He occasionally inspects "scat" suspected of being left by a mountain lion, and closely examines the animal excrement for food sources, hairs or other clues. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. Images from a homeowner's surveillance camera show a tan cat with a long body, beyond a chain-link fence. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. Based on its extensive research, the Service concluded this subspecies of big cats had disappeared from the east by the 1930s. Then I saw and was like, 'It could be a bobcat, possibly mountain lion,' " Nick Dodge said. Since May 21, three other lion sightings were reported in the Chubbuck and Pocatello areas and one in Inkom. Michael Tanenbaum Factors governing risk of cougar attacks on humans. From 2015 through 2017, at least 100 pumas were spotted in the county, according to Tribune data gathered in 2018. DNA tests have offered conclusive proof of cougars in other eastern states. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Upperparts are grizzled gray or dark brown to buff, cinnamon tawny, or rufous. Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos has two. Big cats still roam parts of Pennsylvania. The nearest breed population of cougars is in Nebraskas Niobrara River Valleynearly 1,000 miles from Pennsylvanias eastern border (Figure 1). Adult males may be more than 8 feet long (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail), and can weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. 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. Recent confirmed sightings of mountain lions in North Dakota are about 20-40 per year. Big Cat, long tail, Mountain Lion past directly in front of my car. If a cougar were to make it to Pennsylvania, it is illegal to harm. Over 1,100 people follow her page. Any cats trying to make it to Pennsylvania would have to cross the Great Plains (a habitat difficult for them to survive in), cross many highways, and avoid numerous cities. A recent rumor of a cougar killed by a vehicle on Interstate 80 attracted some attention at Penn State. I went to the rocky site and did not find the cat. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. 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. 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. Mountain lions inhabited the state of Texas before European settlers arrived and the Native Americans in the area hunted them for clothing, shelter and blankets. Males do not tolerate other males in their territory, and they will fight other males to maintain their territory. No wonder I have not seen that many rabbits or squirrels lately. Mountain Lion. Tumble drying clothes for 10 minutes will kill ticks. State officials question the lack of proof from recent sightings. Mountain lions, also commonly known as cougars, are officially extinct in both Pennsylvania and the United States east of the Mississippi. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. But many others believe wild mountain lions are traveling from Western states, where as many as 30,000 could exist, and across the Midwest to Pennsylvania seeking new territory. Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. "I have been in this business long enough not to doubt what people say they have seen," says San Julian, "but I think most sightings are escaped pets or animals released by people.". 3 Last 10 Years. The map below includes both confirmed and unverified puma sightings in the larger San Francisco Bay region (and beyond) since 2004. There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. UPDATE: An alert reader took this photo late September, 2008, from his trail camera near Plummer, PA. UPDATE: An alert reader sent this photo of a mountain lion taken about three weeks ago (September 2009) near Farmington, Pa, in Fayette County. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. Seventy to 80 percent of victims develop a rash. Mountain Lion Sighting Nov. 11, 2021 A California Mountain Lion was seen at approximately 4:52 p.m. on Nov. 11 near the University Glen water tanks and later on the main part of the campus near Santa Barbara Street and Camarillo Street. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. Cougars are often by hit carsin 2020, at least one-tenth of all Florida panthers (20 out of a maximum population of 200 animals) were hit by cars. There have been two mountain lion sightings this week in western Montana. She feeds and cares for them with donations and grants. They shared the unusual sight with WHNT-News. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. 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 was driving to work just before sun rise, Late September 2019. The Game Commission believes Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion died in 1874 in Berks County. 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. Reintroduction of the cougar (Felis concolor) in Adirondack Park: A problem analysis and recommendations. "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". As an apex predator, their extirpationlocalized extinctionhas caused incalculable harm to the ecosystems of Pennsylvania. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, feline predators such as the eastern cougar, which is also known as the mountain lion, are "extirpated," meaning they're all but wiped out in the northeastern United States. What is the fascination in Pennsylvania that they always want to kill a mountain line if they find one theyre indigenous they belong there just leave the damn things alone. The U.S. If you see a mountain lion, report the sighting immediately to Mission Viejo Animal Services at 949-470-3045 or the Orange County Sheriff's Department at 949-770-6011. