This is the mountain lion that was hit by a car in Milford after several sightings in the Greenwich area. 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. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, Cassano Being Honored For Contributions To Manchester Children, Sandwich Giant Again Pledging Sales Proceeds To Major Charity In March, Snow Day For Schools, Parking Ban Issued In Manchester, Book Release Event: Bad Hair Day on Planet Earth, a memoir by Barbara Ruzansky, Jazz Series: Luke Hendon & Jack Soref - An Evening of Gypsy Jazz, The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time, Brady Sullivan Properties Supports Elliot Emergency Department, Public Access TV Show Focuses On Non-Profits And Community Heroes, Pairings Released For CIAC Boys Basketball State Tournaments, 4 Students Injured In 2 Collisions On UConn's Horsebarn Hill. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. Almost daily, there are claims of mountain lion sightings in CT, though. 60-108 inches. They are also known as . 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.. Do Not Approach! These sightings have not been confirmed as true mountain lion sightings. A harvest is kind of twofold. But the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Sunday that. Hes even had his own false sighting. 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.. A bobcats tail is short and bob-like, while mountain lions have long, curving tails that can grow up to 3 feet. A couple things to keep in mind if you come across or see a big cat like a Mountain Lion: 1. You can highlight your store locations with custom colors and elements. The last confirmed mountain lion sighting in Connecticut occurred in 2011. We're not aware of any more confirmed mountain lion sightings other than the one that was hit by the car many years back. not all bobcats are heavily spotted either - just to add to the confusion.. 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 gate of a bobcat can often make it look like it has a long tail. 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. 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. Thats only a fraction of the supposed sightings. Copy to clipboard. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. Weight. Once at dusk driving in the Berkshires, he saw what he initially thought was a cat-like creature that was far bigger than a bobcat leap across the road. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. 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. 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. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. Betty later showed maps covered with dots, each of which represented sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut and the rest of New England. Anyone can get fooled. Mountain lions are commonly identified by trail camera photographs, tracks, and feces. Tolland resident Loren Gerber said that he and his wife have both seen cougars in the area. Mountain Lions in the State of Texas In Texas, it's always open season on mountain lions. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. 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. NOW - 4:30 PM. of Energy and Environmental Protection. On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. My first thought literally was, is that a lion?. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. What we do not have is a secure predator corridor.. Walking our dog in the woods, she had just seen a giant feline saunter across the path. Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. Since May 21, three other lion sightings were reported in the Chubbuck and Pocatello areas and one in Inkom. Adult males may be more than 8 feet long (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail), and can weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. 2012). Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . 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. mountain lions in washington. 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. According to DEEP the bobcat is the only confirmed species of wild cat in CT as of 2022. 3 Last 10 Years. 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. (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 . Many, many times, in many different ways along its travel up through Minnesota, Michigan and to Canada, down through New York, through hair samples, blood samples, trail camera photos. Rego says that if there were many other animals like the 2011 cat that died in Milford, there would be more visual or physical evidence. However, because they are capable of traveling great distances, they have turned up in all parts of North Dakota. An attack on a 4-year-old near San Diego is just the latest in a string of mountain lion attacks in California. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. Pepper spray has also been proven as an effective weapon against the animal. In Florida, where mountain lions are known as panthers, dozens are killed each year by cars. We know that the closest established breeding population is in either the Everglades of Florida theres a small population down there and then out in South Dakota and Nebraska. Sometimes referred to as the ghosts of the forest, mountain lions or cougars are stealthy hunters that are hard to spot, even in areas they are known to inhabit. 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 New Hampshire Department of Justice is pursuing civil charges against two members of the hate group for allegedly hanging a racist banner in Portsmouth last summer. 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. But honest misidentifications are more common. So theres fresh mud. 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. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. 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? Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. One on Salem Rd and another in. "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. As I rushed to meet her in the woods, she told me what she had seen. That had to be a mountain lion. Bobcats: They are about two to three times larger than their distant relative. 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. The Canada Lynxs geographic territory in New England only extends as far south as northern New Hampshire and parts of Maine, though. Weve had coyotes misidentified. The big cat. A mountain lion in winter. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. "I was hoping for tracks after the rain, but the area was not conducive for it," Halm said. Body length: 3-4 ft. Tail: 2.5-3 ft. And there are different schools of thought about that. Well also go over what types of wild cats can be found in Connecticut. Habitat. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. National Signing Day 2022-2023: Connecticuts signing list. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. 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. He also quoted the work of geneticist Melanie Culver, who has proven that all North American puma species are genetically virtually identical. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. That said there have been numerous sightings of them over the years. We have rolling hills, and more importantly, 200,000 white tails. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. 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.. 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. The photo is black and white. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. This post was contributed by a community member. This can trigger a chase. However, the captive lion theory was also wrong. But what about the sightings in Connecticut that are made by experienced outdoorsmen and women, people who know the difference between bobcats and mountain lions? Sport hunting for cougars is not sustainable and shouldnt be allowed to go on. What to know about unconfirmed mountain lion sightings in CT. Nicole Funaro was formerly a statewide trending reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group, covering everything from the most fascinating properties for sale in the Nutmeg State to the latest movie filming in the state. Hawley: Yeah. Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. Residents of Greenwich, Conn., have reported seeing a mountain lion roaming the woods -- even though the species is extinct in the region, MyFoxNY.com reports. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. However, lions are unpredictable and can be dangerous. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. Contrary to traditional thought, population. Five summers ago, a mountain lion made regional headlines after it was photographed in Greenwich and later struck and killed by a motor vehicle on the parkway in Milforda young male that DEEP officials determined through DNA evidence had traveled east all the way from South Dakota. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . "We get calls about mountain lions all the time, but they turn out to be unprovable," Brown told the Independent in March. Mountain lions are about half the size of lions, but they can run up to 50 mph while lions can run only 37 mph. Throw rocks, sticks, etc to scare it off. Connecticut Dept. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. I frankly have lost faith in some government institutions for this very reason. We know that the closest established breeding population is in either the Everglades of Florida theres a small population down there and then out in South Dakota and Nebraska. he recalls. Roadkills can be reported to 860-424-3011. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. This young male cougar was found to . Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. And even the home entries are kind of changing. One on Salem Rd and another in the area of Pease Rd in our town. I enjoy exploring CT and reporting back to my readers about fun things to do in Connecticut. 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. 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. 2 Last 5 Years. 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. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. 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. According to wildlife biologist Jason Hawley, the lack of evidence of mountain lions in Connecticut is the evidence. About 80 people gathered at Tolland High School Thursday night to take in a mountain lion lecture sponsored byConserving Tolland. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. Ive been doing this for 40 years. 5. 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. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. 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. State wildlife experts say those big cats have been extinct in Connecticut for more than 100 years. 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