Males territories are generally twice the size of a females territory (50-350 square miles), and they overlap the territory of several females. But they're probably bobcats. 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. Page 3 Pa Mountain Lion. Remember this post from February 28, 2005. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. If you suspect a coyote is living near you, you should call the state game commission at 610-926-3136. Mountain Lion Sighting. 2019 mountain lion in Pennsylvania / definitive proof Joe and Angelika Kelley 12 subscribers Subscribe 91 16K views 3 years ago When something digs up your yard and you film it. adroll_adv_id = "T6XR4YM2C5FGXNZIDZPFXI"; Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice This development promised to resolve a decades-old controversy. "Over the years, I've received a number of cougar reports, some pretty factual, such as a partly devoured calf left up in a tree, but nobody has ever provided clear proof. Share Tweet Share Share. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over. Wasps are important because they kill off other pest insects such as caterpillars, flies and crickets. Follow Michael & PhillyVoice on Twitter @mtanen88| @thePhillyVoice A reproducing population of endangered cougars lives in the Everglades, known as the "Florida panthers," and the big cats are so numerous in a number of western states that hunting seasons are allowed. There's also a $10k bounty for evidence of anyone illegally re-introducing them to PA. Repellant can protect exposed skin from ticks. San Julian dutifully follows up on every cougar report he can. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. This number of car strikes is in spite of having low population densities and the significant efforts to reduce car strikes, such as reduced speed limits, warning signs, and obstacles (fences and road underpasses) built along or under roads that cut through panther habitat. The last wild cougar in Pennsylvania was killed in 1871 and the last cougar born on the East Coast was killed in 1938 in Maine. Mountain Lions Background: In 2011, the U.S. Was about 30 feet down the road when it crossed in front of me. It had recently killed a buck and was dragging it across the road. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Mountain lions, also commonly known as cougars, are officially extinct in both Pennsylvania and the United States east of the Mississippi. The bobcat wouldn't survive. A mountain lion named Rocky, at the East Coast Animal Rescue, Tuesday, September 4, 2018. This population is greatly threatened by human develop on all sides. Ok, so they may have been extinct for some time, but if people are sighting them, has anyone considered migration? The Florida panther reached a population low of 20-30 individuals in 1970s, and currently are between 120-200 sub-adults and adults. Yes I believe their are mountain lion ghost cats in PA. PA mountain areas are remote and it is impossible to kill all of the cats who are quite secretive. So glad to post. Isolated juvenile males have been found as far east as Michigans Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin. All three are pit vipers, which means you can identify them by "facial pits." Most are about three feet long. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. These tiny critters may not look that threatening but they are carriers of Lyme disease, which can result in long-term health complications and even death. Unfortunately, is it unlikely that cougars will return to Pennsylvania in the near future. 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 Dodge family in Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County, captured an image of a big cat strolling behind the fence enclosing their yard and pool. Conservation agents searched for the animal last night and resumed looking this morning. "Likewise, I'm not aware of any escapes from captive facilities in my time here. 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. If cougars are out there, why hasn't one ever been killed on a highway or shot? Cougars are kept in captivity by a few people, but these cats are large agile wild animals that are not suited to captivity. 0:57 A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. Required fields are marked *. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. "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. 'Nothing to see here folks, move along'". Hikers saw a mountain lion walking along a hiking trail as it was hunting a deer in Big Bend National Park, Texas. I saw a Mountain Lion chasing a fox in Perryopolis Pa. When I say large, I mean way bigger than a house cat, about the size of a 60lb dog. Pennsylvania Game Commission spokesman Jerry Feaser notes that his agency agrees with San Julian. A hunter and an angler, San Julian, like most other outdoorsmen and nature lovers, wants to believe wild mountain lions survive in the woods of Pennsylvania. Ears are another way to identify the cat: cougars have rounded ears and bobcat ears have a black tuft. He occasionally inspects "scat" suspected of being left by a mountain lion, and closely examines the animal excrement for food sources, hairs or other clues. Cars and car tires are also good scales; a cougar will be half the length of a sedan and taller than its tires. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The mountain lion is a very large, slender cat with a small head, small rounded ears that are not tufted, very powerful shoulders and hindquarters, and a long, heavy, cylindrical tail. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. One on Salem Rd and another in the . It was not a fleeting glance, I had to stop my car to let it slowly cross the road in front of me. No wonder I have not seen that many rabbits or squirrels lately. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. After carefully considering the shape of the paw, Penn State experts concluded that the print was not made by a cougar. The only cats still hunting in Pennsylvania are bobcats, according to the state game commission. 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? . Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. "I hear rumors all the time about mountain lion sightings," said Brian Anderson, deputy game protector for Northumberland County. Traveling Route 248 in Northampton County just 1 mile east of Pennsville. Foster said mountain lions and bobcats could not breed. All rights reserved. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". Eastern mountain lions lived in central Pennsylvania until the late 1800s, according to Foster. A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. Let us know. Fish and Wildlife Service thinks cougars wereprobably wiped out in the 1930s in the eastern United States. adroll_language = "en_US"; Search for cougarscontinues in Pennsylvania, Stories from the first season in a new hunting house. That was a dead giveaway for Taylor. Dispersing cats do not stay in new areas because there are no females. adroll_pix_id = "UONCO23J7FHDDMDTKEX733"; The mountain lionalso known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamountis a large cat species native to the Americas. The next highest state, New Jersey, had only 3,900, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. Long-distance dispersal of a subadult male cougar from South Dakota to Connecticut documented with DNA evidence. Based on its extensive research, the Service concluded this subspecies of big cats had disappeared from the east by the 1930s. Over 1,100 people follow her page. The mystery of whether wild eastern cougars, also commonly known as mountain lions, pumas, or panthers, really survive in the Keystone State might finally unravel. Get started. Union and Huntingdon , Pa. .. One doesn't think about big cats being in this eastern part of the . If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. TPWD Confirmed Mountain Lions. Pennsylvania is too inhabited to support a population of cougars, unless there are major changes in cougar biology, cougar behavior, and public opinion. The very sad news: there was a PGC ear tag on it. She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. Dashboard for displaying mountain lion reports to the public. The DNR maintains mountain lion sightings using a system to receive, record and review mountain lion reports. Since the policy's inception March 1, 19 mountain lion sightings have been reported. Am 74 years old, of very sound mind usually pretty skeptical, but i saw this animal and after much consideration have concluded it could only be a mountain lion or cougar. It's cable reimagined No DVR space. 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