This is roughly three times the length of a bobcat or coyotes stride (~16 inches). A friend sent this to me. He occasionally inspects "scat" suspected of being left by a mountain lion, and closely examines the animal excrement for food sources, hairs or other clues. For more information on mountain lions, visit the . Its 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. The bobcat wouldn't survive. 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. Symptoms include nausea, chills, slight fever, rise in blood pressure, fatigue, motor disturbances, breathing difficulty, constipation, and muscle aches, particularly in the abdomen. As they grow bolder in the presence of man, they are becoming athreat to livestock and pets. I was driving to work just before sun rise, Late September 2019. All rights reserved. adroll_pix_id = "UONCO23J7FHDDMDTKEX733"; While there have been many reports of wild cougars returning to Pennsylvania, none of these have been proven to be wild cougars. Cougars were extirpated from Pennsylvania before the 1900s and exterminated from the entire East Coast by the 1930s (aside from the Florida panther). Slowly, mountain lions recolonized North America after having retreated to warmer climates in South America during the Pleistocene ice age. This was yesterday around 5pm 11/6/19. It stopped and looked directly at me. The diseaseproduces fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches, and swollen lymph nodes within three to 30 days. FAIRFIELD, Pa. An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. So, if you live close to here please keep this in mind while you are hiking or walking along the wooded areas. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com. I went to the rocky site and did not find the cat. Sounded like a giant animal was sprinting down the mountain right before we saw it. Records show that more than 600 cougars were killed in Centre County alone during the 1800s. It has been well known that cariabou have migrated from Canada, so why not the mountain lion? Cougar range based on sightings and physical evidence (Image credit: LaRue et al, 2008). 2021. Im an avid mature person with a biology degree. Hikers saw a mountain lion walking along a hiking trail as it was hunting a deer in Big Bend National Park, Texas. at least 1 mountain lion hanging out near a relatively fresh, mostly eaten deer . A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. They've been extinct in the eastern part of North America for more than a century. Then there is Rocky. Their coloration ranges from tan to black. Eventually they will reach areas where they never lived, or once lived,and will repopulate that area. I had a mountain lion in the field across from my house a couple years ago. The Eastern Cougar Foundation, a clearinghouse for cougar sightings, claims it has received proof that big cats do exist in Missouri, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Illinois and Kentucky, and in Ontario and New Brunswick, Canada. I also seen deer in my yard, a coyote, a mink, a wood turtle and a bear earlier this year as well. According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, bobcats are considered a species of least concern because of their wide distribution, abundance, and stable . Coyotes are much smaller, and they have shorter fluffier tails, a pointed face, and large triangular ears. Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. Three sightings, in fact, are considered credible and have some backing to them. Was the craziest thing I have ever heard or seen in the woods of pa. In January, the U.S. All rights reserved (About Us). But many others believe the big cats, also known as cougars and pumas, are traveling into Pennsylvania from western states, leading to persistent alleged sightings. House cats tails and fur are also another excellent way to tell them from cougars. Iowa DNR prepares for egg-collection netting season, Randy Claramunt vows to turn challenges into opportunities as Michigans new fisheries chief, WI Daily Update: The scoop on ice shanties, MN Daily Update: Permanent ice house dates, All-time great pro bass angler Kevin VanDam to retire following 23 season. 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. Cougars are kept in captivity by a few people, but these cats are large agile wild animals that are not suited to captivity. The hikers did not see the prey animal, but the mountain lion was focused and had zeroed in on something in the bushes. Reports of a mountain lion have come from several residents of Hemlock Farms who were hiking on. This definitely wasnt a bobcat. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". Crews help rescue bulldog from Hellertown underground tank, Pa. among 13 states hit by illness linked to pet turtles. They wanted to hear from anyone who saw a mountain lion or signs of one, like tracks or scats. Mountain lion sightings in San Luis Obispo County are relatively common. A female mountain lion in the Santa Susana Mountains in California. An Amish farmer along 944 in Cumberland County complained to the PGC a mountain lion was killing his sheep. near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. My neighbor had one (maybe the same one) in her backyard. I saw a mountain lion crossing a state highway,the Oklahoma-Salem FRoad near DuBois PA about 4:30 pm. Then it disappeared for some time, until scat was found again in New York, and it was finally killed in Connecticut. The coloration in adults is uniform. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. Contact a location near you for products or services. "So the mystery goes on," says Gary San Julian, professor of wildlife resources in the College of Agricultural Sciences. Eastern mountain lions lived in central Pennsylvania until the late 1800s, according to Foster. I received a report from a woman who drove last Sunday (August 28) from her home in the Philadelphia area to her vacation home in Avalon. I stopped while i was driving, and as i approached it SLOWLY as not to scare it, it glared at my truck walked towards it,then sat. Expand. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. In 1991 mountain lion tracks were found . Michael Tanenbaum 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. PA game commission are nothing but liers they lie to the people all the time we need to do away with them turn it over to the government I do not trust our government but the game commission lies more, what appears to be very large lion tracks the PGC says photos were of a large dog I disagree I have a deer feeder and I think that is why they are all around my house, it seems every time my cousin mason and his buddies go camping they encounter oro see a mountian lion he says he swares the the cougar stalks them when they start walking through the woodsthey live in the northern part of pa in an little mountian town of treemont in schuylkill county we know there is mountian lions up there. Juvenile females do not disperse like males, which limits cougar range expansion. Some restrictions apply. A cougar or puma is like a UFO with four feet.. Flickr/Valerie. I was driving on a dark and stormy night about 9 years ago on Rt-515 just off of Rt-23. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. Repellant can protect exposed skin from ticks. All rights reserved (About Us). Wasps are important because they kill off other pest insects such as caterpillars, flies and crickets. "I hear rumors all the time about mountain lion sightings," said Brian Anderson, deputy game protector for Northumberland County. This is a BIG cat! She feeds and cares for them with donations and grants. Adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between . They wanted to hear from anyone who saw a mountain lion or signs of one, like tracks or scats. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. The eastern massasauga is endangered in Pennsylvania. No one needs to panic.". 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. In January, the U.S. Skip to content. I think the mountain lion situation is like that. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Im 62 and hunted most of my life here in PA. Dont EVER expect to get the truth from anyone with Game departments in any U.S. state. All three are pit vipers, which means you can identify them by "facial pits." Turkey vultures return to Ohio a sure harbinger of the coming spring? "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". There are more squirrels in Pa than Mountain Lions, but not by a lot. Cars and car tires are also good scales; a cougar will be half the length of a sedan and taller than its tires. The last promising scat turned out to be from a large coyote that had eaten a lot of meat. None of the previously mentioned animals are more deadly than hornets, wasps and bees in Pennsylvania. Orange and tan house cats are also confused for cougars. A reproducing population of endangered cougars lives in the Everglades, known as the "Florida panthers," and the big cats are so numerous in a number of western states that hunting seasons are allowed. An escapee is also possible. There have been two mountain lion sightings this week in western Montana. "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". i have seen a mountain lion in Hawks Mountain where persons watch hawk migration about 7 to 10 years ago. While juvenile males do make long journeys when they are young, they rarely make it to the Lake States (Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin). The report in Greene County is the only one confirmed to be a mountain lion. Mountain Lions Background: In 2011, the U.S. Travis Lau, a spokesperson for the Game Commission, said the state has a "never say never" approach when it comes to mountain lions and acknowledges that Western cats could be moving east. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. The Fort Worth Star-Telegraph reports on a mountain lion sighting in April 2022. The cougar was photographed as it made its way from Minnesota to Wisconsin. Then he took a closer look. The distance traveled varies based on habitat, time of year, and study methods. The report says 58 people suffered allergic reactions and died from stings in Pennsylvania between 2001-13. An attack on a 4-year-old near San Diego is just the latest in a string of mountain lion attacks in California. but they have a tail thats almost as long as their body, and this animal clearly is lacking a tail," Taylor said. Pennlive.com reports trappers kill more than 40,000 of them in Pennsylvania every year. Since the policy's inception March 1, 19 mountain lion sightings have been reported. He saw a cougar and ended up shooting and killing the animal. No An official form of the United States government. "Hunters are always saying they see mountain lions, and the Game Commission always says there aren't any," said Robert Hale, owner of Buffalo Gap Outfitters in Dillsburg. Almost all the reported sights have been other animals like bobcats (Lynx rufus), coyotes (Canis latrans), raccoons (Procyon lotor), or large domestic cats (Felis catus). If you see a bobcat or mountain lion, you can report the sighting to the DEC by calling (518) 357-2158. The nearest breeding populations of cougars are 1,000 miles or more from Pennsylvania. 1 Last 365 Days. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. However, the last genuine sighting of a free-roaming mountain lion in the state was in 1967, and even that was suspected to have been someone's escaped or released pet. An estimated 20,000 of them were roaming across the Commonwealth in 2015. "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. The young adult male was killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2011. Tumble drying clothes for 10 minutes will kill ticks. My cousin and his girlfriend swear they saw a mountain lion Davis hill Rd off of county route 249 in tioga county. Females tend to go an average of 18-30 miles, while males travel much farther (45-170 miles). The store will not work correctly in the case when cookies are disabled. They have adapted to live in the suburbs in woods, fields or evenbackyards without being seen by people. Ok, so they may have been extinct for some time, but if people are sighting them, has anyone considered migration? Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. 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. 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. That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. The cats journey was well documentedboth photographs and genetic samples (fecal matter and hair) were collected along its journey. 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