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. He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. In 2011, a confirmed mountain lion was killed by a vehicle in Connecticut and which had been determined that it had wandered east from the Mid-West. Once a mountain lion matures, it will leave its mother and find its own territory. With the Great Lakes in its way, the cat moved either north or south of the water, and the latter route would have seen it pass through at least some of Pennsylvania. "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. There are, from time to time, eyewitness accounts from hunters or hikers who claim to have seen the cat. Many of those claiming to have encountered a cougar in Pennsylvania take that non-confirmation by the commission as an attack on their veracity and character. 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. That's true. Is it the New Best Pack? Pocono Record's Micaela Hood moves on to Lehigh Valley Public Media The hunting policy of the state may be the cause of the dropping population, and pressure on the Fish and Game Commission has increased. Imagine my surprise. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. The cat is known to live in the western U.S. and Florida, South America and Canada. In Tennessee, the most likely places you would find them would be in the forest. "They are very strong animals," she said. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? It was estimated to be a young adult American Mastodon that had died about 12,000 years ago, according to radiocarbon dating. Are There Mountain Lions In Pa? - CLJ Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. I've seen so many examples of these distortions, exaggerations and lies over the last couple of years that I've grown very dubious about anything I see on a computer. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? Two different people told me that they, or a close relative, had seen pumas on more than one occasion. There is no known estimate of the number of mountain lions inhabiting Texas. Mountain lions live in rescue centers like Murray's, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission said a dozen or so people are permitted to possess them. Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. On the second night, a mountain lion passed by, apparently drawn by the smell but put off by the stench, as the cat did not visit the kill. The Game Commission concluded they were coyotes. 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. Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? Bobcats, feral cats and domestic dogs may be misidentified as mountain lion. The bones were found perfectly preserved. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. I wanted to know if they're here, so I called some people I trust and asked them one simple question: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? There is a big community of mountain lion enthusiasts across the Northeast convinced that the animals still exist in breeding populations. At one time mountain lions, or more properly puma (Puma concolor), enjoyed the widest geographic range of any New World mammal, and were found throughout all of the contiguous United States. While it would seem impossible to confuse the two after seeing them in person, Foster said many of the sightings are in the dark, from roadways and trail cams, with bodies half-concealed. 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. Mountain lions (cougars, pumas, and more) are among the top predators that live in the United States. Mountain lions, which continue to be reported across Pennsylvania throughout the year, are officially extinct east of the Mississippi River and north of Florida, according to the U.S. 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. Mountain lions thrive there due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. They're seeing an animal they don't know or recognize, and while some may be watching a smaller bobcat about 35 pounds), some believe they've actually spotted a cougar. Mountain Lions - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service) Transient males have been sighted as far east as New York! The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! I haven't seen any reports like that.". Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. Those cats for which DNA evidence was recovered had come east from South Dakota, part of the known, modern-day, U.S. mountain lion range. 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. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might Reports of a mountain lion have come from several residents of Hemlock Farms who were hiking on. Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. Now consider: If it was confirmed that there was a breeding population of endangered pumas on the mountain ridge behind my house, if the USFWS recognized the existence of this endangered species, what might happen? Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? Below is a list of physical characteristics that distinguish mountain lions from more . "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. Here's more about mountain lions in Pennsylvania: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The earliest wave arrived at the end of the last Ice Age; the last wave is the Lenape or Delaware Tribe, which made contact with colonial settlers in the 1600s. Mountain lions live almost everywhere in the state of Washington. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. I'd suspect it would still be considered very rare, after all, it was thought to be extinct. "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. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. The bobcat wouldn't survive. 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. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. Check out the tails of the two! Every year we receive a few similar reports from hikers, hunters or other outdoor enthusiasts. In January, the U.S. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. The last known mountain lion in Pennsylvania was killed in Berks County in 1874. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. The same goes for New York and several other eastern states. This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. Most nature magazines state whether the photos were taken "under controlled conditions" rather than in the wild.). DNR: Fish & Wildlife: Mountain Lion Heres What the Data Says. In Yellowstone, definite puma country (perhaps not ideal habitat, but pumas are found in every section of Yellowstone), I've spoken to guys on road crews and with rangers, each with 20 years of field or road experience in Yellowstone, and the ranger had only seen 2 (both road kills and together) and the road crew guys two or three in all their years. All rights reserved (About Us). . This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. He notes how over the millennia, the region was inhabited by humans, only to be depopulated by migration brought on by the search of food due to a fickle climate, war or epidemic. Although there was no evidence that the 2011 mountain lion ever set foot in Pennsylvania, DNA evidence confirmed that it had been both west and east of the state. The State cites that there are no road-kills, and in a heavily trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . And a bit of an unpleasant one at that, as they now faced ridicule or doubt whenever they discussed their sightings. Pocono Record sports writer Mike Kuhns wrote a great piece on Oct. 14, "Does the mountain lion roam PA?" I could fill pages recounting the eye-witness reports I've heard, and for every report critics could certainly say 'but there's no physical evidence!' Several populations of Gray Squirrels scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? Most, quite honestly, don't know or can't believe or accept what they saw, they really can't believe their eyes. They've been extinct in the eastern part of North America for more than a century. Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? Bigfoot, mountain lions and other cryptids in PA All rights reserved. I used to archery hunt for deer, and I spent a lot of time (way too much time) sitting silently in a tree stand waiting for deer. It's sort of like big foot, some people say they've seen him.". Mountain lions that are looking for new breeding areas are known as transient and are almost always males. Let me know if you have seen one! 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 Pocono Mountains, commonly referred to as the Poconos / p o k n o z /, are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania.They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the north, Wyoming Valley and the Coal Region to the west, and the Lehigh Valley to the south. Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. This one streaked across the road in the early evening, and fortunately, it stopped when it climbed a hill on the other side where I had another view from my side of the truck. Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. I am bothered by the constricted neck of the cat on the game camera; 2. the tail is curved down, rather than up, but it may have been in mid-swing; 3. the goldenrod-appearing flower, and the background of cars, gives a sense of scale and location. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. The Asa Packer Mansion, built in the year 1861, is a historic house museum. In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. The Cascade Mountains are an important habitat for mountain lions in the region, and a stable population lives within the state. Note the long, usually thick tail. While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens of sincere reports of sightings and tracks and even more hoaxed reports emerge across the state each year. I believe them. I've spoken to PGC personnel, two being friends, and neither believe there are pumas in Pa. One cited how a bobcat's tail can be much longer than you expect, although I've never seen a bobcat tail longer than, at most, twice the size of the tails illustrated above of the bobcat. And how many would let them go, or provide an opportunity for escaping? Both sheep and young cattle fell prey to wolves, unless they were under constant watch. Fish and Wildlife Service. Officially extinct, mountain lions still haunt the Adirondacks There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. The story behind our new web site. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Now, forty years ago coyotes were rare or almost nonexistent in Pennsylvania, and had had that same sighting back then, when coyotes were thought not to exist within the state we would have had the 'facts' to doubt what we saw. So what? As a state known for its mountains, its no wonder that mountain lions live here! The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also reports evidence that humans arrived during the last glaciation or soon after. "The cougars examined in the Northeast in the past 70 years are likely released or escaped captives. "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. You've got a mountain lion story or photo? Although unconfirmed, mountain lions continue to be reported in many spots across Pennsylvania, including several reports in the past couple months. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. In captivity mountain, lions can live to be about 20 years old. Let me explain this. 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! Phineas Teeple of Manchester Township is thought to have killed the last wolf in Wayne County. Pocono Mountains: Best Things To See And Do - TravelAwaits 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. However, if you've seen a mountain lion, or other mystery creature, or evidence of either, in Pennsylvania, contact outdoor writer Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.). (National Park Service). The coat can be spotted or solid. "It was in Worthington State Forest just across the Delaware River from Smithfield Beach). There is a small breeding population in the state, despite being killed off in the 1920s. Does the mountain lion roam Pa? - Pocono Record 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. Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. These experiences are still available, but the reality is there is so much more for the mature traveler to enjoy in the Pocono Mountains. Ironically, I almost deleted the image, as on the small camera LCD monitor the cat was small and I thought that it was just another deer that moved along the stream. The life cycle then repeats itself. All rights reserved. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. In this at this distant epoch, archaeologists attempt to clear some of the mists and mysteries of prehistoric times. The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. Discover the Little-Known U.S. River Gorge That's, The 9 Best Books About National Parks for Travelers, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback. Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. Any Truth But Dave "Gadget" Jones, a retired wildlife conservation officer from Lackawanna County, claims he's seen a white bigfoot and a UFO in Pennsylvania, so who knows? (What is meant by "heads" is not clear.). 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. The large, undeveloped interior filled with rocky habitats perfect for mountain lions allows them to safely live and breed. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". If mountain lions are discovered in PA anytime soon they'll either be big foot's pets or genetically engineered and released by the DCNR to cull the orangu-bear population. The rocky habitat that covers much of the state is perfect for these ambush predators, especially since humans dont inhabit much of the land. 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. "While it seems unlikely, it's not impossible that these animals are showing up in PA," said David Foster, a biology professor at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg. 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. How, Who, and Why? 10 Stunning Mountains In Pennsylvania - AZ Animals YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. I receive about one email or phone call a month, on average, from people that I do not know who are contacting me because their sighting compelled them to do a Google search on puma sightings, and they found my site and previously posted questions. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? Let's say the facts indicate that there have been a lot of 'pet' pumas, and many of these escaped. The mountain lion, which is also called a cougar, puma or panther, weighs on average between 75-120 pounds, has long whiskers and a distinctive swooping tail. "From people that I trust have had visual sightings, they've seen mountain lions.". Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. Packer Hill Ave. Jim Thorpe, PA 18229. I've looked in the PGC game laws booklet and saw nothing on this, which I guess you could conclude means a puma would not be legal to shoot. Over 1,100 people follow her page. Who knows? 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. The cat was far enough away that I couldn't get a size reference, and I believed the cat was further away than it actually was. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. 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. What is the Kiboko backpack? Because the neck bothered me, I decided to do some Photoshop on the puma in the lower left, moving his head higher up and changing the image to a contrasty black and white - to give a silhouette for comparision. Is there a Mountain Lion Conspiracy? It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. Kross only saw the animal for a second, but it made a believer out of him. "It's one of those things where I'll believe it when I see it," said Jason Farmer of Pocono Summit, my hunting partner for the last eight years. 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. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. In the area around the border of Pennsylvania and West Virginia there are mountains and deep caves that contain some of the coal mines that were a major part of the state's industry in the early part of the 19 th century. I'd love to hear of any reports you have. Mountain Lion Population (In Each U.S. State) - Wildlife Informer 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. 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. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. There also were camels, sloth and hyena, which migrated elsewhere. It had been captured in Florida, and was to be released. 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? Did they migrate south from Canada? YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. What would account for the long tails? A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. 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). 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. Oregon has a large, stable breeding population of mountain lions. 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. 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 owners. With healthy populations and strong conservation programs, however, they seem to be pushing back east. 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