"With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. It can be difficult to tell how large an animal is in a photo, so it is best to use a known object as a scale. 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. 4 . If you are not and would like to read this and all the other great content OutdoorNews.com has to offer, click here . This article written in 2020 has a good wrap up of the current mountain lion status in North Dakota. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. The nearest known populations of mountain lions are in Wyoming, Colorado, North . The Game Commission occasionally hears about cougar sightings too, but agency officials are skeptical about their origins. 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. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. The eastern cougar subspecies is slightly smaller than the western, but is similar in appearance and habits. I think the mountain lion situation is like that. Langell said two reports were . Residents should report any possible mountain lion sightings immediately to law enforcement or to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. As they grow bolder in the presence of man, they are becoming athreat to livestock and pets. While there are many unconfirmed sightings of mountain lions in Ohio, there is not believed to be any living in the state. near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. Skip to content. You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". Murray also has a cross-eyed white tiger named Keisha, who crushed chicken bones with ease but delicately stepped into a metal pool to cool off. Flickr/Valerie. The Dodge family in Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County, captured an image of a big cat strolling behind the fence enclosing their yard and pool. If you think you see a predatory cat ready to pounce, you're likely mistaken. Someone photographed the animal at the Brunswick School on Greenwich, Connecticut about 40 miles away on June 5th. (AP FILE PHOTO) A Philadelphia Inquirer story said more and more people in Pennsylvania claim they are seeing mountain . By Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle Dec 15, 2018 1 of 2 Mountain lions are believed not to exist in Massachusetts, but that only means they don't live or breed here. Some may also be kept illicitly as pets, which would quickly become a problem as the cat matures. Still, you just never know". If you see a mountain lion, report the sighting immediately to Mission Viejo Animal Services at 949-470-3045 or the Orange County Sheriff's Department at 949-770-6011. 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 Connecticut mountain lion is the best documented wild Mountain Lion in New England. The coloration in adults is uniform. No one needs to panic.". Bobcats are much smaller, only two to three feet long (head to tail) and one to two feet high at the shoulder. You should bathe soon after coming indoors, preferably within two hours. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots. Without major changes in both cougar biology, cougar behavior, and public opinion, it is unlikely that cougars can return to the wilds of Pennsylvania. Do elk live in Pennsylvania? It will happen eventually. The abundance of wildlife that thrives in Pennsylvania makes sightings of interesting animals fairly commonplacebears, foxes, coywolves and elk are all within the realm of expectations. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. He occasionally inspects "scat" suspected of being left by a mountain lion, and closely examines the animal excrement for food sources, hairs or other clues. Although mountain lions were part of Nebraska's native fauna, they were extirpated by the end of the 19th century. A friend sent this to me. UPDATE: An alert reader took this photo late September, 2008, from his trail camera near Plummer, PA. UPDATE: An alert reader sent this photo of a mountain lion taken about three weeks ago (September 2009) near Farmington, Pa, in Fayette County. If you're hiking, stay on the path and don't venture into the woods. Without some adaptions and major changes in public opinion, it is unlikely that cougars can be restored in Pennsylvania, as the Adirondacks in 1980s was much less populated than Pennsylvania today. Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Bear attacks are thankfully rare. adroll_version = "2.0"; Share on Social One of the most important requirements for cougars to inhabit an area is a large swath of forest without humans and human settlement (including roads and farms). It eventually ran away from the scene. Human-Wildlife Interactions 5(1) 135-158. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. But an image captured by one family's security camera last weekend certainly shows what looks to be a mountain lion. 3 Last 10 Years. The last mountain lion sighting in the St. Louis region occurred in 2017, when a motorist struck a lion on Interstate 70 in Warren County, Zarlenga said. The most recent sighting of a mountain lion in a Randallstown field Tuesday has revived claims that cougars aren't extinct in Maryland. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Mountain Lion Sighting. Other sightings have been reported in Forks Township. Im 62 and hunted most of my life here in PA. Dont EVER expect to get the truth from anyone with Game departments in any U.S. state. 2021. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. While it is possible for a cougar to make this journey, it is highly unlike for individuals to survive the journey. Repellant can protect exposed skin from ticks. Upperparts are grizzled gray or dark brown to buff, cinnamon tawny, or rufous. Thousands of deer. Am 74 years old, of very sound mind usually pretty skeptical, but i saw this animal and after much consideration have concluded it could only be a mountain lion or cougar. The mountain lion sightings locations can help with all your needs. 2 Last 5 Years. Was the craziest thing I have ever heard or seen in the woods of pa. Then I saw and was like, 'It could be a bobcat, possibly mountain lion,' " Nick Dodge said. There are more squirrels in Pa than Mountain Lions, but not by a lot. They have adapted to live in the suburbs in woods, fields or evenbackyards without being seen by people. 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." Let us know. Although the chances of being attacked by an animal are slim, and even slimmer that you could die from an attack by a creature, there are indeed animals capable of wreaking havoc on humans. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. Lion take a fawn in a swamp 1 mile from my home in the same county. Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, FISH: Pennsylvania Frog and Toad Breeding Phenology, Questions and Answers about Centipedes, Ladybirds and Butterflies, The Effect of Coyotes on Pennsylvanias Deer Herd, Protected Species in Pennsylvania: The Bog Turtle, Protected Species in Pennsylvania: Northern Flying Squirrel. "I have been in this business long enough not to doubt what people say they have seen," says San Julian, "but I think most sightings are escaped pets or animals released by people.". Isolated juvenile males have been found as far east as Michigans Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin. Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos has two. On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. The hikers did not see the prey animal, but the mountain lion was focused and had zeroed in on something in the bushes. Adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between . However, mountain lion sightings in Pennsylvania are still being reported. 2 houses up from my house. Saw some huge cat prints on the mountain in NEPA near white haven. That said there have been numerous sightings of them over the years. Hard evidence that wild, free-ranging mountain lions are living in the state they did not. Yes I believe their are mountain lion ghost cats in PA. PA mountain areas are remote and it is impossible to kill all of the cats who are quite secretive. Lion sightings they got. . In one extreme dispersal event in 2011, a cougar (that was later found to be related to cats from the Black Hills) made it to Connecticut before it was killed by a car. House cats tails and fur are also another excellent way to tell them from cougars. Your email address will not be published. 1. at least 1 mountain lion hanging out near a relatively fresh, mostly eaten deer . Males territories are generally twice the size of a females territory (50-350 square miles), and they overlap the territory of several females. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. They're common in the rural areas of the Lehigh Valley but are moving into more populated areas as evidenced by a600-pound specimen (pictured) that was tranquilized in March after neighbors in Forks Township and Easton's College Hill section called authorities. Are the mountain lion sightings in Monterey for real? 82 Confirmed Reports Since 1994 Seventy to 80 percent of victims develop a rash. If you need to confirm this info, just take a look at National Geographics wild life section on animals thought to be extinct altogether, or extinct from an area. An escapee is also possible. Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos has two. That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. The state has an estimated1.5 milliondeer, about 30 per square mile. The cougar was photographed as it made its way from Minnesota to Wisconsin. My horse was spooked twice & I heard a guttural growling but never seen any animal. 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. 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. The farther a male must travel the more likely they are to die. These young males are looking to establish a new territory and they do not stay in areas without females. Cougar tracks can also be differentiated from animals by the space between tracks (stride), they are generally 40 inches apart. 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). They wanted to hear from anyone who saw a mountain lion or signs of one, like tracks or scats. The eastern massasauga is endangered in Pennsylvania. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. Black markings decorate the tip of the tail, ears, and around the snout. Journal of Mammalogy 97(5):1435-1440. Not and would like to read this and all the other great content has! Within two hours, you 're likely mistaken recessive gene within two hours in North Dakota may. 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