Glenn Therres, a biologist and wildlife specialist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources says, We receive a dozen or two dozen reports a year from citizens who see, hear or find signs of cougars. The mountain lion is rare in Missouri, having been extirpated since the 1920s; occasional individuals wander here from other states. An official website of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, This page, Are there mountain lions in Massachusetts?, is. Follow @WJZ on Twitter and like WJZ-TV | CBS Baltimore on Facebook, First published on July 31, 2018 / 4:17 PM. Some of these photos have taken on urban legend status. We are both members of the Walpack Historical Society. An Ohio Division of Wildlife officer said he watched the . "Other than two confirmed cases, all reports of Mountain Lions in Massachusetts that include tangible evidence have turned out to be other kinds of animals," a post by the state department of Energy and Environmental Affairs called "Are there Mountain Lions in Massachusetts?" Shes 18 now. 10K views, 19 likes, 0 loves, 83 comments, 20 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from KMBC 9: LIVE: Authorities search the area after a possible mountain lion was spotted in Greenbelt Park, Maryland.. All these photos were taken in a state other than Massachusetts. Some kitty this is!An outfit known as the Cougar Network (www.easterncougarnet.org) tracks cougar sightings all over the various states where cougar populations are not known to exist. The main habitat requirement for mountain lions is stalking cover to successfully hunt prey. February 12. I went home to look it up to ensure I was correct - Mountain Lion. The coloring was that of a deer but it was too strangely shaped to be a deer conclusion definitely a mountain lion. Nowadays, many reports include photographic evidence, thanks to camera phones and trail cameras. With all the deer, geese, and other prey everywhere, why wouldnt they be here!!!! Meanwhile, if mountain lion sightings are on your wish list, go to Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, even California, to mention some of the western states where the American panther is in good supply. An adult male bobcat can reach four feet in length and 35-40 pounds. If youre still curious, read on to brush up on your mountain lion knowledge. Mountain lion prints are . Since May 21, three other lion sightings were reported in the Chubbuck and Pocatello areas and one in Inkom. (WJZ) -- A reported mountain lion sighting in a Prince George's County park turned out to be a coyote. I only saw the back half of the animal which was muscular, tan colored with a long tail that curled at the end. In an article in the Maryland Natural Resource magazine, Therres mentions that reports of cougar sightings come from every sector in the state as if were overrun with the big cats. Maryland - There have been many sightings of mountain lions and a lot of debate about the existence of mountain lions in Maryland. More than half of California is mountain lion habitat and mountain lions generally exist wherever deer are found. Mountain lions ( Puma concolor) are one of the six native species of wild cats in North America. Mass.gov is a registered service mark of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. "These animals have usually been misidentified because they were seen under poor conditions or by someone not familiar with the species," the post goes on to say. These areas are heavily wooded reserves owned by Morris County and the State of New Jersey. It was about 4 feet tall and just walked slowly crossing the highway. Have any questions? I knew it wasn't a dog - and it wasn't a bobcat. The report stated that a woman spotted a mountain lion in Greenbelt. In her post, Lefleche told her friends not to panic. Of course, everyone thinks Im crazy because they dont want to believe it. The West Virginia Wildlife Center is open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. . Mountain lion hunting season opened Aug. 13, and remains so until May 31, 2023. A regional wildlife biologist with the Department of Natural Resources' Forest, Park and Wildlife Service, he says mountain lions were hunted into extinction by the people who settled Maryland. adroll_version = "2.0"; ; track sets or photos of track sets; other tangible physical evidence verified by qualified professionals. The network doesnt believe phone callers, such as the ones the Maryland DNR hears of a large cat the size of a German shepherd or larger dog walking down the trail.Youve got to do better than that, says the Cougar Networks professional big-cat specialists. However, because they are capable of traveling great distances, they have turned up in all parts of North Dakota. This was on January 25 at around 5:30 pm. There are only quick sightings around town of