would have been released or had escaped to make for a viable population. 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). Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. In the forests of Kenya, however, they do occur. The mountain lion, which is also called a cougar, puma or panther, weighs on average between 75-120 pounds, has long whiskers and a distinctive swooping tail. All rights reserved (About Us). If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. 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. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. 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. They mostly live in the far western Trans-Pecos region of the state, where they can freely roam 50,000 to 80,000 acres of land. 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. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. They often would catch sheep in broad daylight. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. Mountain Lion Reports 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. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. But the point of this article isn't whether or not mountain lions exist in Pennsylvania or the Poconos. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. The next day, the photo disappeared from the site. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". 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. Let me explain this. 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. 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. "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. For example, one man I interviewed said he saw a 'black' puma, and this should disqualify his sighting as a black puma has never been recorded. We hope you enjoy this foray into the most weird and wonderful our beloved Pocono Mountains have to offer. Controlled hunting of mountain lions is allowed within the state. 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. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. 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. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. There is no known estimate of the number of mountain lions inhabiting Texas. "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. (What is meant by "heads" is not clear.). I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. The cat is known to live in the western U.S. and Florida, South America and Canada. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. 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. 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. The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. Some outdoor enthusiasts insist they have seen the big cats here and believe them to be naturally occurring, native animals. He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. Biologists traced it. 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. Is there a Mountain Lion Conspiracy? Woolly mammoth bones were discovered in Bradford County in 1983. In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. The last documented sighting of an eastern cougar was one killed in Maine in 1938. Leap transferred ownership rights to the state. In all those hours I never saw a coyote, bear, or bobcat, and yet all live in my area. However, recently I saw a photo of a melanistic bobcat, as black as could be, with bright yellow eyes. The Asa Packer Mansion, built in the year 1861, is a historic house museum. They have almost been killed off a few times, but conservation efforts have helped to keep their numbers stable. Everyone else, when reporting, were frustrated as they were told they had seen a bobcat. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. I believe them. What is the Kiboko backpack? Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. One man, in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, had seen one, at night, about 25 years ago. Outdoor adventures abound, and so do our fabulous shopping and restaurants. Some cats had a South American genetic profile. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. I used to archery hunt for deer, and I spent a lot of time (way too much time) sitting silently in a tree stand waiting for deer. 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. Let me explain this. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. 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. In books I've read critical or skeptical or down-right dismissive of the idea of pumas in the East, the argument has been advanced that the hopefull puma-dreamer/spotters arguing that the State needs to prove pumas don't exist does not mean that in the State not proving this means that pumas indeed do exist in this state. It has long been popular with honeymooners, but today the Poconos are a popular destination for families, skiers, adventure seekers, NASCAR fans, and those from urban areas around New England, New York City, Philadelphia . Goodrich said he once saw a mountain lion spring from a thicket and kill a sheep on a public road. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. 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. Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. This animal was undoubtedly a bobcat. There are, from time to time, eyewitness accounts from hunters or hikers who claim to have seen the cat. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? 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. Local outlets carried reports of cougar encounters at least into the 1910s. Is there a Puma conspiracy? 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 usually follow-up on these reports and, via email or phone conversations, I receive more details. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. "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. Imagination? 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. The Bushkill Falls are a series of eight waterfalls in a 300-acre wooded enclave hidden amongst the Poconos. Activities Milford Things To Do Hotels Map Of Activities Delaware Water Gap Hotels Bushkill Lake Harmony Hawley Skytop Tannersville Pocono Mountains Counties About the Poconos Pocono Mountains History Weather Area Services . I'd love to hear of any reports you have. Had this been faked, I'd suspect the hoaxter would try for a more authentic background. While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens of sincere reports of sightings and tracks and even more hoaxed reports emerge across the state each year. And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. And this genetic mix has been recognized, and the Florida puma is still protected. 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. The coat can be spotted or solid. They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. Who knows? 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? 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). 