When it turned around thats when I saw its long tail almost to the ground. Period. According to Donald W. Linzey's notes in Mammals of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (1995), the last mountain lion killed in the Great Smokies was back in the early winter of 1920: "Tom Sparks was said to have been attacked by a panther while herding sheep on Spence Field. My grandparents lived most of their lives near Summersville, WV, in Nicholas County. They were last seen in 1882 and have since been killed off. Mountain lions in Nebraska are a division of the larger population spread through all western U.S. states, and predators move unobstructedly among Nebraska and neighboring U.S. states, especially South Dakota and Wyoming. Officials captured the escaped mountain lion and found a second one that had also escapedoutside of Harrisonburg, harassing turkeys on a farm. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I know mom & dad said they saw it & I do believe them but why, if they are, people denying them being here? There has been speculation of the cougars being in Rockingham county so I am very excited to hear from the commmunity on any other possible sightings. In 2012, LaRue and her colleague Dr. Clay Nielsen published a paper in the Journal of Wildlife Management analyzing 178 confirmed sightings between 1990 and 2008 throughout the Midwestern and Eastern states and parts of Canada. If theyre still around here, during deer season, Im assuming well get more pictures from trail cameras, he said. In a small town called Coeburn. I havent seen it or signs of it since my 15 May report. Saturday 27 Sept 08 I found a large paw print in the mud from the recent rains. Abbie Smith, a native of Little Hocking, Ohio, led the Mountain Lions in scoring during the regular season as she posted 13.1 points per game. FYI: for those who dont know HOW A COUGAR CRY AND BOB CAT CRY DIFFER: Even thou the cougar is a much bigger ,more powerful fearsom cat than the bobcat , the cries differ this way: COUGAR: the scream is more of a stronger from the bottom pit of the stomach frantic yell(like a 14 yr old thats been tramatized) and it repeats itself over and over and moves rather quickly from one place to the next. So the tail of the catamount continues. She got quite close to them while on Jake but as soon as she began to dismount they scattered. Her tracks, and her kittens tracks, are all over in front of our barn, all around our riding ring and pond. But their population definitely isnt established here. I havent seen them, but I have worked with folks there at the Smithsonians Conservation Research Center in Front Royal including Bill McShea. "He was only 10 weeks old when he came here," said Mark . But I dont know enought to really judge its age. They are back folks here in North Western Virginia, if they ever totally went away at all. Whatever it was was big and right under my window. I was hiking in Western North Carolina this weekend, north from Carvers Gap at Roan Mountain, on the Appalachian Trail. Now, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission estimates that the population has reached at least a couple dozen. But I never CLEARLY & TRULY actually encountered one until a few weeks ago! The puma can kill and drag prey up to seven times its own weight, the National Zoo said. To improve the genetics of the Florida Panther, eight Texas females were brought to South Florida. The day after the wolf incident my wife called from her work and advised me not to go in the pasture as a mother bear and cub had been spotted berry gathering there. This video footage of a confirmed female lion was captured in November 2015 in Obion County, Tennessee. "I think some people they start out as a joke between friends, then it gets circulated andit just snowballs from there and can't be stopped," he said. My horse just disappeared- we live adjascent to Havens Wildlife Preserve. Wolves once thrived in Virginia, but due to the harm they inflicted on farms and livestock, they were hunted by the settlers of Jamestown and eventually became extinct. After all, a three-year-old male lion was struck and killed by car in Connecticut in 2011. It's practically unheard of! OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. I can definetely say that there are mountain lions in Shenandoah National Park. Its a gradual process, and especially in the early years of a repopulation, any sightings are most likely of males. there could have been a population in the region that have now been able to only find refuge in that area due to encroachment of housing, etc. Yes, most sightings, if not all of them have to be taken on 100% trust in the person who has it. This was on January 25 at around 5:30 pm. Bobcats, yellow labs, and feral house cats are all common culprits for mountain lion mis . I had NO idea they were so big ! I don't think we're real close to