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. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. They once inhabited the entire United States, but were killed off and pushed west. If we continue to be bombarded with manipulated photos and untrue claims in most cases by people who just want to get attention then we may be very resistant to accepting the "real McCoy" if or when) one finally arrives. A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. Noted Wayne County historian Phineas Goodrich recorded in his 1880 book on local history that the common gray wolf was much more common in this area than the cougar. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. Many have a desire to see some clear-cut evidence. The next day, the photo disappeared from the site. 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. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. 1.8 miles, 2 hours, moderate. Phineas Teeple of Manchester Township is thought to have killed the last wolf in Wayne County. 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. "It was in Worthington State Forest just across the Delaware River from Smithfield Beach). A total of 32 mountain lions have been struck and killed by vehicles in the study area since 2002. And this genetic mix has been recognized, and the Florida puma is still protected. 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. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. 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. These cubs are born blind and helpless. Scientists debate whether the large prehistoric mammals became extinct at the end of the Ice Age due to over-hunting, or rapid climate warming. No evidence has ever been produced to support those charges. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? Additionally, California banned the hunting of cougars back in 1972, encouraging population growth. 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. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? 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. She feeds and cares for them with donations and grants. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. The State cites that there are no road-kills, and in a heavily trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills. "They're getting a lot of that out west. 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. He also noted that if the cat was here, wouldn't they be reproducing and increasing in population by now? Knowing that pumas range widely, would my ridge be the only one closed? The mountain lion population in Nevada is essential to the control of deer and rodent populations in the mountainous regions of the state. Illinois can also now be added to this list a mountain lion was found on the outskirts of Chicago. On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. 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. . But an image captured by one family's. Instead, the person usually pauses, sometimes with a sheepish or embarrassed expression on his face, and seems reluctant to continue. Who knows? Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. Interestingly, the US Fish and Wildllife Service has declared the Eastern Puma extinct, except for the Florida population known as the Florida panther. It's sort of like big foot, some people say they've seen him.". In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. 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. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . Biologists traced it. 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. 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. "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". This happens usually around the 18-month mark. The 2,400-square-mile area has long been a popular outdoor recreation area boasting hunting, fishing, skiing, and more. I've seen hoaxes, of pumas carrying deer shot with game cameras, but these were of western cats. 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! Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. If mountain lions are discovered in PA anytime soon they'll either be big foot's pets or genetically engineered and released by the DCNR to cull the orangu-bear population. My friend was a former hunter and fisherman, and spent a lot of time in the woods, as did I, but neither of us had ever seen a coyote. With the Great Lakes in its way, the cat moved either north or south of the water, and the latter route would have seen it pass through at least some of Pennsylvania. The Asa Packer Mansion, built in the year 1861, is a historic house museum. 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. Armand Martinelli isn't only the mayor of East Stroudsburg, he's also a hunter who is connected with plenty of people in the area. Mountain lion populations struggle to outpace the high hunting limits. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. There is no known estimate of the number of mountain lions inhabiting Texas. It also mentioned that someone raising a mountain lion without a license may either have let it go when it became too large to handle, or that the animal had escaped. This is huge news for conservationists around the country and a sign that cougars may be heading east once again. I believe them. Mountain lions are well-established in 14 western states and have also recently been confirmed in 10 Midwestern states: Nebraska, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. What equipment do we take in the field? He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. Known as the Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania, there are four trails that lead to the cascades from the Bushkill Falls trailhead, each ranging in . 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. Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. Like Arizona, New Mexico is the perfect home for mountain lions. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. As they get older, the cubs begin to leave the den and explore. Sadly, the hunting guidelines for cougars in Idaho are lax, with 400-600 cats being killed each year. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? 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. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? This is not a Pennsylvania puma! More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania I've done this myself once, in Tanzania, when I saw a black house cat that I thought was a black leopard! One of the three branches or clans of the Lenape Tribe at the end of the 17th century was known as the Wolf (Minsi). Where they always here as a relic population? I have three observations here: 1. Oregon has a large, stable breeding population of mountain lions. I'll be anxious to learn of your report. I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. Let's see a clear photo, or a carcass or something. "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. "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. 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. ", (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. Bo Ottman is a landscaper in Connecticut who founded an . Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. He saw a big cat. Mountain lions (cougars, pumas, and more) are among the top predators that live in the United States. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. 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. Mountain lions have a lifespan of about 8 to 13 years old in the wild. "I know they're native to this area. Michelle LaRue, executive director of the Cougar Network and a research ecologist at the University of Minnesota, will discuss the eastern expansion of cougars from their core range in the western U.S. at 7 p.m. in Moravian College's Haupert Union Building, Bethlehem. 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. And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. Some experts predict that this wide-ranging predator, which can travel 600 miles in search of a territory, will surely reach our eastern states sometime in the next few decades. The large tracts of untouched rocky land and bighorn sheep populations make for pristine mountain lion habitat. After all, how many people have pumas? They regularly join the camp of those angrily claiming the commission has introduced the big cats back into Pennsylvania as a control measure against the state's huge deer population. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. The Bushkill Falls are a series of eight waterfalls in a 300-acre wooded enclave hidden amongst the Poconos. Mountain lions have an interesting life cycle that consists of a few different characteristics. Note the long, usually thick tail. A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. do I get an immediate, 'Oh yeah!' 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. Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. Although unconfirmed, mountain lions continue to be reported in many spots across Pennsylvania, including several reports in the past couple months. Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. And book one of these Poconos cabins rentals for the best outdoor access to these activities. 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. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? Would a puma then qualify as a native species? Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. If you see or photograph a puma in the mid-Atlantic states, please email or call me. Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one. That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. 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. About half of the state of Montana is ideal for mountain lions, primarily in her western and central regions. This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. Once a mountain lion matures, it will leave its mother and find its own territory. 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! Viewers can never be certain that what they're seeing on a computer is actually what it's purported to be. I haven't seen any reports like that.". The state of Idaho is large, expansive, and full of rocky wilderness. Newspapers carried stories in 1956 about hunters supposedly seeing and killing wolves in Pike and Monroe Counties. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. There are controlled hunting laws in the state of Oregon. Periodically, via Google searches, I receive reports from people who believe they had seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania, or in other mid-Atlantic states. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. Archived Questions of the Month Fish and Wildlife Service. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. 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. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? 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. If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! 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. Of interestRamapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? 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. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? 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. And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? Only when I reviewed the images on my laptop did I discover that I had a mountain lion! There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. 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. Flying over the area, I've looked down and commented upon the amount of habitat that would be available for a puma, if only they existed. 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. 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. "We should be getting more pictures. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. Have some feedback for us? with a fluted projectile point were found near Middletown, Orange County, New York. The Pocono Mountains are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? ? Mountain Lion Reports It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not Most of my original Questions of the Month for the last several One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. All rights reserved (About Us). Images from a homeowner's surveillance camera show a tan cat with a long body, beyond a chain-link fence. 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.). Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? 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. Let me know if you have seen one! In the area around the border of Pennsylvania and West Virginia there are mountains and deep caves that contain some of the coal mines that were a major part of the state's industry in the early part of the 19 th century. "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. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. 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. Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. In 2011, a confirmed mountain lion was killed by a vehicle in Connecticut and which had been determined that it had wandered east from the Mid-West. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. At the end of the last Ice Age, many animals in Pennsylvania died out. 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. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are no wild, breeding cougar populations in this state anymore. 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.