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Send it to me at mkuhns@poconorecord.com. A Mountain Lion Cover Up There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? There are also big swaths of thick of forests in parts of the state. Here in central Pennsylvania we live on the outskirts of what one puma-tracking website has as almost the high point of sightings, extending from north-central Pennsylvania in a southwestern diagonal that extends into the mountains of West Virginia. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. Pocono Record sports writer Mike Kuhns wrote a great piece on Oct. 14, "Does the mountain lion roam PA?" Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. The story behind our new web site. Can so many people be wrong? Every year we receive a few similar reports from hikers, hunters or other outdoor enthusiasts. Obviously, other pumas must be about, and the series of ridges extending north and east and west from my location could all be included as critical habitat as well. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. 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 many regions, the population within the state is actually increasing! . Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. Joseph Pugliese 2.2K views 7 years ago Beautiful Bobcat in our yard as our. Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. Heres What the Data Says. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? 2023 www.poconorecord.com. After all, how many people have pumas? Accounts abound concerning interaction between these great beasts and people in northeast Pennsylvania, with wolves into the early 19th century and in the case with cougars, well into the early 20th century. That solution: Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up. Mountain lion populations struggle to outpace the high hunting limits. Caribou remains, dated by radiocarbon in excess of 10,000 B.C. "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. So many of these sightings have been proven wrong misidentified bobcats, coyotes or even house cats) that it would be irresponsible for a biologist to accept any of them as fact without absolute physical evidence hair, droppings, tracks or a road-killed animal. The State argues that there is no physical evidence, and no credible photographs. Caribou meat apparently was part of their diet. I'd suspect it would still be considered very rare, after all, it was thought to be extinct. I'm thinking of the solution often suggested for pesky endangered species out west, namely wolves and grizzly bears. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. Encouraged by the bounties, settlers waged war on these perceived beasts. An article in last year's New York State Conservationist magazine about mountain lions concluded that none exists in that state, even in the 6-million-acre Adirondack Mountain wilderness. Do elk live in Pennsylvania? The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. So how or why could there be a conspiracy? Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. 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? I had three cameras positioned, so had a cat visited, I'd have had it. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". "They're getting a lot of that out west. What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? 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. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. The bobcat wouldn't survive. 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. Over 1,100 people follow her page. . If pumas do exist in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released cats or escapees? Would these ridges be declared off-limits for hunting? Transient males have been sighted as far east as New York! It wasn't, and I assumed it was a road-kill. Some may be animals that dispersed into the region from western populations. Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. 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. These powerful, majestic creatures once lived across much of the country but have since been killed or pushed out of most of it. 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. There are controlled hunting laws in the state of Oregon. If we continue to be bombarded with manipulated photos and untrue claims in most cases by people who just want to get attention then we may be very resistant to accepting the "real McCoy" if or when) one finally arrives. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." A neighbor scared the animal away before it could finish its meal; the sheeps carcass was used as bait, to catch the big cat. Most nature magazines state whether the photos were taken "under controlled conditions" rather than in the wild.). Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled. Can so many people be so wrong? For example, leopards and jaguars, normally spotted cats, have a melanistic color morph, the 'black panther,' the black leopard or black jaguar. Hunting is legal in the state, but it is heavily controlled and restricted. 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. "From three really reliable sources who are always around the woods from Monroe County to Bradford, there is no doubt that there are mountain lions in Pennsylvania," East Stroudsburg University football team offensive coordinator and avid hunter Mike Terwilliger said. Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. Compare any game camera image with the shots above, or this game camera image, to confirm your identification. The Cascade Mountains are an important habitat for mountain lions in the region, and a stable population lives within the state. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. 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. If it were, it would be listed. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. All rights reserved. The bones were found perfectly preserved. "I know they're native to this area. DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. 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. Only once has anyone later determined that they had misidentified the cat, seeing a bobcat and not a mountain lion. I'm a photographer, yet I've never had a chance to snap a photograph of one of these bears. The same goes for New York and several other eastern states. These cubs are born blind and helpless. 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. The Game Commission concluded they were coyotes. "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. The 2,400-square-mile area has long been a popular outdoor recreation area boasting hunting, fishing, skiing, and more. The agency has declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies ofmountain lions native to North America. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? Is it the New Best Pack? 1.8 miles, 2 hours, moderate. 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?' These experiences are still available, but the reality is there is so much more for the mature traveler to enjoy in the Pocono Mountains.