the large cat known as the mountain lion. A number of years ago, a friend and I were driving around Walpack, which is part of The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Mountain Lion Sighting. Citizen reported a mountain lion jumped through a fence and sent in hairs suspected to be from the lion. There were five yearling animals, four 2-year-old animals, two 3-year-olds and five 4-year-olds. From TM:Hey Joe. Evidence could include the body of a dead mountain lion or a live wild-captured animal; photos or video, in which a mountain lion can be identified and MassWildlife can confirm the location; DNA evidence from hair, scat, etc. A mountain lion, seen above, was sighted on Ash Street in Webster Sunday. In May 2018, a mountain lion attacked two mountain bikers 30 miles east of Seattle, Washington, killing one, but it's only the 15th fatal attack in North America since 1970. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. l went around a tight right bend and, 100 feet up, walking the same way was a cougar. Suggestions are presented as an open option list only when they are available. If mountain lions returned to Massachusetts, there is no need to update current forest management practices. Despite this fact, Massachusetts residents continue to report mountain lion sightings. Let us know what's going on! I feel vindicated. Further, it is already illegal to kill a mountain lion in Massachusetts. For a solid four seconds, Marchibroda watched as a large, sleek cat standing about three feet tall with a long, curled tail crossed Skyline Drive near Gavel Springs Gap less than 100 feet in front of them. Officials are asking that people avoid the park as they investigate the report. Sightings are certainly nothing new in Maryland. This map shows the various zones where mountain lions are hunted statewide, as determined by the Arizona Fish and Game Department. Over a period of a year and a half, this mountain lion left DNA evidence in at least four states. Eastern Arizona Courier 301 E Highway 70, Suite A, Safford, AZ 85546 | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | The EASTERN ARIZONA COURIER is owned by Wick Communications. Case 2 Saw one in my backyard in Mercer County in 2018. adroll_current_page = "other"; The cat, which she believes is a mountain lion, ran off into some nearby woods. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Webster residents say they spotted a mountain lion roaming around a residential neighborhood earlier this week, according to the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. Mountain lions are helpful in maintaining order in our ecosystem and assist to keep other wildlife numbers in check. Mountain lions inhabit the badlands and Missouri River breaks regions of North Dakota. However, Fish and Game is asking area residents to be vigilant and to report any mountain lion sightings in the area by calling the Southwest Region Office at 208-465-8465, Monday through Friday . All other reports of mountain lions in Massachusetts have turned out to be other animals. From D:My wife came home a couple of years ago and told me she saw two cougars crossing Range Road, a joint jurisdiction road between Fort Dix and Browns Mills, NJ, I told her they must have been something else. The youngest was less than 1-year-old. None of the rumors are true. Very interesting piece. Mountain lions were classified as a game species by the Nebraska State Legislature in 1995, mandating the Commission to set hunting seasons only if the lion population was large enough to sustain a harvest. Demographic train wreck: Will Japan throw its old people on the tracks? "I couldn't believe my eyes. It was about 4 feet tall and just walked slowly crossing the highway. According to Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD), a person may use dogs to pursue, but not kill or capture a mountain lion in a unique pursuit-only season that coincides with the open season. var today = new Date() Pitch-black out and all I could hear was a long slow deep growling that sounded like nothing Id ever heard except once before 3 years ago. Someone else reported seeing the cat last February. Use anything at your disposal: a stick, rock, or better yet, bear spray. It doesn't make sense to me that they wouldn't be in those areas considering anything prevents them from crossing state lines especially since they can swim and the Delaware river is often shallow enough to walk across in a lot of spots. On Tuesday, September 28, the Choconut Inn in Friendsville, Pennsylvania jumped in on the conversation with a Facebook post that read, "Hi everyone there's been numerous mountain lion sightings by Quaker Lake. Sighting of this animal also occurred in Michigan and New York. Other people say they have seen these beautiful cats and have also caught them, in the past, on camera in the