Coyotes have been mistaken for mountain lions. Want to post on Patch? They also have facial ruffs and ear tufts on the tips of their ears, as well as shorter tails. I saw one, not mistaken with a bobcat I know what bobcats look like. Mountain Lions are the largest predators currently in Rocky Mountain National Park. My first thought literally was, is that a lion?. The tail may have one to several indistinct dark bands and a tip that is black on top and whitish below. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. While recent mountain lion sightings in Connecticut have not been confirmed, if someone suspects they encountered a mountain lion, they should not run away, as it might spur a chase. The state explains any cougar evidence, such as the recent mountain lion, under one of three theories: a subspecies relic of the Eastern mountain lion; a Western cougar that migrated to the area; or an escaped or abandoned pet. He published his first book in 1959, The Ghost of North America: The Story of the Eastern Panther. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. Two mountain lion sightings have been confirmed in Tennessee. DEEP believes their numbers have increased in recent years. Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. More recently, unexplained animal sightings in Connecticut and other states became more and more associated with mountain lions. We're not aware of any more confirmed mountain lion sightings other than the one that was hit by the car many years back. The sightings havent been confirmed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and there are no videos or photos. Hawley: Yeah. Since May 21, three other lion sightings were reported in the Chubbuck and Pocatello areas and one in Inkom. Weight: 160 lbs. According to Hawley, if mountain lions were present in the state, there would be evidence and not just unconfirmed sightings. I saw one cross the rd ( rt 63) in Wtn @ 5 yrs ago, @Craig, "We have yet to see anything that suggests they're around here." Adult males typically weigh between 18 and 35 pounds and measure from 32 to 37 inches in length. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. One on Salem Rd and another in the area of Pease Rd in our town. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. 75-170 pounds. Stay facing the big cat and try not to turn your back to it. A fourth cougar sighting in recent days was reported near the New Canaan border Thursday, according to Animal Control officer Allyson Halm. We have people eating dinner in their kitchen, they hear a noise, all of a sudden a bear walks in, so they run into their bedroom to get away from the bear, while the bears out ransacking their refrigerator. As I said previously, 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. Your support makes this news available to everyone. There are no mountain lions in Connecticut, so why do we keep seeing them? 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. he recalls. Contrary to traditional thought, population studies have shown that mountain lions prefer rolling hills and more heavily developed areas to remote mountain regions. The Department of Environmental. I agreeI am a person with very good knowledge of animals and know the distinct differences between closely related species in some cases This article appeared in theNovember 2019issue ofConnecticut Magazine. Bobcats dont shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? Even in parts of the country where there are documented breeding populations of mountain lions, there are still many false reports. I reported it to the DEP and they said they dont exist, he said. He said that the conservation organization,Cougars of the Valley, has compiled 300 sightings in the Farmington Valley region of the state alone. This young adult, male Mountain Lion was struck and killed by a SUV in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2012. In 1991 mountain lion tracks were found . You really couldnt ask for a better place for mountain lions.. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. 2. Officially, the last mountain lions were hunted to extinction here in the late 1800s. So theres fresh mud. Last week was no different, as various reports began trickling in of a mountain lion roaming around, in of all places, Greenwich, Conn. No, there are no mountain lions in CT, and there havent been for quite some time. Anyone can get fooled. But what might be his most compelling argument is that since this is Connecticut, the budget is too limited. Abbott believes it is possible that more mountain lions such as the one that was killed in Milford in 2011 could migrate here. Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. Be as loud as you can paired with being as big as you can. 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. I always hold out the possibility of a sighting to be genuine, but at the same time, over decades of experience, we know that the vast majority are misidentifications and a small number are actually hoaxes, he says. The more everyone knows and understands, the better it is for us all.. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. Theres also the lack of visual evidence, more glaring each passing year as so many hikers and hunters now carry phones with cameras. Bobcats are most frequently misidentified by the public as mountain lions, but theyre not the only animals mislabeled. In the decades that followed, many cougar enthusiasts came to share Wrights conclusions, at least at first. It says genetic testing revealed that a mountain lion hit by a car and killed on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford on June 11, 2011 originated from South Dakota and had traveled to Connecticut though Wisconsin and Minnesota a distance of around 1,800 miles a record distance for a land mammal. 