Wishful thinking? Martinelli said that if there were mountain lions in Pennsylvania, there would be more sightings of them. The rounded ears, 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. Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. In prior interviews with the Game Commission, the suggestion was made to this writer that what many people may actually be seeing is a bobcat, perhaps in less than ideal circumstances. Pocono beasts: Mastodons, wolves, cougars once abundant in region Let me know if you have seen one! Among those who have investigated the primeval times of the Pocono Plateau and Delaware River valleys and tributaries was the late Vernon Leslie, Ph.D., a Wayne County historian and archaeologist. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? So how or why could there be a conspiracy? Who knows? Pocono Mountains - Wikipedia However, many of my reports were at distances that people knew, and as you look at the images of the puma there really is a big difference in color and shape between a puma and a house cat. The mountain lion population in Nevada is essential to the control of deer and rodent populations in the mountainous regions of the state. If you see or photograph a puma in the mid-Atlantic states, please email or call me. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". Pocono Mountains: Best Things To See And Do - TravelAwaits If pumas do exist in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released cats or escapees? "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. 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. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! Packer Hill Ave. Jim Thorpe, PA 18229. So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. So many of these sightings have been proven wrong misidentified bobcats, coyotes or even house cats) that it would be irresponsible for a biologist to accept any of them as fact without absolute physical evidence hair, droppings, tracks or a road-killed animal. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. It was estimated to be a young adult American Mastodon that had died about 12,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating. 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. One sighting I give complete belief in was from a friend who told me a puma crossed right in front of their vehicle, and paused on the berm for a few seconds, at a distant of ten yards or less. These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? This happens usually around the 18-month mark. 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! So what? Mountain Lion Habitat in Tennessee - ArcGIS StoryMaps The hunting policy of the state may be the cause of the dropping population, and pressure on the Fish and Game Commission has increased. The photographer had no reason to stage the shot -- indeed, the composition and background was terrible, and not what you'd expect for something staged, but the shot wasn't perfectly clear. I believe that the folks that are reporting, in detail, their sightings are faced with a similar situation. ", (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence, including in a reported Berks County sighting on January 8. 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. Bobcats, feral cats and domestic dogs may be misidentified as mountain lion. Mysterious big cat caught on security camera in Clarks Summit, Pa. He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? The Cougar Network, working with state agencies, have documented multiple mountain lions as far east as Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan in recent years, as well as one cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. Do elk live in Pennsylvania? You would think someone would have a picture on a trail camera or whatever. Obviously, other pumas must be about, and the series of ridges extending north and east and west from my location could all be included as critical habitat as well. Only once has anyone later determined that they had misidentified the cat, seeing a bobcat and not a mountain lion. Everyone else, when reporting, were frustrated as they were told they had seen a bobcat. Sadly, the hunting guidelines for cougars in Idaho are lax, with 400-600 cats being killed each year. redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. "It was in Worthington State Forest just across the Delaware River from Smithfield Beach). Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". Many have a desire to see some clear-cut evidence. Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions - AZ Animals And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. Only when I reviewed the images on my laptop did I discover that I had a mountain lion! The coat can be spotted or solid and varies in color from light browns, reddish and silvery grey. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. On the other hand, there are probably thousands of game cameras covering water holes and game trails throughout Pennsylvania, and to my knowledge no one has yet recorded a puma. Me? years are available through this link. The bones were found perfectly preserved. What equipment do we take in the field? Oregon has a large, stable breeding population of mountain lions. "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. Here in central Pennsylvania we live on the outskirts of what one puma-tracking website has as almost the high point of sightings, extending from north-central Pennsylvania in a southwestern diagonal that extends into the mountains of West Virginia. This will be one of your best identification marks, along with size. 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. They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. And a bit of an unpleasant one at that, as they now faced ridicule or doubt whenever they discussed their sightings. ARE THERE MOUNTAIN LIONS IN PA? - Page 8 - Pennsylvania Firearm Owners The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. The large tracts of untouched rocky land and bighorn sheep populations make for pristine mountain lion habitat. Interestingly, the US Fish and Wildllife Service has declared the Eastern Puma extinct, except for the Florida population known as the Florida panther. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. They mostly live in the far western Trans-Pecos region of the state, where they can freely roam 50,000 to 80,000 acres of land. More conclusive evidence is needed: Keep your cameras handy. What would account for the long tails? There had been 17 other mastodon finds in Pennsylvania up to 1968, but all were fragmentary. Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". with a fluted projectile point were found near Middletown, Orange County, New York. For example, leopards and jaguars, normally spotted cats, have a melanistic color morph, the 'black panther,' the black leopard or black jaguar. But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. Good luck, and let me know! I am hoping that more and more people will learn of my own interest in this, and will pass on this information and that I'll receive more reports and, hopefully, sometime, a game camera photo that is definitive. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? The Cougar Network, working with state agencies, have documented multiple mountain lions as far east as Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan in recent years, as well as that cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. I love the big cats and devote a huge amount of my field time photographing African lions, leopards, cheetahs, and in 2011, tigers. 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). Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. Biologists who investigate these reports claim that several may, indeed, be mountain lions, but most likely they're animals that have escaped from captivity or have been released by their. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. It's sort of like big foot, some people say they've seen him.". Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. Fish and Wildlife Service. I've read a lot about this, and the usual explanation is the very human desire to see something, to see what someone wants to see, and thus these people are seeing bobcats or brown cats or dogs or foxes and, because they 'want' to see a puma, they do. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? It was decided that this shouldn't influence the decision and, in fact, an infusion of new genes produces a hybrid vigor, lessening the chance of in-breeding. Cougar vs Mountain Lion What Are the Differences? My friend was a former hunter and fisherman, and spent a lot of time in the woods, as did I, but neither of us had ever seen a coyote. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Then there is Rocky. Let me explain this. (570) 325-3229. Additionally, California banned the hunting of cougars back in 1972, encouraging population growth. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? This is huge news for conservationists around the country and a sign that cougars may be heading east once again. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled, Over the last few years I've done several Questions of the Month regarding Mountain Lions, or Pumas as they should properly be called, in the Mid-Atlantic States and in Pennsylvania. Is it the New Best Pack? Goodrich said he once saw a mountain lion spring from a thicket and kill a sheep on a public road. Lions in the Santa Monica Mountains - National Park Service One man sent me a game camera photo that was blurry but looked like a mountain lion, or puma, as I like to call them. The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. 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. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? - pennlive.com By the mid-1900s pumas were eliminated from almost all of the eastern states, and by mid-century were officially extinct east of the Mississippi, except for a remnant population in southern Florida. Would that declaration close that ridge to hunting? The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. These experiences are still available, but the reality is there is so much more for the mature traveler to enjoy in the Pocono Mountains. I usually follow-up on these reports and, via email or phone conversations, I receive more details. Most of the people I've spoken with live in this belt, but biologists friends I've spoken with have told me of their own reports, first-hand, from hunters in the Poconos who saw pumas, too. Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. After all, skeptics often suggest that puma sightings are just deer sightings, so it would be logical to worry that a hunter might shoot an endangered puma, mistaking it for a brown deer. All rights reserved (About Us). I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. If so, what would happen to the hunting industry in all of these states? The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? Depends on who you talk to, I guess. After all, how many people have pumas? Over the last few years I've done several Questions of the Month regarding Mountain Lions, or Pumas as they should properly be called, in the Mid-Atlantic States and in Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. Bigfoot, mountain lions and other cryptids in PA If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. Perhaps my Fed Ex driver was simply recalling a rural legend, but he said it was an employee that he knew, and it was a story he heard first-hand. I believe Kross fully, but I wanted to hear more. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. The life cycle then repeats itself. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. Something to consider, even though we all trust the government. Suppose, instead of declaring the puma, or Eastern mountain lion, extinct, the USFWS actually recognized the existence of the cat as a wild, breeding species. 10 Stunning Mountains In Pennsylvania - AZ Animals Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. Mountain Lions - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service) NPS.gov Park Home Learn About the Park Nature Animals Mammals Mountain Lion Mountain Lion Last updated: May 4, 2018 Was this page helpful? How, Who, and Why? If you can figure out how to travel far back in time for even a day, get lots of wildlife photos, as the rest of us might never believe your story. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. But the point of this article isn't whether or not mountain lions exist in Pennsylvania or the Poconos. Both were a threat to the farmer and family who carved a home in the ancient wilderness of the Poconos. They include a reported attack on horses at a farm near Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate. 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. Any Truth At one point, there was debate whether that cat should be protected, since its genes were diluted from escapees or released pumas that originated in South America or our West. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? Mountain lion populations struggle to outpace the high hunting limits. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." They've been extinct in the eastern part of North America for more than a century. Note the long, usually thick tail. If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! It also mentioned that someone raising a mountain lion without a license may either have let it go when it became too large to handle, or that the animal had escaped. Activities Milford Things To Do Hotels Map Of Activities Delaware Water Gap Hotels Bushkill Lake Harmony Hawley Skytop Tannersville Pocono Mountains Counties About the Poconos Pocono Mountains History Weather Area Services . Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. Over 1,100 people follow her page. Colby is a freelance writer from Charlotte, North Carolina. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? In his 1973 book "Faces in Clay" Leslie lays open the archaeological treasures of stone arrow or spear points and tools lost long ago by a succession of native peoples. Pocono Record sports writer Mike Kuhns wrote a great piece on Oct. 14, "Does the mountain lion roam PA?" There also were camels, sloth and hyena, which migrated elsewhere. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. Ramapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization, Bigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. An article in last year's New York State Conservationist magazine about mountain lions concluded that none exists in that state, even in the 6-million-acre Adirondack Mountain wilderness. Editor's note: The Pocono Record and Tri-County Independent have collaborated for a series of stories called Mountain Beasts: Pocono cryptids, legends and lore. There's a whole world to learn about and Colby is content to spend his life learning as much as he can about it! The 6 best hikes in the Poconos Mountains - Lonely Planet However, my friend and I discussed this, and agreed, we saw what we saw, and had it been 40 years ago or four months ago, we knew we saw a coyote. Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also reports evidence that humans arrived during the last glaciation or soon after. "I know they're native to this area. Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! a high priority. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. 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. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. John Leap of East Stroudsburg's Lakeside Peat Humus Co. and an employee, Paul Strauser, found the bones in a peat bog off Route 209. Interesting, too, are the reports I've heard from people who were told that they would be in big trouble if they shot a puma. But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. He also noted that if the cat was here, wouldn't they be reproducing and increasing in population by now? Bushkill Falls Trail. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . Mountain lions thrive there due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. Perhaps one or more of these Pocono sightings represent early pioneers reclaiming their former territories. When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. The Pocono Mountains are . Although a large proportion of the Lenape Nation was dispersed far from their ancestral homelands in the 18th century, colonial settlers and their descendants struggled to live in this region with wolves and cougars inhabiting the forests. That solution: Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up. (What is meant by "heads" is not clear.). Where they always here as a relic population? A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. Illinois can also now be added to this list a mountain lion was found on the outskirts of Chicago. Send it to me at mkuhns@poconorecord.com. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. It is almost safe to say that the panther has in these parts become extinct, Goodrich wrote. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? The State Museum of Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg, displays a taxidermy mount of a mountain lion in glass case, with the notation, "This lion, found near Hawk Mountain in Berks County around 1871, is the last native mountain lion known to have been shot in Pennsylvania.". I don't know if a Game Commission authority has actually said this or not, but people I've spoken to have reported this. Best hike for seeing waterfalls. Again, I've been told that some Game Commission personnel have admitted that pumas may exist in Pennsylvania, but they rationalize this by saying that the pumas are not breeding and they are not from original wild stock. RelatedBigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know. "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. Geologist Dr. John Yolton made the identification. "If there was mountain lions in Pennsylvania), I think we'd be getting reports from farmers and people with pets that there were attacks on their animals," Martinelli said. Those special two were across a river just outside Glacier National Park in Montana, and consisted of a mother and two cubs (Mary saw both cubs, I only saw one, and we did so separately, as we were driving two vehicles). On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. The image in the Upper Left was from a Game Camera, sent to me by a friend. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? Noted Wayne County historian Phineas Goodrich recorded in his 1880 book on local history that the common gray wolf was much more common in this area than the cougar. The first is the mating season which can occur during the late to early spring months. Where reports dating that far back from escapees? Accounts abound concerning interaction between these great beasts and people in northeast Pennsylvania, with wolves into the early 19th century and in the case with cougars, well into the early 20th century. Reports of a mountain lion have come from several residents of Hemlock Farms who were hiking on. In January, the U.S. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. The other site, The Cougar Network, is still active, and is reporting the cats expanding range from the West, but offers little about the phenomenon of Pennsylvania cats. Let's see a clear photo, or a carcass or something. Most of the native mountain lions live in Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, but humans rarely ever see them due to their secretive nature. 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. The large, undeveloped interior filled with rocky habitats perfect for mountain lions allows them to safely live and breed. Continuing with that thought, if that were so, then it'd be possible, if not very likely, that the Eastern puma would be an Endangered Species. And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? Caribou remains, dated by radiocarbon in excess of 10,000 B.C. An assessment list for Lower Smithfield Township in 1761 when it was part of Northampton County (Monroe having not yet been created) taxed "three pence per pound and shillings per head" laid on the land and inhabitants. Mountain lions, Goodrich wrote, were more dreaded than wolves as the cat could climb over any fence that could be built. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. Officially extinct, mountain lions still haunt the Adirondacks Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? One of the important things for any animal is a place to call home. If youve done any research on your own, you may have noticed that we didnt include a lot of states that have had cougar sightings, especially in the last few years. Nevertheless, I put up a MOULTRIE game camera -- a brand that I've had tremendous satisfaction with -- at the carcass, hoping that scavengers would visit.
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