Have some feedback for us? Some may be animals that dispersed into the region from western populations. I'll offer my own little anecdote. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". 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. The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Fish and Wildlife Service. Check out the tails of the two! No one needs to panic.". In his 1973 book "Faces in Clay" Leslie lays open the archaeological treasures of stone arrow or spear points and tools lost long ago by a succession of native peoples. Phineas Teeple of Manchester Township is thought to have killed the last wolf in Wayne County. Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. Mountain Lion Reports Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? The image in the Upper Left was from a Game Camera, sent to me by a friend. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. With healthy populations and strong conservation programs, however, they seem to be pushing back east. 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. Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is always open to review evidence, but to date only hoaxes have crossed the PGC. Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. There is no known estimate of the number of mountain lions inhabiting Texas. 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. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. The State Museum of Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg, displays a taxidermy mount of a mountain lion in glass case, with the notation, "This lion, found near Hawk Mountain in Berks County around 1871, is the last native mountain lion known to have been shot in Pennsylvania. Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) - Texas 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. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. 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. 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. Murray also has a cross-eyed white tiger named Keisha, who crushed chicken bones with ease but delicately stepped into a metal pool to cool off. 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. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? - pennlive.com Biologists traced it. If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. The last documented sighting of an eastern cougar was one killed in Maine in 1938. He also noted that if the cat was here, wouldn't they be reproducing and increasing in population by now? Provided by Touchpoints Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". He's a hunter, a woodsman, and he's seen a lot of game, so I can believe he saw a back-lighted puma. Mountain lions have an interesting life cycle that consists of a few different characteristics. Leslie estimated that the first humans making up the Paleo-Indians lived in the upper Delaware valley as early as 11,000 B.C. 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 . Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. For our list, we only included US states with a stable breeding population. Well, right behind our property lies a mountain ridge, one of several that makes a continuous forest that extends, with little interruption, for scores of miles in three directions. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. ? 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. The Bushkill Falls are a series of eight waterfalls in a 300-acre wooded enclave hidden amongst the Poconos. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. 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. Among those who have investigated the primeval times of the Pocono Plateau and Delaware River valleys and tributaries was the late Vernon Leslie, Ph.D., a Wayne County historian and archaeologist. The State argues that there is no physical evidence, and no credible photographs. I believe them. People can manipulate, enhance or combine photos and then create their own stories about the subject's origin, location and even identification. Mountain lions typically eat about one deer per week, along with other smaller prey as the opportunity arises. Continuing with that thought, if that were so, then it'd be possible, if not very likely, that the Eastern puma would be an Endangered Species. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. ? Officially extinct, mountain lions still haunt the Adirondacks He also published a follow-up on Oct. 15 with the same mountain lion-deer hoax photo, as well as personal stories from several local residents who claim they've seen mountain lions in the Poconos. ", (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. However, many of my reports were at distances that people knew, and as you look at the images of the puma there really is a big difference in color and shape between a puma and a house cat. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. Who knows? DNR: Fish & Wildlife: Mountain Lion 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. It is almost safe to say that the panther has in these parts become extinct, Goodrich wrote. Mysterious big cat caught on security camera in Clarks Summit, Pa. As they get older, the cubs begin to leave the den and explore. It is an Italianate Villa home that features authentic Victorian furniture and finishing. By the time he returned the vehicle was gone, and so was the cat, and no mention was ever made of this road kill in a radio or newspaper report. This happens usually around the 18-month mark. I'd love to hear of any reports you have. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. It wasn't, and I assumed it was a road-kill. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. Encouraged by the bounties, settlers waged war on these perceived beasts. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. Lions in the Santa Monica Mountains - National Park Service Obviously, other pumas must be about, and the series of ridges extending north and east and west from my location could all be included as critical habitat as well. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. Pocono Mountains - Travel guide at Wikivoyage 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 coat can be spotted or solid and varies in color from light browns, reddish and silvery grey. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. Two other reports went, in detail, on what they saw, the size, the length of tail, etc. Perhaps one or more of these Pocono sightings represent early pioneers reclaiming their former territories. This animal was undoubtedly a bobcat. Knowing that pumas range widely, would my ridge be the only one closed? 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! It was definitely a mountain lion, and it had a big buck, white-tailed deer in its jaws. 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. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! Certainly it is a romantic notion, but I've always held out the hope that pumas still roamed the east. Caribou meat apparently was part of their diet. 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. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. Nevertheless, I put up a MOULTRIE game camera -- a brand that I've had tremendous satisfaction with -- at the carcass, hoping that scavengers would visit. 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. Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? Currently, there are only 15 states that meet that qualification. Here it is: I still couldn't get the big head/little neck, and the body is a bit stouter/shorter, but a striding cat might be stretched out a bit. No An official form of the United States government. All of the above images are of bobcats. Thank you for reading! You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. a high priority. "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. The coat can be spotted or solid. Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? And yes, there are people in Pennsylvania who say they exist here. The Cougar Network, working with state agencies, have documented multiple mountain lions as far east as Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan in recent years, as well as that cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. Once a mountain lion matures, it will leave its mother and find its own territory. Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. Most of the people I've spoken with live in this belt, but biologists friends I've spoken with have told me of their own reports, first-hand, from hunters in the Poconos who saw pumas, too. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. Only when I reviewed the images on my laptop did I discover that I had a mountain lion! I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. Arkansas isnt somewhere that we would generally think of when looking for mountain lions, but they are on the rebound! A neighbor scared the animal away before it could finish its meal; the sheeps carcass was used as bait, to catch the big cat. There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. They are there to help us. Martinelli said that if there were mountain lions in Pennsylvania, there would be more sightings of them. For many who have believed to have seen a cougar in the wilds of the Poconos, these arguments might be less than convincing. 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. Looking for things to do in the Poconos? "From people that I trust have had visual sightings, they've seen mountain lions.". Things to Do in the Poconos | Attractions & Outdoors - Pocono Mountains 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. I hope no one ever shoots a puma to prove their existence here, but I hope someone gets a great photo, of the cat, of a road-kill, of tracks, and that I see it. 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. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? In 2015, a Pennsylvania State Historical Marker was placed near the site where the mastodon was found. Other states have had sightings, especially as mountain lion populations begin to explore and look to expand. And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. 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. Imagination? Pocono beasts: Mastodons, wolves, cougars once abundant in region Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. Mountain Lion Population (In Each U.S. State) - Wildlife Informer Compare any game camera image with the shots above, or this game camera image, to confirm your identification. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania Bobcats, feral cats and domestic dogs may be misidentified as mountain lion. 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. The hunting policy of the state may be the cause of the dropping population, and pressure on the Fish and Game Commission has increased. Then there is Rocky. Would that declaration close that ridge to hunting? The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. For example, leopards and jaguars, normally spotted cats, have a melanistic color morph, the 'black panther,' the black leopard or black jaguar. 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? Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. Let's say the facts indicate that there have been a lot of 'pet' pumas, and many of these escaped. 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. Mountain lions can live in almost any habitat including forests, prairies, deserts, and swamps. In many regions, the population within the state is actually increasing! He saw a big cat. Several populations of Gray Squirrels scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks. Mary saw the photo, too, and she immediately agreed, it was a puma. An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. The next day, the photo disappeared from the site. Mountain lions thrive there due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. Hunting is legal in the state, but it is heavily controlled and restricted. 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. They mostly live in the far western Trans-Pecos region of the state, with about 50,000 to 80,000 acres of suitable land currently being used by the cat. 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. "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. Viewers can never be certain that what they're seeing on a computer is actually what it's purported to be. 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. 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. Colby is a freelance writer from Charlotte, North Carolina. John Leap of East Stroudsburg's Lakeside Peat Humus Co. and an employee, Paul Strauser, found the bones in a peat bog off Route 209. 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. The Pocono Mountains are . Some may also be kept illicitly as pets, which would quickly become a problem as the cat matures. Archived Questions of the Month 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. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. "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. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. Known as the Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania, there are four trails that lead to the cascades from the Bushkill Falls trailhead, each ranging in . 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!' See also: 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. I spend a lot of time outdoors, and I've seen about 10 black bears in Pennsylvania, and all within ten miles of my home. The bobcat wouldn't survive. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. I love the big cats and devote a huge amount of my field time photographing African lions, leopards, cheetahs, and in 2011, tigers. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. Packer Hill Ave. Jim Thorpe, PA 18229. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Newspapers carried stories in 1956 about hunters supposedly seeing and killing wolves in Pike and Monroe Counties. The other site, The Cougar Network, is still active, and is reporting the cats expanding range from the West, but offers little about the phenomenon of Pennsylvania cats. In this at this distant epoch, archaeologists attempt to clear some of the mists and mysteries of prehistoric times. 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. Mountain lions that are looking for new breeding areas are known as transient and are almost always males. Not only do hunting licenses support the various state game commissions, and in some states the acquisition and maintenance of public hunting lands, but hunters are a huge boon to local economies each fall, with purchases of food, lodging, hunting equipment, etc. 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?
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