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Cars and car tires are also good scales; a cougar will be half the length of a sedan and taller than its tires. adroll_language = "en_US"; Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania, Stories from the first season in a new hunting house. Adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between . The bobcat wouldn't survive. A report in 1981 found that it would be impossible to restore cougars to Adirondack Park in New York because there were too many humans. Please enter your email address below to create account. One came to her as the result of an owner's divorce. Pennsylvania's venomous snakes are hard to find. One on Salem Rd and another in the . The most recent sighting of a mountain lion in Georgia happened in 2008 when a hunter was out looking for deer. Absolutely bobcat," Taylor said. declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, California residents do not sell my data request. And when our officers go out to investigate reports of mountain lions, or when our staff reviews photos that are sent to us, often we're able to verify some other animal mistakenly was reported as a mountain lion.". I also saw a mountain lion recently crossing road next to creek in Canadensis PA. After the male mountain lion was removed from Red Hill Trail on May 11, additional sightings in that area were reported: one on May 16, and two over the weekend of May 19 and 20. 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. When they are in these new areas, the young males are almost constantly moving looking for an area with females. Lion sightings they got. They are not a threat to humans, and they are a protected species. To download a high-resolution image, go to http://aginfo.psu.edu/news/august01/lion.tif. They wanted to hear from anyone who saw a mountain lion or signs of one, like tracks or scats. 1 Last 365 Days. "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. Breeding cougars are almost entirely west of the Mississippi in states like South Dakota, Texas, and California (Figure 1). 2021. Dashboard for displaying mountain lion reports to the public. . Cougar range based on sightings and physical evidence (Image credit: LaRue et al, 2008). EDITORS: Gary San Julian can be reached at 814-863-0401. On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. It eventually ran away from the scene. The Game Commission occasionally hears about cougar sightings too, but agency officials are skeptical about their origins. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. What does the perfect setup look like for spring steelhead? After hearing of alleged sightings over the years -- sketchy reports of rural folks listening to big cat screams in the night, inconclusive paw prints, photos and videos that never materialized and the occasional unexplained livestock killing -- a cougar carcass was supposed to be delivered to university wildlife experts for necropsy. Tan shading indicates regions where dispersing juveniles have been sighted, but there are no established populations in these areas. Coyotes are much smaller, and they have shorter fluffier tails, a pointed face, and large triangular ears. US Fish and Wildlife Service. Still, Pennsylvania does have adequate cougar habitat, according to San Julian. Eastern mountain lions lived in central Pennsylvania until the late 1800s, according to Foster. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Juvenile males are the individuals that are seen outside of traditional" cougar range in places like Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. They said it took up most of the dirt road. Hildreth says the animals are capable of moving long distances across the state. He saw a cougar and ended up shooting and killing the animal. But an image captured by one family's security camera last weekend certainly shows what looks to be a mountain lion. 2017. "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". Because this cat is rarely seen, it is commonly confused with cougars, but there are some key differences between bobcats and cougars (Figure 2). Slowly, mountain lions recolonized North America after having retreated to warmer climates in South America during the Pleistocene ice age. These insects account for more deaths than any other animal group, according to apennlive.com report. Almost all the reported sights have been other animals like bobcats (Lynx rufus), coyotes (Canis latrans), raccoons (Procyon lotor), or large domestic cats (Felis catus). Home Pennsylvania Opinion Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania, If youre a regular reader of this publication, or one of my neighbors, then you already know my father and, A fish may see a parade of presentations go by, therefore yours should be better than the rest. Lion take a fawn in a swamp 1 mile from my home in the same county. You can also identify the venomous snakes of Pennsylvania by their vertical pupils, similar to the pupils in cats' eyes. Pennlive.com reports trappers kill more than 40,000 of them in Pennsylvania every year. Was running and had very long stride, at least 6 foot. Pennsylvania Game Commission spokesman Jerry Feaser notes that his agency agrees with San Julian. Mountain lions are helpful in maintaining order in our ecosystem and assist to keep other wildlife numbers in check. They wanted to hear from anyone who saw a mountain lion or signs of one, like tracks or scats. 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. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. 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. Traveling Route 248 in Northampton County just 1 mile east of Pennsville. Flickr/Valerie. The nearest breeding populations of cougars are 1,000 miles or more from Pennsylvania. Mountain lions are commonly identified by trail camera photographs, tracks, and feces. In January, the U.S. Dan Taylor, a San Diego-based wildlife biologist who grew up in the Philadelphia area, told PhillyVoice he was initially thrown for a loop by the photo. Have a news tip? Cougars are a tawny brown to orange and much larger than bobcats; cougars weigh up to a muscular 220lbs; bobcats are grey to brown with black spots and only weigh on average 25lbs. Without major changes in both cougar biology, cougar behavior, and public opinion, it is unlikely that cougars can return to the wilds of Pennsylvania. Was the craziest thing I have ever heard or seen in the woods of pa. Page 3 Pa Mountain Lion. The hikers did not see the prey animal, but the mountain lion was focused and had zeroed in on something in the bushes.