He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The Game Commission concluded they were coyotes. About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? I usually follow-up on these reports and, via email or phone conversations, I receive more details. State Game Officials do concede that some people may indeed have seen a puma, but it was undoubtedly a released captive. Mountain lions that are looking for new breeding areas are known as transient and are almost always males. On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. They're common in the rural areas of the Lehigh Valley but are moving into more populated areas as evidenced by a 600-pound specimen (pictured) that was tranquilized in March after neighbors in. Thank you for reading! 2023 www.poconorecord.com. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. Some may be animals that dispersed into the region from western populations. 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. 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! To be fair, I've also spoken with people who, at first, thought they'd seen a puma only to find, to their embarassment, that they were looking at a house cat! 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. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. Pocono Mountains - Travel guide at Wikivoyage Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. Mountain lions, Goodrich wrote, were more dreaded than wolves as the cat could climb over any fence that could be built. PHILADELPHIA (AP) An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. 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. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. If there were wild cougars in our midst, the Game Commission also pointed out, eventually there would be solid evidence such as a carcass, scat and paw prints that could be verified. I'm wondering, then, if the complete dismissal of sightings of Eastern pumas (other than the acknowledgement of released or escaped pets) isn't motivated by economics. Penn State's Nittany Lion hide sampled for DNA sequencing, Mountain lion reports in Pennsylvania popular, but often a hoax, More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. The bobcat wouldn't survive. A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. Goodrich said he once saw a mountain lion spring from a thicket and kill a sheep on a public road. years are available through this link. The large, undeveloped interior filled with rocky habitats perfect for mountain lions allows them to safely live and breed. There is a big community of mountain lion enthusiasts across the Northeast convinced that the animals still exist in breeding populations. I'll be anxious to learn of your report. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. 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. He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. 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. With healthy populations and strong conservation programs, however, they seem to be pushing back east. 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. The question is just like in the story of the boy who cried wolf) if that day ever arrives, how will we believe those first, true sightings after so many hoaxes have been perpetrated on the public? "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. If it were, it would be listed. Big cats in Pennsylvania: mountain lions or bobcats? - Pocono Record 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. If so, what would happen to the hunting industry in all of these states? Mountain lions typically eat about one deer per week, along with other smaller prey as the opportunity arises. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. 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. Local outlets carried reports of cougar encounters at least into the 1910s. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. Below is a list of physical characteristics that distinguish mountain lions from more . A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. What the Lenape Indians never did, the European colonists and their descendants did swiftly eradicate the wolf and cougars viewed as a menace to their families and livestock. No one needs to panic.". Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? - pennlive.com When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. The earliest wave arrived at the end of the last Ice Age; the last wave is the Lenape or Delaware Tribe, which made contact with colonial settlers in the 1600s. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are no wild, breeding cougar populations in this state anymore. "From three really reliable sources who are always around the woods from Monroe County to Bradford, there is no doubt that there are mountain lions in Pennsylvania," East Stroudsburg University football team offensive coordinator and avid hunter Mike Terwilliger said. the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. Although unconfirmed, mountain lions continue to be reported in many spots across Pennsylvania, including several reports in the past couple months. 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. Where they always here as a relic population? Scientists debate whether the large prehistoric mammals became extinct at the end of the Ice Age due to over-hunting, or rapid climate warming. Bobcats, feral cats and domestic dogs may be misidentified as mountain lion. Bigfoot, mountain lions and other cryptids in PA Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. As a state known for its mountains, its no wonder that mountain lions live here! Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain 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. Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." 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. That solution: Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? Lions in the Santa Monica Mountains - National Park Service I don't know if a Game Commission authority has actually said this or not, but people I've spoken to have reported this. A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. 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. As the latest hoaxed photo of a mountain lion supposedly killed in Pennsylvania died a slow death on Facebook yesterday, the head of an organization tracking the eastern movements of the big cats was preparing a presentation for a Pennsylvania audience tonight. Colorado has a large number of mountain lions within its borders, mostly due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . Is it the New Best Pack? All of these forests are, with few exceptions, open to hunting, and hunting is a very important industry in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. Transient males have been sighted as far east as New York! More common critters co-existed with early Native Americans in the Poconos, including two species long since removed: the wolf and mountain lion (also known colloquially as panthers and cougars). After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. Pocono Mountains: Best Things To See And Do - TravelAwaits During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! Imagination? These creatures lurking in Pa.'s woods can hurt or kill you It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. They once inhabited the entire United States, but were killed off and pushed west. Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. 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.". The last known mountain lion in Pennsylvania was killed in Berks County in 1874. 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. The bones were found perfectly preserved. A Mountain Lion Cover Up In 2011, a confirmed mountain lion was killed by a vehicle in Connecticut and which had been determined that it had wandered east from the Mid-West. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? We hope you enjoy this foray into the most weird and wonderful our beloved Pocono Mountains have to offer. In the forests of Kenya, however, they do occur. While it would seem impossible to confuse the two after seeing them in person, Foster said many of the sightings are in the dark, from roadways and trail cams, with bodies half-concealed. However, it is clearly a mountain lion, and I'm presenting this poor image as a baseline reference for anyone recording a mountain lion on a game camera, or seeing one. Knowing that pumas range widely, would my ridge be the only one closed? These experiences are still available, but the reality is there is so much more for the mature traveler to enjoy in the Pocono Mountains. 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. On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. The Pocono Mountains, commonly referred to as the Poconos / p o k n o z /, are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania.They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the north, Wyoming Valley and the Coal Region to the west, and the Lehigh Valley to the south. DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. I Googled "Pocono mountain lion" and there it was the same photo, except the caption claimed that it was taken in Oklahoma, not Pennsylvania, and various posted comments asserted that the photo was manipulated. Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. 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. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. The 6 best hikes in the Poconos Mountains - Lonely Planet Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing.