Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. 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. And when our officers go out to investigate reports of mountain lions, or when our staff reviews photos that are sent to us, often we're able to verify some other animal mistakenly was reported as a mountain lion.". Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. Officially extinct, mountain lions still haunt the Adirondacks I had three cameras positioned, so had a cat visited, I'd have had it. Best hike for seeing waterfalls. I wanted to know if they're here, so I called some people I trust and asked them one simple question: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? By the time he returned the vehicle was gone, and so was the cat, and no mention was ever made of this road kill in a radio or newspaper report. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? On the other hand, there are probably thousands of game cameras covering water holes and game trails throughout Pennsylvania, and to my knowledge no one has yet recorded a puma. Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. At the end of the last Ice Age, many animals in Pennsylvania died out. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? All rights reserved. "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". One of the important things for any animal is a place to call home. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! years are available through this link. Certainly it is a romantic notion, but I've always held out the hope that pumas still roamed the east. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. Pa Mountain lion, cougar, or big cat in bucks county Pennsylvania Sadly, the hunting guidelines for cougars in Idaho are lax, with 400-600 cats being killed each year. But an image captured by one family's. However, it is clearly a mountain lion, and I'm presenting this poor image as a baseline reference for anyone recording a mountain lion on a game camera, or seeing one. Reports of a mountain lion have come from several residents of Hemlock Farms who were hiking on. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania - Hoot Hollow After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. The state of Arizona is home to a large, stable population of mountain lions. Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. 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. Two different people told me that they, or a close relative, had seen pumas on more than one occasion. 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. 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). In prior interviews with the Game Commission, the suggestion was made to this writer that what many people may actually be seeing is a bobcat, perhaps in less than ideal circumstances. They are there to help us. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bobcats, feral cats and domestic dogs may be misidentified as mountain lion. And book one of these Poconos cabins rentals for the best outdoor access to these activities. What equipment do we take in the field? I've done this myself once, in Tanzania, when I saw a black house cat that I thought was a black leopard! Hunting is legal in the state, but it is heavily controlled and restricted. With that in mind, lets break down how we classified the states. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. 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. Big cats in Pennsylvania: mountain lions or bobcats? - Pocono Record The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. On that note, I was speaking with a Fed Ex driver recently who told me that one of his colleagues had seen what he swore was a dead mountain lion on the side of a road. All of the above are Mountain Lions, or Pumas, or Cougars. This happens usually around the 18-month mark. Some cats had a South American genetic profile. Who knows? Things to Do in the Poconos | Attractions & Outdoors - Pocono Mountains I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. For example, one man I interviewed said he saw a 'black' puma, and this should disqualify his sighting as a black puma has never been recorded. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? 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. Ramapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization, Bigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The Bushkill Falls are a series of eight waterfalls in a 300-acre wooded enclave hidden amongst the Poconos. For information on predator tracks, check out this guide: https://www.wildliferemoval.com/animal-track-identification-guide/, Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . 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. Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. ? PHILADELPHIA (AP) An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. 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. For many who have believed to have seen a cougar in the wilds of the Poconos, these arguments might be less than convincing. Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. Mountain lion populations struggle to outpace the high hunting limits. 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.". The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania. Joseph Pugliese 2.2K views 7 years ago Beautiful Bobcat in our yard as our. Mt Lions in WV, NY, and PA - Hoot Hollow What is the Kiboko backpack? 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. "I'm proud to know her," Murray said of the tiger, "but I wish I didn't.". The bounty for adult wolves and cougars was raised on March 16, 1819 to $12. A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? Can so many people be wrong? State Game Officials do concede that some people may indeed have seen a puma, but it was undoubtedly a released captive. Hunting is legal, but the use of dogs was banned in 1996. These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. Let me know if you have seen one! Currently, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback in regard to their historic range. Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. "The day will come," he said, "when someone will pull the trigger on a mountain lion.". No one needs to panic.". Illinois can also now be added to this list a mountain lion was found on the outskirts of Chicago. The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. (What is meant by "heads" is not clear.). 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. Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. 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. Viewers can never be certain that what they're seeing on a computer is actually what it's purported to be. 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. (National Park Service). In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. 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. The Game Commission concluded they were coyotes. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. You would think someone would have a picture on a trail camera or whatever. Discover the Little-Known U.S. River Gorge That's, The 9 Best Books About National Parks for Travelers, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback. And, some may be escaped or illegally released pets. Every year we receive a few similar reports from hikers, hunters or other outdoor enthusiasts. Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. 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. Furthermore, a different set of photos showed a "mountain lion" dragging a deer into the woods in Bradford County. These cubs are born blind and helpless. 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. 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. Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? No An official form of the United States government. Something to consider, even though we all trust the government. a high priority. There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. I've seen hoaxes, of pumas carrying deer shot with game cameras, but these were of western cats. 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