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. Arkansas isnt somewhere that we would generally think of when looking for mountain lions, but they are on the rebound! Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! Wishful thinking? Provided by Touchpoints
10 Stunning Mountains In Pennsylvania - AZ Animals "It was in Worthington State Forest just across the Delaware River from Smithfield Beach). I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". "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. 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. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. The first settlers kept sheep to supply their household with wool. The agency has declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies ofmountain lions native to North America. I'm wondering, then, if the complete dismissal of sightings of Eastern pumas (other than the acknowledgement of released or escaped pets) isn't motivated by economics. If you see or photograph a puma in the mid-Atlantic states, please email or call me. Viewers can never be certain that what they're seeing on a computer is actually what it's purported to be. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania?
Mt Lions in WV, NY, and PA - Hoot Hollow The last known mountain lion in Pennsylvania was killed in Berks County in 1874. 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. You've got a mountain lion story or photo? If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. "From people that I trust have had visual sightings, they've seen mountain lions.". 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. On the second night, a mountain lion passed by, apparently drawn by the smell but put off by the stench, as the cat did not visit the kill.
Officially extinct, mountain lions still haunt the Adirondacks And book one of these Poconos cabins rentals for the best outdoor access to these activities. 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. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. Archived Questions of the Month 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 know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. Let me explain this. DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon.
Pocono Mountains - Wikipedia There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. In this at this distant epoch, archaeologists attempt to clear some of the mists and mysteries of prehistoric times. Who knows? On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? "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. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? Some may be animals that dispersed into the region from western populations. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. 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. a high priority. "When I started telling people, most of them didn't believe me, but I will never forget that huge face staring right at me," said a Montgomery County woman who says she saw a lion last summer in Limerick Township while walking her dog. the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? None of these sightings has been authenticated, and many of them, including a recent, alleged mountain lion picked up on a surveillance camera in Lackawanna County, turned out to be bobcats.
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. Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. Mountain lion populations struggle to outpace the high hunting limits.
Hoax photo doesn't help believability of mountain lions in Poconos Over 1,100 people follow her page.
Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? - pennlive.com There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. What does a Puma (Mountain Lion) look like on a Game Camera? How, Who, and Why? 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. Mountain Lion Reports An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. Never has this been more accurate than in today's digital, computerized world. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The cat was far enough away that I couldn't get a size reference, and I believed the cat was further away than it actually was. The story behind our new web site. 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. 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. They have almost been killed off a few times, but conservation efforts have helped to keep their numbers stable.
Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? Recently, on our Arizona Hummingbird and Bat Photo Shoot, I found a deer that had been hit by a car and had moved off to die beside a stream just 200 yards upstream from our lodge. PHILADELPHIA (AP) An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. 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. Instead, the person usually pauses, sometimes with a sheepish or embarrassed expression on his face, and seems reluctant to continue. I asked our Game officials about evidence, and they cite no road kills.
Mountain Lion Population (In Each U.S. State) - Wildlife Informer 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. 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. I don't know if a Game Commission authority has actually said this or not, but people I've spoken to have reported this. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. She feeds and cares for them with donations and grants. Would these ridges be declared off-limits for hunting? Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. All rights reserved. The bounty for adult wolves and cougars was raised on March 16, 1819 to $12. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. 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. Bobcats, feral cats and domestic dogs may be misidentified as mountain lion. "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. Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! 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.). I'll be anxious to learn of your report. years are available through this link. Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. All rights reserved (About Us). The reintroduction of mountain lions into South Dakota is one of the great wins of modern conservation. In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. For example, leopards and jaguars, normally spotted cats, have a melanistic color morph, the 'black panther,' the black leopard or black jaguar. 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. Knowing that pumas range widely, would my ridge be the only one closed? Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. 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. But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. Me? I'd suspect it would still be considered very rare, after all, it was thought to be extinct. A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. 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. 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. 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. Have some feedback for us? I've read a lot about this, and the usual explanation is the very human desire to see something, to see what someone wants to see, and thus these people are seeing bobcats or brown cats or dogs or foxes and, because they 'want' to see a puma, they do. 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. In August, Amy Walters said her 12-year-old son was spooked by a mountain lion in Forest County in northwest Pennsylvania while riding his dirt bike. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. The 2,400-square-mile area has long been a popular outdoor recreation area boasting hunting, fishing, skiing, and more. There is a big community of mountain lion enthusiasts across the Northeast convinced that the animals still exist in breeding populations. Cougar vs Mountain Lion What Are the Differences? The rocky habitat that covers much of the state is perfect for these ambush predators, especially since humans dont inhabit much of the land. 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. On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Two different people told me that they, or a close relative, had seen pumas on more than one occasion. 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. Mountain Lion in Pocono's Pennsylvania Kacie PA 7.9K views 2 years ago Mountain lion in bucks county pa or not? Two other reports went, in detail, on what they saw, the size, the length of tail, etc. But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. I have three observations here: 1. Interestingly, the US Fish and Wildllife Service has declared the Eastern Puma extinct, except for the Florida population known as the Florida panther. 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. Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. It was estimated to be a young adult American Mastodon that had died about 12,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. This will be one of your best identification marks, along with size.