Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. A tiny population of Florida cougars persists in the southeastern corner of the United States. And a bit of an unpleasant one at that, as they now faced ridicule or doubt whenever they discussed their sightings. 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. Conversely, an outdoor writer I know told me that when Pa. enacted a menagerie permit law years ago, 'a lot of mountain lions suddenly died,' as the owners of these cats, rather than going through the paperwork, simply released their pumas and claimed that they had died. In many regions, the population within the state is actually increasing! Why is bat photography so difficult? Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. Check out the tails of the two! Over the last few years I've done several Questions of the Month regarding Mountain Lions, or Pumas as they should properly be called, in the Mid-Atlantic States and in Pennsylvania. Where they always here as a relic population? Bobcats, feral cats and domestic dogs may be misidentified as mountain lion. Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. 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! 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. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) - Texas Currently, there are only 15 states that meet that qualification. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? The sightings were great bear views, but too fast or fleeting to allow me to grab a camera. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. 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. He saw a big cat. Others would like to see some scientific proof. This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Mountain lion sightings could indicate its comeback to Pa. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". This is not a Pennsylvania puma! It was definitely a mountain lion, and it had a big buck, white-tailed deer in its jaws. Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. 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. There's a saying that "things aren't always what they appear to be." There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Joseph Pugliese 2.2K views 7 years ago Beautiful Bobcat in our yard as our. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are no wild, breeding cougar populations in this state anymore. 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 rounded ears, I'm thinking of the solution often suggested for pesky endangered species out west, namely wolves and grizzly bears. (570) 325-3229. Because the neck bothered me, I decided to do some Photoshop on the puma in the lower left, moving his head higher up and changing the image to a contrasty black and white - to give a silhouette for comparision. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. 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. They regularly join the camp of those angrily claiming the commission has introduced the big cats back into Pennsylvania as a control measure against the state's huge deer population. But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. 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. 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 . It will happen eventually. The State argues that there is no physical evidence, and no credible photographs. Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. Certainly it is a romantic notion, but I've always held out the hope that pumas still roamed the east. 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. Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. 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. Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. The coat can be spotted or solid. The Pocono Mountains are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. 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. Hoax photo doesn't help believability of mountain lions in Poconos Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". All rights reserved. These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. "From people that I trust have had visual sightings, they've seen mountain lions.". It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Mountain lions, Goodrich wrote, were more dreaded than wolves as the cat could climb over any fence that could be built. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. 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. 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. This happens usually around the 18-month mark. Not only do hunting licenses support the various state game commissions, and in some states the acquisition and maintenance of public hunting lands, but hunters are a huge boon to local economies each fall, with purchases of food, lodging, hunting equipment, etc. "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. All of the above images are of bobcats. 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. "They're getting a lot of that out west. "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. There had been 17 other mastodon finds in Pennsylvania up to 1968, but all were fragmentary. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. Let me know if you have seen one! Then there is Rocky. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? The reintroduction of mountain lions into South Dakota is one of the great wins of modern conservation. 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. Known as the Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania, there are four trails that lead to the cascades from the Bushkill Falls trailhead, each ranging in . "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. 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. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. He saw his cat at very close range -- 20 yards or less, and when I pointed out to him that pumas are never black he said that perhaps it was the light. I've done this myself once, in Tanzania, when I saw a black house cat that I thought was a black leopard! Note the long, usually thick tail. Mountain lions thrive there due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. 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. "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. Who knows? Mountain Lion Reports Everyone else, when reporting, were frustrated as they were told they had seen a bobcat. See also: 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. 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. No projectile points or spearheads were found with the remains, indicating the animal may have died naturally rather than killed by native hunters. 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've seen hoaxes, of pumas carrying deer shot with game cameras, but these were of western cats. 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). However, recently I saw a photo of a melanistic bobcat, as black as could be, with bright yellow eyes. You be the judge. 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. An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. 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. It is almost safe to say that the panther has in these parts become extinct, Goodrich wrote. I've seen so many examples of these distortions, exaggerations and lies over the last couple of years that I've grown very dubious about anything I see on a computer. Newspapers carried stories in 1956 about hunters supposedly seeing and killing wolves in Pike and Monroe Counties. There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? Mountain Lions - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service) I love the big cats and devote a huge amount of my field time photographing African lions, leopards, cheetahs, and in 2011, tigers. In January, the U.S. 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. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. 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. a high priority. Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. I had three cameras positioned, so had a cat visited, I'd have had it. Let's see a clear photo, or a carcass or something. She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? In Tennessee, the most likely places you would find them would be in the forest. There is a small breeding population in the state, despite being killed off in the 1920s. Some may also be kept illicitly as pets, which would quickly become a problem as the cat matures. Their are two web sites I know of that dealt with eastern pumas, with the one, the Eastern Puma Research Network, concentrating on sightings in the east. I have three observations here: 1. The 6 best hikes in the Poconos Mountains - Lonely Planet 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. 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. Most of the people I've spoken with live in this belt, but biologists friends I've spoken with have told me of their own reports, first-hand, from hunters in the Poconos who saw pumas, too. The bounty for adult wolves and cougars was raised on March 16, 1819 to $12. Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." ARE THERE MOUNTAIN LIONS IN PA? - Page 8 - Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Caribou remains, dated by radiocarbon in excess of 10,000 B.C. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. The first is the mating season which can occur during the late to early spring months. I usually follow-up on these reports and, via email or phone conversations, I receive more details. Mt Lions in WV, NY, and PA - Hoot Hollow The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. 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. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? 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. Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? with a fluted projectile point were found near Middletown, Orange County, New York. 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). They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. The Cascade Mountains are an important habitat for mountain lions in the region, and a stable population lives within the state. I'll be anxious to learn of your report. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Leslie estimated that the first humans making up the Paleo-Indians lived in the upper Delaware valley as early as 11,000 B.C. The coat can be spotted or solid and varies in color from light browns, reddish and silvery grey. 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. 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. So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. The rocky habitat that covers much of the state is perfect for these ambush predators, especially since humans dont inhabit much of the land. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? But an image captured by one family's. There is a big community of mountain lion enthusiasts across the Northeast convinced that the animals still exist in breeding populations. All rights reserved (About Us). No An official form of the United States government. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. Everyone is familiar with albinism, the absence of pigmentation that results in a white, essentially pigment free animal, defined by pink skin and pink eyes. A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. The photographer had no reason to stage the shot -- indeed, the composition and background was terrible, and not what you'd expect for something staged, but the shot wasn't perfectly clear. Like Arizona, New Mexico is the perfect home for mountain lions. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. 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. 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. And how many would let them go, or provide an opportunity for escaping? Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. A typical home range is around 150 square miles for adult males and 50 square miles for adult females in our region. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Thank you for reading! 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. 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!' Any Truth On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. Looking for things to do in the Poconos? 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. There are also big swaths of thick of forests in parts of the state. 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. The life cycle then repeats itself. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? 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. September 21st, 2008, 08:14 PM #74. The 2,400-square-mile area has long been a popular outdoor recreation area boasting hunting, fishing, skiing, and more. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? ? What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? Me? Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? 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. 10 Stunning Mountains In Pennsylvania - AZ Animals "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". This one streaked across the road in the early evening, and fortunately, it stopped when it climbed a hill on the other side where I had another view from my side of the truck. Over 1,100 people follow her page. Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? 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. The story behind our new web site. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. 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. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. The large, undeveloped interior filled with rocky habitats perfect for mountain lions allows them to safely live and breed. 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. It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. 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. Two other reports went, in detail, on what they saw, the size, the length of tail, etc. People can manipulate, enhance or combine photos and then create their own stories about the subject's origin, location and even identification. (National Park Service). Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! 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. The cat is known to live in the western U.S. and Florida, South America and Canada. 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. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I'll offer my own little anecdote. One came to her as the result of an owner's divorce. Imagine my surprise. I want to believe they're here, but I'm having some trouble. Pocono Record's Micaela Hood moves on to Lehigh Valley Public Media 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. Still, these resilient animals reside in secluded areas across the United States, with current data suggesting they may even be returning to their historical regions! 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. Phineas Teeple of Manchester Township is thought to have killed the last wolf in Wayne County. It was estimated to be a young adult American Mastodon that had died about 12,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating. But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. Lions in the Santa Monica Mountains - National Park Service It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. 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. All rights reserved. When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. 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. You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". 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 . If it were, it would be listed. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not Leap transferred ownership rights to the state. Send it to me at mkuhns@poconorecord.com. So how or why could there be a conspiracy? 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. One of the three branches or clans of the Lenape Tribe at the end of the 17th century was known as the Wolf (Minsi). They include a reported attack on horses at a farm near Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate. Mountain lions (cougars, pumas, and more) are among the top predators that live in the United States. Sadly, the hunting guidelines for cougars in Idaho are lax, with 400-600 cats being killed each year. More conclusive evidence is needed: Keep your cameras handy. A neighbor scared the animal away before it could finish its meal; the sheeps carcass was used as bait, to catch the big cat. Colorado has a large number of mountain lions within its borders, mostly due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. 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.
