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 skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? Everyone else, when reporting, were frustrated as they were told they had seen a bobcat. It had been captured in Florida, and was to be released. Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. There is a big community of mountain lion enthusiasts across the Northeast convinced that the animals still exist in breeding populations. Heres What the Data Says. years are available through this link. Mountain lions thrive there due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. Mountain Lion in Pocono's Pennsylvania Kacie PA 7.9K views 2 years ago Mountain lion in bucks county pa or not? Leap transferred ownership rights to the state. Colorado has a large number of mountain lions within its borders, mostly due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. The story behind our new web site. 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. While the chances that I'll ever see a puma in Pennsylvania myself are virtually zero, I'm always on the alert -- for the bobcat I've never seen in Pa., for a fisher, bear, deer, red salamander, toad, or snake, and yes, I'm always hoping that I too will become one of those who saw something that officially cannot exist within the state, a puma I know I saw but, of course, could not have! A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. Known as the Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania, there are four trails that lead to the cascades from the Bushkill Falls trailhead, each ranging in . If so, what would happen to the hunting industry in all of these states? Did they migrate south from Canada? 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. Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. 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.). You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". But an image captured by one family's. The first is the mating season which can occur during the late to early spring months. Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! This animal was undoubtedly a bobcat. I don't know if a Game Commission authority has actually said this or not, but people I've spoken to have reported this. 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. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. What equipment do we take in the field? Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. 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. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one. We hope you enjoy this foray into the most weird and wonderful our beloved Pocono Mountains have to offer. Here's a glimpse at what long-gone Pocono beasts the region's very first wave of residents may have seen, and the wild things that followed up to as late as the early 20th century. 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. Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. "They're getting a lot of that out west. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? 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. Over the last two years I have occasionally posted a Question of the Month soliciting sightings from people who believed that they have seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania or in other areas in the mid-Atlantic states. For our list, we only included US states with a stable breeding population. However, it is clearly a mountain lion, and I'm presenting this poor image as a baseline reference for anyone recording a mountain lion on a game camera, or seeing one. Is there a Mountain Lion Conspiracy? I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. The hunting policy of the state may be the cause of the dropping population, and pressure on the Fish and Game Commission has increased. 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. I love the big cats and devote a huge amount of my field time photographing African lions, leopards, cheetahs, and in 2011, tigers. Encouraged by the bounties, settlers waged war on these perceived beasts. Eyes are normal and are not light sensitive, and the over-all color, generally black, is usually not detrimental and may actually be of benefit. Hunting is legal, but the use of dogs was banned in 1996. I'd love to hear of any reports you have. Mountain lions were once widespread across North America, but their range shrunk dramatically as they were pursued through unregulated hunting and by farmers aiming to protect their livestock, and moved off the landscape by habitat fragmentation. I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". Mary saw the photo, too, and she immediately agreed, it was a puma. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. Then there is Rocky. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. ", (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. Every year we receive a few similar reports from hikers, hunters or other outdoor enthusiasts. If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. These cubs are born blind and helpless. Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. Who knows? 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. "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. Controlled hunting of mountain lions is allowed within the state. (National Park Service). 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. In 2015, a Pennsylvania State Historical Marker was placed near the site where the mastodon was found. Over 1,100 people follow her page. I've never seen or heard of a verified black puma anywhere, whether wild or captive, so I'd be inclined to dismiss reports of truly black big cats as misidentifications, even when a group of guys all see the same thing. 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. However, it is clearly a mountain lion, and I'm presenting this poor image as a baseline reference for anyone recording a mountain lion on a game camera, or seeing one. "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. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a great litter of boulders, rocks, clay and lakes covering today's landscape. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? Despite reported sightings throughout the East, including Pennsylvania, and a confirmed mountain lion killed in Connecticut in 2011, there has been no evidence that any of those cats were native to the East. 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. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. Most nature magazines state whether the photos were taken "under controlled conditions" rather than in the wild.). The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Do elk live in Pennsylvania? "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. 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. Compare any game camera image with the shots above, or this game camera image, to confirm your identification. 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. 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. "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. They ponder rare fossil evidence unearthed and seek to make sense of stratified geology, both fleeting in the face of what we call progress. 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. I usually follow-up on these reports and, via email or phone conversations, I receive more details. The next day, another friend, who works for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, called me to ask if I had seen the photo of a Pocono mountain lion with a deer in its jaws. See also: To be fair, I've also spoken with people who, at first, thought they'd seen a puma only to find, to their embarassment, that they were looking at a house cat! After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. Phineas Teeple of Manchester Township is thought to have killed the last wolf in Wayne County. 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. 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. They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. About half of the state of Montana is ideal for mountain lions, primarily in her western and central regions. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. Since mountain lions are the top predators (unlike most other states with grizzly bears), they have a well-developed population. Can so many people be wrong? People can manipulate, enhance or combine photos and then create their own stories about the subject's origin, location and even identification. What would account for the long tails? I'm thinking of the solution often suggested for pesky endangered species out west, namely wolves and grizzly bears. Many people have claimed to see them, and this writer chronicled numerous such reports in the local press from the mid-1990s to the 2010s. Imagine my surprise. Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". Viewers can never be certain that what they're seeing on a computer is actually what it's purported to be. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is always open to review evidence, but to date only hoaxes have crossed the PGC. 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. Biologists traced it. For example, one man I interviewed said he saw a 'black' puma, and this should disqualify his sighting as a black puma has never been recorded. do I get an immediate, 'Oh yeah!' 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. Fish and Wildlife Service. ? Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. The same goes for New York and several other eastern states. Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. So what? For example, leopards and jaguars, normally spotted cats, have a melanistic color morph, the 'black panther,' the black leopard or black jaguar. The Poconos is a mountain area in northeastern Pennsylvania.It is 2,400 square miles of wooded mountains and valleys full of beautiful lakes, rivers, forests and wildlife. 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. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. A neighbor scared the animal away before it could finish its meal; the sheeps carcass was used as bait, to catch the big cat. It has long been popular with honeymooners, but today the Poconos are a popular destination for families, skiers, adventure seekers, NASCAR fans, and those from urban areas around New England, New York City, Philadelphia . 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. 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 . 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. "From people that I trust have had visual sightings, they've seen mountain lions.". It will happen eventually. The bounty for adult wolves and cougars was raised on March 16, 1819 to $12. 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. 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). This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. ? He also noted that if the cat was here, wouldn't they be reproducing and increasing in population by now? 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. There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. Where they always here as a relic population? Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. A typical home range is around 150 square miles for adult males and 50 square miles for adult females in our region. Had this been faked, I'd suspect the hoaxter would try for a more authentic background. Other states have had sightings, especially as mountain lion populations begin to explore and look to expand. Many have a desire to see some clear-cut evidence. 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. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? 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. Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. In many regions, the population within the state is actually increasing! He said he'd never forget the sighting, but it was only when he saw another, a few months ago, in daylight, from his cabin, that he decided it was time to tell someone. Some cats had a South American genetic profile. Conversely, an outdoor writer I know told me that when Pa. enacted a menagerie permit law years ago, 'a lot of mountain lions suddenly died,' as the owners of these cats, rather than going through the paperwork, simply released their pumas and claimed that they had died. There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. Only when I reviewed the images on my laptop did I discover that I had a mountain lion! He saw his cat at very close range -- 20 yards or less, and when I pointed out to him that pumas are never black he said that perhaps it was the light. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might The 'look' is from my 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. 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. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. 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. Foster, the Messiah College professor, said he has investigated about 15 reported mountain lion sightings since late May, and believed "three or four are pretty likely a mountain lion." Let me explain this. Once a mountain lion matures, it will leave its mother and find its own territory. This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. Arkansas isnt somewhere that we would generally think of when looking for mountain lions, but they are on the rebound! 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. 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. He's sitting in a plastic doghouse, paws crossed, amber eyes locked on the two men ticking him off by their mere presence out beyond the fence. Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. Let me know if you have seen one! DNA collected from the mountain lion killed on a roadway in Connecticut in 2011 showed the animal to have originated in South Dakota. 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. This will be one of your best identification marks, along with size. Did they migrate south from Canada? What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The mountain lion population in Nevada is essential to the control of deer and rodent populations in the mountainous regions of the state. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. Like Arizona, New Mexico is the perfect home for mountain lions. While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens . Looking for things to do in the Poconos? The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. Despite reported sightings throughout the East, including Pennsylvania, and a confirmed mountain lion killed in Connecticut in 2011, there has been no evidence that any of those cats were native . Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. The first settlers kept sheep to supply their household with wool. Would that declaration close that ridge to hunting? Woolly mammoth bones were discovered in Bradford County in 1983. More common critters co-existed with early Native Americans in the Poconos, including two species long since removed: the wolf and mountain lion (also known colloquially as panthers and cougars). Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. 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! Local outlets carried reports of cougar encounters at least into the 1910s. This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. 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. However, recently I saw a photo of a melanistic bobcat, as black as could be, with bright yellow eyes. 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. 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. They're common in the rural areas of the Lehigh Valley but are moving into more populated areas as evidenced by a 600-pound specimen (pictured) that was tranquilized in March after neighbors in. The record size for this species is 8 feet, and it probably weighed 15 to 20 pounds, which shows how exaggerated this claim is. I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. Can so many people be so wrong? They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. . I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why?