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? Height at shoulder: 25-30 in. 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? As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. 4 . South Windsor resident Stafford King is sure that he saw a cougar on his land three years ago. A quick Google search reveals that the theory is not limited to Connecticut and similar tales are told throughout the Northeast. Copyright 2023 The Connecticut Explorer | Wisteria on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Connecticut Explorer Home Find Things to do in CT. Weve done a lot of work over the years investigating sightings. And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. They can be seen at any time of the day or night, but are most active at dawn and . Beautiful trail! Below is an evolving list of Connecticut natives and state prep school football players in the Class of 2023 who have signed letters of intent to play football in college. Walking our dog in the woods, she had just seen a giant feline saunter across the path. Mountain lion Over 7 ft in length Over 100 lbs Uniform tan color Long tails Bobcat Under 3ft in length Under 50lbs Dark spots Tufts of fur in ears These 2 big cats also behave differently. This post was contributed by a community member. She didnt claim to see the mountain lions long tail, but optical illusions can lead people to think theyve seen a tail. Im Shelton Lively, a Connecticut resident, and an avid outdoors person. Time changes all and Im not going to shut the door on the future and say that a breeding population of cougars is not here because the day after tomorrow they could be here its just a matter of time., Though a deer hunter herself, Morse is opposed to the way mountain lions have been hunted in the western U.S., where they are found. We have rolling hills, and more importantly, 200,000 white tails. Are There a Lot of Spiders in Connecticut? 47 6 thatphanom.techno@gmail.com 042-532028 , 042-532027 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. We have had five coyotes crossing through our yard in the past few weeks, and one even lingers around our property and the neighbors. This was maybe a decade ago. A bobcats tail is short and bob-like, while mountain lions have long, curving tails that can grow up to 3 feet. Since cougars are the second largest cat in North America and a natural predator, they can pose a threat. Each sighting involved cougars that are not native to New York. A month after the cat was struck and killed, researchers confirmed it had traveled more than 1,500 miles from the Black Hills of South Dakota. Sometimes people feared fishers (erroneously attributing the blood-curdling screams of foxes to these hard-to-spot creatures), and in the late 1930s, after several animals were slain under strange circumstances in Glastonbury, the Hartford Courant dubbed the lion-like creature supposedly responsible, the Glawackus. 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. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an, on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. Weight: 70-170 lbs. For decades, wildlife experts should have been seeing occasional scat and paw prints in the winter. Betty, however, said that the sheer number of sightings and evidence substantiates a native population of cougars. What about mountain lions, though? I've damn near run over the things. 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. "I was hoping for tracks after the rain, but the area was not conducive for it," Halm said. Wright, however, didnt agree with his mentor and began writing publicly about mountain lions in the East. 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. To answer these and other questions about sightings of mountain lions, I turned to DEEPs Rego, who has investigated many purported cougar sightings over the past three decades. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. Almost every state has some sort of legend of something thats hiding somewhere, he says. Mountain lions are solitary animals, traveling alone except during mating season or when a female is supporting young. However, that doesnt mean that mountain lion sightings are all false or that there havent been roaming cats sighted. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. The map below includes both confirmed and unverified puma sightings in the larger San Francisco Bay region (and beyond) since 2004. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. Have you seen a puma or bobcat in your neighborhood? 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. Hunters and property owners have also set up tens of thousands of trail cameras at various locations throughout the state. Bobcats, of course, can be found all over the state. Inevitably, the New England states will acknowledge that they have some mountain lions.. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. It had rained previously. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. Mountain lions were hunted to extinction near the end of the 19th century. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag. Are these elusive cats prowling the East once again? McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. Tim Abbott, the regional land conservation and greenprint director for the Housatonic Valley Association, says that during a lecture on mountain lions last winter at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, when the speaker asked if anyone had seen a mountain lion, half of the roughly 400 people in attendance raised their hands. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. 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. The large cat was seen on Hoyt Farm Road not far from Route 123 near the Norwalk-New Canaan border. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. Black panthers, which are not found in the U.S., are actually black jaguars or leopards. They have been absent from this state since the late 1800s; however, there have been a few isolated sightings. I might also add that I notified the State wildlife division about evidence of a bear in my neighborhood in Windham County and never received even an acknowledgement. According to the Connecticut DEEP, the bobcat is the only wild cat found in Connecticut. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. And there are different schools of thought about that. ', 'Saturday Night Live' skit with Woody Harrelson takes place at Naval Submarine Base New London, Bo Hickey, former New Canaan hockey, football coach and NFL player, has died. 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. Hes even had his own false sighting. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. There is a big difference between Tuesday when none of us saw a moose in our region and then Thursday we did, Morse says. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. And even the home entries are kind of changing. 3. Today, instead of focusing on cougar sightings in Eastern states, many cougar enthusiasts want to protect the animal from being hunted in the regions in which they are currently found. For more information on cougars in Connecticut, visit theCougars of the Valley siteor theConnecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. 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. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. Weve got a growing bear population. Employees from the state DEEP, as well as Tolland Public Safety Supervisor John Littell attended the event last night. For over 30 years the CT DEEP has been tracking reported sightings and maintain it has never observed or found proof that mountain lions are still here in the state. 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. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. You can highlight your store locations with custom colors and elements. Bachelder said he did a double take Friday evening when he looked out the back window of his home on Pease Road. He explains that we frequently overestimate the size of animals in the wild, particularly ones we are afraid of. These tips include carrying safety equipment and walking . of Energy & Environmental Protection. 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. Anyone can get fooled. 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. The views expressed here are the author's own. Otherwise, Hawley said cats like bobcats want nothing to do with people, and they will generally prey on chickens, small dogs or cats. Many people do not realize how large a grown Bobcat is. I agreeI am a person with very good knowledge of animals and know the distinct differences between closely related species in some cases 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. For decades afterward, there were reported sightings of the mythical creature prowling the woods around town. 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. They are named for their short (bobbed) tail which is often about six inches in length. While there is currently not much safety training being done in the state for the extinct animal, Betty predicts that cougar safety will eventually be as common in New England as it is in California. But Bachelder stresses he knows what he saw. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. You can subscribe to Connecticut Magazine here, or find the current issue on sale here. I know the difference between bobcats, lynx, & mt lions. The upper mile is pretty overgrown in a pretty way. 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. What we do not have is a secure predator corridor.. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. I enjoy exploring CT and reporting back to my readers about fun things to do in Connecticut. We have people eating dinner in their kitchen, they hear a noise, all of a sudden a bear walks in, so they run into their bedroom to get away from the bear, while the bears out ransacking their refrigerator. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. 1 Last 365 Days. Mountain lions inhabit the badlands and Missouri River breaks regions of North Dakota. Have a question or comment? Mountain lions are also great jumpers and swimmers. It was found, though, that this particular big cat had traveled all the way from South Dakota a distance of 1,500 miles. TPWD Confirmed Mountain Lions. It is the only confirmed presence of a cougar in recent years. 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. Mountain lions are about half the size of lions, but they can run up to 50 mph while lions can run only 37 mph. When we lived in Suffield, we had MANY Mountain Lion sightings.probably 4-5 sightings (which qualifies as many to me) and they were definitely not Bobcats, @Craig, what town is Wtn? Weve got a growing bear population. 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 went extinct in Connecticut during the 1800s, but bobcats are still seen regularly. Hey, I know what I saw. In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. Re (2): Mountain Lion sighting in Brookfield ct - By Ryan January 31, 2016 at 11:16:51 PM. (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) Any time of the mythical creature prowling the woods, she had seen! 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