Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. Much of the prime habitat in the West is already occupied by larger more dominate males, so juvenile males make long journeys to disperse to setup a new territory or find an area where they can push out the dominate male. Over 1,100 people follow her page. Home Pennsylvania Opinion Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania, If youre a regular reader of this publication, or one of my neighbors, then you already know my father and, A fish may see a parade of presentations go by, therefore yours should be better than the rest. DNA tests have offered conclusive proof of cougars in other eastern states. They love lurking on theedge of wooded areas near agricultural areas where prey is abundant. She tried to tell me it was a Maine Coon Cat. Records show that more than 600 cougars were killed in Centre County alone during the 1800s. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. They came out and investigated. Your email address will not be published. Mountain Lion. 2016. 2 Last 5 Years. "We should be getting more pictures. Stay Alert! The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Cars and car tires are also good scales; a cougar will be half the length of a sedan and taller than its tires. Fear of the human super predator reduces feeding time in large carnivores. Skip to content. Secondly, the sightings of mountain lions are likely the result of escaped or released animals that were once captive. Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. The Game Commission occasionally hears about cougar sightings too, but agency officials are skeptical about their origins. Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos has two. You can also identify the venomous snakes of Pennsylvania by their vertical pupils, similar to the pupils in cats' eyes. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the eastern cougar extinct. Not valid with other promotions. It occurred after 8 p.m. Monday night, January 23, 2023, at Highway T and Old Highway 100 just north of Villa Ridge in Franklin County. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, feline predators such as the eastern cougar, which is also known as the mountain lion, are " extirpated ," meaning they're all but wiped out in. Smith, J.A., Suraci, J.P., Clinchy, M., Crawford, A., Roberts, D., Zanette, L.Y. All rights reserved. But more and more people in Pennsylvania, from the Alleghenies to the Poconos to rolling farmlands in York County, claim they are seeing the big cats here, even though the state's "last" native lion, also known as a cougar or puma, was shot and killed in Berks County in 1871 and the feds have declared the Eastern subspecies extinct. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A recent rumor of a cougar killed by a vehicle on Interstate 80 attracted some attention at Penn State. But an image captured by one family's security camera last weekend certainly shows what looks to be a mountain lion. A report in 1981 found that it would be impossible to restore cougars to Adirondack Park in New York because there were too many humans. The distance traveled varies based on habitat, time of year, and study methods. Union and Huntingdon , Pa. .. One doesn't think about big cats being in this eastern part of the . They usually go after rabbits and small game but can kill animals as large as deer, according to pennlive.com. So glad to post. But more and more people in Pennsylvania, from the Alleghenies to the Poconos to rolling farmlands in York County, claim they are seeing the big cats here, even though the state's "last" native lion, also known as a cougar or puma, was shot and killed in Berks County in 1871 and the feds have declared the Eastern subspecies extinct. The U.S. It is a known fact that when an area is overpopulated, wild animals will migrate out of an area and into a new area that is less populated. Across . "But we believe that the likely source is an illegally released animal.". Until recently, whenever the sighting of a mountain lion was reported in PA, the intial response from the PGC was to say the sighting was a misidentification. The dispatch center received calls about the mountain lion at approximately 4:30 a.m. near the Copeland Creek Trail between Country Club and Snyder Lane located in the area of Sunrise Park. In Michigan, there has been multiple sightings of 'black panthers,' animals that were thought to be mountain lions, or pumas, except that they were black. $1 per month for 6 months (you will be billed $6) and then your subscription will renew at standard subscription rates. The report in Greene County is the only one confirmed to be a mountain lion. 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. Cougars are seven to eight feet in length (head to tail) and stand two to three feet at the shoulder. It will happen eventually. Was about 30 feet down the road when it crossed in front of me. (Preferably while videotaping it) There is a $4000 bounty for a mountain lion carcass in PA. For those not following the debate, the PGC's official position is that there has not been a mountain lion in PA in more than 50 years. Where a house cat would be along as a car tire and half the height of a tire. 1. These indentations on their cheeks help them sense heat and find prey. Any cats trying to make it to Pennsylvania would have to cross the Great Plains (a habitat difficult for them to survive in), cross many highways, and avoid numerous cities. Some may also be kept illicitly as pets, which would quickly become a problem as the cat matures. What you. Most are about three feet long. About the year 1967 I drove my corvair in a meadow and two red cats about a year old came across the road behind me south of Hancock PA. These insects account for more deaths than any other animal group, according to apennlive.com report. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. The one pictured is in a New York zoo. Mike Jacobsen was checking his fences near Denton after last month's windstorm when his kids pulled . Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. All rights reserved (About Us). "A cougar or puma is like a UFO with four feet." A walking house cat or raccoon would likely fit within the diameter of the tree. In 1991 mountain lion tracks were found . . They denied there was a mountain lion in their truck. After hearing of alleged sightings over the years -- sketchy reports of rural folks listening to big cat screams in the night, inconclusive paw prints, photos and videos that never materialized and the occasional unexplained livestock killing -- a cougar carcass was supposed to be delivered to university wildlife experts for necropsy. Am 74 years old, of very sound mind usually pretty skeptical, but i saw this animal and after much consideration have concluded it could only be a mountain lion or cougar. We run through the list from mammals to reptiles to insects. You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". A few captive cougars have escaped over the years, but these cats have been quickly recaptured. I have seen three mountain lions in pa. One full grown in Erie county in 1998 and two kittens (yes I am sure they were mountain lions, not bobcats) in McKean county in 2001. There have been no "confirmed" reports of mountain lions, AKA Puma concolor, in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s. 3 Last 10 Years. This was hit by a truck on Mill Creek Road . If you encounter a bear that hasn't had time to leave, the game commission advises you to make a noise to alert the bear of your presence. Sadly, the last period when mountain lions roamed freely throughout Pennsylvania is the end of the 19th century. Pennsylvania's venomous snakes are hard to find. On a recent stifling morning in Adams County, the 290-pound mountain lion with perfect bone structure is ignoring the raw chicken breast and pork chops a handler tossed into his pen. I saw a mountain lion crossing a state highway,the Oklahoma-Salem FRoad near DuBois PA about 4:30 pm. Cougar range based on sightings and physical evidence (Image credit: LaRue et al, 2008). You read it here first: Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania: Just prior to the start of Pennsylvania's two-week firearms deer season, the volunteers at the Eastern Puma Research Network put out a call to hunters. Dashboard for displaying mountain lion reports to the public. Mountain Lion Sighting Nov. 11, 2021 A California Mountain Lion was seen at approximately 4:52 p.m. on Nov. 11 near the University Glen water tanks and later on the main part of the campus near Santa Barbara Street and Camarillo Street. It is possible for a cougar to escape captivity and be seen in the wild, but an escaped individual likely would not survive long or be able to establish a breeding population. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. On Friday July 8, 2022 there was a few reported Mountain Lion sightings the last few days one actually involving an encounter with one's family in their lawn. I just wanted to post that not only have we been hearing what we thought was a mountain lion, we spotted it the night before last. I think the mountain lion situation is like that. "We have lots of remote areas where people seldom go," he says, "and our high deer population would offer them bountiful food. Hildreth says the animals are capable of moving long distances across the state. Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. I also seen deer in my yard, a coyote, a mink, a wood turtle and a bear earlier this year as well. In the snow, the tracks of all mammals appear to be larger this is because the heat from individual animals feet melts the snow they step on. That said there have been numerous sightings of them over the years. That the ultimate proof would come from Penn State seemed ironic -- the university's well-known mascot is a "Nittany" lion, and a mounted cougar killed in Susquehanna County in 1856 stands guard in the campus library. Mountain lions once lived in much of the eastern United States. A coyote or bobcat is a little shorter than a tire and roughly one and half the length of tire. A friend sent this to me. It stopped and looked directly at me. Black markings decorate the tip of the tail, ears, and around the snout. Pennsylvania is too inhabited to support a population of cougars, unless there are major changes in cougar biology, cougar behavior, and public opinion. An Amish farmer along 944 in Cumberland County complained to the PGC a mountain lion was killing his sheep. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com. There are more squirrels in Pa than Mountain Lions, but not by a lot. The only cats still hunting in Pennsylvania are bobcats, according to the state game commission. "Also, pretty sure there is color variation in a bobcats fur color, so what Im thinking is a good-sized, tawny colored bobcat.". 4.7K views 3 years ago Scott describes his mountain lion / cougar sighting in western Pennsylvania (Indiana County) in October, 2019 in this interview. This cat had brown fur with a white underbelly, and a black, brown and white face. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Pennsylvania would be incredibly difficult for cougars to reach. Contact a location near you for products or services. Seventy to 80 percent of victims develop a rash. 2017. How to find mountain lion sightings near me Open Google Maps on your computer or APP, just type an address or name of a place . Besides a lack of physical (scat, hair, or tracks) and photographic evidence, the absence of cougars is also demonstrated by a lack of road-killed cougars. The most recent sighting of a mountain lion in a Randallstown field Tuesday has revived claims that cougars aren't extinct in Maryland. The mountain lion sightings locations can help with all your needs. at least 1 mountain lion hanging out near a relatively fresh, mostly eaten deer . They include a reported attack on horses at a farm near Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate. The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has determined that due to no concrete evidence, and in spite of multiple (but unconfirmed ) sightings, the eastern mountain lion has been. Cougars distaste for humans runs so deep that a study found that simply playing talk radio was enough to get these cougars to permanently abandon what they were eating. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. The nearest known populations of mountain lions are in Wyoming, Colorado, North . "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. The only population that survived was the Florida panther (Puma concolor couguar), and it only survived with great help from conservationists. Don't treat the bite with ice, cold packs or sprays. Mountain lion, cougar, puma, panther, painter, and catamount are all different names for the same animal ( Puma concolor ). There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Ablack widow bite is rarely fatal except in the young or elderly, according to the Penn State Cooperative Extension. Lion take a fawn in a swamp 1 mile from my home in the same county. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. Mountain lions are helpful in maintaining order in our ecosystem and assist to keep other wildlife numbers in check. I saw a Mountain Lion chasing a fox in Perryopolis Pa. Females tend to go an average of 18-30 miles, while males travel much farther (45-170 miles). Cougars need areas without humans because they do not like to be around humans and humans kill them (intentionally and unintentionally). A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." Other sightings have been reported in Forks Township. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. Factors governing risk of cougar attacks on humans. This article written in 2020 has a good wrap up of the current mountain lion status in North Dakota. Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. She says she was on Route 347 just after 230am when she saw . You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". Jr. 2012. Three types ofvenomous snakes live in Pennsylvania: the timber rattlesnake (pictured), the eastern massasauga and the northern copperhead. The Game Commission believes Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion died in 1874 in Berks County. There are more than 4,000 of them in Pennsylvania. Officials with the Pennsylvania Game Commission told WHNT the cat in Clarks Summit could be a bobcat, though they tend to be more active at night. No An official form of the United States government. The coloration in adults is uniform. The Journal of Wildlife Management 76(7):1364-1369. The Florida panther reached a population low of 20-30 individuals in 1970s, and currently are between 120-200 sub-adults and adults. I am not a drinker and dont di drugs. In one case out of Reading, a sighting of an apparent cheetah turned out to be an African serval that was likely bred and domesticated illegally. Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania, http://cougarrewilding.org/CougarNews/?p=938. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. Coyotes are also confused for cougars (Figure 2). The only native North American mountain lion species (Puma concolor) has long since been extirpated from the eastern United States, with the exception of a small population of Florida panthers whose genetic roots are a subject of debate. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. Provided by Touchpoints Cougars are often by hit carsin 2020, at least one-tenth of all Florida panthers (20 out of a maximum population of 200 animals) were hit by cars. Sep 16, 2018 at 12:00 am. "We do not believe that there are any wild, native, breeding cougar populations in Pennsylvania. As a last resort, you can fight back and try to scare the bear away. . The track of a cougar found in Michigans Upper Peninsula (photo credit: Michigan Department of Natural Resources). EDITORS: Gary San Julian can be reached at 814-863-0401. In one extreme dispersal event in 2011, a cougar (that was later found to be related to cats from the Black Hills) made it to Connecticut before it was killed by a car. By Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle Dec 15, 2018 1 of 2 Mountain lions are believed not to exist in Massachusetts, but that only means they don't live or breed here. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. 2021. "It's so hard to pin anything down," said John Lutz, the West Virginia man who heads the network, a non-scientific affiliation of mountain lion seekers across the eastern United States. They shared the unusual sight with WHNT-News. For more information see Terms and Conditions. Sounded like a giant animal was sprinting down the mountain right before we saw it. The PGC's historical approach to mountain lion sightings is relevant to understanding their approach to the Jacobs photos. The very sad news: there was a PGC ear tag on it. An escapee is also possible. 'Nothing to see here folks, move along'". According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. "When I started telling people, most of them didn't believe me, but I will never forget that huge face staring right at me," said a Montgomery County woman who says she saw a lion last summer in Limerick Township while walking her dog. Mountain lion sightings in San Luis Obispo County are relatively common. "We've been here 45 years and I've probably been told by people at least 100 times that they've seen a cougar or mountain lion," said owner Vince Hall. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. Passed 10 feet in front of us. All three are pit vipers, which means you can identify them by "facial pits." Upperparts are grizzled gray or dark brown to buff, cinnamon tawny, or rufous. The abundance of wildlife that thrives in Pennsylvania makes sightings of interesting animals fairly commonplacebears, foxes, coywolves and elk are all within the realm of expectations. Mountain Lions Background: In 2011, the U.S. Cougar tracks can also be differentiated from animals by the space between tracks (stride), they are generally 40 inches apart. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. What is the fascination in Pennsylvania that they always want to kill a mountain line if they find one theyre indigenous they belong there just leave the damn things alone. Haven't seen anything like this before, so it's new.". Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. Males territories are generally twice the size of a females territory (50-350 square miles), and they overlap the territory of several females. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. You read it here first: Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania: Just prior to the start of Pennsylvanias two-week firearms deer season, the volunteers at the Eastern Puma Research Network put out a call to hunters. 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