A couple things to keep in mind if you come across or see a big cat like a Mountain Lion: 1. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. The last confirmed mountain lion sighting in Connecticut occurred in 2011. Make yourself big -- do not bend, squat or sit down. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. The sightings havent been confirmed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and there are no videos or photos. In general, the audience members seemed to agree with Bettys views. If it really comes down to it do what you have to do to deter it from following you. 'Bo was a legend', Los Charros Cantina closes in Essex, will relocate to Branford, Elizabeth's Cafe in Madison to be razed for new restaurant, housing, CT fathers coaching daughters in girls basketball navigate life lessons at home and on the court, 5 CT companies hiring for 100 or more positions, Celebrity gossip and sightings in and around CT, February 2023, John Mayer to appear on Impractical Jokers Thursday, Stamford's Alive At Five concert series announces 2023 dates, Dionne Warwick, '80 for Brady producer bring music review to CT. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. More sightings that Halm deemed credible came in 2018 from Nursery, Marvin Ridge and Briscoe Roads.. Halm noted that the route between the two recent sightings appears to be straight south. Betty, however, said that the sheer number of sightings and evidence substantiates a native population of cougars. Mountain lion Over 7 ft in length Over 100 lbs Uniform tan color Long tails Bobcat Under 3ft in length Under 50lbs Dark spots Tufts of fur in ears These 2 big cats also behave differently. Bobcats typically have brown fur with a reddish tinge that is marked with black or brown spots or stripes, according to the National Zoo. Height at shoulder: 25-30 in. Ask people who spend time outside Connecticut cities and you will hear firsthand or secondhand accounts of mountain lions. Bobcats are most frequently misidentified by the public as mountain lions, but theyre not the only animals mislabeled. Im always amazed at the sheer volume of people who are interested in cougars, more even than wolves, she says. Mountain lion fur is unspotted and tan-brown . Have a question or comment? 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.. As I said previously, So, now we know what DEEP says about mountain lions in the state and we know that many people mistakenly believe theyve sighted one but its still possible there are some in CT, right? It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. Weve got a growing bear population. We have plenty of suitable habitat, he says. A harvest is kind of twofold. Inevitably, the New England states will acknowledge that they have some mountain lions.. @Edward Case, It is also the most common wild cat found in North America. Hey, I know what I saw. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. (My wife didnt get a look at the tail.) It certainly would be a spectacular sight to witness a cat as large as a mountain lion out in the wild, but, for now, in Connecticut, its not in the cards. Although mountain lions were part of Nebraska's native fauna, they were extirpated by the end of the 19th century. But as Eastern cougar search efforts became more organized and still there were no concrete signs of the creatures, many became more skeptical. It provided absolutely irrefutable proof that a wild Mountain Lion, at least occasionally, can make its way to New England. Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. Conserving Tolland President and founder Roseann Kellner Gottier said that the issue has become important for the region and is glad the lecture was well-attended. Connecticut is cougar heaven, Betty said. Breweries in New Haven, CT you MUST Visit! This post was contributed by a community member. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. Multiple people in North Stonington claim they've spotted a mountain lion roaming around. 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. Due to mountain lions large size, they require larger meals. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . Ive lived here 23 years, Ive seen coyotes, Ive seen bobcats, Ive seen foxes, everything else, never seen anything like this before, said Bachelder. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. She said the size made her do a double take and indeed she seen it had a very long tail, Bullsh** Mountain Lions: Large tan cats with a distinctive two to three-foot curving tail, that can almost touch the ground as they walk. Tandmlally@yahoo.com. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. Females are typically smaller. "We have yet to see anything that suggests they're around here." But sometimes, instead of mountain lions, people thought they saw other creatures in the Connecticut woods, of which authorities were supposedly aware. According to wildlife biologist Jason Hawley, the lack of evidence of mountain lions in Connecticut is the evidence. Mountain lions weigh 105 to 140 pounds and can be up to eight feet long from the nose to the tip of the tail. For over 30 years the CT DEEP has been tracking reported sightings and maintain it has never observed or found proof that mountain lions are still here in the state. Even in parts of the country where there are documented breeding populations of mountain lions, there are still many false reports. A mountain lion in winter. The current editor of the publication, which is based in New Hampshire, explains why the job is worth sticking around. and last updated 8:18 AM, Jan 21, 2022. Mountain lions are found in mountains, coniferous forests, grasslands, swamps, and dry scrublands. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Here are the Winter Storm Anthony snowfall totals so far, Melting Pot restaurant in Darien closes down. So why does the conspiracy theory that theyre here in significant numbers persist? When it comes to mountain lions, (also called cougars, pumas, or panthers) is there really a chance you will come across one in the wild, or will you need to visit a zoo to see one of these magnificent animals in real life? Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. It's 8:02 p.m., according to the timestamp at the bottom of the image. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. It was found, though, that this particular big cat had traveled all the way from South Dakota a distance of 1,500 miles. Icould hear the panic in my wifes voice. They also generally have spots on their fur. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. Mountain Lions:They can have similar coloring and their tails can look alike, which has lead to some house cats being mistaken for them, even though mountain lions are much, much bigger. ', '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. In cities, smaller towns, and even sparsely inhabited areas, there is simply not enough large prey for mountain lions to survive on. Weve done a lot of work over the years investigating sightings. 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. NOW - 4:30 PM. 2012). There also should have been evidence of animals killed by the predators and roadkill. Have a map downloaded. To date, no footage of a mountain lion has surfaced. He said that the conservation organization,Cougars of the Valley, has compiled 300 sightings in the Farmington Valley region of the state alone. South Windsor resident Stafford King is sure that he saw a cougar on his land three years ago. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. Native: Yes. I saw one, not mistaken with a bobcat I know what bobcats look like. 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.. 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. As a 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. Grandson of an old swamp Yankee, trapped, hunted , fished my whole life. The big cat. 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. They are named for their short (bobbed) tail which is often about six inches in length. 3. State wildlife experts say those big cats have been extinct in Connecticut for more than 100 years. Weve had coyotes misidentified. Bobcats, also, only hunt small prey. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. building a betterand more civilConnecticut to live, work, and play. Watch Live at 7:00 PM: The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns | Screening & Panel Discussion . You really couldnt ask for a better place for mountain lions.. Following the recent death of a mountain lion in Milford, and several reported. Slowly, mountain lions recolonized North America after having retreated to warmer climates in South America during the Pleistocene ice age. According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, mountain lions became extinct in Connecticut in the 1800s, and bobcats are the only large wild cats found in the state. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. About two years ago in July 2020, there were around 1,500 reports of bobcat sightings in the state, with some bobcat sightings in Brookfield and Ridgefield that year. mountain lions in washington. The last confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in CT was in 2011 when a driver struck and killed one on the Merrit Parkway. The state explains any cougar evidence, such as the recent mountain lion, under one of three theories: a subspecies relic of the Eastern mountain lion; a Western cougar that migrated to the area; or an escaped or abandoned pet. 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. By, March 2023 Fund Drive Rules and Regulations, Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing NHPR's FCC public files, please contact us at publicfile@nhpr.org. I saw one cross the rd ( rt 63) in Wtn @ 5 yrs ago, @Craig, Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. I know the difference between bobcats, lynx, & mt lions. A bobcats tail is short and bob-like, while mountain lions have long, curving tails that can grow up to 3 feet. Although common at the time of European settlement, the last known historical specimen in Missouri was killed in the Bootheel area in 1927. We dont have extra money to do secret projects, he says. Fish and Game staff have distributed door hangers in neighborhoods the lion has been using. 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. Re (2): Mountain Lion sighting in Brookfield ct - By Ryan January 31, 2016 at 11:16:51 PM. Be mindful of small pets and small children. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. On June 11, 2011, in Milford, CT, a mountain lion was killed by a motor vehicle. 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. Even though human persecution has driven them locally extinct in the eastern part of the state, Texas mountain lion hunting is allowed year-round with no bag limits. They also want to foster the formation and protection of migration pathways for them and other animals to enter new states. 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. This might serve as proof to some that there, in fact, might still be mountain lions in CT. No, there are no mountain lions in CT, and there havent been for quite some time. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. 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. NHPR is nonprofit and independent. Sue Morse, the founder and science director of Keeping Track, a Vermont-based organization dedicated to protecting wildlife habitats, has studied mountain lions over her career as a naturalist, and says the majority of cougar sightings in the Northeast are misidentifications. 1 Last 365 Days. Your support makes this news available to everyone. Here are some things to keep in mind if you come across or see a big cat like a mountain lion: The sightings were reported to the state Dept. Connecticut Dept. So theres fresh mud. Eastern cougars (mountain lions) do not have a native, self sustaining population in New York State. She adds, I think its because a lot of people are fascinated by wild cats; they are the embodiment of the wild.. After the male mountain lion was removed from Red Hill Trail on May 11, additional sightings in that area were reported: one on May 16, and two over the weekend of May 19 and 20. Were getting more and more home entries every year. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Almost every state has some sort of legend of something thats hiding somewhere, he says. They also have facial ruffs and ear tufts on the tips of their ears, as well as shorter tails. Tolland resident Loren Gerber said that he and his wife have both seen cougars in the area. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. However, lions are unpredictable and can be dangerous. She was calling from a trail in Pootatuck State Forest, the 1,200-acre strip of nature occupying the hills above Squantz Pond in New Fairfield. 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 Department of Environmental. While recent mountain lion sightings in Connecticut have not been confirmed, if someone suspects they encountered a mountain lion, they should not run away, as it might spur a chase. 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