Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Mountain lions thrive there due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. "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. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. How do I deal with shaving weight for carrying my gear? We hope you enjoy this foray into the most weird and wonderful our beloved Pocono Mountains have to offer. Mountain lions roamed all of the continent prior to the arrival and westward spread of European settlers, but only the eastern and Florida subspecies were found east of the Mississippi. Most of my original Questions of the Month for the last several Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. 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. About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Best hike for seeing waterfalls. But more importantly, he also said that regardless of color, he saw a big cat, with a tail that looked to be about 4 feet long! About half of the state of Montana is ideal for mountain lions, primarily in her western and central regions. You would think someone would have a picture on a trail camera or whatever. 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? They once inhabited the entire United States, but were killed off and pushed west. 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. After a small population was reintroduced into their historic land, their population has grown to a stable and breeding group of between 200-300 individuals. "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. Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? I'll be anxious to learn of your report. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might 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. I believe that the folks that are reporting, in detail, their sightings are faced with a similar situation. But the point of this article isn't whether or not mountain lions exist in Pennsylvania or the Poconos. Thank you for reading! Martinelli said that if there were mountain lions in Pennsylvania, there would be more sightings of them. Wishful thinking? Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. He wrote that not being a roving animal, the mountain lion was much sooner destroyed than the wolf, and he said that if there were any left, it would have to be in the most desolate places in the county. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. All of the above images are of bobcats. 1.8 miles, 2 hours, moderate. Caribou meat apparently was part of their diet. 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. "It was in Worthington State Forest just across the Delaware River from Smithfield Beach). That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. It wasn't, and I assumed it was a road-kill. Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? 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. Mountain lion populations struggle to outpace the high hunting limits. Most of the native mountain lions live in Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, but humans rarely ever see them due to their secretive nature. Pocono Record sports writer Mike Kuhns wrote a great piece on Oct. 14, "Does the mountain lion roam PA?" All rights reserved (About Us). This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. 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. How, Who, and Why? I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? Never has this been more accurate than in today's digital, computerized world. Two weeks ago, a friend of mine who teaches in one of the Monroe County school districts called to tell me he was sending me a photo of a mountain lion taken by one of his students in the Poconos. 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. You've got a mountain lion story or photo? There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. An escapee is also possible. Local outlets carried reports of cougar encounters at least into the 1910s. They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. 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. redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not There is a small breeding population in the state, despite being killed off in the 1920s. 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. "They preyed upon the caribou, and probably the mastodon," Leslie wrote of these large animals flourishing on the grasses and cold-climate flora that sprouted following the glacier's retreat. 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. 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. The Pocono Mountains are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? Transient males have been sighted as far east as New York! 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. 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. One of the three branches or clans of the Lenape Tribe at the end of the 17th century was known as the Wolf (Minsi). Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. So many of these sightings have been proven wrong misidentified bobcats, coyotes or even house cats) that it would be irresponsible for a biologist to accept any of them as fact without absolute physical evidence hair, droppings, tracks or a road-killed animal. 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. They mostly live in the far western Trans-Pecos region of the state, where they can freely roam 50,000 to 80,000 acres of land. RelatedBigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know. "They're getting a lot of that out west. Some outdoor enthusiasts insist they have seen the big cats here and believe them to be naturally occurring, native animals. Mountain lions have a lifespan of about 8 to 13 years old in the wild. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? 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. It was decided that this shouldn't influence the decision and, in fact, an infusion of new genes produces a hybrid vigor, lessening the chance of in-breeding. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. 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. 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.). Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. 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). I believe them. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? Every year we receive a few similar reports from hikers, hunters or other outdoor enthusiasts. The agency has declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies ofmountain lions native to North America. A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. 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. Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. The reintroduction of mountain lions into South Dakota is one of the great wins of modern conservation. 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). 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. I believe Kross fully, but I wanted to hear more. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are no wild, breeding cougar populations in this state anymore. Mountain lions (cougars, pumas, and more) are among the top predators that live in the United States. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. Since mountain lions are the top predators (unlike most other states with grizzly bears), they have a well-developed population. According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. 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. 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 claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. The next day, the photo disappeared from the site. Colorado has a large number of mountain lions within its borders, mostly due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. Everyone else, when reporting, were frustrated as they were told they had seen a bobcat. (National Park Service). 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. During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. Depends on who you talk to, I guess. A tiny population of Florida cougars persists in the southeastern corner of the United States. This will be one of your best identification marks, along with size. Hunters I've spoken with said they've been told you can't kill a puma, which they felt was ironic since the same official told them pumas don't exist in Pa. Where they always here as a relic population? I had three cameras positioned, so had a cat visited, I'd have had it. Hunting is legal in the state, but it is heavily controlled and restricted. Unfortunately, their web site no longer seems active, and has been taken over by some wacky drug product. No An official form of the United States government. Something to consider, even though we all trust the government. Provided by Touchpoints People can manipulate, enhance or combine photos and then create their own stories about the subject's origin, location and even identification. On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. Biologists traced it. A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! 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 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.". It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? 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. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. PHILADELPHIA (AP) An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. Most nature magazines state whether the photos were taken "under controlled conditions" rather than in the wild.). The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. If youve done any research on your own, you may have noticed that we didnt include a lot of states that have had cougar sightings, especially in the last few years. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. Apparently, this picture was really making the rounds. Recently, a man I spoke with told me that he was reminded of a sighting he and two friends had 20 years earlier, and after recalling the incident he was motivated to call his college buddies and reflect on their observation. The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. The 2,400-square-mile area has long been a popular outdoor recreation area boasting hunting, fishing, skiing, and more. I Googled "Pocono mountain lion" and there it was the same photo, except the caption claimed that it was taken in Oklahoma, not Pennsylvania, and various posted comments asserted that the photo was manipulated. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. I haven't seen any reports like that.". A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. There are at least 20,000 black bears in Pa., and a small percentage are killed each year, but we're probably not talking about 20,000 pumas in the state. 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. I don't know if a Game Commission authority has actually said this or not, but people I've spoken to have reported this. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! That may be true, or was once true, but even a declawed puma, if it can survive off rabbits and squirrels, and breeds, its offspring would be fully equipted to survive. There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. ? Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. Why do I advocate manual exposure so avidly? At one point, there was debate whether that cat should be protected, since its genes were diluted from escapees or released pumas that originated in South America or our West. Their are two web sites I know of that dealt with eastern pumas, with the one, the Eastern Puma Research Network, concentrating on sightings in the east. September 21st, 2008, 08:14 PM #74. 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. In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. 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. 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. Some cats had a South American genetic profile. Instead, the person usually pauses, sometimes with a sheepish or embarrassed expression on his face, and seems reluctant to continue. 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. Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." with a fluted projectile point were found near Middletown, Orange County, New York. 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. 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. Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Recently, on our Arizona Hummingbird and Bat Photo Shoot, I found a deer that had been hit by a car and had moved off to die beside a stream just 200 yards upstream from our lodge. Most, quite honestly, don't know or can't believe or accept what they saw, they really can't believe their eyes. They often would catch sheep in broad daylight. In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. Others would like to see some scientific proof. It's sort of like big foot, some people say they've seen him.". 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. The bobcat wouldn't survive. The 'look' is from my What would account for the long tails? See also: Me? 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. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. Had this been faked, I'd suspect the hoaxter would try for a more authentic background. In this at this distant epoch, archaeologists attempt to clear some of the mists and mysteries of prehistoric times. 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? Currently, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback in regard to their historic range. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa.