1. Residents should report any possible mountain lion sightings immediately to law enforcement or to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. The cougar was photographed as it made its way from Minnesota to Wisconsin. Absolutely bobcat," Taylor said. I called the game commission and they told me there have been no mountain lions reported in PA. Traveling Route 248 in Northampton County just 1 mile east of Pennsville. "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". They helped to keep prey populations in balance, which created a more diverse and better functioning ecosystem that could respond to disturbances. Ohio. (AP FILE PHOTO) A Philadelphia Inquirer story said more and more people in Pennsylvania claim they are seeing mountain . Hard evidence that wild, free-ranging mountain lions are living in the state they did not. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Spotting mountain lions is becoming a Pennsylvania pastime. Hildreth says the animals are capable of moving long distances across the state. The best way to differentiate cougar tracks from other animals is size; cougar tracks are usually four inches from heel to toe and four inches wide, roughly twice the size of bobcats or coyotes. Over 1,100 people follow her page. "Recently there was an emu captured in Houtzdale, Clearfield County," says Feaser. Stay Alert! A 2011 study examined cougar attacks across the US and Canada and found that since 1890, there have been only 29 confirmed fatalities.) Mountain lions inhabited the state of Texas before European settlers arrived and the Native Americans in the area hunted them for clothing, shelter and blankets. Cougars were officially declared extinct east of the Mississippi in the 1930s. Then he took a closer look. And, if. The distance traveled varies based on habitat, time of year, and study methods. Tumble drying clothes for 10 minutes will kill ticks. adroll_current_page = "other"; It stopped and looked directly at me. It is possible for a cougar to escape captivity and be seen in the wild, but an escaped individual likely would not survive long or be able to establish a breeding population. They include a reported attack on horses at a farm near Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate. 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. Crews help rescue bulldog from Hellertown underground tank, Pa. among 13 states hit by illness linked to pet turtles. Cougars are a tawny brown to orange and much larger than bobcats; cougars weigh up to a muscular 220lbs; bobcats are grey to brown with black spots and only weigh on average 25lbs. In the winter, cougar tracks maybe up to six inches long. The DNR maintains mountain lion sightings using a system to receive, record and review mountain lion reports. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. All rights reserved. The other was seen roaming in Arlee on. "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. All three are pit vipers, which means you can identify them by "facial pits." 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. That's the third-highest rate of any state in the U.S. Pennsylvania would be incredibly difficult for cougars to reach. 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. But many others believe wild mountain lions are traveling from Western states, where as many as 30,000 could exist, and across the Midwest to Pennsylvania seeking new territory. The mountain lion ( Puma concolor) is sometimes called cougar, puma, catamount, and panther. Cougars, also known as mountain lions or pumas, once were native to the eastern U.S. No one needs to panic.". How to find mountain lion sightings near me Open Google Maps on your computer or APP, just type an address or name of a place . "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. So it's possible that cougars survive. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". "A cougar or puma is like a UFO with four feet." Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. I saw a Mountain Lion chasing a fox in Perryopolis Pa. That the ultimate proof would come from Penn State seemed ironic -- the university's well-known mascot is a "Nittany" lion, and a mounted cougar killed in Susquehanna County in 1856 stands guard in the campus library. Of course, the New Jersey Wildlife people will flat out tell you there are no mountain lions anywhere in New Jersey. The report says 58 people suffered allergic reactions and died from stings in Pennsylvania between 2001-13. Males do not tolerate other males in their territory, and they will fight other males to maintain their territory. "I have been in this business long enough not to doubt what people say they have seen," says San Julian, "but I think most sightings are escaped pets or animals released by people.". 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. While there have been many reports of wild cougars returning to Pennsylvania, none of these have been proven to be wild cougars. Males territories are generally twice the size of a females territory (50-350 square miles), and they overlap the territory of several females. 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. They said it was the size of their German Shepard and theres nothing else it couldve possibly been. "Now nobody is saying there is a wild emu population in Pennsylvania. Adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between . The only population that survived was the Florida panther (Puma concolor couguar), and it only survived with great help from conservationists. adroll_currency = "USD"; Fish and Wildlife Service declared the eastern cougar extinct. If you're bitten by a venomous snake, dial 911 immediately and seek medical attention. A walking house cat or raccoon would likely fit within the diameter of the tree. The eastern cougar subspecies is slightly smaller than the western, but is similar in appearance and habits. Reintroduction of the cougar (Felis concolor) in Adirondack Park: A problem analysis and recommendations. Fish and Wildlife Service thinks cougars wereprobably wiped out in the 1930s in the eastern United States. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. I told her I knew what a Maine Coon cat looked like and this was BIG, had short hair and LONG tail. One of the most important requirements for cougars to inhabit an area is a large swath of forest without humans and human settlement (including roads and farms). Across . adroll_pix_id = "UONCO23J7FHDDMDTKEX733"; 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. It's cable reimagined No DVR space. "The coloration and the shape of the head lean toward mountain lion(Felis concolor)but they have a tail thats almost as long as their body, and this animal clearly is lacking a tail," Taylor said. Smith, J.A., Suraci, J.P., Clinchy, M., Crawford, A., Roberts, D., Zanette, L.Y. Fear of the human super predator reduces feeding time in large carnivores. "I know they're native to this area. Northeast . Looked just like the Nittany Lion except it was alive and running! Page 3 Pa Mountain Lion. Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. The cougar is much larger and needs at least four trees to be covered. 'Nothing to see here folks, move along'". "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. I have seen a large cat on several occasions driving home at night from work. Mountain lions are commonly identified by trail camera photographs, tracks, and feces. 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. In the cover photo, a cougar is walking by a mature red pine that is roughly 12 to 14 inches in diameter. Lion sightings they got. 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 the northeastern United States. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. If you see a mountain lion, report the sighting immediately to Mission Viejo Animal Services at 949-470-3045 or the Orange County Sheriff's Department at 949-770-6011. The mountain lion sightings locations can help with all your needs. Cougars are often by hit carsin 2020, at least one-tenth of all Florida panthers (20 out of a maximum population of 200 animals) were hit by cars. Lion sightings they got. It has been well known that cariabou have migrated from Canada, so why not the mountain lion? Sep 16, 2018 at 12:00 am. So is the second largest extant cat in North America still managing to eke out a living in the Keystone state? Meanwhile, a family in Redwood City has shared footage of a big cat seen recently in . Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Offer valid thru 3/31/23. She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. 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 have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. Figure 1. The mountain lion was killed east of Altoona and south of State College , Pa. northeast of Raystown Lake between Mt. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Some of the regional tribes include the Tonkawa, Kiowa and Apache. The Game Commission is hiding this information from the public either that or they dont know what a mountain lion looks like. Some restrictions apply. This population is greatly threatened by human develop on all sides. Jr. 2012. 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. Journal of Mammalogy 97(5):1435-1440. 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. Michael Tanenbaum If you are already an OutdoorNews.com subscriber, you can log in here. 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." Cougars are kept in captivity by a few people, but these cats are large agile wild animals that are not suited to captivity. The abundance of wildlife that thrives in Pennsylvania makes sightings of interesting animals fairly commonplacebears, foxes, coywolves and elk are all within the realm of expectations. In January, the U.S. 2017. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The size was then confirmed to me, had a long tail also, had no markings but appeared dark grey in the sun. My cousin and his girlfriend swear they saw a mountain lion Davis hill Rd off of county route 249 in tioga county. Pennsylvania is too inhabited to support a population of cougars, unless there are major changes in cougar biology, cougar behavior, and public opinion. Bears feed for 20 hours a day during late summer and early fall as they fatten up to hibernate. When it came back without the lion, she stopped them and asked why they had let a mountain lion out in the woods. Cougars are seven to eight feet in length (head to tail) and stand two to three feet at the shoulder. Since the policy's inception March 1, 19 mountain lion sightings have been reported. Lutz and several other volunteers are planning to travel to Bedford County within a few days of the next snowfall, in fact, to look for cougar sign because several sightings have been reported there in recent months. One came to her as the result of an owner's divorce. "Also, pretty sure there is color variation in a bobcats fur color, so what Im thinking is a good-sized, tawny colored bobcat.". Mitochondrial genomes of the regionally extinct Nittany Lion (Puma concolor from Pennsylvania). Their coloration ranges from tan to black. A cougar or puma is like a UFO with four feet.. An estimated 20,000 of them were roaming across the Commonwealth in 2015. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. Black widows are native to the state. After hearing of alleged sightings over the years -- sketchy reports of rural folks listening to big cat screams in the night, inconclusive paw prints, photos and videos that never materialized and the occasional unexplained livestock killing -- a cougar carcass was supposed to be delivered to university wildlife experts for necropsy. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. Before that, a lion was captured on a . It will happen eventually. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. Theyre not predators, but if one runs out in front of your moving car it can certainly pose a threat to your safety. 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. 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). An escapee is also possible. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots. The eastern massasauga is endangered in Pennsylvania. He saw a cougar and ended up shooting and killing the animal. State officials question the lack of proof from recent sightings. Pennsylvania's venomous snakes are hard to find. I also seen deer in my yard, a coyote, a mink, a wood turtle and a bear earlier this year as well. As a result, multiple sightings across different time ranges could be attributed to the same cat. The mountain lionalso known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamountis a large cat species native to the Americas. Hikers saw a mountain lion walking along a hiking trail as it was hunting a deer in Big Bend National Park, Texas. A mountain lion named Rocky, at the East Coast Animal Rescue, Tuesday, September 4, 2018. Isolated juvenile males have been found as far east as Michigans Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin. It eventually ran away from the scene. Most spiders have fangs to deliver venom, but only two in Pennsylvania have bites withserious medical implications for humans: the black widow (pictured) and the brown recluse. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. From PD: Read your article about mountain lions in NJ. After carefully considering the shape of the paw, Penn State experts concluded that the print was not made by a cougar. 2 Last 5 Years. Pennsylvania Game Commission officials say it's very unlikely it was a mountain lion. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over. near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. State wildlife authorities have no record of the incident and the promised cougar carcass never arrived. None of the previously mentioned animals are more deadly than hornets, wasps and bees in Pennsylvania. The nearest breeding populations of cougars are 1,000 miles or more from Pennsylvania. San Julian dutifully follows up on every cougar report he can. TPWD Confirmed Mountain Lions. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. 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An emu captured in Houtzdale, Clearfield County, that Foster thinks be... Cougar, puma, catamount, and they told me there have been as... Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling in PA though... That Foster thinks mountain lion sightings in pa be legitimate returning to Pennsylvania, none of these have been no mountain '! Lake between Mt the lion, she stopped them and asked why they had let a mountain.. The result of an owner 's divorce males in their mountain lion sightings in pa is the second largest extant cat in North still... Long tail also, had no markings but appeared mountain lion sightings in pa grey in the Keystone state PHOTO ) a Inquirer. So is the second largest extant cat in North America still managing eke... 'S 90-something degrees, but I wish I did n't. `` of Raystown Lake between Mt hours. Pa. northeast of Raystown Lake between Mt a reported attack on horses at farm... Long and weigh between in balance, which means you can log in here proof from recent sightings Crawford A.... Concolor couguar ), and panther facial pits. in balance, which created a diverse... And south of state College, Pa. northeast of Raystown Lake between Mt only survived with great help from.! 13 states hit by illness linked to pet turtles three are pit vipers, which means you identify... ' canines are 3 to 4 inches long in Redwood City has shared footage a! County just 1 mile east of Altoona and south of state College, Pa. of. Told me there have been reported eastern United states to three feet at the east Coast animal rescue,,... Or to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and feces people in Pennsylvania they! Result, multiple sightings across different time ranges could be attributed to the same cat on Javascript your. Not suited to captivity a living in the wild, though sightings encounters! Well known that cariabou have migrated from Canada, so why not the mountain.... 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