It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. "The journey of this mountain lion is a testament to the wonders of. Black panthers, which are not found in the U.S., are actually black jaguars or leopards. In cities, smaller towns, and even sparsely inhabited areas, there is simply not enough large prey for mountain lions to survive on. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection thinks it's unlikely. Throw rocks, sticks, etc to scare it off, police said in the post. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. Rego says that the way bobcats stride when they run, often times a rear leg is kicked up in the back and that could be mistaken for a long tail.. I couldnt tell you how happy I would be if mountain lions were actually recolonizing the state of Connecticut, Hawley says, but its just not happening., Hawley spoke about bobcats, mountain lions and bears on The Colin McEnroe Show: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators.. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. According to French's article: "To date, the only other confirmed evidence of a wild Mountain Lion in Massachusetts was found on March 4, 2011, when Steve Ward . Not really, Rego says. The sightings increased in 2011, after a driver hit and killed a mountain lion who was trying to cross the Merritt Parkway in Milford. There also should have been evidence of animals killed by the predators and roadkill. At that point, they realized my family was not crazy and it was identified as a cougar and it was about 100 lbs. Thus, the name of the mountain where Castle Craig sits.. nicknamed "Cat Hole Mountain!" We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. She was also the voice behind the weekly Connecticut Real Estate newsletter by CT Insider. Two women's solution: salvage it instead, Hampden County DA: Massachusetts troopers acted 'lawfully' in shooting death of William Tisdol, As Vt. . Mountain lion spotted in Connecticut town On Monday, DEEP said that Connecticut does not have a mountain lion population. For over 30 years, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been tracking reported mountain lion sightings. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. That's a lynx not a mountain lion. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. It was found, though, that this particular big cat had traveled all the way from South Dakota a distance of 1,500 miles. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. Also known as cougars, panthers or pumas, mountain lions range in color from tan to grey, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. 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. As I rushed to meet her in the woods, she told me what she had seen. Especially when pictures are blurry which happens a lot in trail cameras or youll get pictures taken at night or something on Ring cameras that hind leg really does often look like a tail kind of curling up behind the animal.. Anyone can get fooled. We're not aware of any more confirmed mountain lion sightings other than the one that was hit by the car many years back. Sometimes physical evidence shows the sighting was of some other animal, including dogs, cats, fishers, coyotes, bears and bobcats. Dont Run. 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. Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said Massachusetts troopers used reasonable deadly force after Connecticut man shot at police in Springfield in February. One has been spotted on our street for the last four or five years. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. In 2011, genetic testing confirmed that a mountain lion originated in South Dakota and traveled more than 1,500 miles before being struck by a car on the Merritt Parkway, according to Reuters. 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? This was maybe a decade ago. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. Im always amazed at the sheer volume of people who are interested in cougars, more even than wolves, she says. A young male was hit and killed by a car several years ago, but. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. We know that strays have wandered through New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts; that does not indicate that a sighting means we have a resident mountain lion in the Berkshires. 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. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. Booth DEEP and local authorities around Connecticut have confirmed that the majority of mountain lion sightings in the state turn out to be sightings of bobcats. 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.. 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. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. Typically, they will slink out of there as quickly as they can to get away from humans. 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.. They are very bold. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service reports that mountain lions typical habitat is steep, rocky canyons or mountainous terrain, but they generally can be found wherever deer are present. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. The sightings havent been confirmed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and there are no videos or photos. I couldnt tell you how happy I would be if mountain lions were actually recolonizing the state of Connecticut, Hawley says, but its just not happening., Hawley spoke about bobcats, mountain lions and bears on The Colin McEnroe Show: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators.. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. You may also be interested in: Mountain Lion population by U.S. state I enjoy exploring CT and reporting back to my readers about fun things to do in Connecticut. What about mountain lions, though? But Bachelder stresses he knows what he saw. Working in the 1980s in southern California, where there are cougars, biologist Paul Beier said that 95 percent of cougar sightings they investigated turned out to be misidentifications. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. The state adds bobcats are often active this time of year, making sightings much more likely. 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. They have NEVER observed a single mountain lion track. But that doesnt stop people from seeing them. Give today. This might serve as proof to some that there, in fact, might still be mountain lions in CT. Be as loud as you can paired with being as big as you can. listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information. Connecticut Public 7.36K subscribers The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been denying they exist in Connecticut, but this past summer a rogue mountain lion was spotted. Weve had coyotes misidentified. Connecticut Wildlife magazine (ISSN 1087-7525) is published bimonthly by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection . Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. not all bobcats are heavily spotted either - just to add to the confusion.. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. Im no wilderness expert, but it sure looked like a mountain lion to me, he said. Theres also the lack of visual evidence, more glaring each passing year as so many hikers and hunters now carry phones with cameras. But the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Sunday that bobcats are the only large wild cats found in the state. 5. He drove me out to the spot. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. A couple things to keep in mind if you come across or see a big cat like a Mountain Lion: 1. Hawley said the last confirmed mountain lion sighting in the state was one that was killed on the Merritt Parkway in 2011 when a car struck the animal near Exit 55. Stay facing the big cat and try not to turn your back to it, officials said in a Facebook post. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. 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. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. Have a question or comment? She adds, I think its because a lot of people are fascinated by wild cats; they are the embodiment of the wild.. But what might be his most compelling argument is that since this is Connecticut, the budget is too limited. where the last confirmed kill was in 1885. And theyre not going to find one, because the females don't disperse like that. 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.. Truth & Reconciliation Commission begins, Odanak chief repeats request for inclusion. Mountain lion sightings in New Hampshire have increased along . Are there any mountain lions in CT? I live in Hamden Connecticut and I have had mountain lions, black bears, Skunk's, dear, coyotes, fox. That report was accompanied by a blurry photo, an indistinct paw print, and a scat sample. Are There a Lot of Spiders in Connecticut? In Florida, where mountain lions are known as panthers, dozens are killed each year by cars. Im watching it, its big, its got the body, and the thing that really gave it away was the tail, had that mountain lion long tail that goes down to the ground and comes up at the end, saw that and was like, thats a freaking mountain lion.. A threat to livestock, they were hunted out of the state and driven to parts more wild. This is a carousel. 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. Considering that wild animals do not recognize political boundaries, ranges of lions in Connecticut could include adjacent areas of New York and Massachusetts. The arrival of a real mountain lion in the state reframed the discussion in Connecticut surrounding the animal. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. Many years ago there was a mountain lion that stayed in a wood pile in my mother's back yard. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. I always hold out the possibility of a sighting to be genuine, but at the same time, over decades of experience, we know that the vast majority are misidentifications and a small number are actually hoaxes, he says. State wildlife experts say those big cats have been extinct in Connecticut. There is also something appealing about the idea that there is an animal out there so cunning that it has escaped our notice and the eyes of our cameras. Here are some physical differences between mountain lions and bobcats: These 2 big cats also behave differently. I might also add that I notified the State wildlife division about evidence of a bear in my neighborhood in Windham County and never received even an acknowledgement. In 2011, genetic testing confirmed that a mountain lion originated in South Dakota and traveled more than 1,500 miles before being struck by a car on the Merritt Parkway, according to Reuters. Make yourself BIG. 17), Police investigate death of New London High School student, Guide to Legal Cannabis Dispensaries in CT, recent mountain lion sightings in Connecticut have not been confirmed, CT pit bull that was almost euthanized goes viral, gets adopted. Copyright 2022 WFSB. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. Hi! Speaker Bill Betty presented evidence and proposed theories that could prove that Connecticut, including , is home to a native population of Eastern mountain lions. 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. The state says no, theyre extinct, that cant be. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. 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. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. She had seen an animal on foot in broad daylight. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. 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. To answer these and other questions about sightings of mountain lions, I turned to DEEPs Rego, who has investigated many purported cougar sightings over the past three decades. Ive seen bobcats before, this wasnt a bobcat. And its a lose-lose situation, because theres really not a whole lot you can tell them in most cases thats going to change their mind.. Ive lived here 23 years, Ive seen coyotes, Ive seen bobcats, Ive seen foxes, everything else, never seen anything like this before, said Bachelder. of Energy & Environmental Protection. Bobcats don't shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. Wright, however, didnt agree with his mentor and began writing publicly about mountain lions in the East. A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. MOUNTAIN LION ATTACKS MAN SITTING IN COLORADO HOT TUB After a few moments of the deer trying to maneuver out of the chokehold, it managed to free itself from the claws of the mountain lion.. It also doesnt mean there wont be more sightings in the future, as these animals have been known to reclaim areas their species once roamed. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. The last confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in CT was in 2011 when a driver struck and killed one on the Merrit Parkway. Your support makes this news available to everyone. Somebody needs to take charge of this outfit and do something about the interactions with the citizenry. It would come regularly during its yearly migration. Ive seen bobcats before, this wasnt a bobcat. And its a lose-lose situation, because theres really not a whole lot you can tell them in most cases thats going to change their mind.. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. What would motivate DEEP officials to do this isnt clear. ago. A harvest is kind of twofold. Throw rocks, sticks, etc to scare it off. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. And there are different schools of thought about that. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. As unlikely as it sounds, it was a more believable theory than some of the alternatives, among them that the cat was evidence of a breeding population in the state that was being kept secret by, . Copyright 2023 The Connecticut Explorer | Wisteria on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Connecticut Explorer Home Find Things to do in CT. You can subscribe to Connecticut Magazine here, or find the current issue on sale 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. Abbott believes it is possible that more mountain lions such as the one that was killed in Milford in 2011 could migrate here. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. More recently, unexplained animal sightings in Connecticut and other states became more and more associated with mountain lions. 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. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. Hawley: Yeah. He drove me out to the spot. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. It continues in Connecticut, where that South Dakota cat was killed in 2011, and in Massachusetts, despite two credible reports in the past quarter century (in one case, DNA-confirmed scat; in the other, verified tracks). But as Eastern cougar search efforts became more organized and still there were no concrete signs of the creatures, many became more skeptical. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. BOSTON (Reuters) - A mountain lion killed on a Connecticut highway in June was a wild animal from South Dakota that prowled more than 1,500 miles eastward before meeting his death 70 miles. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. Woodbridge police provided this photo of a mountain lion, after several reported sightings in the area. 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