I had a mountain lion in the field across from my house a couple years ago. We heard the fox screaming multiple times before we saw it. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. There have been two mountain lion sightings this week in western Montana. TPWD Confirmed Mountain Lions. Then there is Rocky. The state has an estimated1.5 milliondeer, about 30 per square mile. The tail of the cat is an excellent identification tool: cougars have two- to three-foot-long wiry tails with a black tip, and bobcats have a short bobbed tail that is only three to eight inches long. . Factors governing risk of cougar attacks on humans. Mountain lions are commonly identified by trail camera photographs, tracks, and feces. I stopped while i was driving, and as i approached it SLOWLY as not to scare it, it glared at my truck walked towards it,then sat. A female mountain lion in the Santa Susana Mountains in California. Cougars (Puma concolor) are a large cat that goes by many names: panther, catamount, puma, and mountain lion, just to name a few of their over forty common English names. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. Im an avid mature person with a biology degree. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. Courtesy photo. If cougars are out there, why hasn't one ever been killed on a highway or shot? House cats and raccoons can also be confused for cougars. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, bobcats are considered a species of least concern because of their wide distribution, abundance, and stable . A hunter and an angler, San Julian, like most other outdoorsmen and nature lovers, wants to believe wild mountain lions survive in the woods of Pennsylvania. 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. This number of car strikes is in spite of having low population densities and the significant efforts to reduce car strikes, such as reduced speed limits, warning signs, and obstacles (fences and road underpasses) built along or under roads that cut through panther habitat. The Eastern Cougar Foundation, a clearinghouse for cougar sightings, claims it has received proof that big cats do exist in Missouri, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Illinois and Kentucky, and in Ontario and New Brunswick, Canada. Until recently, whenever the sighting of a mountain lion was reported in PA, the intial response from the PGC was to say the sighting was a misidentification. Idaho Fish and Game officers and personnel responded to . Officials with the Pennsylvania Game Commission told WHNT the cat in Clarks Summit could be a bobcat, though they tend to be more active at night. Although they're occasionally reportedby hikers in remote locations, the U.S. Are the mountain lion sightings in Monterey for real? Turkey vultures return to Ohio a sure harbinger of the coming spring? Still, people say they know what they saw out there. The mystery of whether wild eastern cougars, also commonly known as mountain lions, pumas, or panthers, really survive in the Keystone State might finally unravel. "I know they're native to this area. "Recently there was an emu captured in Houtzdale, Clearfield County," says Feaser. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. You read it here first: Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania: Just prior to the start of Pennsylvanias two-week firearms deer season, the volunteers at the Eastern Puma Research Network put out a call to hunters. Females tend to go an average of 18-30 miles, while males travel much farther (45-170 miles). Claws are a great way to tell bear tracks apart from cougar tracks: cougar claws can retract their claws and their claws tend to only be extended when on slippery surfaces, on the other paw, bears cannot control their claws and they can be found on every track. Its so hard to pin anything down, said John Lutz, the West Virginia man who heads the network, a non-scientific affiliation of mountain lion seekers across the eastern United States. Also on the extirpated list are wolves, lynx, moose and wolverines. Previous Post Dani Moz featured in blockbuster movie trailer Coyotes are also confused for cougars (Figure 2). 2021. This population is greatly threatened by human develop on all sides. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. Please enter your email address below to create account. U.S. FOREST SERVICE PHOTO A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." Stay Alert! What does the perfect setup look like for spring steelhead? Eastern mountain lions lived in central Pennsylvania until the late 1800s, according to Foster. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. I work near Hazleton, Pa. A lion that was killed by Berks County coal-burners and . There have been no "confirmed" reports of mountain lions, AKA Puma concolor, in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s. In the winter, cougar tracks maybe up to six inches long. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. "While it seems unlikely, it's not impossible that these animals are showing up in PA," said David Foster, a biology professor at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg. Follow Michael & PhillyVoice on Twitter @mtanen88| @thePhillyVoice Reintroduction of the cougar (Felis concolor) in Adirondack Park: A problem analysis and recommendations. Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. So, if you live close to here please keep this in mind while you are hiking or walking along the wooded areas. It's only found in thewestern part of the state. Without major changes in both cougar biology, cougar behavior, and public opinion, it is unlikely that cougars can return to the wilds of Pennsylvania. State wildlife authorities have no record of the incident and the promised cougar carcass never arrived. Journal of Mammalogy 97(5):1435-1440. Friends in the area reported having a large long tailed mountain lion run across a road just in front of their truck. Pennsylvania had more than 7,300 confirmed cases of the disease in 2015. He saw a cougar and ended up shooting and killing the animal. It will happen eventually. 