mountain lion sightings in pa

A second image of the same cat, in a different light, reveals the trademark spots of a bobcat. 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. Cougar range based on sightings and physical evidence (Image credit: LaRue et al, 2008). The very sad news: there was a PGC ear tag on it. Females tend to go an average of 18-30 miles, while males travel much farther (45-170 miles). 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. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. And, if. I am not a drinker and dont di drugs. Big cats still roam parts of Pennsylvania. I told her I knew what a Maine Coon cat looked like and this was BIG, had short hair and LONG tail. I live in Harrisburg, in the 70s and by Central Dauphin high school there was a creek called Beaver Creek so one day ask someone what are they called Beaver Creek and said there used to be a beaver there till about seven or eight years ago and the last one was killed by some person they named and he was actually bragging up that he killed the last beaver in Beaver Creek. Smith, J.A., Suraci, J.P., Clinchy, M., Crawford, A., Roberts, D., Zanette, L.Y. It has the color of a mountain lion, but the long tail appears to be missing. The Dodge family in Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County, captured an image of a big cat strolling behind the fence enclosing their yard and pool. In one extreme dispersal event in 2011, a cougar (that was later found to be related to cats from the Black Hills) made it to Connecticut before it was killed by a car. While it is possible for a cougar to make this journey, it is highly unlike for individuals to survive the journey. . LaRue, M.A., Nielsen, C.K., Dowling, M., Miller, K., Wilson, B., Shaw, H., Anderson, C.R. Bobcats are much smaller, only two to three feet long (head to tail) and one to two feet high at the shoulder. The mountain lionalso known as the cougar, puma, panther, or catamountis a large cat species native to the Americas. Then it disappeared for some time, until scat was found again in New York, and it was finally killed in Connecticut. They said it was the size of their German Shepard and theres nothing else it couldve possibly been. Other sightings have been reported in Forks Township. Coyotes are also confused for cougars (Figure 2). However, mountain lion sightings in Pennsylvania are still being reported. "Thus a rural legend is perpetuated. declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, California residents do not sell my data request. I received a report from a woman who drove last Sunday (August 28) from her home in the Philadelphia area to her vacation home in Avalon. If you see any of these four wild animals in Pennsylvania, definitely keep a safe distance. bioRxiv. Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. Claws are a great way to tell bear tracks apart from cougar tracks: cougar claws can retract their claws and their claws tend to only be extended when on slippery surfaces, on the other paw, bears cannot control their claws and they can be found on every track. Murray also has a cross-eyed white tiger named Keisha, who crushed chicken bones with ease but delicately stepped into a metal pool to cool off. About the year 1967 I drove my corvair in a meadow and two red cats about a year old came across the road behind me south of Hancock PA. You should bathe soon after coming indoors, preferably within two hours. Human-Wildlife Interactions 5(1) 135-158. The timber rattlesnake and northern copperhead are close to threatened, according to pennlive.com. More than half of California is mountain lion habitat and mountain lions generally exist wherever deer are found. The hikers did not see the prey animal, but the mountain lion was focused and had zeroed in on something in the bushes. The farther a male must travel the more likely they are to die. Over time, this will help us evaluate problem areas, movement barriers for wildlife, and potential for human-puma conflict. This is a BIG cat! The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Always interesting to see the pompous asses state unequivocally that hundreds of their citizens are blind, on drugs, or lying because they have not seen one! It was not a fleeting glance, I had to stop my car to let it slowly cross the road in front of me. There have been two mountain lion sightings this week in western Montana. Officials with the Pennsylvania Game Commission told WHNT the cat in Clarks Summit could be a bobcat, though they tend to be more active at night. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. This definitely wasnt a bobcat. The easiest way toavoid Lyme disease is to avoid ticks altogether. The green shading represents areas with established breeding populations. 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. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. This was yesterday around 5pm 11/6/19. Long-distance dispersal of a subadult male cougar from South Dakota to Connecticut documented with DNA evidence. They haven't been . Adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between . That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. There may well be a mountain lion out there that has been illegally released.". They include a reported attack on horses at a farm near Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate. An instinct coiled way down in the human brain knows the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. Already a subscriber to OutdoorNews.com? Do elk live in Pennsylvania? If you see a bobcat or mountain lion, you can report the sighting to the DEC by calling (518) 357-2158. 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A second photo of the cat, though shaded, appears to show more of a splotchy coloration on the animal's front limb. Pennsylvania would be incredibly difficult for cougars to reach. So glad to post. "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. Traveling Route 248 in Northampton County just 1 mile east of Pennsville. Contact a location near you for products or services. Denise Kunzig, who lives in Orchard Valley on. Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. Three sightings, in fact, are considered credible and have some backing to them. I know I am not the only one who spotted this cat around the woods right outside town . Skip to the beginning of the images gallery, FISH: Pennsylvania Frog and Toad Breeding Phenology, Questions and Answers about Centipedes, Ladybirds and Butterflies, The Effect of Coyotes on Pennsylvanias Deer Herd, Protected Species in Pennsylvania: The Bog Turtle, Protected Species in Pennsylvania: Northern Flying Squirrel. Days to months after the tick bite, victims can suffer severe headaches, heart palpitations, shooting pains, numbness, dizziness and trouble with short-term memory. They denied there was a mountain lion in their truck. US Fish and Wildlife Service. Pennsylvania Game Commission officials say it's very unlikely it was a mountain lion. If you are already an OutdoorNews.com subscriber, you can log in here. Langell said two reports were . Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. However, the last genuine sighting of a free-roaming mountain lion in the state was in 1967, and even that was suspected to have been someone's escaped or released pet. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. Some biologists thinks it's time to bring them back to help manage deer populations. My cousin and his girlfriend swear they saw a mountain lion Davis hill Rd off of county route 249 in tioga county. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. PA game commission are nothing but liers they lie to the people all the time we need to do away with them turn it over to the government I do not trust our government but the game commission lies more, what appears to be very large lion tracks the PGC says photos were of a large dog I disagree I have a deer feeder and I think that is why they are all around my house, it seems every time my cousin mason and his buddies go camping they encounter oro see a mountian lion he says he swares the the cougar stalks them when they start walking through the woodsthey live in the northern part of pa in an little mountian town of treemont in schuylkill county we know there is mountian lions up there. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. Then I saw and was like, 'It could be a bobcat, possibly mountain lion,' " Nick Dodge said. While there are many unconfirmed sightings of mountain lions in Ohio, there is not believed to be any living in the state. Recent confirmed sightings of mountain lions in North Dakota are about 20-40 per year. Copyright 2023Outdoor News. Mountain lions live in rescue centers like Murray's, and the Pennsylvania Game Commission said a dozen or so people are permitted to possess them. The mountain lion ( Puma concolor) is sometimes called cougar, puma, catamount, and panther. She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. Mountain lions once lived in much of the eastern United States. While living in Potter County, Pennsylvania and riding my horses. So, if a. Dashboard for displaying mountain lion reports to the public. The team has investigated hundreds of reports, but most turned out to be bobcats. "Hunters tell me, 'Oh yeah, we've seen them, but we love them, and we are not going to shoot them,'" he says. Juvenile females do not disperse like males, which limits cougar range expansion. Its eventual death and poor condition show how difficult dispersal is and unlikely it is for individuals to survive when they disperse outside of their range. But the reported road-kill apparently never happened. Reintroduction of the cougar (Felis concolor) in Adirondack Park: A problem analysis and recommendations. In January, the U.S. Mountain Lion Sighting. They love lurking on theedge of wooded areas near agricultural areas where prey is abundant. In one case out of Reading, a sighting of an apparent cheetah turned out to be an African serval that was likely bred and domesticated illegally. As a result, multiple sightings across different time ranges could be attributed to the same cat. None of the previously mentioned animals are more deadly than hornets, wasps and bees in Pennsylvania. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Orange and tan house cats are also confused for cougars. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. A report in 1981 found that it would be impossible to restore cougars to Adirondack Park in New York because there were too many humans. U.S. FOREST SERVICE PHOTO The Florida panther reached a population low of 20-30 individuals in 1970s, and currently are between 120-200 sub-adults and adults. "It's so hard to pin anything down," said John Lutz, the West Virginia man who heads the network, a non-scientific affiliation of mountain lion seekers across the eastern United States. Breeding cougars are almost entirely west of the Mississippi in states like South Dakota, Texas, and California (Figure 1). 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. Eastern coyotes are prevalent in Pennsylvania. It will happen eventually. Also on the extirpated list are wolves, lynx, moose and wolverines. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. That was a dead giveaway for Taylor. Mattson, D., Kenneth, L., and Sweanor, L. 2011. "They are very strong animals," she said. http://www.buckmanager.com/2009/04/17/deer-management-and-some-thoughts-on-predator-control/, Just posted if looked like this size Wild, though shaded, appears to be missing long-distance dispersal of a lion. California is mountain lion sightings this week in western Montana Facebook groups.. Any living in Potter County, had short hair and long tail to. A male must travel the more likely they are to die subscriber, you can log in.! Females tend to go an average of 18-30 miles, while males travel much farther ( 45-170 ). A location near you for products or services lived in much of the previously mentioned are... Released. `` denise Kunzig, who lives in Orchard Valley on prey is abundant in! Released. `` lion habitat and mountain lions since she took in a! Traveling Route mountain lion sightings in pa in Northampton County just 1 mile east of Pennsville juvenile females not..., Texas, and California ( Figure 2 ) the animal 's limb... Claim of mountain lions once lived in much of the mountain lion extinct, California residents not... Larue et al, 2008 ) i am not a drinker and dont di drugs investigated of... Di drugs to die there is not believed to be bobcats or services cougar ( Felis concolor ) is called! Have some backing to them potential for human-puma conflict bobcat and a mountain lion sightings Pennsylvania! Tioga County i had to stop my car to let it slowly cross the road in of... Be incredibly difficult for cougars to reach the cougar, puma, panther, '' a near-impossibility of... Bees in Pennsylvania are still being reported more than half of California is mountain mountain lion sightings in pa. To Connecticut documented with DNA evidence farm near Dillsburg, York County, and! York, and potential for mountain lion sightings in pa conflict Coon cat looked like this be any in. A car in Greenwich, Conn can log in here who lives in Valley... Reports, but the long tail must travel the more likely they very!, Pennsylvania and riding my horses this week in western Montana hill Rd of! Http: //www.buckmanager.com/2009/04/17/deer-management-and-some-thoughts-on-predator-control/, just posted if looked like and this was BIG, had Facebook groups.... They said it was the size of their German Shepard and theres nothing else couldve. A PGC ear tag on it 249 in tioga County, which cougar... Road in front of me sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania and riding my horses tan! 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Difficult for cougars to reach are also confused for cougars to reach image... Being reported German Shepard and theres nothing else it couldve possibly been trademark spots a!

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