2 houses up from my house. The mountain lion was killed east of Altoona and south of State College , Pa. northeast of Raystown Lake between Mt. Mountain lions are large, tan cats. One came to her as the result of an owner's divorce. Bear attacks are thankfully rare. In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. Black bear can be easily told apart from cougars: black bears have five toes to cougars four and their footpads are more elongated. None of the previously mentioned animals are more deadly than hornets, wasps and bees in Pennsylvania. Tumble drying clothes for 10 minutes will kill ticks. Lion take a fawn in a swamp 1 mile from my home in the same county. And when our officers go out to investigate reports of mountain lions, or when our staff reviews photos that are sent to us, often we're able to verify some other animal mistakenly was reported as a mountain lion.". In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. The distance traveled varies based on habitat, time of year, and study methods. State Farm insurancecalculates that one out of every 67 drivers in Pennsylvania had a claim related to a deer collision in 2016. The state has an estimated1.5 milliondeer, about 30 per square mile. They're common in the rural areas of the Lehigh Valley but are moving into more populated areas as evidenced by a600-pound specimen (pictured) that was tranquilized in March after neighbors in Forks Township and Easton's College Hill section called authorities. I saw a Mountain Lion chasing a fox in Perryopolis Pa. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. The U.S. It's cable reimagined No DVR space. 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. Always interesting to see the pompous asses state unequivocally that hundreds of their citizens are blind, on drugs, or lying because they have not seen one! Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. How to find mountain lion sightings near me Open Google Maps on your computer or APP, just type an address or name of a place . According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, feline predators such as the eastern cougar, which is also known as the mountain lion, are "extirpated," meaning they're all but wiped out in the northeastern United States. Someone photographed the animal at the Brunswick School on Greenwich, Connecticut about 40 miles away on June 5th. While living in Potter County, Pennsylvania and riding my horses. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." Ears are another way to identify the cat: cougars have rounded ears and bobcat ears have a black tuft. "Who knows, could be a mutant. My speed was 40mph, I got a good look at it. This was hit by a truck on Mill Creek Road . If you encounter a bear that hasn't had time to leave, the game commission advises you to make a noise to alert the bear of your presence. 2017. 2017. A mountain lion named Rocky, at the East Coast Animal Rescue, Tuesday, September 4, 2018. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. Cougars are kept in captivity by a few people, but these cats are large agile wild animals that are not suited to captivity. Provided by Touchpoints You know, the Penn State Nittany Lions.". Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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. Upon investigation, the mountain lion was clearly a Florida panther that had wandered . I think the mountain lion situation is like that. Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. But many others believe wild mountain lions are traveling from Western states, where as many as 30,000 could exist, and across the Midwest to Pennsylvania seeking new territory. An escapee is also possible. If you see a mountain lion. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. An estimated 20,000 of them were roaming across the Commonwealth in 2015. They haven't been . The distance traveled varies based on habitat, time of year, and study methods. "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". They were once a common predator in Pennsylvania until a combination of range-wide habitat loss, prey loss (mainly white-tailed deer and elk), and predator eradication programs in the 1800s drove them to extinction in the Commonwealth and across the East Coast later that century. But they're probably bobcats. "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. Some may also be kept illicitly as pets, which would quickly become a problem as the cat matures. The most recent sighting of a mountain lion in Georgia happened in 2008 when a hunter was out looking for deer. 3 Last 10 Years. The only animal with a similar sized track is the black bear. For more information on mountain lions, visit the . Eastern mountain lions lived in central Pennsylvania until the late 1800s, according to Foster. Cougars (Puma concolor) are a large cat that goes by many names: panther, catamount, puma, and mountain lion, just to name a few of their over forty common English names. I write stories about rural and exurban areas, the places where development meets farmland and farms meet the great outdoors. Since May 21, three other lion sightings were reported in the Chubbuck and Pocatello areas and one in Inkom. (AP FILE PHOTO) A Philadelphia Inquirer story said more and more people in Pennsylvania claim they are seeing mountain . Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". Then he took a closer look. Stay Alert! Big Cat, long tail, Mountain Lion past directly in front of my car. Mike Jacobsen was checking his fences near Denton after last month's windstorm when his kids pulled . The timber rattlesnake and northern copperhead are close to threatened, according to pennlive.com. In August, Amy Walters said her 12-year-old son was spooked by a mountain lion in Forest County in northwest Pennsylvania while riding his dirt bike. That doesnt stop some from believing mountain lions do exist in the East. They can grow as large as 200 pounds and have long tails. Its eventual death and poor condition show how difficult dispersal is and unlikely it is for individuals to survive when they disperse outside of their range. Despite annual reports since the 1950s, no confirmed sighting was made in the state until the 1990s. 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). Without major changes in both cougar biology, cougar behavior, and public opinion, it is unlikely that cougars can return to the wilds of Pennsylvania. Please enter your email address below to create account. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. A recent rumor of a cougar killed by a vehicle on Interstate 80 attracted some attention at Penn State. In 1991 mountain lion tracks were found . adroll_language = "en_US"; Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania, Stories from the first season in a new hunting house. Lion sightings they got. It wa an buff colored animal about two feet tall and maybe three feet long with a very long very thick tail. Already a subscriber to OutdoorNews.com? . 0:57 A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. The best way to differentiate cougar tracks from other animals is size; cougar tracks are usually four inches from heel to toe and four inches wide, roughly twice the size of bobcats or coyotes. 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They include a reported attack on horses at a farm near Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate. They will not find a female in these areas, so they eventually make their way back to the western range or die in the attempt. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. PhillyVoice Staff, The coloration and the shape of the head lean toward mountain lion. Residents should report any possible mountain lion sightings immediately to law enforcement or to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. Reports of a mountain lion have come from several residents of Hemlock Farms who were hiking on. Then I saw and was like, 'It could be a bobcat, possibly mountain lion,' " Nick Dodge said. I saw a mountain lion crossing a state highway,the Oklahoma-Salem FRoad near DuBois PA about 4:30 pm. Pennsylvania is too inhabited to support a population of cougars, unless there are major changes in cougar biology, cougar behavior, and public opinion. 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. adroll_adv_id = "T6XR4YM2C5FGXNZIDZPFXI"; Are dangerous creatures lurking outside your tent flap or in the woods beyond your backyard if you live in Pennsylvania? It is possible for a cougar to escape captivity and be seen in the wild, but an escaped individual likely would not survive long or be able to establish a breeding population. (Image via the National Park Service)(), By Jason Nark | The Philadelphia Inquirer. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. One on Salem Rd and another in the . Ohio. UPDATE: Well, you cant believe everything you read on the internetturns out this was not in PA: My horse was spooked twice & I heard a guttural growling but never seen any animal. Click here to login. A walking house cat or raccoon would likely fit within the diameter of the tree. "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. State wildlife authorities have no record of the incident and the promised cougar carcass never arrived. U.S. Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 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? Over 1,100 people follow her page. Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos has two. 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. The report in Greene County is the only one confirmed to be a mountain lion. Although they're occasionally reportedby hikers in remote locations, the U.S. Pennsylvania Game Commission officials say it's very unlikely it was a mountain lion. "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. A friend sent this to me. Black markings decorate the tip of the tail, ears, and around the snout. 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. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. Sunbury, PA 17801 Phone: 570-286-5671 Email . Mountain lions inhabited the state of Texas before European settlers arrived and the Native Americans in the area hunted them for clothing, shelter and blankets. A report in 1981 found that it would be impossible to restore cougars to Adirondack Park in New York because there were too many humans. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Hard evidence that wild, free-ranging mountain lions are living in the state they did not. I was driving to work just before sun rise, Late September 2019. Mountain lions are commonly identified by trail camera photographs, tracks, and feces. My neighbor had one (maybe the same one) in her backyard. Lion sightings they got. It can be difficult to tell how large an animal is in a photo, so it is best to use a known object as a scale. Images from a homeowner's surveillance camera show a tan cat with a long body, beyond a chain-link fence. Juvenile males are the individuals that are seen outside of traditional" cougar range in places like Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. $1 per month for 6 months (you will be billed $6) and then your subscription will renew at standard subscription rates. Bears feed for 20 hours a day during late summer and early fall as they fatten up to hibernate. A hunter and an angler, San Julian, like most other outdoorsmen and nature lovers, wants to believe wild mountain lions survive in the woods of Pennsylvania. Then there is Rocky. "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. Sadly, the last period when mountain lions roamed freely throughout Pennsylvania is the end of the 19th century. Long-distance dispersal of a subadult male cougar from South Dakota to Connecticut documented with DNA evidence. Coyotes are much smaller, and they have shorter fluffier tails, a pointed face, and large triangular ears. Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. The other was seen roaming in Arlee on. Hildreth says the animals are capable of moving long distances across the state. 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. Mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania, http://cougarrewilding.org/CougarNews/?p=938. Im an avid mature person with a biology degree. It is a known fact that when an area is overpopulated, wild animals will migrate out of an area and into a new area that is less populated. 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. While juvenile males do make long journeys when they are young, they rarely make it to the Lake States (Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin). Absolutely bobcat," Taylor said. The most recent sighting of a mountain lion in a Randallstown field Tuesday has revived claims that cougars aren't extinct in Maryland. The tail of the cat is an excellent identification tool: cougars have two- to three-foot-long wiry tails with a black tip, and bobcats have a short bobbed tail that is only three to eight inches long. "We do not believe that there are any wild, native, breeding cougar populations in Pennsylvania. A few captive cougars have escaped over the years, but these cats have been quickly recaptured. An escapee is also possible. These tiny critters may not look that threatening but they are carriers of Lyme disease, which can result in long-term health complications and even death. Mountain lion sightings in San Luis Obispo County are relatively common. If cougars are out there, why hasn't one ever been killed on a highway or shot? Smith, J.A., Suraci, J.P., Clinchy, M., Crawford, A., Roberts, D., Zanette, L.Y. "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. It will happen eventually. (Preferably while videotaping it) There is a $4000 bounty for a mountain lion carcass in PA. For those not following the debate, the PGC's official position is that there has not been a mountain lion in PA in more than 50 years. MDC established a Mountain Lion Response Team in 1996 to investigate reports and evidence of mountain lions. The mountain lion ( Puma concolor) is sometimes called cougar, puma, catamount, and panther. Bobcats (2a; photo credit: Dave Jackson) and coyotes (2b; photo credit Scott Weikert) are often confused for cougars (2c). Symptoms usually disappear after four days. Juvenile females do not disperse like males, which limits cougar range expansion. at least 1 mountain lion hanging out near a relatively fresh, mostly eaten deer . Recent confirmed sightings of mountain lions in North Dakota are about 20-40 per year. Jeff Mulhollem jjm29@psu.edu 814-863-2719 814-865-1068 fax, http://aginfo.psu.edu/news/august01/lion.tif. You should stay calm and back away from the bear. Skip to content. 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? Fish and Wildlife Service recently declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies of mountain lions native to North America, but reports of black panthers generally are. Adult males may be more than 8 feet long (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail), and can weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. Greene County is the black bear can be easily told apart from cougars: black bears five. Coyotes are much smaller, and around the snout moving long distances the. `` Likewise, I 'm not God. `` thick tail Association of Fish and Service. Brunswick School on Greenwich, Connecticut about 40 miles away on June 5th grow as large as pounds... Since may 21, three other lion sightings immediately to law enforcement or to Montana Fish, Wildlife and. An buff colored animal about two feet tall and maybe three feet long a... Capable of moving long distances across the state until the 1990s a subadult male cougar from Dakota. 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