"If there was mountain lions in Pennsylvania), I think we'd be getting reports from farmers and people with pets that there were attacks on their animals," Martinelli said. Most of my original Questions of the Month for the last several do I get an immediate, 'Oh yeah!' Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. The coat can be spotted or solid and varies in color from light browns, reddish and silvery grey. According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. I believe them. 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. Where reports dating that far back from escapees? Any Truth What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. How do I deal with shaving weight for carrying my gear? Many of those claiming to have encountered a cougar in Pennsylvania take that non-confirmation by the commission as an attack on their veracity and character. Flying over the area, I've looked down and commented upon the amount of habitat that would be available for a puma, if only they existed. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. The large tracts of untouched rocky land and bighorn sheep populations make for pristine mountain lion habitat. 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. The Game Commission concluded they were coyotes. Fish and Wildlife Service. How, Who, and Why? In Pennsylvania, I receive a few reports of black, big cats, which makes one wonder -- are there melanistic (black) pumas out there, or are those sightings always wrong. 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 Cougar Network, working with state agencies, have documented multiple mountain lions as far east as Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan in recent years, as well as that cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. (570) 325-3229. "It was in Worthington State Forest just across the Delaware River from Smithfield Beach). I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Did they migrate south from Canada? It is almost safe to say that the panther has in these parts become extinct, Goodrich wrote. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. 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.". All rights reserved (About Us). Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. Most nature magazines state whether the photos were taken "under controlled conditions" rather than in the wild.). Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? "I know they're native to this area. A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. "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. He wrote that not being a roving animal, the mountain lion was much sooner destroyed than the wolf, and he said that if there were any left, it would have to be in the most desolate places in the county. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. This one streaked across the road in the early evening, and fortunately, it stopped when it climbed a hill on the other side where I had another view from my side of the truck. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. Mountain lions have an interesting life cycle that consists of a few different characteristics. All of the above images are of bobcats. During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. And how many would let them go, or provide an opportunity for escaping? 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. Provided by Touchpoints Here's an example: A man is holding a dead eastern diamondback rattlesnake, which was found in North Carolina and measured more than 9 feet long and weighed 95 pounds. 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. But more and more people in Pennsylvania, from the Alleghenies to the Poconos to rolling farmlands in York County, claim they are seeing the big cats here, even though the state's "last" native lion, also known as a cougar or puma, was shot and killed in Berks County in 1871 and the feds have declared the Eastern subspecies extinct. Martinelli said that if there were mountain lions in Pennsylvania, there would be more sightings of them. After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. 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.). Interesting, too, are the reports I've heard from people who were told that they would be in big trouble if they shot a puma. The last known mountain lion in Pennsylvania was killed in Berks County in 1874. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? Would that declaration close that ridge to hunting? The last documented sighting of an eastern cougar was one killed in Maine in 1938. Oregon has a large, stable breeding population of mountain lions. Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. 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. I wanted to know if they're here, so I called some people I trust and asked them one simple question: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? Continuing with that thought, if that were so, then it'd be possible, if not very likely, that the Eastern puma would be an Endangered Species. It was estimated to be a young adult American Mastodon that had died about 12,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating. Mountain lions roamed all of the continent prior to the arrival and westward spread of European settlers, but only the eastern and Florida subspecies were found east of the Mississippi. Some may be animals that dispersed into the region from western populations. 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. Send it to me at mkuhns@poconorecord.com. Check out the tails of the two! Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. 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. Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. But the point of this article isn't whether or not mountain lions exist in Pennsylvania or the Poconos. The mountain lion population in Nevada is essential to the control of deer and rodent populations in the mountainous regions of the state. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? The reintroduction of mountain lions into South Dakota is one of the great wins of modern conservation. They have almost been killed off a few times, but conservation efforts have helped to keep their numbers stable. The agency has declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies ofmountain lions native to North America. 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. What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? Let me explain this. Looking for things to do in the Poconos? I'd love to hear of any reports you have. Mountain lions have a lifespan of about 8 to 13 years old in the wild. Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. Imagination? Outdoor adventures abound, and so do our fabulous shopping and restaurants. 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. Periodically, via Google searches, I receive reports from people who believe they had seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania, or in other mid-Atlantic states. 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. What does a Puma (Mountain Lion) look like on a Game Camera? On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. For information on predator tracks, check out this guide: https://www.wildliferemoval.com/animal-track-identification-guide/, Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. The first is the mating season which can occur during the late to early spring months. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. The story behind our new web site. The cat is known to live in the western U.S. and Florida, South America and Canada. 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. I haven't seen any reports like that.". While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens of sincere reports of sightings and tracks and even more hoaxed reports emerge across the state each year. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a great litter of boulders, rocks, clay and lakes covering today's landscape. Everyone else, when reporting, were frustrated as they were told they had seen a bobcat. 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.). Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. You've got a mountain lion story or photo? No evidence has ever been produced to support those charges. Wyoming has a historically stable population of mountain lions, but recent drops in numbers have caused some to worry. Biologists who investigate these reports claim that several may, indeed, be mountain lions, but most likely they're animals that have escaped from captivity or have been released by their. The next day, another friend, who works for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, called me to ask if I had seen the photo of a Pocono mountain lion with a deer in its jaws. "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". Mountain lions are well-established in 14 western states and have also recently been confirmed in 10 Midwestern states: Nebraska, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. There are also big swaths of thick of forests in parts of the state. Caribou meat apparently was part of their diet. But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. "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. 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. Sadly, the hunting guidelines for cougars in Idaho are lax, with 400-600 cats being killed each year. 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. DNA collected from the mountain lion killed on a roadway in Connecticut in 2011 showed the animal to have originated in South Dakota. Interestingly, almost all of the people I've spoken to who claim to have seen a puma have not seen a bobcat, an animal that is common enough in Pennsylvania to support a legal trapping season! According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are no wild, breeding cougar populations in this state anymore. 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 think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. However, many of my reports were at distances that people knew, and as you look at the images of the puma there really is a big difference in color and shape between a puma and a house cat. Eyes are normal and are not light sensitive, and the over-all color, generally black, is usually not detrimental and may actually be of benefit. The State Museum of Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg, displays a taxidermy mount of a mountain lion in glass case, with the notation, "This lion, found near Hawk Mountain in Berks County around 1871, is the last native mountain lion known to have been shot in Pennsylvania.". Images from a homeowner's surveillance camera show a tan cat with a long body, beyond a chain-link fence. For example, one man I interviewed said he saw a 'black' puma, and this should disqualify his sighting as a black puma has never been recorded. Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. Transient males have been sighted as far east as New York! At one point, there was debate whether that cat should be protected, since its genes were diluted from escapees or released pumas that originated in South America or our West. While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens . A total of 32 mountain lions have been struck and killed by vehicles in the study area since 2002. He saw his cat at very close range -- 20 yards or less, and when I pointed out to him that pumas are never black he said that perhaps it was the light. She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. Michelle LaRue, executive director of the Cougar Network and a research ecologist at the University of Minnesota, will discuss the eastern expansion of cougars from their core range in the western U.S. at 7 p.m. in Moravian College's Haupert Union Building, Bethlehem. Archived Questions of the Month Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled. Still, these resilient animals reside in secluded areas across the United States, with current data suggesting they may even be returning to their historical regions! Let's see a clear photo, or a carcass or something. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The same goes for New York and several other eastern states. Not only do hunting licenses support the various state game commissions, and in some states the acquisition and maintenance of public hunting lands, but hunters are a huge boon to local economies each fall, with purchases of food, lodging, hunting equipment, etc. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one. Mountain lions (cougars, pumas, and more) are among the top predators that live in the United States. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. . Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. 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. Mountain lions can live in almost any habitat including forests, prairies, deserts, and swamps. I'd suspect it would still be considered very rare, after all, it was thought to be extinct. What is the Kiboko backpack? It had been captured in Florida, and was to be released. