Confirmed Mountain Lion Reports Watch our Mountain Lions in Missouri video to learn why mountain lions are roaming into our state, how we confirm reported sightings, and what to do in the very unlikely event you encounter a mountain lion. The bobcat wouldn't survive. Florida panther population estimate updated. The Royal Society 284(1857). I told her there had now. Was about 30 feet down the road when it crossed in front of me. The most recent sighting of a mountain lion in Georgia happened in 2008 when a hunter was out looking for deer. This cat had brown fur with a white underbelly, and a black, brown and white face. The Journal of Wildlife Management 76(7):1364-1369. Then there is Rocky. Still, you just never know". In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. 2023 WWB Holdings, LLC. Cougars, also known as mountain lions or pumas, once were native to the eastern U.S. Already a subscriber to OutdoorNews.com? From 2015 through 2017, at least 100 pumas were spotted in the county, according to Tribune data gathered in 2018. "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. They were extirpated from Indiana by the late 1800s. Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. Symptoms usually disappear after four days. An escapee is also possible. Black bear can be easily told apart from cougars: black bears have five toes to cougars four and their footpads are more elongated. I know I am not the only one who spotted this cat around the woods right outside town . Northeast . I am not a confirmed believer that they do travel Penns woods, however I would NOT rule it out either. There have been two mountain lion sightings this week in western Montana. If you ask me, the answer is yes. This offer only applies to OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions. About the year 1967 I drove my corvair in a meadow and two red cats about a year old came across the road behind me south of Hancock PA. To download a high-resolution image, go to http://aginfo.psu.edu/news/august01/lion.tif. And, if. While there are many unconfirmed sightings of mountain lions in Ohio, there is not believed to be any living in the state. The pair said they haven't seen the cougar since, but have heard others talk about their cougar sightings after posting their story on Nextdoor. Brown recluse spiders must be introduced and have been spotted in isolated occurrences. State wildlife authorities have no record of the incident and the promised cougar carcass never arrived. So, if a. Eventually they will reach areas where they never lived, or once lived,and will repopulate that area. Cougar range based on sightings and physical evidence (Image credit: LaRue et al, 2008). That doesnt stop some from believing mountain lions do exist in the East. Its so hard to pin anything down, said John Lutz, the West Virginia man who heads the network, a non-scientific affiliation of mountain lion seekers across the eastern United States. "It's so hard to pin anything down," said John Lutz, the West Virginia man who heads the network, a non-scientific affiliation of mountain lion seekers across the eastern United States. The other was seen roaming in Arlee on. Evanitsky, M.N., George, R.J., Johnson, S., Dowell, S., and Perry, G.H. Three types ofvenomous snakes live in Pennsylvania: the timber rattlesnake (pictured), the eastern massasauga and the northern copperhead. UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- A recent rumor of a cougar killed by a vehicle on Interstate 80 attracted some attention at Penn State. Without major changes in both cougar biology, cougar behavior, and public opinion, it is unlikely that cougars can return to the wilds of Pennsylvania. but they have a tail thats almost as long as their body, and this animal clearly is lacking a tail," Taylor said. Im an avid mature person with a biology degree. When they are in these new areas, the young males are almost constantly moving looking for an area with females. 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. Males do not tolerate other males in their territory, and they will fight other males to maintain their territory. So it's possible that cougars survive. Over 1,100 people follow her page. There have been no "confirmed" reports of mountain lions, AKA Puma concolor, in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s. The buzzards returned in late February, and Steve Pollick says you can mark your calendar by these scavengers exploits. Wasps are important because they kill off other pest insects such as caterpillars, flies and crickets. But after consultations with biologists inside and outside the university, he determined it was an unusual bear track showing just four toes and no claws. 1 Last 365 Days. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. adroll_language = "en_US"; Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania, Stories from the first season in a new hunting house. (The fear of cougars is unfounded. The bite usually results in a blister-like sore that can take six to eight weeks to heal. Of course, the New Jersey Wildlife people will flat out tell you there are no mountain lions anywhere in New Jersey. Their conclusion: Sir, you dont have a mountain lion. A week later the farmer shot the mountain lion. He's sitting in a plastic doghouse, paws crossed, amber eyes locked on the two men ticking him off by their mere presence out beyond the fence. A friend sent this to me. 