There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. Me? The large tracts of untouched rocky land and bighorn sheep populations make for pristine mountain lion habitat. Interestingly, the US Fish and Wildllife Service has declared the Eastern Puma extinct, except for the Florida population known as the Florida panther. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? If you see or photograph a puma in the mid-Atlantic states, please email or call me. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled, 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. Mountain lions roamed all of the continent prior to the arrival and westward spread of European settlers, but only the eastern and Florida subspecies were found east of the Mississippi. a high priority. The mountain lion population in Nevada is essential to the control of deer and rodent populations in the mountainous regions of the state. RelatedBigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know. 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. 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 . 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.
Both were a threat to the farmer and family who carved a home in the ancient wilderness of the Poconos. 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? Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. Compare any game camera image with the shots above, or this game camera image, to confirm your identification. 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. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. She feeds and cares for them with donations and grants. Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. 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. 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. 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. 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! In this at this distant epoch, archaeologists attempt to clear some of the mists and mysteries of prehistoric times. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. The first is the mating season which can occur during the late to early spring months. 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 the tails of the two! Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. 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. If there were wild cougars in our midst, the Game Commission also pointed out, eventually there would be solid evidence such as a carcass, scat and paw prints that could be verified. The state of Idaho is large, expansive, and full of rocky wilderness. Most of the native mountain lions live in Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, but humans rarely ever see them due to their secretive nature. That's true. The last known mountain lion in Pennsylvania was killed in Berks County in 1874. All rights reserved. (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence. Woolly mammoth bones were discovered in Bradford County in 1983. Wyoming has a historically stable population of mountain lions, but recent drops in numbers have caused some to worry. Ashley Catherine Fontones, Pocono Record. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions.
Does the mountain lion roam Pa? - Pocono Record These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. Travis Lau, a spokesperson for the Game Commission, said the state has a "never say never" approach when it comes to mountain lions and acknowledges that Western cats could be moving east. 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.
DNR: Fish & Wildlife: Mountain Lion Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. 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. It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. Unfortunately, their web site no longer seems active, and has been taken over by some wacky drug product. 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. Can so many people be wrong? He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. And yes, there are people in Pennsylvania who say they exist here. Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! 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. I have not spoken with a Game Commission officer personally, so I don't know whether anyone killing a puma in Pennsylvania could do so without legal repercussions. On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. 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. 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! YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Best hike for seeing waterfalls. While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens . 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. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. And this genetic mix has been recognized, and the Florida puma is still protected. 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. With that in mind, lets break down how we classified the states. There is a big community of mountain lion enthusiasts across the Northeast convinced that the animals still exist in breeding populations. Editor's note: The Pocono Record and Tri-County Independent have collaborated for a series of stories called Mountain Beasts: Pocono cryptids, legends and lore. What equipment do we take in the field?
Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions - AZ Animals The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C.
Officially extinct, mountain lions still haunt the Adirondacks 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. One man sent me a game camera photo that was blurry but looked like a mountain lion, or puma, as I like to call them. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. Why do I advocate manual exposure so avidly? "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. with a fluted projectile point were found near Middletown, Orange County, New York. This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. Mountain lions typically eat about one deer per week, along with other smaller prey as the opportunity arises. After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. (What is meant by "heads" is not clear.). Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. The bones were found perfectly preserved. A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. Hunting is legal in the state, but it is heavily controlled and restricted. And book one of these Poconos cabins rentals for the best outdoor access to these activities. Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. 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. The 'look' is from my Currently, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback in regard to their historic range. 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. One might argue that the eastern puma is extinct, but that does not mean that there are not pumas (mountain lions, cougars) in the east. This animal was undoubtedly a bobcat. the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. Here's 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 reintroduction of mountain lions into South Dakota is one of the great wins of modern conservation. After all, how many people have pumas? As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. In January, the U.S. Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." 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. This happens usually around the 18-month mark. There are controlled hunting laws in the state of Oregon.
