Stephen Gencarella, professor of folklore studies at the University of Massachusetts and a Connecticut resident, says, The government coverup is only the latest version of something that could stretch back in the oral tradition to precolonial times. He notes that supposed mountain lion sightings spiked in the late 1800s and early 1900s shortly after the animals disappeared from New Englands woods. So its this gathering storm. She was calling from a trail in Pootatuck State Forest, the 1,200-acre strip of nature occupying the hills above Squantz Pond in New Fairfield. We have people eating dinner in their kitchen, they hear a noise, all of a sudden a bear walks in, so they run into their bedroom to get away from the bear, while the bears out ransacking their refrigerator. And there are different schools of thought about that. On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. he recalls. A harvest is kind of twofold. Posted on Published: November 4, 2022- Last updated: December 28, 2022. to scare it off. Im watching it, its big, its got the body, and the thing that really gave it away was the tail, had that mountain lion long tail that goes down to the ground and comes up at the end, saw that and was like, thats a freaking mountain lion.. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. By, Corporate Support: Advertising & Sponsorship, Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, New Haven's mayor lays out new budget proposal, Hartford Public Library expands services at branches while downtown location remains closed, Connecticut COVID data: Your town's infection rate, hospitalizations & vaccinations, Israeli army kills Palestinian in West Bank; 3 arrested following shooting of CT man, Democrats hold three CT House seats in special elections, As new research suggests COVID-19 is now endemic, physicians push back, Long COVID rates fall by half nationwide, New England rates among lowest, Long COVID researchers in CT to get part of $10 million in federal funding, For the first time in decades, The Old Farmer's Almanac is looking for a new editor, NSC-131 members say they can't find a NH defense lawyer for pending civil rights case, Proposal to rename the Thames River sparks debate among Connecticut tribes. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. So is the second largest extant cat in North America still managing to eke out a living in the . Following the recent death of a mountain lion in Milford, and several reported. And theyre not going to find one, because the females don't disperse like that. DEEP says Connecticut does not have a mountain lion population. A young male was hit and killed by a car several years ago, but. Were getting more and more home entries every year. Have a map downloaded. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. However, because they are capable of traveling great distances, they have turned up in all parts of North Dakota. It had rained previously. Rego says that if there were many other animals like the 2011 cat that died in Milford, there would be more visual or physical evidence. These tips include carrying safety equipment and walking . Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Roadkills can be reported to 860-424-3011. He was previously a reporter for the Danbury News-Times and the Ridgefield Press. Hawley said that the typical range of cougars like mountain lions is from west of the South Dakota area. They are named for their short (bobbed) tail which is often about six inches in length. Population estimates are thought to be around 20 individuals which is considered caring capacity based on the amount of land and . Hes even had his own false sighting. (UPDATE, JANUARY 19, 2022) The Great Falls Police Department said on Wednesday morning that the mountain lion that has been lurking around town for the last . Here are some physical differences between mountain lions and bobcats: These 2 big cats also behave differently. I saw one cross the rd ( rt 63) in Wtn @ 5 yrs ago, @Craig, Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. When we lived in Suffield, we had MANY Mountain Lion sightings.probably 4-5 sightings (which qualifies as many to me) and they were definitely not Bobcats. He points out that when there was a real mountain lion in the state in 2011, his office publicized it immediately. This is a carousel. Today, instead of focusing on cougar sightings in Eastern states, many cougar enthusiasts want to protect the animal from being hunted in the regions in which they are currently found. Hawley: That animal was documented. Betty, who has had a dozen personal sightings in Rhode Island, studies mountain lion evidence and attends national conventions. Five summers ago, a mountain lion made regional headlines after it was photographed in Greenwich and later struck and killed by a motor vehicle on the parkway in Milforda young male that DEEP officials determined through DNA evidence had traveled east all the way from South Dakota. WOODBRIDGE Police are offering tips after they said there have been several mountain lion sightings in town. That had to be a mountain lion. According to authorities, the mountain lion was reportedly seen on Friday including on. Report a Moose Sighting Select the link above to report your sighting. Most mountain lion sightings are reported without any evidence other than eyewitness descriptions. Im no wilderness expert, but it sure looked like a mountain lion to me, he said. Betty later showed maps covered with dots, each of which represented sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut and the rest of New England. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. South Windsor resident Stafford King is sure that he saw a cougar on his land three years ago. In 2011, genetic testing confirmed that a mountain lion originated in South Dakota and traveled more than 1,500 miles before being struck by a car on the Merritt Parkway, according to Reuters. So theres fresh mud. of Energy & Environmental Protection. Anyone can get fooled. However, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEE. Give users the ability to create and share their own custom maps and use zoom, pinch, rotate, and tilt to explore maps in more detail. This is the mountain lion that was hit by a car in Milford after several sightings in the Greenwich area. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. The Damned Story: Eastern mountain lions, or pumas or cougars, were last officially seen in Connecticut near the end of the 19th century. Copyright 2022 WFSB. This young adult, male Mountain Lion was struck and killed by a SUV in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2012. On June 11, 2011, in Milford, CT, a mountain lion was killed by a motor vehicle. Live Now All times eastern. Sometimes referred to as the ghosts of the forest, mountain lions or cougars are stealthy hunters that are hard to spot, even in areas they are known to inhabit. Bobcats don't shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. The map below includes both confirmed and unverified puma sightings in the larger San Francisco Bay region (and beyond) since 2004. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. Even so, for decades, skeptics dismissed mountain lion sightings in Connecticut out of hand, pointing out that if the cats were here in anywhere close to the number of reported sightings, there would be DNA and physical evidence of their presence, not to mention photos and videos. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. Almost every state has some sort of legend of something thats hiding somewhere, he says. Five summers ago, a mountain lion made regional headlines after it was photographed in Greenwich and later struck and killed by a motor vehicle on the parkway in Milford a young male that DEEP officials determined through DNA evidence had traveled east all the way from South Dakota. More sightings that Halm deemed credible came in 2018 from Nursery, Marvin Ridge and Briscoe Roads.. Halm noted that the route between the two recent sightings appears to be straight south. Join as a $8 per month sustainer and get our brand-new owl umbrella! But that doesnt stop people from seeing them. What would motivate DEEP officials to do this isnt clear. Mountain Lions: Large tan cats with a distinctive two to three-foot curving tail, that can almost touch the ground as they walk. 4:30 PM. Typically, mountain lion sightings occur from a distance and usually around dawn or dusk. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. Weve done a lot of work over the years investigating sightings. Although common at the time of European settlement, the last known historical specimen in Missouri was killed in the Bootheel area in 1927. As far as the claim that mountain lions live in CT, as we address in the previous section, that has been debunked. Copyright 2023 The Connecticut Explorer | Wisteria on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Connecticut Explorer Home Find Things to do in CT. Almost daily, there are claims of mountain lion sightings in CT, though. 5. From family fun to restaurants and everything in between, everything you need to know about CT is right here. NHPR is nonprofit and independent. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it, he recalls. In the 1930s, Bruce Wright, an influential wildlife manager from New Brunswick, Canada, began gathering reports of sightings of mountain lions in the East and searching for their tracks. Explore the most popular trails in my list Mountain lion sightings with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. Time changes all and Im not going to shut the door on the future and say that a breeding population of cougars is not here because the day after tomorrow they could be here its just a matter of time., Though a deer hunter herself, Morse is opposed to the way mountain lions have been hunted in the western U.S., where they are found. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. We have people eating dinner in their kitchen, they hear a noise, all of a sudden a bear walks in, so they run into their bedroom to get away from the bear, while the bears out ransacking their refrigerator. For decades, wildlife experts should have been seeing occasional scat and paw prints in the winter. Are There a Lot of Spiders in Connecticut? Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. Hawley: Yeah. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? 1 Last 365 Days. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. Sighting reports of bobcats will help biologists gain an understanding of the current state population. We have had five coyotes crossing through our yard in the past few weeks, and one even lingers around our property and the neighbors. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. We get a lot of pictures sent to us, and people say, I took this picture of a mountain lion in my backyard. And Ill look at it, and to me, its clearly a bobcat, Hawley said. Rego says that the way bobcats stride when they run, often times a rear leg is kicked up in the back and that could be mistaken for a long tail.. Eastern Cougar Sightings Mountain Lions in New York. Walking our dog in the woods, she had just seen a giant feline saunter across the path. If needed, throw rocks, sticks, etc. However, the captive lion theory was also wrong. We know that the closest established breeding population is in either the Everglades of Florida theres a small population down there and then out in South Dakota and Nebraska. This might serve as proof to some that there, in fact, might still be mountain lions in CT. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. But a high-profile sighting in 2011 stirred up renewed interest in the animals here, when a mountain lion from South Dakota was hit and killed by a car on a Connecticut highway. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. It was found, though, that this particular big cat had traveled all the way from South Dakota a distance of 1,500 miles. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. They can be seen at any time of the day or night, but are most active at dawn and . On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. and last updated 8:18 AM, Jan 21, 2022. Its extremely rare for a person to see a wild animal and to underestimate its size. Anyone can get fooled. 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Ive seen bobcats before, this wasnt a bobcat. And its a lose-lose situation, because theres really not a whole lot you can tell them in most cases thats going to change their mind.. And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. Young pumas dispersing from Western habitats are being killed at the source, compromising the Easts critical opportunity for ecosystem health and the return of an apex carnivore., Regardless of where they are found, or whether people want to hunt or protect them, people are enchanted by mountain lions. The Division also collects carcasses of road-killed bobcats as part of the study. I frankly have lost faith in some government institutions for this very reason. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. Mountain lion, cougar, puma, panther, painter, and catamount are all different names for the same animal ( Puma concolor ). While Betty had plenty of evidence to support a mountain lion population, the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection still lists the mountain lion as extinct under the Endangered Species Act. 2012). She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. Multiple people in North Stonington claim they've spotted a mountain lion roaming around. And there are different schools of thought about that. 6. "We get calls about mountain lions all the time, but they turn out to be unprovable," Brown told the Independent in March. Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, For the first time in decades, The Old Farmer's Almanac is looking for a new editor, NSC-131 members say they can't find a NH defense lawyer for pending civil rights case, Cautiously optimistic: Maple syrup producers expect a good season this year, In Spokane, Washington, officials test a housing strategy rejected by NH lawmakers. New Hampshire Public Radio | She was also the voice behind the weekly Connecticut Real Estate newsletter by CT Insider. Report a new sighting Sightings List 1 2 (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) . Betty, however, said that the sheer number of sightings and evidence substantiates a native population of cougars. Mountain lions were hunted to extinction near the end of the 19th century. The upper mile is pretty overgrown in a pretty way. Otherwise, Hawley said cats like bobcats want nothing to do with people, and they will generally prey on chickens, small dogs or cats. Many people do not realize how large a grown Bobcat is. These sightings are so persistent that there is a conspiracy theory that says DEEP officials know mountain lions are in the state but cover up their existence. In 2011, genetic testing confirmed that a mountain lion originated in South Dakota and traveled more than 1,500 miles before being struck by a car on the Merritt Parkway, according to Reuters. Adult females typically weigh between 15 and 30 pounds and measure from 28 to 32 inches in length. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. I feel a little bit like Roy Scheider in Jaws, you know, youve got to shut down the beaches, he said. I couldnt tell you how happy I would be if mountain lions were actually recolonizing the state of Connecticut, Hawley says, but its just not happening., Hawley spoke about bobcats, mountain lions and bears on The Colin McEnroe Show: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators.. This can trigger a chase. But its also a great story that lays out how an animal this large, at 150 pounds, traveling through even rural areas, leaves signs and is detected. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . Hawley says that they would be finding carcasses of mountain lion prey and mountain lion tracks if these animals had recolonized the state, and this simply isnt happening. You really couldnt ask for a better place for mountain lions.. I agreeI am a person with very good knowledge of animals and know the distinct differences between closely related species in some cases Got a question or comment? Betty said that, according to officials, it's thought that there has been no reproducing, native population in the state since the 1920s. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. And the last confirmed sighting prior to the 2011 instance would be a couple hundred years ago, according to Hawley. Get started. State wildlife experts say those big cats have been extinct in Connecticut for more than 100 years. If a young male Cougar disperses East, instead of West, they're going to keep walking because they're going tokeep looking for an area where they can find a mate, he said. Bobcats: Whiskered face and are gray in the winter and tan in the summer, with black spots on their fur that are not always visible. Bachelder says he didnt have his phone on him, so he couldnt take a picture or video, but describes his backyard visitor just like what you see in the stock photo provided by the Woodbridge Police Department. The nearest known populations of mountain lions are in Wyoming, Colorado, North . But sometimes, instead of mountain lions, people thought they saw other creatures in the Connecticut woods, of which authorities were supposedly aware. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal likely trekked more than 1,500 miles from South Dakota, a journey that was captured by trail camera (above). In 2016, a woman reported seeing a mountain lion on a Fox Run Road property in New Canaan, though state officials said they were unable to confirm the sighting based on paw prints left by the animal. 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