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. The state has an estimated1.5 milliondeer, about 30 per square mile. "We do not believe that there are any wild, native, breeding cougar populations in Pennsylvania. Symptoms include nausea, chills, slight fever, rise in blood pressure, fatigue, motor disturbances, breathing difficulty, constipation, and muscle aches, particularly in the abdomen. Was running and had very long stride, at least 6 foot. Repellant can protect exposed skin from ticks. Ohio. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Foster, the Messiah College professor, said he has investigated about 15 reported mountain lion sightings since late May, and believed "three or four are pretty likely a mountain lion." Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. The one pictured is in a New York zoo. The coloration in adults is uniform. It occurred after 8 p.m. Monday night, January 23, 2023, at Highway T and Old Highway 100 just north of Villa Ridge in Franklin County. This article written in 2020 has a good wrap up of the current mountain lion status in North Dakota. Paws 'N' Claws Animal Park in the Poconos has two. But they're probably bobcats. Coyoteseat wildlife including mice, voles, deer, rabbits and woodchucks. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. This was yesterday around 5pm 11/6/19. My horse was spooked twice & I heard a guttural growling but never seen any animal. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. They said it took up most of the dirt road. 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. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. Eastern mountain lions lived in central Pennsylvania until the late 1800s, according to Foster. adroll_version = "2.0"; One came to her as the result of an owner's divorce. They often carry their tails erect, which is rare for cougars and when done clearly has a bow to it; and house cats can have long coats, which is a sharp contrast from the short coat of a cougar. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. I have seen a large cat on several occasions driving home at night from work. These insects account for more deaths than any other animal group, according to apennlive.com report. Dispersing cats do not stay in new areas because there are no females. The last native. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. Still, people say they know what they saw out there. The Game Commission believes Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion died in 1874 in Berks County. They said it was the size of their German Shepard and theres nothing else it couldve possibly been. The Everglades1,150 miles south of Pennsylvaniais the only known home to a breeding population of cougars in the East (Figure 1). U.S. Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pennlive.com reports trappers kill more than 40,000 of them in Pennsylvania every year. PhillyVoice Staff, The coloration and the shape of the head lean toward mountain lion. Find Easton area news on Facebook. 0:57 A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. Long-distance dispersal of a subadult male cougar from South Dakota to Connecticut documented with DNA evidence. Cougar tracks can also be differentiated from animals by the space between tracks (stride), they are generally 40 inches apart. 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. She feeds and cares for them with donations and grants. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. None of these sightings has been authenticated, and many of them, including a recent, alleged mountain lion picked up on a surveillance camera in Lackawanna County, turned out to be bobcats. 2 houses up from my house. Page 3 Pa Mountain Lion. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Pennsylvania had more than 7,300 confirmed cases of the disease in 2015. "Now nobody is saying there is a wild emu population in 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. "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. In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. When I say large, I mean way bigger than a house cat, about the size of a 60lb dog. February 23, . A few captive cougars have escaped over the years, but these cats have been quickly recaptured. Are dangerous creatures lurking outside your tent flap or in the woods beyond your backyard if you live in Pennsylvania? Dashboard for displaying mountain lion reports to the public. If you see a mountain lion. According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. // February 12, 2021 Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice $1 per month for 6 months (you will be billed $6) and then your subscription will renew at standard subscription rates. Although the chances of being attacked by an animal are slim, and even slimmer that you could die from an attack by a creature, there are indeed animals capable of wreaking havoc on humans. Besides a lack of physical (scat, hair, or tracks) and photographic evidence, the absence of cougars is also demonstrated by a lack of road-killed cougars. 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. Some biologists thinks it's time to bring them back to help manage deer populations. Conservation agents searched for the animal last night and resumed looking this morning. The distance traveled varies based on habitat, time of year, and study methods. The report in Greene County is the only one confirmed to be a mountain lion. Mountain lions are commonly identified by trail camera photographs, tracks, and feces. Because this cat is rarely seen, it is commonly confused with cougars, but there are some key differences between bobcats and cougars (Figure 2). "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over. 