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. Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos has two. This demonstrates just how difficult it is for this secretive animal to travel without being seen and followed. For a limited time, you can get full access to breaking news, all original Outdoor News stories and updates from the entire Great Lakes Region and beyond, the most up-to-date fishing & hunting reports, lake maps, photo & video galleries, the latest gear, wild game cooking tips and recipes, fishing & hunting tips from pros and experts, bonus web content and much, much more, all on your smartphone, tablet or desktop For just a buck per month! Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. They will not find a female in these areas, so they eventually make their way back to the western range or die in the attempt. 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. Ohio. 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." "Absolutely bobcat," Taylor said. Please enter your email address below to create account. These tiny critters may not look that threatening but they are carriers of Lyme disease, which can result in long-term health complications and even death. If cougars are out there, why hasn't one ever been killed on a highway or shot? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. They have adapted to live in the suburbs in woods, fields or evenbackyards without being seen by people. In one case out of Reading, a sighting of an apparent cheetah turned out to be an African serval that was likely bred and domesticated illegally. "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. The coloration in adults is uniform. 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. I saw a Mountain Lion chasing a fox in Perryopolis Pa. To download a high-resolution image, go to http://aginfo.psu.edu/news/august01/lion.tif. The last native. But Dave "Gadget" Jones, a retired wildlife conservation officer from Lackawanna County, claims he's seen a white bigfoot and a UFO in Pennsylvania, so who knows? "I hear rumors all the time about mountain lion sightings," said Brian Anderson, deputy game protector for Northumberland County. Offer valid thru 3/31/23. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots. 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. Cougar range based on sightings and physical evidence (Image credit: LaRue et al, 2008). If you're hiking, stay on the path and don't venture into the woods. 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. Cougars are kept in captivity by a few people, but these cats are large agile wild animals that are not suited to captivity. No one needs to panic.". MISSOULA, Mont. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. Follow Michael & PhillyVoice on Twitter @mtanen88| @thePhillyVoice Although common at the time of European settlement, the last known historical specimen in Missouri was killed in the Bootheel area in 1927. Mattson, D., Kenneth, L., and Sweanor, L. 2011. Bears have been fought off with rocks, sticks, binoculars or even bare hands, the game commission says. // February 12, 2021 Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. Must of been chasing it for quite some time. In January, the U.S. I was driving to work just before sun rise, Late September 2019. (The fear of cougars is unfounded. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. Eastern coyotes are prevalent in Pennsylvania. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has determined that due to no concrete evidence, and in spite of multiple (but unconfirmed ) sightings, the eastern mountain lion has been. The hikers did not see the prey animal, but the mountain lion was focused and had zeroed in on something in the bushes. Some may also be kept illicitly as pets, which would quickly become a problem as the cat matures. House cats and raccoons can also be confused for cougars. A 2011 study examined cougar attacks across the US and Canada and found that since 1890, there have been only 29 confirmed fatalities.) Was the craziest thing I have ever heard or seen in the woods of pa. Dashboard for displaying mountain lion reports to the public. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania, http://cougarrewilding.org/CougarNews/?p=938. While juvenile males do make long journeys when they are young, they rarely make it to the Lake States (Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin). Orange and tan house cats are also confused for cougars. Days to months after the tick bite, victims can suffer severe headaches, heart palpitations, shooting pains, numbness, dizziness and trouble with short-term memory. Young cougars (one- to two-years old) leave their mothers to establish a new territory. Cougars (Puma concolor) are a large cat that goes by many names: panther, catamount, puma, and mountain lion, just to name a few of their over forty common English names. Officials with the Pennsylvania Game Commission told WHNT the cat in Clarks Summit could be a bobcat, though they tend to be more active at night. Tan shading indicates regions where dispersing juveniles have been sighted, but there are no established populations in these areas. When they are in these new areas, the young males are almost constantly moving looking for an area with females. Recent confirmed sightings of mountain lions in North Dakota are about 20-40 per year. Most are about three feet long. San Julian can even send scat to be tested for cougar DNA. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. This development promised to resolve a decades-old controversy. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Black markings decorate the tip of the tail, ears, and around the snout. The Eastern Cougar Foundation, a clearinghouse for cougar sightings, claims it has received proof that big cats do exist in Missouri, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Illinois and Kentucky, and in Ontario and New Brunswick, Canada. Collection. $1 per month for 6 months (you will be billed $6) and then your subscription will renew at standard subscription rates. There are more squirrels in Pa than Mountain Lions, but not by a lot. So glad to post. Pennlive.com reports trappers kill more than 40,000 of them in Pennsylvania every year. Pennsylvania would be incredibly difficult for cougars to reach. One came to her as the result of an owner's divorce. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. The mystery of whether wild eastern cougars, also commonly known as mountain lions, pumas, or panthers, really survive in the Keystone State might finally unravel. "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. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. 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). The Florida panther reached a population low of 20-30 individuals in 1970s, and currently are between 120-200 sub-adults and adults. Black widows are native to the state. (AP FILE PHOTO) A Philadelphia Inquirer story said more and more people in Pennsylvania claim they are seeing mountain . These indentations on their cheeks help them sense heat and find prey. The PGC's historical approach to mountain lion sightings is relevant to understanding their approach to the Jacobs photos. I have seen three mountain lions in pa. One full grown in Erie county in 1998 and two kittens (yes I am sure they were mountain lions, not bobcats) in McKean county in 2001. I just wanted to post that not only have we been hearing what we thought was a mountain lion, we spotted it the night before last. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. Figure 1. An attack on a 4-year-old near San Diego is just the latest in a string of mountain lion attacks in California. Tumble drying clothes for 10 minutes will kill ticks. Juvenile males are the individuals that are seen outside of traditional" cougar range in places like Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents have periodically reported big cat sightings to local police, prompting minor scares that can last a few days. If a cougar were to make it to Pennsylvania, it is illegal to harm. Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. I also seen deer in my yard, a coyote, a mink, a wood turtle and a bear earlier this year as well. The map below includes both confirmed and unverified puma sightings in the larger San Francisco Bay region (and beyond) since 2004. I stopped while i was driving, and as i approached it SLOWLY as not to scare it, it glared at my truck walked towards it,then sat. Let us know. Figure 3. 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. "We should be getting more pictures. But they're probably bobcats. 2019 mountain lion in Pennsylvania / definitive proof Joe and Angelika Kelley 12 subscribers Subscribe 91 16K views 3 years ago When something digs up your yard and you film it. Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos has two. Then there is Rocky. For more information see Terms and Conditions. Iowa DNR prepares for egg-collection netting season, Randy Claramunt vows to turn challenges into opportunities as Michigans new fisheries chief, WI Daily Update: The scoop on ice shanties, MN Daily Update: Permanent ice house dates, All-time great pro bass angler Kevin VanDam to retire following 23 season. In the cover photo, a cougar is walking by a mature red pine that is roughly 12 to 14 inches in diameter. If you encounter a bear that hasn't had time to leave, the game commission advises you to make a noise to alert the bear of your presence. The Game Commission believes Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion died in 1874 in Berks County. The one pictured is in a New York zoo. 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). . From 2015 through 2017, at least 100 pumas were spotted in the county, according to Tribune data gathered in 2018. Confirmed Mountain Lion Reports Watch our Mountain Lions in Missouri video to learn why mountain lions are roaming into our state, how we confirm reported sightings, and what to do in the very unlikely event you encounter a mountain lion. I saw a mountain lion crossing a state highway,the Oklahoma-Salem FRoad near DuBois PA about 4:30 pm. Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. I told her there had now. San Julian dutifully follows up on every cougar report he can. Brocke R. 1981. Coyoteseat wildlife including mice, voles, deer, rabbits and woodchucks. adroll_current_page = "other"; Still, you just never know". Are the mountain lion sightings in Monterey for real? State wildlife authorities have no record of the incident and the promised cougar carcass never arrived. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. The nearest known populations of mountain lions are in Wyoming, Colorado, North . In the winter, cougar tracks maybe up to six inches long. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. . "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. They are not a threat to humans, and they are a protected species. There may well be a mountain lion out there that has been illegally released.". YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. http://www.buckmanager.com/2009/04/17/deer-management-and-some-thoughts-on-predator-control/, Just posted if looked like this size PhillyVoice Staff, The coloration and the shape of the head lean toward mountain lion. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. If you have an encounter with a mountain lion, contact Colorado Parks and Wildlife from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays: CPW Headquarters (Denver): (303) 297-1192. Some biologists thinks it's time to bring them back to help manage deer populations. After carefully considering the shape of the paw, Penn State experts concluded that the print was not made by a cougar. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com. They've been extinct in the eastern part of North America for more than a century. The track of a cougar found in Michigans Upper Peninsula (photo credit: Michigan Department of Natural Resources). Cougars are recolonizing the Midwest: Analysis of cougar confirmations during 19902008. Thousands of deer. adroll_language = "en_US"; Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania, Stories from the first season in a new hunting house. 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. On Friday July 8, 2022 there was a few reported Mountain Lion sightings the last few days one actually involving an encounter with one's family in their lawn. "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. Isolated juvenile males have been found as far east as Michigans Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. Much of the prime habitat in the West is already occupied by larger more dominate males, so juvenile males make long journeys to disperse to setup a new territory or find an area where they can push out the dominate male. Then I saw and was like, 'It could be a bobcat, possibly mountain lion,' " Nick Dodge said. Northeast . Pennsylvania is currently home to only one wild cat: the bobcat. Of course, bees are crucial to our existence. Spotting mountain lions is becoming a Pennsylvania pastime. "So the mystery goes on," says Gary San Julian, professor of wildlife resources in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Until recently, whenever the sighting of a mountain lion was reported in PA, the intial response from the PGC was to say the sighting was a misidentification. "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. (Preferably while videotaping it) There is a $4000 bounty for a mountain lion carcass in PA. For those not following the debate, the PGC's official position is that there has not been a mountain lion in PA in more than 50 years. The timber rattlesnake and northern copperhead are close to threatened, according to pennlive.com. Since the policy's inception March 1, 19 mountain lion sightings have been reported. Over 1,100 people follow her page. Journal of Mammalogy 97(5):1435-1440. Cover Image: A cougar in Michigans Upper Peninsula (photo credit: Michigan DNR). One was spotted late Tuesday in Hamilton near a bus stop. She tried to tell me it was a Maine Coon Cat. Ok, so they may have been extinct for some time, but if people are sighting them, has anyone considered migration? 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