Were getting more and more home entries every year. Connecticut Dept. Speaker Bill Betty presented evidence and proposed theories that could prove that Connecticut, including, is home to a native population of Eastern mountain lions. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. 4. They also have facial ruffs and ear tufts on the tips of their ears, as well as shorter tails. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. According to wildlife biologist Jason Hawley, the lack of evidence of mountain lions in Connecticut is the evidence. Mountain lion fur is unspotted and tan-brown . A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. Beautiful clear day just like this, and there in my backyard I see this huge golden animal, walking through the yard, Bachelder said. All rights reserved, Hunter Accused of Killing 2 Pet Dogs in Ridgefield Appears in Court, Avelo Says Airline Will Work to Improve Communication After NBC CT Responds Report, CCSU Student Dies After Being Found Unresponsive in Campus Dorm, I-95 South in Madison Reopens After Crash With Serious Injuries, Better Health: Dr. Katherine Rotker Discusses Vasectomy Procedure, NBC & Telemundo Connecticut Job Opportunities. I have a fence in the backyard, it was above the bottom rail, so its back was probably this big, this long, the tail, said John Bachelder. They are also known as . Weve done a lot of work over the years investigating sightings. He said that the conservation organization,Cougars of the Valley, has compiled 300 sightings in the Farmington Valley region of the state alone. Have you seen a puma or bobcat in your neighborhood? Certainly, bobcats are much larger than housecats, but they are not nearly the size of cougars. That had to be a mountain lion. Five summers ago, a mountain lion made regional headlines after it was photographed in Greenwich and later struck and killed by a motor vehicle on the parkway in Milforda young male that DEEP officials determined through DNA evidence had traveled east all the way from South Dakota. Bobcats, also, only hunt small prey. Reports of mountain lion sitings in Matunuck and the Great Swamp Management Area date back to at least 2004, but have never been confirmed by state officials. 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Mountain lions are solitary animals, traveling alone except during mating season or when a female is supporting young. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Bobcats, of course, can be found all over the state. Canton and Simsbury have also had about 70 sightings. "Mountain lions are considered extinct in the northeast." Bobcats are not uncommon in Connecticut, according to the state, although their population is limited throughout the state, with the. I reported it to the DEP and they said they dont exist, he said. Ive seen bobcats before, this wasnt a bobcat. And its a lose-lose situation, because theres really not a whole lot you can tell them in most cases thats going to change their mind.. And theyre not going to find one, because the females don't disperse like that. However, that doesnt mean that mountain lion sightings are all false or that there havent been roaming cats sighted. Ask people who spend time outside Connecticut cities and you will hear firsthand or secondhand accounts of mountain lions. Join as a $8 per month sustainer and get our brand-new owl umbrella! Height at shoulder: 25-30 in. Make yourself big -- do not bend, squat or sit down. So, now we know what DEEP says about mountain lions in the state and we know that many people mistakenly believe theyve sighted one but its still possible there are some in CT, right? They also want to foster the formation and protection of migration pathways for them and other animals to enter new states. The state says no, theyre extinct, that cant be. NHPR is nonprofit and independent. This is the mountain lion that was hit by a car in Milford after several sightings in the Greenwich area. In 2011, in the affluent suburbs of Connecticut, there were several reported sightings of a mountain lion, and much pooh-poohing from authorities, until a sport utility vehicle struck and killed . For decades afterward, there were reported sightings of the mythical creature prowling the woods around town. Here are some physical differences between mountain lions and bobcats: These 2 big cats also behave differently. @Edward Case, The tail may have one to several indistinct dark bands and a tip that is black on top and whitish below. They vary in size and weight, with males reaching up to 200 pounds and eight feet in length (one-third of their length is the tail). One on Salem Rd and another in. So theres fresh mud. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. to scare it off. 4:30 PM. Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years. And theres another school of thought, Well, no, there just are too many of them probably we have to reduce that population somehow. Where do you fall in that whole continuum? Each sighting involved cougars that are not native to New York. Two mountain lion sightings have been confirmed in Tennessee. But the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Sunday that. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an, on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. According to the Smithsonians National Zoo, bobcats are part of the lynx genus, which means they are related to other cats like the Canadian lynx, Iberian lynx and Eurasian lynx. And theres another school of thought, Well, no, there just are too many of them probably we have to reduce that population somehow. Where do you fall in that whole continuum? Mountain lions are found in mountains, coniferous forests, grasslands, swamps, and dry scrublands. Weight. The sightings havent been confirmed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and there are no videos or photos. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. Ive been doing this for 40 years. A harvest is kind of twofold. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. Woodbridge police shared tips for if you encounter a big cat: On Friday July 8, 2022 there was a few reported Mountain Lion sightings the last few days one actually involving an encounter with ones family in their lawn. Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. The map from that publication is shown below, with the current mountain lion range in green and confirmed mountain lion locations as black dots. The photo is black and white. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. They have been absent from this state since the late 1800s; however, there have been a few isolated sightings. Residents of Greenwich, Conn., have reported seeing a mountain lion roaming the woods -- even though the species is extinct in the region, MyFoxNY.com reports. In cities, smaller towns, and even sparsely inhabited areas, there is simply not enough large prey for mountain lions to survive on. WOODBRIDGE Police are offering tips after they said there have been several mountain lion sightings in town. While he might feel like that well known movie character who was doubted at first, Bachelder is confident it was a cougar. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. As a
Mountain lion, cougar, puma, panther, painter, and catamount are all different names for the same animal ( Puma concolor ). Seeing a wild cat can be both frightening and exciting, and its common for people to make mistakes in identification, as all most people are used to seeing is the common housecat. After all, if one mountain lion had wandered here, didnt that mean that others could have? To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. The gate of a bobcat can often make it look like it has a long tail. Since May 21, three other lion sightings were reported in the Chubbuck and Pocatello areas and one in Inkom. Report a Moose Sighting Select the link above to report your sighting. Explore the most popular trails in my list Mountain lion sightings with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. This was maybe a decade ago. In 2011, genetic testing confirmed that a mountain lion originated in South Dakota and traveled more than 1,500 miles before being struck by a car on the Merritt Parkway, according to Reuters. Arms over your head, with a jacket or sweatshirt. He published his first book in 1959, The Ghost of North America: The Story of the Eastern Panther. Posted on Published: November 4, 2022- Last updated: December 28, 2022. Fv 27, 2023 . Also known as cougars, panthers or pumas, mountain lions range in color from tan to grey, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service. Bobcats dont shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. Here are some things to keep in mind if you come across or see a big cat like a mountain lion: The sightings were reported to the state Dept. Once at dusk driving in the Berkshires, he saw what he initially thought was a cat-like creature that was far bigger than a bobcat leap across the road. The only types of lynx that are indigenous to New England are the Canada Lynx and the Lynx rufus (bobcat). When you look at a state like Connecticut, with all the people we have here, all the trail cameras we have in the woods, all the cars we have driving you can imagine if we had an established population here in Connecticut, we would know about it pretty quickly. Mountain lions are also great jumpers and swimmers. According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, mountain lions became extinct in Connecticut in the 1800s, and bobcats are the only large wild cats found in the state. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? Mountain lions are about half the size of lions, but they can run up to 50 mph while lions can run only 37 mph. I frankly have lost faith in some government institutions for this very reason. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. Grandson of an old swamp Yankee, trapped, hunted , fished my whole life. Bobcats typically have brown fur with a reddish tinge that is marked with black or brown spots or stripes, according to the National Zoo. Hi! And even the home entries are kind of changing. Want to post on Patch? Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. and last updated 8:18 AM, Jan 21, 2022. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. More sightings that Halm deemed credible came in 2018 from Nursery, Marvin Ridge and Briscoe Roads.. Halm noted that the route between the two recent sightings appears to be straight south. Hawley, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, says data dont support a breeding population of mountain lions in Connecticut. Hawley says that they would be finding carcasses of mountain lion prey and mountain lion tracks if these animals had recolonized the state, and this simply isnt happening. South Windsor resident Stafford King is sure that he saw a cougar on his land three years ago. In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. Technical Discussion: Rain tonight, then an *ALERT* heading into the weekend! Many, many times, in many different ways along its travel up through Minnesota, Michigan and to Canada, down through New York, through hair samples, blood samples, trail camera photos. Rego says that the way bobcats stride when they run, often times a rear leg is kicked up in the back and that could be mistaken for a long tail.. Sometimes in our shock and excitement at seeing wildlife we see what we want to see. Adult males can be around 8 feet in length and weigh between 130 and 150 pounds, while adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between 65 and 90 pounds. When it comes out that there are mountain lions in Connecticut where all these people who denied them apologize to the people who know they saw them? 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