Body length: 3-4 ft. Tail: 2.5-3 ft. Black panthers, which are not found in the U.S., are actually black jaguars or leopards. This might serve as proof to some that there, in fact, might still be mountain lions in CT. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. Young pumas dispersing from Western habitats are being killed at the source, compromising the Easts critical opportunity for ecosystem health and the return of an apex carnivore., Regardless of where they are found, or whether people want to hunt or protect them, people are enchanted by mountain lions. An adult male bobcat can reach four feet in length and 35 to 40 pounds. When it comes out that there are mountain lions in Connecticut where all these people who denied them apologize to the people who know they saw them? Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. I know the difference between bobcats, lynx, & mt lions. A mountain lion is a wild cat ranging from two to three feet tall, with females weighing up to 120lbs and males up to 200lbs, making it the fourth largest cat in the world. They are also known as . As I said previously, The nearest known populations of mountain lions are in Wyoming, Colorado, North . She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. Bobcats: Whiskered face and are gray in the winter and tan in the summer, with black spots on their fur that are not always visible. Native: Yes. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. But Bachelder stresses he knows what he saw. Abbott believes it is possible that more mountain lions such as the one that was killed in Milford in 2011 could migrate here. Height at shoulder: 25-30 in. Betty, who has had a dozen personal sightings in Rhode Island, studies mountain lion evidence and attends national conventions. Throw rocks, sticks, etc to scare it off. Since cougars are the second largest cat in North America and a natural predator, they can pose a threat. WOODBRIDGE, CT (WFSB) Police in Woodbridge said they have received reports of mountain lion sightings in town. According to the Smithsonians National Zoo, bobcats are part of the lynx genus, which means they are related to other cats like the Canadian lynx, Iberian lynx and Eurasian lynx. Make noise-- be as loud as you can while you make yourself as big as you can. His mentor, Aldo Leopold, a prominent wildlife biologist, also believed this, but felt if people learned about these populations, they would be hunted to extinction. But recent expert-confirmed sightingswhich have involved photographs, videos, and DNAin Tennessee support a theory that mountain lions, whose populations out west have continued to expand, are slowly making their way back to this side of the country. ', 'Saturday Night Live' skit with Woody Harrelson takes place at Naval Submarine Base New London, Bo Hickey, former New Canaan hockey, football coach and NFL player, has died. Icould hear the panic in my wifes voice. Inevitably, the New England states will acknowledge that they have some mountain lions.. Abbott, of the Housatonic Valley Association, is equally skeptical of the vast majority of mountain lion sightings. Officially, the last mountain lions were hunted to extinction here in the late 1800s. Bobcats dont shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. On June 11, 2011, in Milford, CT, a mountain lion was killed by a motor vehicle. He also quoted the work of geneticist Melanie Culver, who has proven that all North American puma species are genetically virtually identical. All rights reserved, Hunter Accused of Killing 2 Pet Dogs in Ridgefield Appears in Court, Avelo Says Airline Will Work to Improve Communication After NBC CT Responds Report, CCSU Student Dies After Being Found Unresponsive in Campus Dorm, I-95 South in Madison Reopens After Crash With Serious Injuries, Better Health: Dr. Katherine Rotker Discusses Vasectomy Procedure, NBC & Telemundo Connecticut Job Opportunities. According to the Connecticut DEEP, the bobcat is the only wild cat found in Connecticut. And theres another school of thought, Well, no, there just are too many of them probably we have to reduce that population somehow. Where do you fall in that whole continuum? The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cats Walk Across America by William Stolzenburg. The mountain lion is believed to have had an encounter with a family on their lawn. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. Mountain Lions: Large tan cats with a distinctive two to three-foot curving tail, that can almost touch the ground as they walk. South Windsor resident Stafford King is sure that he saw a cougar on his land three years ago. I saw one, not mistaken with a bobcat I know what bobcats look like. She didnt claim to see the mountain lions long tail, but optical illusions can lead people to think theyve seen a tail. Or at least theyre not supposed to be. He was previously a reporter for the Danbury News-Times and the Ridgefield Press. Mountain lions were hunted to extinction near the end of the 19th century. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. He drove me out to the spot. The gate of a bobcat can often make it look like it has a long tail. I reported it to the DEP and they said they dont exist, he said. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. Coyotes have been mistaken for mountain lions. Connecticut Public Radio | It says genetic testing revealed that a mountain lion hit by a car and killed on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford on June 11, 2011 originated from South Dakota and had traveled to Connecticut though Wisconsin and Minnesota a distance of around 1,800 miles a record distance for a land mammal. According to one internet source, there are 3 types of wild cats that can be found in Connecticut mountain lions, bobcats, and lynxes. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. DEEP says Connecticut does not have a mountain lion population. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. Ive been doing this for 40 years. Even so, Abbott has heard of mountain lion sightings from what he deems reliable sources and believes its possible that other animals have made the difficult, some say almost miraculous trek, from the West to Connecticut. Fight back. Yet we see nothing about what is being planned except how to scare them away if one sees them. Meanwhile, a family in Redwood City has shared footage of a big cat seen recently in We have plenty of suitable habitat, he says. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. In 2011, a young male lion walked 1500 miles from South Dakota to Connecticut, where he was hit and killed on the parkway in Milford. The map from that publication is shown below, with the current mountain lion range in green and confirmed mountain lion locations as black dots. Hes even had his own false sighting. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . They are also known as pumas, cougars and panthers. In the 1930s, Bruce Wright, an influential wildlife manager from New Brunswick, Canada, began gathering reports of sightings of mountain lions in the East and searching for their tracks. The current editor of the publication, which is based in New Hampshire, explains why the job is worth sticking around. Stephen Gencarella, professor of folklore studies at the University of Massachusetts and a Connecticut resident, says, The government coverup is only the latest version of something that could stretch back in the oral tradition to precolonial times. He notes that supposed mountain lion sightings spiked in the late 1800s and early 1900s shortly after the animals disappeared from New Englands woods. 105 of 119 106 of 119 A dead mountain lion, killed on the Merritt Parkway in Milford in June 2011. After all, if one mountain lion had wandered here, didnt that mean that others could have? About 80 people gathered at Tolland High School Thursday night to take in a mountain lion lecture sponsored byConserving Tolland. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. A bill which would change the name to the Pequot River has full support from the Mashantucket Pequot and Eastern Pequot tribes, but the Mohegan Tribe has voiced concerns. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. Be mindful of small pets and small children. (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) Hawley, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, says data dont support a breeding population of mountain lions in Connecticut. A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. Since May 21, three other lion sightings were reported in the Chubbuck and Pocatello areas and one in Inkom. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. It went through my yard, went up behind, I have some property, past my barn, went into the woods, east, lots of woods back there, just disappeared.. A month after the cat was struck and killed, researchers confirmed it had traveled more than 1,500 miles from the Black Hills of South Dakota. Weight: 160 lbs. Beautiful clear day just like this, and there in my backyard I see this huge golden animal, walking through the yard, Bachelder said. Almost every state has some sort of legend of something thats hiding somewhere, he says. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. Stephen Gencarella, professor of folklore studies at the University of Massachusetts and a Connecticut resident, says, The government coverup is only the latest version of something that could stretch back in the oral tradition to precolonial times. He notes that supposed mountain lion sightings spiked in the late 1800s and early 1900s shortly after the animals disappeared from New Englands woods. But its also a great story that lays out how an animal this large, at 150 pounds, traveling through even rural areas, leaves signs and is detected. Emaileditor@connecticutmag.com, or contact usonFacebook@connecticutmagazine orTwitter@connecticutmag. Mountain Lions: They are officially extinct. We have people eating dinner in their kitchen, they hear a noise, all of a sudden a bear walks in, so they run into their bedroom to get away from the bear, while the bears out ransacking their refrigerator. Roadkills can be reported to 860-424-3011. Betty later showed maps covered with dots, each of which represented sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut and the rest of New England. Connecticut is cougar heaven, Betty said. Weight. There are no mountain lions in Connecticut, so why do we keep seeing them? Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are This one cat left DNA and/or photographic evidence of its presence in at least four states They are very bold. Idaho Fish and Game officers and personnel responded to . 4:30 PM. Speaker Bill Betty presented evidence and proposed theories that could prove that Connecticut, including, is home to a native population of Eastern mountain lions. Below is an evolving list of Connecticut natives and state prep school football players in the Class of 2023 who have signed letters of intent to play football in college. Grandson of an old swamp Yankee, trapped, hunted , fished my whole life. In 2011, in the affluent suburbs of Connecticut, there were several reported sightings of a mountain lion, and much pooh-poohing from authorities, until a sport utility vehicle struck and killed . And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. Stay facing the big cat and try not to turn your back to it. In cities, smaller towns, and even sparsely inhabited areas, there is simply not enough large prey for mountain lions to survive on. From Litchfield County, can confirm. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. While there is currently not much safety training being done in the state for the extinct animal, Betty predicts that cougar safety will eventually be as common in New England as it is in California. Mountain lions are commonly identified by trail camera photographs, tracks, and feces. Im always amazed at the sheer volume of people who are interested in cougars, more even than wolves, she says. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. He explains that we frequently overestimate the size of animals in the wild, particularly ones we are afraid of. But a high-profile sighting in 2011 stirred up renewed interest in the animals here, when a mountain lion from South Dakota was hit and killed by a car on a Connecticut highway. But that doesnt stop people from seeing them. "Mountain lions are considered extinct in the northeast." Bobcats are not uncommon in Connecticut, according to the state, although their population is limited throughout the state, with the. (https://wildlifeinformer.com/what-to-do-if-you-encounter-a-mountain-lion/). and last updated 8:18 AM, Jan 21, 2022. Here are the Winter Storm Anthony snowfall totals so far, Melting Pot restaurant in Darien closes down. DEEP sightings: Where the bears are in CT. Jim Shay. However, the National Wildlife Federation notes that the mountain lions range spreads all across the Americas, from the Canadian Yukon to The Strait of Magellan, making it the greatest range of any living mammal in the Americas.. All rights reserved. Have a map downloaded. (UPDATE, JANUARY 19, 2022) The Great Falls Police Department said on Wednesday morning that the mountain lion that has been lurking around town for the last . In Florida, where mountain lions are known as panthers, dozens are killed each year by cars. If needed, throw rocks, sticks, etc. I have a fence in the backyard, it was above the bottom rail, so its back was probably this big, this long, the tail, said John Bachelder. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. There also should have been evidence of animals killed by the predators and roadkill. Hawley, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, says data dont support a breeding population of mountain lions in Connecticut. Make yourself BIG. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. 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