. From PD: Read your article about mountain lions in NJ. Although they're not often seen walking. Luckily it looked healthy and well-fed. From a distance, it had the walk of a cat - and the coloring of a mountain lion. It was at the edge of the woods and it looked like it was just after a kill. He suggested I didn't see a lion etc. All rights reserved, Officers Shoot, Kill Man With Knife: Frederick City Police, DC Health COVID Centers Are Closing March 31, Driver Dies in Frederick, Maryland Tanker Fire; Northbound US Route 15 Lanes Closed, Family Explores Legal Action After Student Forced to Pick Cotton in Class, Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), Chaos': Matthew McConaughey, Camila Alves Were on Harrowing Lufthansa Flight Diverted by Turbulence. I went home to look it up to ensure I was correct - Mountain Lion. I have seen a lion twice in Sussex County. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. If you need assistance, please contact the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. The Damned Story: Eastern mountain lions, or pumas or cougars, were last officially seen in Connecticut near the end of the 19th century.A threat to livestock, they were hunted out of the state and driven to parts more wild. This page is located more than 3 levels deep within a topic. adroll_language = "en_US"; Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania, Stories from the first season in a new hunting house. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23, Laura Newberry | laura.newberry@masslive.com, Are there Mountain Lions in Massachusetts? They are definitely here. "I believe that they're there," says a Baltimore County police officer, who claims he saw a cougar in Ruxton in 1980. This is especially true of western Maryland. My house, which is located in Hewitt, NJ (West Milford township), faces the woods, which is actually the edge of Wawayanda State Park. Very interesting piece. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. "As always, you should be diligent and cautious with your pets.". I do have footprint pics in snow from Califon definitely not your usual coyote. Someone photographed the animal at the Brunswick School on Greenwich, Connecticut about 40 miles away on June 5th. If you are already an OutdoorNews.com subscriber, you can log in here. Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook, First published on July 31, 2018 / 4:17 PM. Glenn Therres, a biologist and wildlife specialist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources says, We receive a dozen or two dozen reports a year from citizens who see, hear or find signs of cougars. 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. In Zone J, area 24A, which is close to the border of Graham and Gila counties, a 2-year-old lion, a 3-year-old lion and one of indeterminate age were killed in 2021. ", With its long tail and sleek, cat-like body, the animal was unquestionably a mountain lion, Mrs. Vanosnabrugge says. The youngest was less than 1-year-old. A mountain lion, seen above, was sighted on Ash Street in Webster Sunday. Read more about the status of Mountain Lions in Alabama here. There is no proof. In the '70s, Jungle Habitat was located here in West Milford. Hunters do not stumble across the remains of dead mountain lions in the woods, he says. If you are not and would like to read this and all the other great . Copyright 2014 The Washington Times, LLC. Then it turned and went back into the woods. My girlfriend remarked, Wow, that was a lion. A .mass.gov website belongs to an official government organization in Massachusetts. Cougars must be identified by having been captured, found dead, or the investigators must have seen definite tracks or other evidence. from afar it looked like silk black fur. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. (#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. Open MF, 8 a.m.4 p.m. (closed noon12:30 for lunch). It was when the reservoir was really low. With land cleared for farms and factories (nearly the entire state was deforested at the turn of the 20th century), there was no place for big cats to hide and nothing for . Males grow antlers which fall off each winter and grow back in the summer. I know it is not technically in maryland but I highly doubt this cat knows where the state line is located and stays on the Pa. side all the time. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. Mountain lions also were reportedly sighted in Cape St. Claire in 1969, Kingsville in 1971 and several areas of Prince George's County in 1988. Someone else reported seeing the cat last February. A pretty severe thunderstorm had just ended so for the afternoon it was quite dark. However, Fish and Game is asking area residents to be vigilant and to report any mountain lion sightings in the area by calling the Southwest Region Office at 208-465-8465, Monday through Friday . The hikers did not see the prey animal, but the mountain lion was focused and had zeroed in on something in the bushes. The last confirmed records of the Eastern Cougar's existence were in 1938 in Maine. Then it continued crossing the road and into the woods. It also looked to be at least 4-5 feet in length, not counting its long, thick tail. But John Lutz, a cougar buff who runs a Baltimore-based group called the Eastern Puma Research Network, says there are at least 100 wild mountain lions roaming Maryland. Any cougars in Maryland -- including the one reported to be stalking the field off Liberty Road in Randallstown -- were probably being held captive and either escaped or were set free, Mr. To me, it was not a dog and then carry itself like a dog. Definitely, a mountain lion after I googled the print.Some years ago there was a really bad coyote problem at the Wawayanda State Park. Shirley Ford took photos of the svelte creature she saw lurking by her home on Ash Street Sunday, The Telegram and Gazette reports. That story prompted a number of folks to write about their encounters. Mountain lions ( Puma concolor) are one of the six native species of wild cats in North America. It was early morning so it was pretty quiet. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. There is no evidence of a reproducing mountain lion population in Massachusetts. Pearson said people should be vigilant on the Greenbelt, especially between dusk and dawn. Heres how to pull big bluegills from Iowas West Lake Okoboji, A look at some other ways to call in a spring gobbler, How to catch and cook whitefish and tullibees, Nows the time to savor the fruits of the hunting experience. Citizen reported a mountain lion jumped through a fence and sent in hairs suspected to be from the lion. Quite unnerving. Or so they think!. Shes 18 now. elk calf with characteristics of a mountain lion kill. It was about 12:30 at night. Contact Laura Jean Schneider at LauraJean@eacourier.com, Mountain lions leave bloody path in Clifton, {child_flags:featured}Co-existing with nature, -The scientific name given to mountain lions is Puma concolor, meaning cat of one color.. The animals, which weight between 90 and 160 pounds and range over a large territory for food, have not left tracks that could be verified by wildlife experts. Many mountain lion sightings in our state turn out to be cases of mistaken identity, but photos, tracks, hair, scat, and videos are some types of physical evidence used to confirm the presence of a mountain lion. A recent rumor of a cougar killed by a vehicle on Interstate 80 attracted some attention at Penn State. Mrs. Muhl isn't alone. Two years ago I was fishing the Wanaque reservoir and came across tracks I had never seen before. CAPTAIN COOK, Hawaii (KITV4) -- A possible big cat sighting is being investigated on the Big Island. "It was so unusual," she says. And yes I believe these other stories. (Facebook / Michelle Lefleche) One neighbor described the creature as larger and wider than a deer, with the long tail of a cat. document.write(year) Hikers saw a mountain lion walking along a hiking trail as it was hunting a deer in Big Bend National Park, Texas. In the spray field which is leased to a local farmer, I was driving the roadway down to another building on our site and saw slinking quite quickly a large deer-colored cat with a body close to 4 ft long and a tail about the same length. There was an animal that ran very quickly across the road and we both said that it looked like a mountain lion. "I knew a lot of people wouldn't believe I'd seen it," he says. l went around a tight right bend and, 100 feet up, walking the same way was a cougar. reads. ", "Oh," said the officer, "then it isn't a mountain lion. Sightings are certainly nothing new in Maryland. "It was a cougar," insists the 57-year-old Catonsville woman. Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. In May 2018, a mountain lion attacked two mountain bikers 30 miles east of Seattle, Washington, killing one, but it's only the 15th fatal attack in North America since 1970. The oldest tooth-aged mountain lion tagged in 2021 was 10. Habitat. The most beautiful tragedy I've ever seen. Rt 206/Lamington Rd. He caught the animal in his headlights and, at first, thought it was a large Labrador retriever. Then he realized from the length of its tail and the shape of its body that it was a mountain lion. As of Sept. 7, 12 animals have been tagged statewide thus far. AZGFD sold 11,851 tags in 2021; 260 mountain. I didnt believe her until the security department showed me the security camera footage and there it was about a 30 or 40-pound mountain lion walking passed the security lights. After reading your article I'm not so sure, maybe she really did see them. A couple of sightings involved captive mountain lions that escaped from licensed facilities in New York State. ". The MLRT has investigates hundreds of mountain lion reports, but most reported sightings and tracks turn out to be bobcats or large dogs. Saw one in Warren County in 2007 & 2008 while camping. This offer only applies to OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions. Create a password that only you will remember. McCarter sent a sample to Dr. George Amato of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York and Dr. Melanie Culver of the University of Maryland. In 2014, the mountain lion conservation program was established to coordinate scientific research and population monitoring to inform big game management, species management plans and habitat conservation and protection. Mountain Lions have a status of extirpated in Alabama, there have been no confirmed sightings in the state in over 50 years. The feedback will only be used for improving the website. Pittstown resident scared to death last summer outside my house when I went to go feed my donkeys. Big Tech minions could compromise Americas Intelligence community. While they haven't confirmed it is a mountain lion, they say it could very well be one. Most of Graham County is outside of designated active management areas for mountain lions. So, thanks to all who reached out, and to all who are as fascinated about this subject as I am. The sighting has been reported to the state Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, which has historically debunked such observations. By LAURA JEAN SCHNEIDER Youd think that with the distinctive white head and tail of adult eagles no one could foul up on it, but Therres says, We receive reports of bald eagles that turn out to be ospreys, hawks, black-backed gulls and even pigeons.. ), I have no agenda in this. There is no indication of population decline, the department said. half a mile before you reach the Deptford Mall. This gave Nebraska lions some protection under Commission ruling until 2014 when, in a controversial decision, hunting permits were issued . In windy or mountainous areas, Elbroch says air horns are great tools to throw off a cat's focus and deter them from . a woman who swears she and her dog were approached by a cougar in Galloway Township. We both stopped. 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 on the main part of the campus near Santa Barbara Street and Camarillo Street. The 2020 wildfires that ravaged California also affected mountain lion populations, killing an estimated 300 to 600 of them. Mike Jacobsen found a dead mountain lion in his Denton-area field on Dec. 19. -Arizonas first lion management plan took the form of paying a bounty for every lion killed where the pelt was turned over to authorities. number of folks to write about their encounters. Just like New Jersey doesn't have any rattlesnakes. #1 The tail. Greenbelt Park is managed by the National Park Service. Video sent in to KITV4 from a local hotel in the Captain Cook area showed the reported sighting . My 11-year-old son was in front of me about 50 feet. adroll_current_page = "other"; Arizona mountain lion tags are available over-the-counter or can be purchased by mail for $15 to Arizona locals. As it was running I noticed that it was way too large and had a large tail. For the smooth consistently colored short hair l came up with a greyish tint to a deers summer color. I had seen a police officer in the parking lot at the mall and told him what I saw. There was no question as to what it was, with its coloring and long tail. It looked so powerful! There is also a small population in southern Florida. In 1966, an animal believed to be a cougar clawed a pony, two sheep and a calf to death in western Harford County. This all started in the spring with the report by a woman who swears she and her dog were approached by a cougar in Galloway Township. Although theyre not often seen walking about like the plentiful whitetailed deer, the top Maryland counties for bobcats are Garrett, Allegany, Washington and Frederick in that order. Coyotes have also been mistaken for Mountain Lions. Case 2 Forget Big Foot or the Loch Ness monster. I lived on a street with houses spaced widely - and a soccer field across the street which was next to a wooded space, a creek, and a pond. 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). Unconfirmed sightings of mountain lions and panthers do persist in Maryland, according to the state Department of Natural Resources website. It scowled and flipped its long just before it leaped down the bank towards the fawns. Invalid password or account does not exist. l then got to thinking about a description, the color is rather unique. 0:11. Forget Big Foot or the Loch Ness monster. Search for cougars continues in Pennsylvania. Yet this young male traveled about 1,800 miles. There are only quick sightings around town of the large cat known as the mountain lion. "I'm really positive.". When evidence is submitted, MassWildlife carefully reviews the evidence in its entirety and attempts to verify the report. Have any questions? Another woman said she was walking her dog in McLean Gardens at the edge of Glover Park when she spotted the large cat last week. It turned and saw us. In the interest of gathering credible mountain lion sightings when mountain lions actually arrive in the east the research team here at eMammal has put together a guide to identifying mountain lions. She shared the pictures with Animal Control Officer Michelle Lefleche, who posted two on Facebook. In 1996 MDC established a Mountain Lion Response Team (MLRT) with specially trained staff to investigate reports and evidence of mountain lions. "They were nearly exterminated by the early 1900s, but they retreated into the wild.". This was on January 25 at around 5:30 pm. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. I mentioned it to several coworkers and nobody believed me! I was driving on a dark and stormy night about 9 years ago on Rt-515 just off of Rt-23. About 4 years ago I saw the whole mountain lion. Our eyes locked and we were both motionless. Another sighting was at Berkshire Valley Road by my neighbor. Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. It then, whew, calmly walked into the brush towards the Oswego River. Thina Vanosnabrugge, a 41-year-old Hunt Valley woman, thinks they are. However, he did say (off the record) that he believed us - he was a hunter and had seen evidence of them in and around our area of the state. Big cats suffered the same fate all over the East Coast except in Florida, where a small, endangered group of panthers still roams the Everglades. We do get photos/videos sent to us claiming to have witnessed a mountain lion but it is almost always a bobcat or sometimes even a house cat. I know bobcats and it definitely wasnt one especially having a 3+ foot tail that was quite thick. Bobcats are found in the mountains of western Maryland, even in some counties along the Chesapeake Bay and one sighting came from the Eastern Shore. The latest sighting happened Wednesday afternoon, according to a News4 viewer who says she spotted the animal near the Beltway exit to Connecticut Avenue. Our wildlife research team decided to help take the mystery out of the