That's not to say that pits are not formidable dogs, they are. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. Were arrogant if we think were the only species that makes decisions based on fear, he told me when I called him at his home in Oregon. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal likely trekked more than 1,500 miles from South Dakota, a journey that was captured by trail camera (above). For instance, a favorite food for deer is the seedlings of forest tree species. Icould hear the panic in my wifes voice. Someone told New Canaan police that a mountain lion was spotted on Gerdes Road, just north of the Darien-New Canaan border, at about 6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 14.. Reading Time: 4 mins read . They have a right to exist here and they contribute to healthier prey species. Please. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. Two mountain lion encounters in his driveway. Mountain lions have traveled through Fairfield County in the past. How did I know? The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection receives 50-100 reports of mountain lions each year, says Paul Rego, a wildlife biologist with the department. While other states have their Bigfoot and sea monster sightings, in Connecticut, and throughout much of the Northeast, we see mountain lions even when were told such sightings are unlikely, if not outright impossible. I thought I saw signs posted in Pawling NY about 8 years ago, that DEC released a pair to control deer population,mane several people have seen them in Wingdale, NY. In Florida, where mountain lions are known as panthers, dozens are killed each year by cars. A witness captured the terrifying moment when a deputy escaped the jaws of a mountain lion in Colorado. People like you are the problem and cause of extinctions. An expert said it was probably a basking shark. A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. "There's no evidence of breeding pairs," he said. Length of body. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. ALSO KNOWN AS Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. Given the long, shared border between these provinces and New England, along with plentiful evidence that other species cross this border regularly, it seems entirely possible that cougars would also engage in international travel. Perhaps, then, the ultimate question isnt whether cougars are among us, but rather how we can encourage them to settle here. Mountain lions inhabit the badlands and Missouri River breaks regions of North Dakota. As I looked at my daughter and then turned to follow the direction she was looking, I saw the animal in my side mirror. Unlike male cougars, the femaleslike this Montana cat with her cubdont tend to strike out for new territory, which makes it unlikely that a breeding population would establish itself far from the cougars current habitatsbut not impossible. It was fast as hell but there was no mistaking its not only long,but THICK tail as it disappeared into the woods. Updated . Thats a reasonable assertion. of Energy & Environmental Protection. As livestock farming came to dominate the landscape, pressure on the big cats slowly mounted on two fronts: The number of farmers wanting them dead was increasing, while the rapid transition from forest to farmland meant their habitat was shrinking. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. I live in New Milford and I saw one crossing the road in front of me when I stopped to get my mail from my mailbox. 1 After three deer were killed on his property in March, Matunuck resident Abel Collins found what he suspected might be a mountain lion track nearby. Hes even had his own false sighting. Uscinski, a Connecticut native, adds that the theory that the government is covering up the existence of mountain lions is likely motivated by a distrust of authority. Wednesday, November 25th 2020. The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cats Walk Across America by William Stolzenburg. Mountain Lion Historically, mountain lions (Puma concolor) occurred throughout South Dakota and were considered numerous in the Black Hills. Theres something in human nature to overestimate the size of wild animals we see, especially if we get a brief glance and if the animal is moving. He adds, Bobcats can get pretty large and some people believe they should have pretty visible spots and very often theyre pretty uniform in color. This is especially true in the summer, when my wifes sighting occurred. Responding to complaints about a predator eating a local farmers sheep, Crowell and a small group of fellow hunters had tracked the big cat through the snow. Of course no dash cam or accessible phone camera at the time! hen I accepted the assignment to write about my quest to uncover the truth regarding the existence of cougars in New England, I had little idea what I was agreeing to. Here in southern Utah, lions have been known to occupy home ranges as large as 513 square miles. Now, ocelots are critically endangered and jaguarundis might be completely gone. I have no choice but to take this seriously, he told me. Mountain lions (commonly called cougar or puma) vary in size and weight. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. Despite frequent claims, there has only been one confirmed mountain lion sighting since the late 1800s here. It was a lion-like cat with a tan coat and no spots that was about three times the size of our 30- to 35-pound dog. However, the Department of Energy and. But, yes, thats exactly what it was. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. Connecticut Public Radio | P.O. One summer I saw what I assumed was the same cougar several different times in my neighborhood which was near a long strip of woods along I 91 and used to be a large open field across the road from our home. The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book, Abbott, of the Housatonic Valley Association, is equally skeptical of the vast majority of mountain lion sightings. of Energy & Environmental Protection. Officially, there are no mountain lions in New England, although there is a good possibility the big cats could be here, Tate said. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. They can subsist on one deer a week, though they will also hunt coyotes, raccoons, rodents, elk, feral hogs, and even porcupines.. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. Even though the experts say there arent any mountain lions in CT, there are. Public opinion surveys show many more would support reintroduction, than oppose. I will never forget what I saw! Nearby grocery stores include Food Lion, Star Food. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. The last catamount killed in Vermont stands under glass just inside the doors to the Vermont Historical Museum in Montpelier, a hop, skip, and a jump down the block from the statehouse. Pictured is an image shared earlier this month on Facebook of what was claimed to be a mountain lion sighting this past fall in Prairie du Rocher. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots. There was one photographed on a porch in Greenwich, CT, looking in the patio window that made national news a decade ago. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. That maybe, just maybe, what my wife and others saw wasnt a bobcat that seemed bigger in the thrill of the moment, but a real, honest-to-goodness mountain lion, a long-lost ghost of the forest. The bobcat population has since recovered due to improving forest habitat conditions and legal protections. I was outdoor with my two pugs and quickly scooped them up and brought them in the house. near Greenfield with an experienced guide that hed worked with several times. WOODBRIDGE, CT (WFSB) - Police in Woodbridge said they have received reports of mountain lion sightings in town. If a young male Cougar disperses East, instead of West, they're going to keep walking because they're going tokeep looking for an area where they can find a mate, he said. When you look at a state like Connecticut, with all the people we have here, all the trail cameras we have in the woods, all the cars we have driving you can imagine if we had an established population here in Connecticut, we would know about it pretty quickly. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. Learn More Who We Are & What We Do. This is the second mountain lion sighting in North Texas in less than a month. You wouldnt shake hands with a man like that, she said, and though she was smiling I could tell she was serious. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. He drove me out to the spot. Mountain Lions: They are officially extinct. However, because they are capable of traveling great distances, they have turned up in all parts of North Dakota. are larger and heavier than females (60 to 100 lbs.). Because he lives among them, Harrigan understands that no one knows the woods better. Over the years, there even have been a few mountain lions documented in central Oklahoma. Beautiful animal. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. They reside in all eight counties, however, they exist in greatest number in the northwestern corner of the state. Typically, they will slink out of there as quickly as they can to get away from humans. She IS, perhaps, the most knowledgeable and experienced person in this arena and I listened intently to her presentation (Richmond, VT 2018). Morse introduced me to her cat, Allister, whom she referred to as her portable puma. Then she fetched me a beer. 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? Hawley: That animal was documented. Then saw him a few more times from further away across the road and along the edge sometimes of the woods. CT Style. Dont forget, south Texas also used to home to two other species of cats ocelots and jaguarundis. Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. There were pine cones on window sills, a well-used hatchet and a variety of animal figurines on display, and, near the television, a stack of videos including Life of a Predator and The African Lion. If you have a worldview in which the government is conspiring to do weird stuff, than thats what youre going to see, and all the evidence is going to point to exactly what you believe, he says. The big cat on the ground before him, motionless, yet somehow still embodying that particular feline litheness, as if, with the flick of its tail, it might bound to its feet and disappear into the woods. He/she was UNMISTAKEABLY a mountain lion: stretched out straight, long tail straight out behind him, golden/beigey color, and smallish head, little ears. Apex predators like the cougar and wolf make for a healthier ecosystem. Apr 20, 2020. You cansubscribe here, orfind the current issue on sale here. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. You need to understand that every biologist that works for the state has a duty to deny mountain lions. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. Out & About | Best New England Holiday Events for 2019. My assumption is it was the same animal. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. The females are where its at, she said. They can be found in several different ecosystems including mountains, forests, wetlands, and deserts. I live in Hopkinton, NH and saw one coming up from the Contoocook River one misty morning. The Mountain Lion Celebrates its 35th year protecting and preserving America's Lion! You can subscribe to Connecticut Magazine here, or find the current issue on sale here. Mr. Betty and Mr.Ottomans passion and efforts are impressive. That had to be a mountain lion. Obviously, this is the reason why the experts are loathe to admit that the species is here. His bicycle was later found with the chain unbroken, but off the sprockets. The young typically remain with their mother for 2 years. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. They usually either don't disperse at all or they'll kind of overlap their mother's home range, or they'll disperse very short distances.. The Department of Environmental . Put bluntly, Morse does not believe that New England is home to cougars. Thats only a fraction of the supposed sightings. (My wife didnt get a look at the tail.) They are named for their short (bobbed) tail which is often about six inches in length. Interesting article, but it is really incomplete without a discussion of the legal implications of having a confirmed endangered species such as the Eastern Cougar in New England. They also generally have spots on their fur. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. Its distinctive featurethe one that sets it apart from other North American wild catsis its tail, which is thick and often as long as its body. 2439 Adams Farm Ct, Snow Camp, NC 27349 $299,000 MLS# 2479163 PRICE REDUCTION!! Action Alerts. 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. To Betty and Ottmann, the dominant narrative of the occasional itinerant cougar from the West is not particularly relevant to the facts on the ground. Theres also the lack of visual evidence, more glaring each passing year as so many hikers and hunters now carry phones with cameras. A few years later, though, the scat was retested with DNA analysis and found to be canid, rather than feline, in origin. He was a dark butterscotch color, very tall and lanky (taller and thinner than a really big German Shepard) and that tail. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. . Within six weeks, he continued, I was getting off the plane in Jackson Hole for a national mountain lion conference. According to Jason Hawley, a wildlife biologist for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protections Wildlife Division, the department gets around 100 sighting reports of mountain lions each year, but upon further investigation, a good proportion of the sightings end up being bobcats. Recall a few years back, a guy in a kayak off Horseneck Beach in Westport, MA, was tracked by a large fin. We lived off of Mountain Rd in Granby, Ct for 8 years and I can say that without a doubt I am 100% sure that there are mountain lions living there. In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. State conservation officials believe this photo, taken in Greenwich in 2011, shows a mountain lion. [An overabundance of deer] means our forests are getting older and older and not being replaced. He also points to the influx of invasive plant species in New England as evidence of an out-of-control deer population. Bobcats are found across Connecticut, but even fully grown they are much smaller than what she was describing, only weighing between 18 and 35 pounds. Weight: 70-170 lbs. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, Connecticut Dept. Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Mountain lions, also known as cougars or pumas, are a big cat species native to the Americas. Photos of the cat did nothing to convince DEEP the cat was here. In 1994, scat collected after a sighting in Craftsbury, Vermont, was found to contain cougar hair (the animals are prone to ingesting their hair while grooming), and the commissioner of the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department circulated a memo with the following line: It is possible that cougars of unknown origin may be breeding to a limited extent in Vermont. In my mind, I went through all the nots. There was a tin of American Spirit tobacco on the table (Ottmanns), a laptop (Bettys), a notebook (mine), and a tumbler of Bacardi and Coke (Ottmanns again). 75-170 pounds. There was no mistake. So yes they are here and not to sure why they dont admit to them being around ! 10186. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. Hawley: Yeah. The official word is that mountain lions were declared extinct in Connecticut back in the late 1800s but sightings have become much more prevalent. 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. Instead, people should remain facing the cat and not turn their back on it, make noise and make themselves appear as large as possible by raising their arms over their heads with a jacket. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. We dont have extra money to do secret projects, he says. July 20, 2022. [The catamounts] movements were so noiseless that Mr. Crowell found himself in this dangerous proximity before he was aware of it, and it was only by great coolness and daring that he severely wounded the animal and perhaps saved his own life, reads a placard attached to the display case. 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