1 Last 365 Days. Cougar range based on sightings and physical evidence (Image credit: LaRue et al, 2008). Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. "I know they're native to this area. The red face of a mountain lion came out of the top of the mountain then dropped down. The report says 58 people suffered allergic reactions and died from stings in Pennsylvania between 2001-13. "The coloration and the shape of the head lean toward mountain lion(Felis concolor)but they have a tail thats almost as long as their body, and this animal clearly is lacking a tail," Taylor said. This is a BIG cat! Other sightings have been reported in Forks Township. Males do not tolerate other males in their territory, and they will fight other males to maintain their territory. Langell said two reports were . Mountain Lions Background: In 2011, the U.S. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Based on its extensive research, the Service concluded this subspecies of big cats had disappeared from the east by the 1930s. Absolutely bobcat," Taylor said. "We have lots of remote areas where people seldom go," he says, "and our high deer population would offer them bountiful food. Crews help rescue bulldog from Hellertown underground tank, Pa. among 13 states hit by illness linked to pet turtles. It will happen eventually. Spotting mountain lions is becoming a Pennsylvania pastime. The green shading represents areas with established breeding populations. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. It is a known fact that when an area is overpopulated, wild animals will migrate out of an area and into a new area that is less populated. If you have seen a mountain lion (also commonly called cougar, panther, or puma) in Pennsylvania or surrounding states (New York, West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio), please give Kerry Gyekis a detailed description of the animal such as length of body, length of tail, approximate weight, size, thickness, coloring, etc. The most recent sighting of a mountain lion in a Randallstown field Tuesday has revived claims that cougars aren't extinct in Maryland. The best way to differentiate cougar tracks from other animals is size; cougar tracks are usually four inches from heel to toe and four inches wide, roughly twice the size of bobcats or coyotes. Conservation agents searched for the animal last night and resumed looking this morning. He's sitting in a plastic doghouse, paws crossed, amber eyes locked on the two men ticking him off by their mere presence out beyond the fence. My cousin and his girlfriend swear they saw a mountain lion Davis hill Rd off of county route 249 in tioga county. If you encounter a bear that hasn't had time to leave, the game commission advises you to make a noise to alert the bear of your presence. If you have an encounter with a mountain lion, contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays: CPW Headquarters (Denver): (303) 297-1192. // February 12, 2021 Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. State Farm insurancecalculates that one out of every 67 drivers in Pennsylvania had a claim related to a deer collision in 2016. The mountain lion sightings locations can help with all your needs. Seventy to 80 percent of victims develop a rash. The mountain lion is a very large, slender cat with a small head, small rounded ears that are not tufted, very powerful shoulders and hindquarters, and a long, heavy, cylindrical tail. It can be difficult to tell how large an animal is in a photo, so it is best to use a known object as a scale. Female cougar territories (25-150 square miles) tend to be smaller and can overlap with other females territories. Of course, the New Jersey Wildlife people will flat out tell you there are no mountain lions anywhere in New Jersey. 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. LaRue, M.A., Nielsen, C.K., Dowling, M., Miller, K., Wilson, B., Shaw, H., Anderson, C.R. The nearest breed population of cougars is in Nebraskas Niobrara River Valleynearly 1,000 miles from Pennsylvanias eastern border (Figure 1). If you think you see a predatory cat ready to pounce, you're likely mistaken. PhillyVoice Staff, The coloration and the shape of the head lean toward mountain lion. Residents should report any possible mountain lion sightings immediately to law enforcement or to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". The only population that survived was the Florida panther (Puma concolor couguar), and it only survived with great help from conservationists. Florida panther population estimate updated. Offer valid thru 3/31/23. My horse was spooked twice & I heard a guttural growling but never seen any animal. Mountain lions once lived in much of the eastern United States. Hard evidence that wild, free-ranging mountain lions are living in the state they did not. Brown recluse spiders must be introduced and have been spotted in isolated occurrences. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. Expand. The abundance of wildlife that thrives in Pennsylvania makes sightings of interesting animals fairly commonplacebears, foxes, coywolves and elk are all within the realm of expectations. Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents have periodically reported big cat sightings to local police, prompting minor scares that can last a few days. More than half of California is mountain lion habitat and mountain lions generally exist wherever deer are found. Their conclusion: Sir, you dont have a mountain lion. A week later the farmer shot the mountain lion. I write stories about rural and exurban areas, the places where development meets farmland and farms meet the great outdoors. 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