sighting by going to the location and comparing the size of the animal to stationary objects in the frame as well as a human subject. Mountain lion prints are . AZGFD sold 11,851 tags in 2021; 260 mountain lions were killed, 17 of those as the result of livestock depredations. An adult male bobcat can reach four feet in length and 35-40 pounds. Both off of Carrs Mill Rd before the cement bridge (for those of you that may be familiar) Confirmed reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts adroll_adv_id = "T6XR4YM2C5FGXNZIDZPFXI"; (I don't know if it's right, but for me the two terms are interchangeable. Park rangers alerted the historical society to inform members that these big cats have been spotted in the area. Night-time trail camera photos indicate one or possibly two mountain lions are still using neighborhoods near the river corridor in McCall. Further, it is already illegal to kill a mountain lion in Massachusetts. Mountain lion hunting season opened Aug. 13, and remains so until May 31, 2023. The report stated that a woman spotted a mountain lion in Greenbelt. Wisconsin - Mountain lion sightings in Wisconsin are rare but there have been confirmed sightings within this state. Advertisement Rauch said the bobcat probably traveled down the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal from. The same spot, just trying to get to my donkeys late at night. In comparison to our GSD, I estimated it to be around 70lbs. (A valid mountain lion pursuit-only permit or a valid, unused mountain lion non-permit tag is required.). Tracking experts Paul Rezendes, Charles Worsham, George Leoniak, and Dr. Mark Elbroch examined the photos. "As always, if you leave wildlife alone and respect it, the wildlife will reciprocate," she wrote. The most recent sighting of a mountain lion in a Randallstown field Tuesday has revived claims that cougars aren't extinct in Maryland. That story prompted others to reach out to me about their sightings. Well, that latest story has exploded, going viral and being shared all across the state. Please let us know how we can improve this page. It came out of the woods and stopped in the middle of the road right in front of me in the headlights. AFGFD said the data suggest the statewide population of mountain lions is stable to increasing, with an annual population estimate at 2,876 animals since 2004. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. They are also known as pumas, cougars and panthers. This is the longest documented travel distance of a mountain lion. (DS says her sighting was from earlier this summer.). Therres reminds us all that it is very easy to misidentify a mountain lion by providing an example of people constantly misidentifying bald eagles. The West Virginia Wildlife Center is open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We had just finished setting up the stuff on the driveway and were just sitting enjoying the silence when we both spotted what looked like a giant cat across the street on the edge of the field near the tree line. The policeman, who didn't want to be identified, says he was on his way home from work about 3 a.m. when the cougar crossed Circle Road in an wooded area adjacent to Robert E. Lee Memorial Park. I had made calls to many different agencies and either I was told I was wrong or no one would return my calls. The buzzards returned in late February, and Steve Pollick says you can mark your calendar by these scavengers exploits. Another cougar buff, zoologist Donald Linzey, has collected 250 reports of mountain lions in Virginia over 11 years and believes 85 are credible. Since 1890 in the U.S. and Canada, there have been 100 attacks on humans at all, according to the research organization The Cougar Network. // February 12, 2021. Updated: Jul. I wish I had turned around and taken photos but, where it was located, it would have taken me too long. Offer valid thru 3/31/23. A regional wildlife biologist with the Department of Natural Resources' Forest, Park and Wildlife Service, he says mountain lions were hunted into extinction by the people who settled Maryland. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. It was about 6 or 7 years ago. August, a woman reported seeing a mountain lion on her drive between Millville and Avalon. GREENBELT, Md. They are here! I have seen it more than once. - U.S. Park Police responded to Greenbelt Park in Prince George's County, Maryland Tuesday after a woman said she saw a mountain lion in the area. ; track sets or photos of track sets; other tangible physical evidence verified by qualified professionals. Pigeons? About 16 years ago I saw one plodding along Canal Road in Vernon, in broad daylight while I was looking out my kitchen sink window. It doesn't make sense to me that they wouldn't be in those areas considering anything prevents them from crossing state lines especially since they can swim and the Delaware river is often shallow enough to walk across in a lot of spots. (WJZ) -- A reported mountain lion sighting in a Prince George's County park turned out to be a coyote. Roughly 100 of the pumas are not doing very well in the Sunshine state, where automobile and truck traffic or disease claim a few of the animals every year, but theyre hanging on and we wish them well.Then there are occasional reports of mountain lion sightings in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia, but no one to our knowledge has ever totally proved that what they saw actually was North Americas biggest cat that can weigh 150 pounds or more and from nose to the tip of the tail can measure nearly 8 feet in length.
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