Let's say the facts indicate that there have been a lot of 'pet' pumas, and many of these escaped. A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens of sincere reports of sightings and tracks and even more hoaxed reports emerge across the state each year. A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. The large, undeveloped interior filled with rocky habitats perfect for mountain lions allows them to safely live and breed. 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. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? And this genetic mix has been recognized, and the Florida puma is still protected. (National Park Service). The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. I've seen so many examples of these distortions, exaggerations and lies over the last couple of years that I've grown very dubious about anything I see on a computer. Over 1,100 people follow her page. "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. Any Truth It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. Compare any game camera image with the shots above, or this game camera image, to confirm your identification. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. Is there a Puma conspiracy? I'm wondering, then, if the complete dismissal of sightings of Eastern pumas (other than the acknowledgement of released or escaped pets) isn't motivated by economics. September 21st, 2008, 08:14 PM #74. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. I asked our Game officials about evidence, and they cite no road kills. The Pocono Mountains are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. 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. In this at this distant epoch, archaeologists attempt to clear some of the mists and mysteries of prehistoric times. Every year we receive a few similar reports from hikers, hunters or other outdoor enthusiasts. He saw a big cat. Woolly mammoth bones were discovered in Bradford County in 1983. Are Mountain Lions in Missouri Making a Comeback? (570) 325-3229. We hope you enjoy this foray into the most weird and wonderful our beloved Pocono Mountains have to offer. Once a mountain lion matures, it will leave its mother and find its own territory. And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. Continuing with that thought, if that were so, then it'd be possible, if not very likely, that the Eastern puma would be an Endangered Species. Best hike for seeing waterfalls. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania ? They have almost been killed off a few times, but conservation efforts have helped to keep their numbers stable. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is always open to review evidence, but to date only hoaxes have crossed the PGC. "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". Outdoor adventures abound, and so do our fabulous shopping and restaurants. 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. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. 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. Apparently, this picture was really making the rounds. 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. 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. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. No An official form of the United States government. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? It wasn't, and I assumed it was a road-kill. 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. By the mid-1900s pumas were eliminated from almost all of the eastern states, and by mid-century were officially extinct east of the Mississippi, except for a remnant population in southern Florida. I could fill pages recounting the eye-witness reports I've heard, and for every report critics could certainly say 'but there's no physical evidence!' Did they migrate south from Canada? Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. Penn State's Nittany Lion hide sampled for DNA sequencing, Mountain lion reports in Pennsylvania popular, but often a hoax, More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. 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. Now, forty years ago coyotes were rare or almost nonexistent in Pennsylvania, and had had that same sighting back then, when coyotes were thought not to exist within the state we would have had the 'facts' to doubt what we saw. One of the important things for any animal is a place to call home. 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. Ironically, I almost deleted the image, as on the small camera LCD monitor the cat was small and I thought that it was just another deer that moved along the stream. There are controlled hunting laws in the state of Oregon. Most, quite honestly, don't know or can't believe or accept what they saw, they really can't believe their eyes. Mountain lion killed in Connecticut was on the opposite side of Pennsylvania a year ago, Is it real? Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. Despite reported sightings throughout the East, including Pennsylvania, and a confirmed mountain lion killed in Connecticut in 2011, there has been no evidence that any of those cats were native to the East. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. I used to archery hunt for deer, and I spent a lot of time (way too much time) sitting silently in a tree stand waiting for deer. 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.). Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. Kross only saw the animal for a second, but it made a believer out of him. I'll offer my own little anecdote. I believe Kross fully, but I wanted to hear more. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled, Over the last few years I've done several Questions of the Month regarding Mountain Lions, or Pumas as they should properly be called, in the Mid-Atlantic States and in Pennsylvania. "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. In January, the U.S. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. 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. Caribou remains, dated by radiocarbon in excess of 10,000 B.C. A Mountain Lion Cover Up 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. 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. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. 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. Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? The bobcat wouldn't survive. In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. 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! Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. I'm thinking of the solution often suggested for pesky endangered species out west, namely wolves and grizzly bears. Send it to me at mkuhns@poconorecord.com. 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. As a state known for its mountains, its no wonder that mountain lions live here! 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. Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. As you can see from the above images it is very difficult to confuse the two if you have a good view. The Cougar Network, working with state agencies, have documented multiple mountain lions as far east as Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan in recent years, as well as one cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. "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. Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. Hunting is legal in the state, but it is heavily controlled and restricted. 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. Then there is Rocky. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". How do I deal with shaving weight for carrying my gear? Of interestRamapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization. All rights reserved. Oregon has a large, stable breeding population of mountain lions. The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. Never has this been more accurate than in today's digital, computerized world. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Hunting is legal, but the use of dogs was banned in 1996. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. 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. However, many of my reports were at distances that people knew, and as you look at the images of the puma there really is a big difference in color and shape between a puma and a house cat. The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. Colorado has a large number of mountain lions within its borders, mostly due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma.
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