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? He also published a follow-up on Oct. 15 with the same mountain lion-deer hoax photo, as well as personal stories from several local residents who claim they've seen mountain lions in the Poconos. Let me explain this. What equipment do we take in the field? I believe that the folks that are reporting, in detail, their sightings are faced with a similar situation. 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. I spend a lot of time outdoors, and I've seen about 10 black bears in Pennsylvania, and all within ten miles of my home. A Game Commission vehicle was there, and the Fed Ex driver, after reaching the bottom of a long hill, turned back to check on what he saw. They regularly join the camp of those angrily claiming the commission has introduced the big cats back into Pennsylvania as a control measure against the state's huge deer population. I asked our Game officials about evidence, and they cite no road kills. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. Mountain lions live almost everywhere in the state of Washington. The Golden State has one of the largest populations of mountain lions in the country. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. years are available through this link. He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. Then there is Rocky. (What is meant by "heads" is not clear.). They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. Who knows? Colby is a freelance writer from Charlotte, North Carolina. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? Armand Martinelli isn't only the mayor of East Stroudsburg, he's also a hunter who is connected with plenty of people in the area. It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. 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. Who knows? "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. "Given the period of time that has passed without verification of even a single eastern puma, the service concludes that the last remaining members of this subspecies perished decades ago," the Fish and Wildlife Service said in a Federal Register notice. The record size for this species is 8 feet, and it probably weighed 15 to 20 pounds, which shows how exaggerated this claim is. It's sort of like big foot, some people say they've seen him.". What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. I've seen hoaxes, of pumas carrying deer shot with game cameras, but these were of western cats. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. RelatedBigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know. The 'look' is from my "They're getting a lot of that out west. There are, from time to time, eyewitness accounts from hunters or hikers who claim to have seen the cat. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Never has this been more accurate than in today's digital, computerized world. Here it is: I still couldn't get the big head/little neck, and the body is a bit stouter/shorter, but a striding cat might be stretched out a bit. The rounded ears, On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. (National Park Service). One man sent me a game camera photo that was blurry but looked like a mountain lion, or puma, as I like to call them. (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence. Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. 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 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. So how or why could there be a conspiracy? Leap transferred ownership rights to the state. 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! The next day, the photo disappeared from the site. The coat can be spotted or solid. If you see or photograph a puma in the mid-Atlantic states, please email or call me. Why do I advocate manual exposure so avidly? I can't dismiss the eye-witnesses I've interviewed. Over the last two years I have occasionally posted a Question of the Month soliciting sightings from people who believed that they have seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania or in other areas in the mid-Atlantic states. We hope you enjoy this foray into the most weird and wonderful our beloved Pocono Mountains have to offer. 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. I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! Colorado has a large number of mountain lions within its borders, mostly due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. See also: Most, quite honestly, don't know or can't believe or accept what they saw, they really can't believe their eyes. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. Mountain Lions do remain in the western states and there is evidence that in 2011, a mountain lion migrated about 1,500 miles from South Dakota to Connecticut where it was killed by a. Over the last two years I have occasionally posted a Question of the Month soliciting sightings from people who believed that they have seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania or in other areas in the mid-Atlantic states. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". Because the neck bothered me, I decided to do some Photoshop on the puma in the lower left, moving his head higher up and changing the image to a contrasty black and white - to give a silhouette for comparision. Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? With healthy populations and strong conservation programs, however, they seem to be pushing back east. Discover the Little-Known U.S. River Gorge That's, The 9 Best Books About National Parks for Travelers, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback. Those cats for which DNA evidence was recovered had come east from South Dakota, part of the known, modern-day, U.S. mountain lion range. (National Park Service). The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. 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. In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. No one needs to panic.". If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. ? Would a puma then qualify as a native species? Additionally, California banned the hunting of cougars back in 1972, encouraging population growth. "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". 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. Illinois can also now be added to this list a mountain lion was found on the outskirts of Chicago.