are there mountain lions in the poconos

That's true. Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? "From three really reliable sources who are always around the woods from Monroe County to Bradford, there is no doubt that there are mountain lions in Pennsylvania," East Stroudsburg University football team offensive coordinator and avid hunter Mike Terwilliger said. Provided by Touchpoints With that in mind, lets break down how we classified the states. What would account for the long tails? Mountain lions, Goodrich wrote, were more dreaded than wolves as the cat could climb over any fence that could be built. A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. Some may be animals that dispersed into the region from western populations. Hunting is legal in the state, but it is heavily controlled and restricted. The last known mountain lion in Pennsylvania was killed in Berks County in 1874. I'm a photographer, yet I've never had a chance to snap a photograph of one of these bears. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are no wild, breeding cougar populations in this state anymore. That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! An article in last year's New York State Conservationist magazine about mountain lions concluded that none exists in that state, even in the 6-million-acre Adirondack Mountain wilderness. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? "While confirmed cougar sightings have occurred recently in the wild in the East, there is currently no scientific or physical evidence documenting the continued existence of a population of wild eastern cougars," according to the U.S. Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. "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. Here's more about mountain lions in Pennsylvania: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. They often would catch sheep in broad daylight. They ponder rare fossil evidence unearthed and seek to make sense of stratified geology, both fleeting in the face of what we call progress. Let's say the facts indicate that there have been a lot of 'pet' pumas, and many of these escaped. 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! Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? Thank you for reading! 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. An escapee is also possible. The other two clans were the Turtle and Turkey. 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!' 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. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Mountain lions typically eat about one deer per week, along with other smaller prey as the opportunity arises. 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. Mountain lions have an interesting life cycle that consists of a few different characteristics. Did they migrate south from Canada? 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. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. The other site, The Cougar Network, is still active, and is reporting the cats expanding range from the West, but offers little about the phenomenon of Pennsylvania cats. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. 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. Several populations of Gray Squirrels scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Knowing that pumas range widely, would my ridge be the only one closed? If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". 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. "I know they're native to this area. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. 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. Many people have claimed to see them, and this writer chronicled numerous such reports in the local press from the mid-1990s to the 2010s. 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. Wishful thinking? Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. One of the three branches or clans of the Lenape Tribe at the end of the 17th century was known as the Wolf (Minsi). In July and August I received seven different reports, and everyone involved had done a search of some type to compare images of bobcats and pumas. 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. (National Park Service). 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. Note the long, usually thick tail. More about mountain lions in Pennsylvania: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. I've read a lot about this, and the usual explanation is the very human desire to see something, to see what someone wants to see, and thus these people are seeing bobcats or brown cats or dogs or foxes and, because they 'want' to see a puma, they do. (National Park Service). There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also reports evidence that humans arrived during the last glaciation or soon after. Caribou meat apparently was part of their diet. During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. After a small population was reintroduced into their historic land, their population has grown to a stable and breeding group of between 200-300 individuals. Would that declaration close that ridge to hunting? See also: 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. Mountain lions have a lifespan of about 8 to 13 years old in the wild. According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. Mary saw the photo, too, and she immediately agreed, it was a puma. The State argues that there is no physical evidence, and no credible photographs. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? Perhaps one or more of these Pocono sightings represent early pioneers reclaiming their former territories. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Cougar vs Mountain Lion What Are the Differences? This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. I spend a lot of time outdoors, and I've seen about 10 black bears in Pennsylvania, and all within ten miles of my home. For our list, we only included US states with a stable breeding population. Possibly, but it seems unlikely that enough would have been released or had escaped to make for a viable population. Many have a desire to see some clear-cut evidence. You be the judge. Their are two web sites I know of that dealt with eastern pumas, with the one, the Eastern Puma Research Network, concentrating on sightings in the east. Geologist Dr. John Yolton made the identification. 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 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. a high priority. I'm thinking of the solution often suggested for pesky endangered species out west, namely wolves and grizzly bears. Editor's note: The Pocono Record and Tri-County Independent have collaborated for a series of stories called Mountain Beasts: Pocono cryptids, legends and lore. