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. With that hope in mind, I have, for years, asked outdoors people if they ever heard of a mountain lion, or puma, in their area -- with my questioning limited to people in my home state of Pennsylvania. I'm a photographer, yet I've never had a chance to snap a photograph of one of these bears. Biologists traced it. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. Outdoor adventures abound, and so do our fabulous shopping and restaurants. Two other reports went, in detail, on what they saw, the size, the length of tail, etc. Imagination? The coat can be spotted or solid and varies in color from light browns, reddish and silvery grey. Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. Some outdoor enthusiasts insist they have seen the big cats here and believe them to be naturally occurring, native animals. Fish and Wildlife Service. The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. Where they always here as a relic population? The State argues that there is no physical evidence, and no credible photographs. However, recently I saw a photo of a melanistic bobcat, as black as could be, with bright yellow eyes. Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? In 2015, a Pennsylvania State Historical Marker was placed near the site where the mastodon was found. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? Periodically, via Google searches, I receive reports from people who believe they had seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania, or in other mid-Atlantic states. A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. Archived Questions of the Month There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. Bushkill Falls Trail. In captivity mountain, lions can live to be about 20 years old. "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. 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. 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. 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. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a great litter of boulders, rocks, clay and lakes covering today's landscape. There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? Who knows? The name Pocono is derived from the . Thank you for reading! "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". Of interestRamapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? Scientists debate whether the large prehistoric mammals became extinct at the end of the Ice Age due to over-hunting, or rapid climate warming. That may be true, or was once true, but even a declawed puma, if it can survive off rabbits and squirrels, and breeds, its offspring would be fully equipted to survive. Bobcats tend to be darker brown, with lighter belly fur and spots while mountain lions tend to be more uniform brown, tawny color. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. Mountain lions weigh 90-160 pounds, while bobcats weigh 20-30 pounds. 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. This happens usually around the 18-month mark. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. The other two clans were the Turtle and Turkey. It's sort of like big foot, some people say they've seen him.". Flying over the area, I've looked down and commented upon the amount of habitat that would be available for a puma, if only they existed. It has long been popular with honeymooners, but today the Poconos are a popular destination for families, skiers, adventure seekers, NASCAR fans, and those from urban areas around New England, New York City, Philadelphia . Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Mountain Lion Reports I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! I usually follow-up on these reports and, via email or phone conversations, I receive more details. All rights reserved. But this one was black, and he knows mountain lions are some variant of brown. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. The story behind our new web site. They once inhabited the entire United States, but were killed off and pushed west. If you can figure out how to travel far back in time for even a day, get lots of wildlife photos, as the rest of us might never believe your story. The Pennsylvania Game Commission is always open to review evidence, but to date only hoaxes have crossed the PGC. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. If you're interested in this, please pass on this link, and if you see a cat, please let me know! Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? Controlled hunting of mountain lions is allowed within the state. Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. Mountain lions have an interesting life cycle that consists of a few different characteristics. "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. You've got a mountain lion story or photo? Mountain lions thrive there due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. 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? I receive about one email or phone call a month, on average, from people that I do not know who are contacting me because their sighting compelled them to do a Google search on puma sightings, and they found my site and previously posted questions. "With all of that said, though, there's a general lack of evidence of mountain lions in Pennsylvania. I believe them. The bobcat wouldn't survive. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. 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). Goodrich said he once saw a mountain lion spring from a thicket and kill a sheep on a public road. Imagine my surprise. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, there are no wild, breeding cougar populations in this state anymore. The cat is known to live in the western U.S. and Florida, South America and Canada. No projectile points or spearheads were found with the remains, indicating the animal may have died naturally rather than killed by native hunters. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . Geologist Dr. John Yolton made the identification. The earliest wave arrived at the end of the last Ice Age; the last wave is the Lenape or Delaware Tribe, which made contact with colonial settlers in the 1600s. "The cougars examined in the Northeast in the past 70 years are likely released or escaped captives. This ideal habitat allows for a large population of 2,000 mountain lions to thrive. 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. If youve done any research on your own, you may have noticed that we didnt include a lot of states that have had cougar sightings, especially in the last few years. 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 . 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 next day, another friend, who works for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, called me to ask if I had seen the photo of a Pocono mountain lion with a deer in its jaws. Once a mountain lion matures, it will leave its mother and find its own territory. The next day, the photo disappeared from the site. She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. Oregon has a large, stable breeding population of mountain lions. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. What the Lenape Indians never did, the European colonists and their descendants did swiftly eradicate the wolf and cougars viewed as a menace to their families and livestock. Among those who have investigated the primeval times of the Pocono Plateau and Delaware River valleys and tributaries was the late Vernon Leslie, Ph.D., a Wayne County historian and archaeologist. 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. 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. Did they migrate south from Canada? However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? I don't know if a Game Commission authority has actually said this or not, but people I've spoken to have reported this. 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. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. There had been 17 other mastodon finds in Pennsylvania up to 1968, but all were fragmentary. Known as the Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania, there are four trails that lead to the cascades from the Bushkill Falls trailhead, each ranging in . But the point of this article isn't whether or not mountain lions exist in Pennsylvania or the Poconos. Furthermore, a different set of photos showed a "mountain lion" dragging a deer into the woods in Bradford County. I believe that the folks that are reporting, in detail, their sightings are faced with a similar situation. The Asa Packer Mansion, built in the year 1861, is a historic house museum. "I kind of doubt they saw a cougar, but I'm not God.". Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. Here in central Pennsylvania we live on the outskirts of what one puma-tracking website has as almost the high point of sightings, extending from north-central Pennsylvania in a southwestern diagonal that extends into the mountains of West Virginia. "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. In January, the U.S. I've seen scores of leopards in the grasslands and deserts of East Africa and I've never seen, nor spoke with anyone, who has seen a black leopard there. Of course, the writer's comments were hearsay, but it does make sense. Mountain lions that are looking for new breeding areas are known as transient and are almost always males. 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. Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions. "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. 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. 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? redo these pages to match the new web site But that's not One sighting I give complete belief in was from a friend who told me a puma crossed right in front of their vehicle, and paused on the berm for a few seconds, at a distant of ten yards or less. Again, I've been told that some Game Commission personnel have admitted that pumas may exist in Pennsylvania, but they rationalize this by saying that the pumas are not breeding and they are not from original wild stock. Unfortunately, their web site no longer seems active, and has been taken over by some wacky drug product. So what? I am bothered by the constricted neck of the cat on the game camera; 2. the tail is curved down, rather than up, but it may have been in mid-swing; 3. the goldenrod-appearing flower, and the background of cars, gives a sense of scale and location. If it were, it would be listed. Mountain Lion in Pocono's Pennsylvania Kacie PA 7.9K views 2 years ago Mountain lion in bucks county pa or not? "I know they're native to this area. They often would catch sheep in broad daylight. Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? (National Park Service). An escapee is also possible. Mountain lions have a lifespan of about 8 to 13 years old in the wild. How do I deal with shaving weight for carrying my gear? On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. 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. 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. Leap transferred ownership rights to the state. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. As a state known for its mountains, its no wonder that mountain lions live here! The sightings were great bear views, but too fast or fleeting to allow me to grab a camera. "It's one of those things where I'll believe it when I see it," said Jason Farmer of Pocono Summit, my hunting partner for the last eight years. Can so many people be so wrong? Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. 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. In many regions, the population within the state is actually increasing! a high priority. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania Why do I advocate manual exposure so avidly? Still, these resilient animals reside in secluded areas across the United States, with current data suggesting they may even be returning to their historical regions! 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. My friend was a former hunter and fisherman, and spent a lot of time in the woods, as did I, but neither of us had ever seen a coyote. The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. (570) 325-3229. (What is meant by "heads" is not clear.). Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? John Leap of East Stroudsburg's Lakeside Peat Humus Co. and an employee, Paul Strauser, found the bones in a peat bog off Route 209. Not only do hunting licenses support the various state game commissions, and in some states the acquisition and maintenance of public hunting lands, but hunters are a huge boon to local economies each fall, with purchases of food, lodging, hunting equipment, etc. Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. According to the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. "It was in Worthington State Forest just across the Delaware River from Smithfield Beach). Any Truth There is no known estimate of the number of mountain lions inhabiting Texas. These powerful, majestic creatures once lived across much of the country but have since been killed or pushed out of most of it. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. The image in the Upper Left was from a Game Camera, sent to me by a friend. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". Possibly, but it seems unlikely that enough would have been released or had escaped to make for a viable population. In the area around the border of Pennsylvania and West Virginia there are mountains and deep caves that contain some of the coal mines that were a major part of the state's industry in the early part of the 19 th century. About half of the state of Montana is ideal for mountain lions, primarily in her western and central regions. 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. 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. Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. Pocono Record sports writer Mike Kuhns wrote a great piece on Oct. 14, "Does the mountain lion roam PA?" Very, very rarely, when I ask someone who would be a likely candidate (a hunter, someone who owns a camp in the deep woods, travels likely routes often, foresters), 'Have you ever seen a mountain lion?' I've never seen or heard of a verified black puma anywhere, whether wild or captive, so I'd be inclined to dismiss reports of truly black big cats as misidentifications, even when a group of guys all see the same thing. With that in mind, lets break down how we classified the states. Wishful thinking? As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. An assessment list for Lower Smithfield Township in 1761 when it was part of Northampton County (Monroe having not yet been created) taxed "three pence per pound and shillings per head" laid on the land and inhabitants. Ashley Catherine Fontones, Pocono Record. The Pocono Mountains are located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. . Fish and Wildlife Service. This is huge news for conservationists around the country and a sign that cougars may be heading east once again. About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? They've been extinct in the eastern part of North America for more than a century. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also reports evidence that humans arrived during the last glaciation or soon after. Most nature magazines state whether the photos were taken "under controlled conditions" rather than in the wild.). 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. 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. Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". Transient males have been sighted as far east as New York! A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. After all, skeptics often suggest that puma sightings are just deer sightings, so it would be logical to worry that a hunter might shoot an endangered puma, mistaking it for a brown deer. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. I had three cameras positioned, so had a cat visited, I'd have had it. the more visible white on the chest, the lack of spots, the huge hind quarters. On that, I've had emails sent with game trail photo attachments, or killed pumas, supposedly shot in Pennsylvania, but these were hoaxes. 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? 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. There is a big community of mountain lion enthusiasts across the Northeast convinced that the animals still exist in breeding populations. The coat can be spotted or solid. All of the above are Mountain Lions, or Pumas, or Cougars. Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. In Tennessee, the most likely places you would find them would be in the forest. But an image captured by one family's. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. ? 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. It was definitely a mountain lion, and it had a big buck, white-tailed deer in its jaws. See also: Check out the tails of the two! Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. I receive about one email or phone call a month, on average, from people that I do not know who are contacting me because their sighting compelled them to do a Google search on puma sightings, and they found my site and previously posted questions. Do elk live in Pennsylvania? The rounded ears, Let me know if you have seen one! Let's say the facts indicate that there have been a lot of 'pet' pumas, and many of these escaped. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. In this at this distant epoch, archaeologists attempt to clear some of the mists and mysteries of prehistoric times.