If pumas do exist in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released cats or escapees? Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. 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. Most of my original Questions of the Month for the last several No one needs to panic.". Did they migrate south from Canada? 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? Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. 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.". Currently, there are only 15 states that meet that qualification. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. These creatures lurking in Pa.'s woods can hurt or kill you 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. 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. And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. And book one of these Poconos cabins rentals for the best outdoor access to these activities. Lions in the Santa Monica Mountains - National Park Service The large tracts of untouched rocky land and bighorn sheep populations make for pristine mountain lion habitat. This is huge news for conservationists around the country and a sign that cougars may be heading east once again. The record size for this species is 8 feet, and it probably weighed 15 to 20 pounds, which shows how exaggerated this claim is. 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. All of the above are Mountain Lions, or Pumas, or Cougars. An escapee is also possible. I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! Can so many people be wrong? Only when I reviewed the images on my laptop did I discover that I had a mountain lion! A neighbor scared the animal away before it could finish its meal; the sheeps carcass was used as bait, to catch the big cat. Mountain lions were once widespread across North America, but their range shrunk dramatically as they were pursued through unregulated hunting and by farmers aiming to protect their livestock, and moved off the landscape by habitat fragmentation. Here it is: I still couldn't get the big head/little neck, and the body is a bit stouter/shorter, but a striding cat might be stretched out a bit. 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? If you see or photograph a puma in the mid-Atlantic states, please email or call me. A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. Never has this been more accurate than in today's digital, computerized world. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. 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 reintroduction of mountain lions into South Dakota is one of the great wins of modern conservation. No projectile points or spearheads were found with the remains, indicating the animal may have died naturally rather than killed by native hunters. There are, from time to time, eyewitness accounts from hunters or hikers who claim to have seen the cat. Then there is Rocky. Biologists traced it. 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. Let me know if you have seen one! Some may be animals that dispersed into the region from western populations. So how or why could there be a conspiracy? Two different people told me that they, or a close relative, had seen pumas on more than one occasion. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That may be true, or was once true, but even a declawed puma, if it can survive off rabbits and squirrels, and breeds, its offspring would be fully equipted to survive. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Possibly, but it seems unlikely that enough would have been released or had escaped to make for a viable population. Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. 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. In some areas, entire populations of a species exhibit this trait, for unlike albinism, which results in a conspicuous white color and light-sensitive pink eyes, there are no ill effects with melanism. Caribou meat apparently was part of their diet. A Game Commission vehicle was there, and the Fed Ex driver, after reaching the bottom of a long hill, turned back to check on what he saw. 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. In all those hours I never saw a coyote, bear, or bobcat, and yet all live in my area. "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". 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. I've seen hoaxes, of pumas carrying deer shot with game cameras, but these were of western cats. He wrote that not being a roving animal, the mountain lion was much sooner destroyed than the wolf, and he said that if there were any left, it would have to be in the most desolate places in the county. Local outlets carried reports of cougar encounters at least into the 1910s. 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. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. Controlled hunting of mountain lions is allowed within the state. There had been 17 other mastodon finds in Pennsylvania up to 1968, but all were fragmentary. Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. Mountain Lion Population (In Each U.S. State) - Wildlife Informer redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not Wishful thinking? Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. The first is the mating season which can occur during the late to early spring months. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. 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. Did they migrate south from Canada? 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. While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens . According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. Cougar vs Mountain Lion What Are the Differences? Would a puma then qualify as a native species? If youve done any research on your own, you may have noticed that we didnt include a lot of states that have had cougar sightings, especially in the last few years. 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. Over 1,100 people follow her page. the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. It is an Italianate Villa home that features authentic Victorian furniture and finishing. Since mountain lions are the top predators (unlike most other states with grizzly bears), they have a well-developed population. Knowing that pumas range widely, would my ridge be the only one closed? YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. I believe them. Something to consider, even though we all trust the government. PHILADELPHIA (AP) An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. All rights reserved (About Us). Is it the New Best Pack? Good luck, and let me know! All rights reserved. Mysterious big cat caught on security camera in Clarks Summit, Pa. I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? 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. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? Eyes are normal and are not light sensitive, and the over-all color, generally black, is usually not detrimental and may actually be of benefit. In January, the U.S. Joseph Pugliese 2.2K views 7 years ago Beautiful Bobcat in our yard as our. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. What does a Puma (Mountain Lion) look like on a Game Camera? The large, undeveloped interior filled with rocky habitats perfect for mountain lions allows them to safely live and breed. An assessment list for Lower Smithfield Township in 1761 when it was part of Northampton County (Monroe having not yet been created) taxed "three pence per pound and shillings per head" laid on the land and inhabitants. Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! 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. In the forests of Kenya, however, they do occur. Leap transferred ownership rights to the state. The Cascade Mountains are an important habitat for mountain lions in the region, and a stable population lives within the state. 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. The Golden State has one of the largest populations of mountain lions in the country. 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 . Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. Send it to me at mkuhns@poconorecord.com. Mountain lions that are looking for new breeding areas are known as transient and are almost always males. Mountain lions live almost everywhere in the state of Washington. The state of Idaho is large, expansive, and full of rocky wilderness. Are There Mountain Lions In Pa? - CLJ Discover the Little-Known U.S. River Gorge That's, The 9 Best Books About National Parks for Travelers, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback. 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 are at least 20,000 black bears in Pa., and a small percentage are killed each year, but we're probably not talking about 20,000 pumas in the state. On that note, I was speaking with a Fed Ex driver recently who told me that one of his colleagues had seen what he swore was a dead mountain lion on the side of a road. The Asa Packer Mansion, built in the year 1861, is a historic house museum. 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. Do elk live in Pennsylvania? ? Note the long, usually thick tail. 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. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. 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. As the latest hoaxed photo of a mountain lion supposedly killed in Pennsylvania died a slow death on Facebook yesterday, the head of an organization tracking the eastern movements of the big cats was preparing a presentation for a Pennsylvania audience tonight. Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? DNA collected from the mountain lion killed on a roadway in Connecticut in 2011 showed the animal to have originated in South Dakota. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. The hunting policy of the state may be the cause of the dropping population, and pressure on the Fish and Game Commission has increased. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. But the point of this article isn't whether or not mountain lions exist in Pennsylvania or the Poconos. 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. However, it is clearly a mountain lion, and I'm presenting this poor image as a baseline reference for anyone recording a mountain lion on a game camera, or seeing one. The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. Scientists debate whether the large prehistoric mammals became extinct at the end of the Ice Age due to over-hunting, or rapid climate warming. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania Again, I've been told that some Game Commission personnel have admitted that pumas may exist in Pennsylvania, but they rationalize this by saying that the pumas are not breeding and they are not from original wild stock. Many of those claiming to have encountered a cougar in Pennsylvania take that non-confirmation by the commission as an attack on their veracity and character. During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. That summer, a team from the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg excavated the nearly complete skeleton of the ancient elephant, the first of its kind found in the Commonwealth. 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. There's a saying that "things aren't always what they appear to be." There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. Fish and Wildlife Service. Mountain lion populations struggle to outpace the high hunting limits. September 21st, 2008, 08:14 PM #74. It was estimated to be a young adult American Mastodon that had died about 12,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating. "They are very strong animals," she said. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. What would account for the long tails? Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". One of the three branches or clans of the Lenape Tribe at the end of the 17th century was known as the Wolf (Minsi). Bobcats, feral cats and domestic dogs may be misidentified as mountain lion. 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.

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