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. 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. What does a Puma (Mountain Lion) look like on a Game Camera? RelatedBigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know. There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. Encouraged by the bounties, settlers waged war on these perceived beasts. The Bushkill Falls are a series of eight waterfalls in a 300-acre wooded enclave hidden amongst the Poconos. Let me explain this. "The cougars examined in the Northeast in the past 70 years are likely released or escaped captives. The agency has declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies ofmountain lions native to North America. All of the above are Mountain Lions, or Pumas, or Cougars. One man, in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, had seen one, at night, about 25 years ago. In captivity mountain, lions can live to be about 20 years old. 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. The State Museum of Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg, displays a taxidermy mount of a mountain lion in glass case, with the notation, "This lion, found near Hawk Mountain in Berks County around 1871, is the last native mountain lion known to have been shot in Pennsylvania. With healthy populations and strong conservation programs, however, they seem to be pushing back east. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. I usually follow-up on these reports and, via email or phone conversations, I receive more details. Mountain Lion in Pocono's Pennsylvania Kacie PA 7.9K views 2 years ago Mountain lion in bucks county pa or not? One might argue that the eastern puma is extinct, but that does not mean that there are not pumas (mountain lions, cougars) in the east. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. 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. 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 . How, Who, and Why? This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. What is the Kiboko backpack? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. Can so many people be wrong? He saw his cat at very close range -- 20 yards or less, and when I pointed out to him that pumas are never black he said that perhaps it was the light. Mountain lion populations struggle to outpace the high hunting limits. Of interestRamapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization. Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? So many of these sightings have been proven wrong misidentified bobcats, coyotes or even house cats) that it would be irresponsible for a biologist to accept any of them as fact without absolute physical evidence hair, droppings, tracks or a road-killed animal. Unfortunately, their web site no longer seems active, and has been taken over by some wacky drug product. This is huge news for conservationists around the country and a sign that cougars may be heading east once again. 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. If we say it ain't so, it ain't so! The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. There also were camels, sloth and hyena, which migrated elsewhere. I want to believe they're here, but I'm having some trouble. Leap transferred ownership rights to the state. Let me explain this. In Michigan, there has been multiple sightings of 'black panthers,' animals that were thought to be mountain lions, or pumas, except that they were black. Can so many people be so wrong? There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? "They're getting a lot of that out west. PHILADELPHIA (AP) An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. The State Museum of Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg, displays a taxidermy mount of a mountain lion in glass case, with the notation, "This lion, found near Hawk Mountain in Berks County around 1871, is the last native mountain lion known to have been shot in Pennsylvania.". It's sort of like big foot, some people say they've seen him.". But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. Two other reports went, in detail, on what they saw, the size, the length of tail, etc. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. The last documented sighting of an eastern cougar was one killed in Maine in 1938. It will happen eventually. the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. Check out the tails of the two! It was definitely a mountain lion, and it had a big buck, white-tailed deer in its jaws. 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. Like Arizona, New Mexico is the perfect home for mountain lions. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. 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. "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. Conversely, an outdoor writer I know told me that when Pa. enacted a menagerie permit law years ago, 'a lot of mountain lions suddenly died,' as the owners of these cats, rather than going through the paperwork, simply released their pumas and claimed that they had died. The cat was far enough away that I couldn't get a size reference, and I believed the cat was further away than it actually was. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens . YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. I'd love to hear of any reports you have. A typical home range is around 150 square miles for adult males and 50 square miles for adult females in our region. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. 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. On the second night, a mountain lion passed by, apparently drawn by the smell but put off by the stench, as the cat did not visit the kill. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? Bobcats, feral cats and domestic dogs may be misidentified as mountain lion. Mountain Lions - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service) NPS.gov Park Home Learn About the Park Nature Animals Mammals Mountain Lion Mountain Lion Last updated: May 4, 2018 Was this page helpful? Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? And how many would let them go, or provide an opportunity for escaping? A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! Where they always here as a relic population? There had been 17 other mastodon finds in Pennsylvania up to 1968, but all were fragmentary. 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. 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? Who knows? DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. I'll offer my own little anecdote. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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. Any Truth The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. 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. 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).