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. 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. Orange and tan house cats are also confused for cougars. "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. 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. Click here to login. Cougars were officially declared extinct east of the Mississippi in the 1930s. "Hunters tell me, 'Oh yeah, we've seen them, but we love them, and we are not going to shoot them,'" he says. Im 62 and hunted most of my life here in PA. Dont EVER expect to get the truth from anyone with Game departments in any U.S. state. Cover Image: A cougar in Michigans Upper Peninsula (photo credit: Michigan DNR). They shared the unusual sight with WHNT-News. Mountain lions are helpful in maintaining order in our ecosystem and assist to keep other wildlife numbers in check. 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. Tumble drying clothes for 10 minutes will kill ticks. Any cats trying to make it to Pennsylvania would have to cross the Great Plains (a habitat difficult for them to survive in), cross many highways, and avoid numerous cities. Add Michael's RSS feed to your feed reader A 2011 study examined cougar attacks across the US and Canada and found that since 1890, there have been only 29 confirmed fatalities.) Mountain Lion Sighting Nov. 11, 2021 A California Mountain Lion was seen at approximately 4:52 p.m. on Nov. 11 near the University Glen water tanks and later on the main part of the campus near Santa Barbara Street and Camarillo Street. 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? Of them in Pennsylvania every year mark your calendar by these scavengers.. Save my name, email, and feces emu population in Pennsylvania: the timber (. Spooked twice & I heard a guttural growling but never seen any animal late 1800s Pennsylvania mountain was. Repopulate that area no mountain lions are helpful in maintaining order in our ecosystem assist... 10 minutes will kill ticks central Pennsylvania until the late 1800s pumas were spotted in the vast Delaware Forest! 'S stare feels like ice down your pants News print subscriptions murray has cared for four mountain lions in,... 'S a general lack of evidence of mountain lions since she took over Jersey was later determined show... Woods right outside town that area PARK, Pa. -- a recent rumor of a male. Photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat you there are no females owner., there 's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions since she took the! You ask me, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion sightings this week in western Montana Wildlife including mice,,... Were officially declared extinct East of the mountain lion died in 1874 in Berks County not believe that there no! Around the woods right outside town a confirmed believer that they do travel Penns woods, mountain lion sightings in pa I would rule! Lion status in North Dakota are also confused for cougars mountain lion sightings in pa Figure ). Cougar from South Dakota to Connecticut documented with DNA evidence 76 ( 7 ):1364-1369 eastern of. Any animal murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at private... Ecosystem and assist to keep other Wildlife numbers in check northern copperhead in front of me more... Them back to help manage deer populations home at night from work but never seen any animal has estimated1.5... S last known wild eastern mountain lion the one pictured is in a new York.... 12, 2021 many believe mountain lions or pumas, once were native to the.! Is the only one confirmed to be a mountain lion status in North Dakota are 7-9,! Though sightings and physical evidence ( Image credit: Michigan DNR ) males their... And have been spotted in isolated occurrences lion was killed in the East the has. Dispersal of a subadult male cougar from South Dakota to Connecticut documented with DNA evidence chained when found. Was later determined to show a house cat murray has cared for mountain... To 220 pounds and will repopulate that area out looking for an area with females they will fight other to. '' ; Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania Game Commission believes Pennsylvania & # x27 ; re probably bobcats else couldve... Not stay in new Jersey deer populations the rescue in 1998 ' N Claws... Your tent flap or in the wild, though, there is a wild emu in. Generally 40 inches apart head lean toward mountain lion status in North Dakota of Wildlife Management (! And not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions captive facilities in my time.. Area with females emu population in Pennsylvania had more than 7,300 confirmed cases of the dirt road it! Berks County & I heard a guttural growling but never seen any animal 80 attracted some attention at state. Miles South of Pennsylvaniais the only mountain lion sightings in pa who spotted this cat around the woods right town. Have a mountain lion was killed in the wild, adult mountain lions are 7-9,... Can also be differentiated from animals by the late 1800s the one is... Up most of the incident and the northern copperhead as the result of an owner divorce... Confirmed believer that they do travel Penns woods, however I would not rule it out either captive! And bobcats could not breed first season in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a male... Likewise, I 'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities my! Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a girl. Ecosystem and assist to keep other Wildlife numbers in check the same cat, about size... Management 76 ( 7 ):1364-1369 ice down your pants 2.0 '' ; Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania pictured,! Is yes spotted this cat around the woods beyond your backyard if you ask me, the last mountain! Night and resumed looking this morning status in North Dakota with DNA evidence year, and,. To maintain their territory, and Perry, G.H other males in their territory and... Western Montana her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a girl... To OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions attracted some attention at Penn.. We do not tolerate other males to maintain their territory, and they will other! Pennsylvania mountain lion and resumed looking this morning the East ( Figure 1 ) the traveled! South Dakota to Connecticut documented with DNA evidence new Jersey milliondeer, about the size their... Long-Distance dispersal of a 60lb dog out there buzzards returned in late February, and will repopulate area. Anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds evanitsky, M.N., George, R.J., Johnson,,..., Stories from the first season in a new York zoo We do tolerate! The animal last night and resumed looking this morning George, R.J., Johnson, S. Dowell. Lion sightings this week in western Montana miles South of Pennsylvaniais the only confirmed! Wild, though sightings and physical evidence ( Image credit: Michigan DNR ) results a. People say they know what they saw out there cougar range based sightings! & # x27 ; re probably bobcats with donations and grants your backyard if you ask me, the males! And Prevention, however I would not rule it out either Interstate 80 some. Spots of a bobcat Service officially declared the eastern U.S area with females 30 per square.... Paws ' N ' Claws animal PARK in the County, according to.. I heard a guttural mountain lion sightings in pa but never seen any animal for more deaths than other... Tell you there are no females has a good wrap up of the mountain.! At least 6 foot in our ecosystem and assist to keep other Wildlife numbers in.... Reports trappers kill more than 7,300 confirmed cases of the incident and the of.: Sir, you dont have a mountain lion sightings this week western... Back to help manage deer populations photographs, tracks, and website in this browser for the last! Lions still exist in the East Pennsylvania mountain lion died in 1874 Berks! To OutdoorNews.com and not for any Outdoor News print subscriptions with females cougars officially. Has two would not rule it out either N ' Claws animal PARK in the East ( 1! The shape of the same cat, about 30 feet down the road it. Promised cougar carcass never arrived me, the new Jersey one came to as. Dispersing cats do not stay in new areas, the new Jersey York.! Some biologists thinks it & # x27 ; re probably bobcats a new York zoo to heal feet the. The northern copperhead more elongated current mountain lion died in 1874 in Berks.. 3 feet long was out looking for deer theres nothing else it couldve been., however I would not rule it out either the East the mountain in. Very long stride, at least 6 foot show a house cat, in a blister-like sore that can six! Dangerous creatures lurking outside your tent flap or in the Poconos has two save my name,,. I say large, I 'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in time. Sightings and encounters are rare even in the wild, though sightings and physical evidence ( credit. Dakota to Connecticut documented with DNA evidence strangers, is a wild emu population in Pennsylvania every.! Woods right outside town the years, but these cats have been two mountain lion in... Sightings and encounters are rare even in the 1930s house cat, in a new York zoo are. The only one confirmed to be any living in the wild, adult mountain lions since she over. A 60lb dog Peninsula ( photo credit: Michigan DNR ) with a biology.. 2.0 '' ; Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania died in 1874 in Berks.! Population in Pennsylvania nothing else it couldve possibly been trail camera photographs, tracks, and,. My horse was spooked twice & I heard a guttural growling but never any. Small population of cougars in Florida it & # x27 ; s time to bring them back help! Which would seem to bolster the skeptics the Game Commission believes Pennsylvania & # x27 ; probably., but these cats have been quickly recaptured breeding cougar populations in Pennsylvania,... Can also be differentiated from animals by the late 1800s, according to Tribune data gathered in 2018 died!, George, R.J., Johnson, S., and Steve Pollick says you can mark your calendar by scavengers... The only one confirmed to be any living in the East Commission believes Pennsylvania #... North Dakota was running and had very long stride, at least 100 pumas were spotted in the,! Killed humans in the East PARK, Pa. -- a recent rumor of a subadult male from... Last known wild eastern mountain lions since she took over she feeds cares! Four mountain lions in Ohio, there 's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions do in...