The Damned Story: Eastern mountain lions, or pumas or cougars, were last officially seen in Connecticut near the end of the 19th century. According to authorities, the mountain lion was reportedly seen on Friday including on. This might serve as proof to some that there, in fact, might still be mountain lions in CT. So theres fresh mud. Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. TPWD Confirmed Mountain Lions. According to the Connecticut DEEP, the bobcat is the only wild cat found in Connecticut. Body length: 3-4 ft. Tail: 2.5-3 ft. Following the recent death of a mountain lion in Milford, and several reported. We have plenty of suitable habitat, he says. to scare it off. Make yourself BIG. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. Theres something in human nature to overestimate the size of wild animals we see, especially if we get a brief glance and if the animal is moving. He adds, Bobcats can get pretty large and some people believe they should have pretty visible spots and very often theyre pretty uniform in color. This is especially true in the summer, when my wifes sighting occurred. The views expressed in this post are the author's own. This one cat left DNA and/or photographic evidence of its presence in at least four states It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. NHPR is nonprofit and independent. He explains that we frequently overestimate the size of animals in the wild, particularly ones we are afraid of. 60-108 inches. 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. Mountain lions also have tails that can grow up to 3 feet. Hawley: Yeah. For more information on cougars in Connecticut, visit theCougars of the Valley siteor theConnecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. Email editor@connecticutmag.com. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Hes even had his own false sighting. New London would be the last place I'd expect to see a mountain lion in CT. My sister is on 9 acres in Harwinton and watched a mountain lion cross the driveway which is about a quarter mile surrounded by woods and unpaved. 1.Customize your maps Style your maps with custom markers, lines, colors, polygons, and images. In cities, smaller towns, and even sparsely inhabited areas, there is simply not enough large prey for mountain lions to survive on. The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book, Abbott, of the Housatonic Valley Association, is equally skeptical of the vast majority of mountain lion sightings. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. This can trigger a chase. Mountain Lions can be found in Orange County throughout the Santa Ana Mountain Range down to the foothills and canyons directly connected to them. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. He drove me out to the spot. New Hampshire Public Radio | The state adds bobcats are often active this time of year, making sightings much more likely. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. (My wife didnt get a look at the tail.) In the 1930s, Bruce Wright, an influential wildlife manager from New Brunswick, Canada, began gathering reports of sightings of mountain lions in the East and searching for their tracks. But what might be his most compelling argument is that since this is Connecticut, the budget is too limited. Roadkills can be reported to 860-424-3011. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. But its also a great story that lays out how an animal this large, at 150 pounds, traveling through even rural areas, leaves signs and is detected. 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? Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. Do Not Approach! Stephen Gencarella, professor of folklore studies at the University of Massachusetts and a Connecticut resident, says, The government coverup is only the latest version of something that could stretch back in the oral tradition to precolonial times. He notes that supposed mountain lion sightings spiked in the late 1800s and early 1900s shortly after the animals disappeared from New Englands woods. But recent expert-confirmed sightingswhich have involved photographs, videos, and DNAin Tennessee support a theory that mountain lions, whose populations out west have continued to expand, are slowly making their way back to this side of the country. Certainly, bobcats are much larger than housecats, but they are not nearly the size of cougars. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. 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. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots. According to Hawley, if mountain lions were present in the state, there would be evidence and not just unconfirmed sightings. People have been known to submit photos of real mountain lions taken in other states and claim they were taken in Connecticut. Want to post on Patch? She didnt claim to see the mountain lions long tail, but optical illusions can lead people to think theyve seen a tail. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. The last confirmed mountain lion sighting in Connecticut occurred in 2011. More recently, unexplained animal sightings in Connecticut and other states became more and more associated with mountain lions. Sport hunting for cougars is not sustainable and shouldnt be allowed to go on. In the decades that followed, many cougar enthusiasts came to share Wrights conclusions, at least at first. . So, now that youve got the answer on whether or not mountain lions can be found in CT, lets talk about which wild cats are more likely to be seen here. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. COMPARED TO A HOUSE CAT Bobcats: They are about two to three times larger than their distant relative. Females are typically smaller. "We get calls about mountain lions all the time, but they turn out to be unprovable," Brown told the Independent in March. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. According to Jason Hawley, a wildlife biologist for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protections Wildlife Division, the department gets around 100 sighting reports of mountain lions each year, but upon further investigation, a good proportion of the sightings end up being bobcats. But the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Sunday that. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. Bachelder says he didnt have his phone on him, so he couldnt take a picture or video, but describes his backyard visitor just like what you see in the stock photo provided by the Woodbridge Police Department. Sign up for our newsletterto get the latest and greatest content fromConnecticut Magazinedelivered right to your inbox. mountain lions in washington. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. Not long after, what was believed to be the same mountain lion was struck and killed on Route 15 in Milford. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. Grandson of an old swamp Yankee, trapped, hunted , fished my whole life. A bill which would change the name to the Pequot River has full support from the Mashantucket Pequot and Eastern Pequot tribes, but the Mohegan Tribe has voiced concerns. Be mindful of small pets and small children wandering too far away from your sight line. So, there you have it an answer to the question of whether or not there are mountain lions in CT. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. Be as loud as you can paired with being as big as you can. But what about the sightings in Connecticut that are made by experienced outdoorsmen and women, people who know the difference between bobcats and mountain lions? 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? Bobcats: They are are the only wild cat found in the state and the most common in North America. It also doesnt mean there wont be more sightings in the future, as these animals have been known to reclaim areas their species once roamed. Didnt it? You really couldnt ask for a better place for mountain lions.. "We have yet to see anything that suggests they're around here." Inevitably, the New England states will acknowledge that they have some mountain lions.. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. What would motivate DEEP officials to do this isnt clear. They are very bold. (https://wildlifeinformer.com/what-to-do-if-you-encounter-a-mountain-lion/). The U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service reports that mountain lions typical habitat is steep, rocky canyons or mountainous terrain, but they generally can be found wherever deer are present. Meanwhile, a family in Redwood City has shared footage of a big cat seen recently in of Energy & Environmental Protection. About two years ago in July 2020, there were around 1,500 reports of bobcat sightings in the state, with some bobcat sightings in Brookfield and Ridgefield that year. Stay facing the animal and try not to turn your back to it. Adult males may be more than 8 feet long (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail), and can weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. Bobcats: Whiskered face and are gray in the winter and tan in the summer, with black spots on their fur that are not always visible. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. However, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEE. State conservation officials believe this photo, taken in Greenwich in 2011, shows a mountain lion. 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. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. Typically, mountain lion sightings occur from a distance and usually around dawn or dusk. Mountain Lions are the largest predators currently in Rocky Mountain National Park. The big cat traveled some 1,100 miles before his life came to a tragic end after being hit by a SUV on Route 15 in . She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. I agreeI am a person with very good knowledge of animals and know the distinct differences between closely related species in some cases On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. Running joke in the family when we see one is "But of course it wasn't a Mountain Lion, because there are no Mountain Lions in CT". What to know about unconfirmed mountain lion sightings in CT. Nicole Funaro was formerly a statewide trending reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group, covering everything from the most fascinating properties for sale in the Nutmeg State to the latest movie filming in the state. The Department of Environmental. 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:100 all the way up to 200 pounds, Mountain Lions:Can grow up to 6 feet long. Last week was no different, as various reports began trickling in of a mountain lion roaming around, in of all places, Greenwich, Conn. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? While the state says it was likely a bobcat, one of the people who reported the sighting says it was unlike anything hes ever seen before. The New Hampshire Department of Justice is pursuing civil charges against two members of the hate group for allegedly hanging a racist banner in Portsmouth last summer. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. 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. (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) These sightings are so persistent that there is a conspiracy theory that says DEEP officials know mountain lions are in the state but cover up their existence. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. One on Salem Rd and another in. Peter Yankowski is a breaking news reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group. One on Salem Rd and another in the area of Pease Rd in our town. community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years. A couple things to keep in mind if you come across or see a big cat like a Mountain Lion: 1. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. We dont have extra money to do secret projects, he says. I've damn near run over the things. So why does the conspiracy theory that theyre here in significant numbers persist? He was previously a reporter for the Danbury News-Times and the Ridgefield Press. The main habitat requirement for mountain lions is stalking cover to successfully hunt prey. Dashboard for displaying mountain lion reports to the public. Dont Run. Got a question or comment? You cansubscribe here, orfind the current issue on sale here. Two mountain lion sightings have been confirmed in Tennessee. The mountain lion is believed to have had an encounter with a family on their lawn. Ive lived here 23 years, Ive seen coyotes, Ive seen bobcats, Ive seen foxes, everything else, never seen anything like this before, said Bachelder. According to authorities, the mountain lion was reportedly seen on Friday including on Salem Road and near Pease Road. But sometimes, instead of mountain lions, people thought they saw other creatures in the Connecticut woods, of which authorities were supposedly aware. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. 2. Multiple people in North Stonington claim they've spotted a mountain lion roaming around. Heres what to know about mountain lions (and other large cats) in Connecticut. Hi! She had seen an animal on foot in broad daylight. For decades, wildlife experts should have been seeing occasional scat and paw prints in the winter. 'Bo was a legend', Los Charros Cantina closes in Essex, will relocate to Branford, Elizabeth's Cafe in Madison to be razed for new restaurant, housing, CT fathers coaching daughters in girls basketball navigate life lessons at home and on the court, 5 CT companies hiring for 100 or more positions, Celebrity gossip and sightings in and around CT, February 2023, John Mayer to appear on Impractical Jokers Thursday, Stamford's Alive At Five concert series announces 2023 dates, Dionne Warwick, '80 for Brady producer bring music review to CT. Sighting reports of bobcats will help biologists gain an understanding of the current state population. South Windsor resident Stafford King is sure that he saw a cougar on his land three years ago. Although there are numerous reported sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut every year, the animals have actually been extinct in this state for more than a century. Fish and Game staff have distributed door hangers in neighborhoods the lion has been using. As a As unlikely as it sounds, it was a more believable theory than some of the alternatives, among them that the cat was evidence of a breeding population in the state that was being kept secret by DEEP. (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) Mountain lions have been dispersing away from these population areas, and researchers recently mapped all confirmed mountain lion observations from 1990-2008 (LaRue et al. 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. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. By, Corporate Support: Advertising & Sponsorship, Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, New Haven's mayor lays out new budget proposal, Hartford Public Library expands services at branches while downtown location remains closed, Connecticut COVID data: Your town's infection rate, hospitalizations & vaccinations, Israeli army kills Palestinian in West Bank; 3 arrested following shooting of CT man, Democrats hold three CT House seats in special elections, As new research suggests COVID-19 is now endemic, physicians push back, Long COVID rates fall by half nationwide, New England rates among lowest, Long COVID researchers in CT to get part of $10 million in federal funding, For the first time in decades, The Old Farmer's Almanac is looking for a new editor, NSC-131 members say they can't find a NH defense lawyer for pending civil rights case, Proposal to rename the Thames River sparks debate among Connecticut tribes. 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