that.". About 2 months ago, I seen a very large black cat with yellow eyes, on the side of the road eating what looked like a deer, here in the catawba Va area. The whole encounter lasted about thirty seconds, certainly long enough to know what I saw in broad daylight. Then what? But recent expert-confirmed sightingswhich have involved photographs, videos, and DNAin Tennessee support a theory that mountain lions, whose populations out west have continued to expand, are slowly making their way back to this side of the country. The last mountain lion in Virginia was killed In 1882! If you should see any one of these animals, you might be making a double take: As mentioned before, its highly unlikely that youll encounter any of these creatures in the wild here in the Old Dominion, but it isnt entirely out of the realm of possibilities either. All rights reserved. On June 17, 2015, the U.S. When he isn't distracted by his backyard birdfeeder, you can find him camping, exploring, and telling everyone around him about what he's recently learned. Both went into the woods without any fuss. I think I have now seen a mountain lion! (Shooting a mountain lion is illegal in Tennessee, given that theres no hunting or trapping season for the animal, but Alan Peterson said the hunter didnt believe hed mortally wounded the animal, and the case has been turned over to a District Attorneys office to determine whether or not the hunter will be charged.). 12. Despite repeated claims on Facebook and other social media outlets, it's highly unlikely wild mountain lions live in Virginia. Not much evidence but plenty of stories. I just saw a photograph of one today that is EASILY 150-200 lbs. of Wildlife. Perhaps some of thes animals came from the private sector and they were simply let loose by their owners. My name is ryan and I am from dayton va. On Oct 3d, I was playing music w/ a friend near the union springs dam. a cougar is not going to risk attacking a horse as they are a somewhat delicate animal which I have seen killed by an elk if they choose the wrong one.. horses are too substaintial unless there are no deer at all around, but in your case I think if there are cats there it is because their food is ther. Source: Public Domain Pictures, Ancestors of the cougar (also known as catamount, mountain lion, bobcat, puma, panther, painter, wildcat, and ghost cat) crossed into North America roughly 8 million years ago, and the species Puma concolor evolved around 400,000 years ago.1. It finally took off on the other side of the road into the woods, and I made a U-turn to the nearest farmhouse! I just wonder if I have the same picture, & also if it is true. Near the paw print I found tracks of a small deer moving very fast (tracks far apart and just the point of the hoof.) Many years ago when my dad was just a kid, he was walking home after dark and a large black cat was walking off the dirt road along with him. We have spotted a mother black bear and cub over by the damn while hiking, scary sight but very awsome. Spotted a large cat we think- on Squirrel Spur Road the new section about 8-10 miles south of Meadows of Dan. They dont know that, theyre not genetically testing these animals.. like when you see a wolf look at the paws for positive ID. There is an abundent population of squirl, deer and turkey. Its probably only a matter of time though their territory is expanding steadily. There arent any mountain lions in Virginia, but there is hope that they may return to their original habitat! I have chickens, belgian mules (not worried about them) and a herd of miniature donkeys but Im far more concerned about marauding bears than a mountain lion. Female cougars will raise a litter of kittens up until the age of about 20 months, LaRue explained, and then the young cats are kind of kicked out and left on their own. The males, especially, are forced to disperse away from the family, partly to avoid inbreeding, and partly because male cougars are territorial and wont tolerate any other males in their domain. We know what we saw. Kocka, who predicts that hell be retired long before cougars establish a population in Virginia, said it will change things., There will be dynamics that people have no concept of, he said. What about the fact no roadkill is ever claimed to be found of a cougar? In October, 1987, a cougar & cub was seen by a U.S. Forest Service crew in western Shenadoah County. She holds a degree in English Literature and one of her short stories has been featured in the Shenandoah Review. A southern cousin of the lynx, the bobcat (Lynx rufus rufus) is the only "wildcat" in Virginia. So this is good newsthe cat is back, surely. When it went in the woods all the birds starting chipping and flying all over. The species epithet "concolor" is Latin for "of one color," because adults are a solid version of some sort of tan. The sub-species of the eastern cougar indigenous to the state is extinct. People often see bobcats & mistakenly call them a mountain lion. They're nocturnal and notoriously sneaky, so seeing one in the wild is a truly unique experience. Biologists and wildlife specialists speculate that cougars will reestablish themselves in states like Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia within the next 25 to 50 years. Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Market Hunting of Cougars, the 1982 Eastern Cougar Recovery Plan determined that three breeding populations would be necessary before the species could be delisted In Wyoming, the season runs from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, but in Utah, the season runs from Nov. 9 to March 31. 150 yards in front of us travelling east. Human expansion and economic progress have driven natural predators out of Virginia, giving the deer free rein. Broad daylight, it crossed the road approx. Today is Sept. 29, 2008. Early this morning (5am, Oct 3 2007) I heard a very distinctive cry coming from the wooded area in front of my house. So, if anyone knows who I can contact please let me know. 29 and crossed the highway. There have been sightings of mountain lions in Virginia since the late 1800s, and its tough to imagine that every single one of them is misidentifying or lying about their experience, but it doesnt help that there hasnt been any physical evidence of mountain lions found either. I also had NO idea they lived in that area, so close to my home :). Additionally, the likelihood of mountain lions reclaiming their former territories in the mountains of Virginia is a distinct possibility. I think there is a reason for that, and the most likely reason IMO is that the animals people are seeing are not mountain lions. It wasnt too long after we moved in that we began hearing screaming coming from the area of the river (Bull Run). I didnt think any more of it until we had our coyote visitor but now shes certain what she saw was a little of coyote pups. Yes, it is a cougar, but could the picture have been taken somewhere else??? There is no reported melanistic phase of cougars or pumas in the literature. Losingand RegainingBalance in our Deer Population. This also was a sighting near Callands, VA: my wife was out jogging on our dirt road and came across a very large bobcat, about the size of a large dog, stubby tail, brown color, only about fifty yards from her, just staring at her. First, the nature of the mountain lion is to be elusive. Others, including the park ranger she met that day and wildlife experts shes reached out to since the sighting, are skeptical. SHE THEN TOLD HER SON THAT A BIG KITTY AS SHE CALLED IT WOULD COME AND EAT THE FOOD AND DRINK THE WATER SHE PUT OUT FOR HER DOBERMAN THAT HAD PASSED AWAY. The cougar has not been confirmed in Virginia since 1882, but there are increasing signs they have returned to the state. It was about 100 pounds with a tail about 3 feet long. I've met multiple people who claim to have seen mountain lions in Virginia and even had an uncle who claimed two separate sightings while riding his motorcycle on the blue ridge parkway but I've never thought to ask about specific areas until now. He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News. Figure 1 - Mountain lion range and confirmed sightings from 1990-2008. . Tickets are $8.00 and parking fee is included. It was less than a year before that my daughter said she came across a litter of cute puppies while riding her mule in the park. A French naturalist created the name "cougar" by combining "puma" with "jaguar." I had the windows open because it was a cool night. Which could be a pretty big deal, because up until now, the confirmed sightings in the east have been of male cats. Here's What, Mountain Lion Size Comparison: How Do They, This Fearless Cougar Doesnt Care How Much Larger the Brown Bear Is and Goes for It, Watch This Family Discover a Mountain Lion Curled Up On Their Porch. Every year, state agencies investigate many reported sightings of cougars. My dog is small but the one my neighboor has is a german shepard and I think thats the one I heard yelp. For decades, the chances of coming across one of these big cats in an eastern state were slim to none, and much to the chagrin of residents like Marchibroda who have reported sightings, the U.S. Even though the WV DNR says there are no wild mountain lions in the state, there are some held in captivity at the West Virginia Wildlife Center in French Creek. The cougar has not been confirmed in Virginia since 1882, but there are increasing signs they have returned to the state. But then again, no one would come forward if they killed one because its illegal to kill an endangered species. I don't believe any mountain lions are here. Mountain lions were common enough well into the 19th century throughout North Carolina. Its actually kind of scary if you think about it. It was just too big to be a bobcat nor did it have bobcat coloring. Harsh winters can[], Thanks for dropping by! ), Bobcat kittens!- They were just thicker-coated & boned kittens with a bobby tail and whisky ears for the most part. Definitely not a dog, too big for a cat. I remember seeing very large cat tracks(not a normal bobcat track) while hunting the GWNF sw of harrisonburg,va in the mid to late 1980s. My dog and all the dogs in the neighborhood were going nuts. I tried taking a picture of it with my phone but it jolted away. Since then I have involved myself by volunteering for the AT Camera project and joining Eastern Cougar Foundation (ECF). Fies doesn't believe that there is this thriving population that has been hidden from the world. Just wondering if anyone has spotted any coyotes near us in Thaxton? I have a 2 year old grandson and a small dog and cat. Though, they grew large quickly, and set themselves apart from the domesticated cat with ease They eventually returned back to the woods. Could this be possible?? Four very distinct toes and a large pad. For years people have reported mountain lion sightings in the Valley, but, according to local DWR officials, they've been extinct in our area since 1882. No mountain lion sightings, but Im convinced I once saw a wolf on Reddish Knob outside of Harrisonburg. twice in the last 6 months. The sad thing is people I know who say theyve seen mtn lions in Botetourt and/or Bedford County, especially raccoon hunters who say their dogs treed a lion, would never come out publicly with such a statement. While I was on vacation last summer, 2007, in Sandbridge Beach, Virginia, outside Virginia Beach, I encountered a big black cat. I went on line and llistened to mountain lions and cougar screams and it sounded exactly like that. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. We have reports of mountain lions being seen in the area of High Nob/ Fort Blackmore Virginia. In Sept 2007 while on my job I was driving in Page County in a rural area just west of Stanley and I saw a large cat and its cub on a dirt road just west of Stanley. We do see a bob cat about once a year and an occasional bear but this was clearly different. Our youngest daughter was hysterical thinking that her mule would be attacked. My neighbor has a grandson that is almost 3 years old, they were outside and he was crying (nothing was wrong) it was more of a I want my way kind of cry, but it seemed to go on for a long time. In his more than 30 years working for DGIF, he's only been called out for one mountain lion sighting in the area. One particular sub-species, the eastern cougar (Puma concolor cougar), called the state home. These are truly beautiful creatures, so powerful but graceful. They wondered if it was a kind of dog or even a cat. Scientists once classified over 30 subspecies of cougars based on morphological differences. Sadly, these animals were killed because they were viewed as a threat to humans and livestock. When I was young they killed a cougar at Stone Mountain. THANK YOU KATHY, I KNOW THEY HAVE LET SOME COYETTES(SPELLIN) LOOSE AND THERE ARE FOX HERE. Have some feedback for us? So, wanting to get them closer, I called them. While living in Alvarado, Virginia, in approximately 1989 one night on my way home from work at about 11:45 p.m., I saw a big cat in my driveway about 80 yards from the house. HAS ANYONE ELSE HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS. I think the eating is good around here for a mountain lion. Its part of mother nature I guess. . I havent seen anything like one since back in May. A few weeks later, I saw it dart across the dirt road for a split second. During one of our walks last weekend my sister spotted a very !large! There's a whole world to learn about and Colby is content to spend his life learning as much as he can about it! Others saw those cats too; so it was not my mistaking them for anything else! I was taking my wife to work eraly Thursday about 4 am..We had just passed the airport on 58 east in Danville, Va. To the right side shoulder of the road there stood some type of cat. Want to see the pics? Unfortunately, these animals have been pushed to the brink by hunting and habitat loss, and they arent nearly as common as they used to be. My buddy who lives in Floyd heard one, and others I know around here and by bent mountain. Does anyone want to speculate about the Appalachians being populated by African Lions? I walked to my car and turned my lights on. I took an impression of the track (which I still have) and have showed it to many, some knowledgeable which identified it as a mountain lion. It seems common knowledge of all the cats that roam the mountains along the Potomac River in West Virginia. "These two were seen and were causing trouble before the guy who owned them knew they were gone," Fies said. It was completely jet black, with a very long tail 3-4 feet long. His tail looked a couple of feet long! Secondly, the sightings of mountain lions are likely the result of escaped or released animals that were once captive. Everyone in the car was amazed at what we saw, and have since gone back hoping to see it again. I have helped skin and mount wild cats before and definitely know the difference. the cougar. The next day, my neighbor said that he and his fishing partner had seen a cat similar to the one I described as they were going fishing one morning around 3:00 a.m. Not much rain in these parts since early August. When a female kitten gets big enough, she doesnt have to go very far, because nobodys kicking her in the butt to get far away.. Long may they thrive. I hope the person who struck it hears its cries in his or her nightmares / dreams for a very long time to come. However, the area is surrounded by a wildlife refuge and is also known for wild horses. they may have migrated there by way of fractured habitat that has forced them into the area due to encroachment. of Game and Inland Fisheries web site on the eastern cougar. Only the cubs have spots and stripes, though adults can have bold black accents on the face/ears. Holly Kuchera/Shutterstock.com. Her views represent another twist in the ecological controversy. shortly after this, it was reported in the article, a puma was killed by a sheep rancher in an adjoining W.VA county. just wanted to know more about wolves in Virginia. lions in the area for years. Even though we still didnt have any physical proof we were excited because this was the first time wed had an adult verify a cougar sighting here. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! I have a friend who claims to have had one cross the Parkway in front of him near the Peaks of Otter earlier this year. In Rockingham county virginia, my father, family friend and I go bow hunting for 1 week every year in the GWNF. Officials explained the deceased animal must have wandered from the Black Hills of South Dakota. Mountain Lions are back, maybe. I saw one questionable critter a few years ago but I cant say 100% it was a lion. We would sit on our back porch and listen awe struck. People always had a story to tell about seeing one or hearing one whenever they were in the woods, and claimed the government was turning a blind eye to their reports. Without as many wolves around, coyote populations began to thrive and expand eastward. In the subsequent photos weve gotten of cougars, there wasnt any evidence of any kind of wound or anything on it, Peterson said. The traffic was moving quickly but he had no doubt that it was a cougar. Were not taking any action to move them or kill them. Virginia has two different native species of wild cats. The ones I saw sure would have no problem taking down a deer, or person for that matter! Despite their extinct status, there have been persistent mountain lion sightings . They still occur in parts of Central and South America. No, its one persons opinion of the world around them as they exist in it. We then came upon a very recent deer kill within 20 yards of the sighting. But to spot one in Virginia? Cougar, Mountain Lion, Catamount, Panther, and Puma, (Some of the names for this great cat) and is found principally in the mountains. Soon the large cat disappeared from sight, leaping up an 85 degree, 12-14, road-side ridge in two bounds, and with the very same physical pattern that is so common among all cats. Females have gradually made their way into states like Nebraska, South Dakota, Arkansas, and Missouri, but according to LaRue, it turns out the midwest largely is not a great habitat. So its not unreasonable to assume that theyll continue on and eventually end up in states near and on the eastern seaboard, where lush mountain ranges like the Blue Ridge and Smokies offer prime habitat and sustenance (deer, primarily) for the cats. Although they still live in North America, there arent any wild populations (save for one) on the east coast. Terrified, I took a step toward it, held up my vest yelled and everything and it dissapeared quickly. (#08) We just wanted to inform you all that during our trip to the Snowshoe ski resort in West Virginia we sighted a mountain lion at a nearby field. This animal is about 4-5 ft long not including about a 30 inch tail. Like a number of other people in her communitya hunter who caught the tail end of a cat on his deer cam and a Presbyterian minister in Batesville whose neighbor saw one drinking out of a pond, to name a coupleMarchibroda knows that she saw a mountain lion, and she wants state and national wildlife agencies to take these sightings seriously. Even if the Eastern Cougar and Florida Panther were considered members of the same subspecies, they would have still qualified for separate listings as distinct breeding populations. 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