It was estimated to be a young adult American Mastodon that had died about 12,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating. 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. The 'look' is from my 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 rounded ears, A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? 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. And a bit of an unpleasant one at that, as they now faced ridicule or doubt whenever they discussed their sightings. 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. The last known mountain lion in Pennsylvania was killed in Berks County in 1874. 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. 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.). Martinelli said that if there were mountain lions in Pennsylvania, there would be more sightings of them. There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. 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. Over 1,100 people follow her page. Mt Lions in WV, NY, and PA - Hoot Hollow . And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? - pennlive.com The 2,400-square-mile area has long been a popular outdoor recreation area boasting hunting, fishing, skiing, and more. 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. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania - Hoot Hollow I'm thinking of the solution often suggested for pesky endangered species out west, namely wolves and grizzly bears. Did they migrate south from Canada? The reintroduction of mountain lions into South Dakota is one of the great wins of modern conservation. It was definitely a mountain lion, and it had a big buck, white-tailed deer in its jaws. Let's see a clear photo, or a carcass or something. 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. Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. Who knows? I can't dismiss the eye-witnesses I've interviewed. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. DNR: Fish & Wildlife: Mountain Lion Mountain lions thrive there due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. In the forests of Kenya, however, they do occur. How do I deal with shaving weight for carrying my gear? Two weeks ago, a friend of mine who teaches in one of the Monroe County school districts called to tell me he was sending me a photo of a mountain lion taken by one of his students in the Poconos. 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. 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. Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. Pocono Record's Micaela Hood moves on to Lehigh Valley Public Media Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. Good luck, and let me know! (570) 325-3229. The question is just like in the story of the boy who cried wolf) if that day ever arrives, how will we believe those first, true sightings after so many hoaxes have been perpetrated on the public? 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. Illinois can also now be added to this list a mountain lion was found on the outskirts of Chicago. Images from a homeowner's surveillance camera show a tan cat with a long body, beyond a chain-link fence. Everyone else, when reporting, were frustrated as they were told they had seen a bobcat. 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. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. Does the mountain lion roam Pa? - Pocono Record In many regions, the population within the state is actually increasing! 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). Some experts predict that this wide-ranging predator, which can travel 600 miles in search of a territory, will surely reach our eastern states sometime in the next few decades. 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. It had been captured in Florida, and was to be released. And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. The bobcat wouldn't survive. On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. do I get an immediate, 'Oh yeah!' Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? 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. Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. 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! There are controlled hunting laws in the state of Oregon. Currently, there are only 15 states that meet that qualification. 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. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania. 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. Newspapers carried stories in 1956 about hunters supposedly seeing and killing wolves in Pike and Monroe Counties. 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. This happens usually around the 18-month mark. 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. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. On the other hand, there are probably thousands of game cameras covering water holes and game trails throughout Pennsylvania, and to my knowledge no one has yet recorded 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. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. After all, skeptics often suggest that puma sightings are just deer sightings, so it would be logical to worry that a hunter might shoot an endangered puma, mistaking it for a brown deer. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. The 6 best hikes in the Poconos Mountains - Lonely Planet Mountain Lion in Pocono's Pennsylvania Kacie PA 7.9K views 2 years ago Mountain lion in bucks county pa or not? "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. Only when I reviewed the images on my laptop did I discover that I had a mountain lion! Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. There are, from time to time, eyewitness accounts from hunters or hikers who claim to have seen the cat. Let me explain this. Big cats in Pennsylvania: mountain lions or bobcats? - Pocono Record Then there is Rocky. "They are very strong animals," she said. He notes how over the millennia, the region was inhabited by humans, only to be depopulated by migration brought on by the search of food due to a fickle climate, war or epidemic. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Arkansas isnt somewhere that we would generally think of when looking for mountain lions, but they are on the rebound! September 21st, 2008, 08:14 PM #74. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. Note the long, usually thick tail. 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. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. 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. That solution: Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up. Imagine my surprise. He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also reports evidence that humans arrived during the last glaciation or soon after. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. Pocono Mountains - Wikipedia Thank you for reading! It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? 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. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. Here's a glimpse at what long-gone Pocono beasts the region's very first wave of residents may have seen, and the wild things that followed up to as late as the early 20th century. Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. Some cats had a South American genetic profile. No evidence has ever been produced to support those charges. 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." Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! Did they migrate south from Canada? Most of my original Questions of the Month for the last several There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". An escapee is also possible. 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. 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. Mountain lions, which continue to be reported across Pennsylvania throughout the year, are officially extinct east of the Mississippi River and north of Florida, according to the U.S. The large, undeveloped interior filled with rocky habitats perfect for mountain lions allows them to safely live and breed. No An official form of the United States government. 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. 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. Like Arizona, New Mexico is the perfect home for mountain lions. 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. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. While the chances that I'll ever see a puma in Pennsylvania myself are virtually zero, I'm always on the alert -- for the bobcat I've never seen in Pa., for a fisher, bear, deer, red salamander, toad, or snake, and yes, I'm always hoping that I too will become one of those who saw something that officially cannot exist within the state, a puma I know I saw but, of course, could not have! A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." One of the three branches or clans of the Lenape Tribe at the end of the 17th century was known as the Wolf (Minsi). 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. One of the important things for any animal is a place to call home. Mountain Lion Reports Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? 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. While it would seem impossible to confuse the two after seeing them in person, Foster said many of the sightings are in the dark, from roadways and trail cams, with bodies half-concealed. Outdoor adventures abound, and so do our fabulous shopping and restaurants. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. Once a mountain lion matures, it will leave its mother and find its own territory. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. After all, how many people have pumas? Ashley Catherine Fontones, Pocono Record. 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. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Me? 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. 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. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. A neighbor scared the animal away before it could finish its meal; the sheeps carcass was used as bait, to catch the big cat. 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. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? 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 last documented sighting of an eastern cougar was one killed in Maine in 1938. 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 . In January, the U.S. It's sort of like big foot, some people say they've seen him.". It was decided that this shouldn't influence the decision and, in fact, an infusion of new genes produces a hybrid vigor, lessening the chance of in-breeding. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? "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. DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. Who knows? This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. Pocono beasts: Mastodons, wolves, cougars once abundant in region The earliest wave arrived at the end of the last Ice Age; the last wave is the Lenape or Delaware Tribe, which made contact with colonial settlers in the 1600s. Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? 25 Best Things to Do in The Pocono Mountains Area (for 2023) Would these ridges be declared off-limits for hunting? Kross only saw the animal for a second, but it made a believer out of him. The bounty for adult wolves and cougars was raised on March 16, 1819 to $12. All rights reserved. She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. DNA collected from the mountain lion killed on a roadway in Connecticut in 2011 showed the animal to have originated in South Dakota. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? The State cites that there are no road-kills, and in a heavily trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills. 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. But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. 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. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. 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.