woods. Around 3 p.m., a. It was heading northeast toward Peapack, NJ. MassWildlife uses evidence-based criteria for confirming reports of mountain lions. ", With its long tail and sleek, cat-like body, the animal was unquestionably a mountain lion, Mrs. Vanosnabrugge says. It WAS a mountain lion. The report stated that a woman spotted a mountain lion in Greenbelt Park, WUSA9 confirmed Tuesday. It was an event I can remember like it was yesterday. Also, Bobcats are spreading into areas in which they have not been seen before. PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, Md. Mountain Lion Weight: 80-160 pounds Length: About 7-8 feet long Tail: 2-3 feet long (up to half of the total length) Identification The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. By LAURA JEAN SCHNEIDER POCATELLOMountain lions are being sighted throughout Pocatello, according to official reports and social media posts from local residents. These tracks were fresh and well photographed. About 16 years ago I saw one plodding along Canal Road in Vernon, in broad daylight while I was looking out my kitchen sink window. Brigantino Park, on San Juan Road in Hollister, closed July 19 following the sighting of an adult mountain lion with a cub and will remain off limits until further notice, according to the park . riding my dirt bike up a trail right off Rt. Most of Graham County is outside of designated active management areas for mountain lions. From SS:Some years ago we were on our way home from my sister-in-laws house burning. As it was running I noticed that it was way too large and had a large tail. If you see a mountain lion, report the sighting immediately to Mission Viejo Animal Services at 949-470-3045 or the Orange County Sheriff's Department at 949-770-6011. (#08) We just wanted to inform you all that during our trip to the Snowshoe ski resort in West Virginia we sighted a mountain lion at a nearby field. I was amazed I told everyone I knew and it was like I was crazy or a liar. I myself saw one back around 2008 off of Watervale Rd in Fallston, Harford County. California has one of the largest mountain lion populations in the country. MassWildlife receives dozens of reportsa year, most are simplyreportsor sightings with no evidence. It was bloody and the hair was a mess around its head. It looked so powerful! The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. One late afternoon on my way back home I, unfortunately, saw one dead in the middle of 287 on the southbound lane approximately around the exits near Delaware water gap (between 53 and 36) I was in the lane closest to it, was driving slow enough past it and got a clear long look at it, it was clearly a giant beige cat with a long tail. For the last few days, my email account has been continuously pinging from people sharing information about their sightings. Luckily it looked healthy and well-fed. (I don't know if it's right, but for me the two terms are interchangeable. I was driving on a dark and stormy night about 9 years ago on Rt-515 just off of Rt-23. However, one must assume that it actually could happen. McCarter sent a sample to Dr. George Amato of the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York and Dr. Melanie Culver of the University of Maryland. My sighting was on the sand Old Martha Rd beyond Martha Furnace Rd (which is also the BatonaTrail). I have seen a lion twice in Sussex County. The Damned Story: Eastern mountain lions, or pumas or cougars, were last officially seen in Connecticut near the end of the 19th century.A threat to livestock, they were hunted out of the state and driven to parts more wild. I was told to call animal control. If you're looking for some information that's important to you (such as research for work or learning how to manage your money), then the advice here is to first write down the relevant keywords on a piece of paper to figure out exactly what you want, which will be a lot more efficient. Sixty-nine percent of mountain lion kills involved the use of dogs, and the majority of animals were killed in the period between January and March. I was sitting on my front porch and I saw a very large animal at first I thought big fox. People from all parts of the city are posting accounts. The MLRT has investigates hundreds of mountain lion reports, but most reported sightings and tracks turn out to be bobcats or large dogs. "It ran right in front of my truck a few weeks ago," said Kenneth Basler, a town official who said he saw the large cat around Stevens Pond . There is no indication of population decline, the department said. In my moment of "fear" - I called the non-emergent police number They sent an officer out and we told him what we had seen. Big Tech minions could compromise Americas Intelligence community. We see dead deer all of the time, but deer do not have big paws as this thing did.