Hoax photo doesn't help believability of mountain lions in Poconos The image in the Upper Left was from a Game Camera, sent to me by a friend. ? Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? Some cats had a South American genetic profile. Additionally, California banned the hunting of cougars back in 1972, encouraging population growth. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. I am bothered by the constricted neck of the cat on the game camera; 2. the tail is curved down, rather than up, but it may have been in mid-swing; 3. the goldenrod-appearing flower, and the background of cars, gives a sense of scale and location. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? Most of my original Questions of the Month for the last several Thank you for reading! "From people that I trust have had visual sightings, they've seen mountain lions.". 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. "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. Scientists debate whether the large prehistoric mammals became extinct at the end of the Ice Age due to over-hunting, or rapid climate warming. Mountain lions can live in almost any habitat including forests, prairies, deserts, and swamps. The Pocono Mountains are . I am hoping that more and more people will learn of my own interest in this, and will pass on this information and that I'll receive more reports and, hopefully, sometime, a game camera photo that is definitive. What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? However, if you've seen a mountain lion, or other mystery creature, or evidence of either, in Pennsylvania, contact outdoor writer Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.). Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. Would these ridges be declared off-limits for hunting? If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. Let me explain this. Bushkill Falls Trail. 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. 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. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. Of interestRamapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization. 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. An escapee is also possible. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. As a state known for its mountains, its no wonder that mountain lions live here! 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. There's a whole world to learn about and Colby is content to spend his life learning as much as he can about it! The rocky habitat that covers much of the state is perfect for these ambush predators, especially since humans dont inhabit much of the land. 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 . Although unconfirmed, mountain lions continue to be reported in many spots across Pennsylvania, including several reports in the past couple months. More common critters co-existed with early Native Americans in the Poconos, including two species long since removed: the wolf and mountain lion (also known colloquially as panthers and cougars). To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. 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.
I'll offer my own little anecdote. Mountain lions that are looking for new breeding areas are known as transient and are almost always males. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. There also were camels, sloth and hyena, which migrated elsewhere. Perhaps one or more of these Pocono sightings represent early pioneers reclaiming their former territories.
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? 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've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. Over 1,100 people follow her page. Oregon has a large, stable breeding population of mountain lions. 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. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. You've got a mountain lion story or photo? 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. Caribou remains, dated by radiocarbon in excess of 10,000 B.C. 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. Below is a list of physical characteristics that distinguish mountain lions from more . That solution: Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up. The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail.
Pocono Mountains: Best Things To See And Do - TravelAwaits Mountain Lion Reports 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 rounded ears, Did they migrate south from Canada? In 2011, a confirmed mountain lion was killed by a vehicle in Connecticut and which had been determined that it had wandered east from the Mid-West. However, my friend and I discussed this, and agreed, we saw what we saw, and had it been 40 years ago or four months ago, we knew we saw a coyote. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. 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. 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. The 2,400-square-mile area has long been a popular outdoor recreation area boasting hunting, fishing, skiing, and more. At one point, there was debate whether that cat should be protected, since its genes were diluted from escapees or released pumas that originated in South America or our West. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . ", (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. And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? 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." Let's see a clear photo, or a carcass or something. In captivity mountain, lions can live to be about 20 years old. Several populations of Gray Squirrels scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks. 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!
Pocono Mountains - Wikipedia What the Lenape Indians never did, the European colonists and their descendants did swiftly eradicate the wolf and cougars viewed as a menace to their families and livestock. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Many have a desire to see some clear-cut evidence. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. Illinois can also now be added to this list a mountain lion was found on the outskirts of Chicago. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing?
The 6 best hikes in the Poconos Mountains - Lonely Planet "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here.
Pocono Mountains - Travel guide at Wikivoyage It had been captured in Florida, and was to be released. They ponder rare fossil evidence unearthed and seek to make sense of stratified geology, both fleeting in the face of what we call progress. 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. 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. But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. Arkansas isnt somewhere that we would generally think of when looking for mountain lions, but they are on the rebound! 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. The Golden State has one of the largest populations of mountain lions in the country. They mostly live in the far western Trans-Pecos region of the state, with about 50,000 to 80,000 acres of suitable land currently being used by the cat.
Nevertheless, I put up a MOULTRIE game camera -- a brand that I've had tremendous satisfaction with -- at the carcass, hoping that scavengers would visit. The State cites that there are no road-kills, and in a heavily trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. 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. The name Pocono is derived from the . That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. 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. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. Can so many people be so wrong? 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. 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. The life cycle then repeats itself. About half of the state of Montana is ideal for mountain lions, primarily in her western and central regions. Although in captivity, they can live much longer. I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". Kross only saw the animal for a second, but it made a believer out of him. If it were, it would be listed.
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