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? The whole trail is very . An adult male bobcat can reach four feet in length and 35 to 40 pounds. When we lived in Suffield, we had MANY Mountain Lion sightings.probably 4-5 sightings (which qualifies as many to me) and they were definitely not Bobcats. He drove me out to the spot. The nearest known populations of mountain lions are in Wyoming, Colorado, North . 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. We're not aware of any more confirmed mountain lion sightings other than the one that was hit by the car many years back. I reported it to the DEP and they said they dont exist, he said. 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Possible mountain lion sightings reported in Woodbridge, Mountain lion sightings reported in Woodbridge. Im no wilderness expert, but it sure looked like a mountain lion to me, he said. Contrary to traditional thought, population studies have shown that mountain lions prefer rolling hills and more heavily developed areas to remote mountain regions. 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In 2011, in the affluent suburbs of Connecticut, there were several reported sightings of a mountain lion, and much pooh-poohing from authorities, until a sport utility vehicle struck and killed . He also quoted the work of geneticist Melanie Culver, who has proven that all North American puma species are genetically virtually identical. However, Hawley noted that Eastern bobcats tend to have very few spots compared to bobcats that are out west or even in the Midwest. If they have spots, they are typically in the white, underside part of the bodies or on the insides of their legs. 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. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. Fight back. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. 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. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. I know the difference between bobcats, lynx, & mt lions. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. Have you seen a puma or bobcat in your neighborhood? Weight: 70-170 lbs. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. Two mountain lion sightings have been confirmed in Tennessee. From Litchfield County, can confirm. 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. Tim Abbott, the regional land conservation and greenprint director for the Housatonic Valley Association, says that during a lecture on mountain lions last winter at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, when the speaker asked if anyone had seen a mountain lion, half of the roughly 400 people in attendance raised their hands. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Time changes all and Im not going to shut the door on the future and say that a breeding population of cougars is not here because the day after tomorrow they could be here its just a matter of time., Though a deer hunter herself, Morse is opposed to the way mountain lions have been hunted in the western U.S., where they are found. The big cat. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Weve done a lot of work over the years investigating sightings. 105 of 119 106 of 119 A dead mountain lion, killed on the Merritt Parkway in Milford in June 2011. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. 5:00 PM. Due to mountain lions large size, they require larger meals. Hey, I know what I saw. Population estimates are thought to be around 20 individuals which is considered caring capacity based on the amount of land and . Height: 3 ft. Max. Bobcats top out at about 40 pounds (most are much lighter than that) and are only. This mountain lion was documented by DNA samples from Minnesota and Wisconsin between December 2009 and early 2010. Re (3): Mountain Lion sighting in Brookfield ct - By weather01089 February 1, 2016 at 04:55:52 PM. It's 8:02 p.m., according to the timestamp at the bottom of the image. Hawley: Yeah. Facebook; Twitter; Email; Copy to clipboard. A fourth cougar sighting in recent days was reported near the New Canaan border Thursday, according to Animal Control officer Allyson Halm. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. Report a new sighting Sightings List 1 2 But sometimes, instead of mountain lions, people thought they saw other creatures in the Connecticut woods, of which authorities were supposedly aware. Another important difference: bobcats are found in Connecticut while mountain lions are not. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference. The state adds bobcats are often active this time of year, making sightings much more likely. Watch Live at 7:00 PM: The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns | Screening & Panel Discussion . But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. A threat to livestock, they were hunted out of the state and driven to parts more wild. 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. Adult males can be around 8 feet in length and weigh between 130 and 150 pounds, while adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between 65 and 90 pounds. The Canada Lynxs geographic territory in New England only extends as far south as northern New Hampshire and parts of Maine, though. Give users the ability to create and share their own custom maps and use zoom, pinch, rotate, and tilt to explore maps in more detail. 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. The gate of a bobcat can often make it look like it has a long tail. When we lived in Suffield, we had MANY Mountain Lion sightings.probably 4-5 sightings (which qualifies as many to me) and they were definitely not Bobcats, @Craig, what town is Wtn? The arrival of a real mountain lion in the state reframed the discussion in Connecticut surrounding the animal. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. Roadkills can be reported to 860-424-3011. 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. 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 saw one cross the rd ( rt 63) in Wtn @ 5 yrs ago, @Craig, 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. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. 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. Put your arms over your head with a jacket or sweatshirt. 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). Bachelder says he didnt have his phone on him, so he couldnt take a picture or video, but describes his backyard visitor just like what you see in the stock photo provided by the Woodbridge Police Department. Dashboard for displaying mountain lion reports to the public. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an, on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. Mountain lions weigh 105 to 140 pounds and can be up to eight feet long from the nose to the tip of the tail. They are very bold. Have a map downloaded. You can subscribe to Connecticut Magazine here, or find the current issue on sale here. 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, Serious crash closes CT stretch of I-95 South, state police say, Fairfield man charged in alleged high-speed chase, shootout, CT Capitol police arrest 14 people following peaceful protest, DCF denies 'deficiencies' cited in report on CT child deaths, Suspect in 2021 fatal shooting arrested, Hamden police say, Police warn of spike in vehicle thefts in CT town, Elicker presents $662.7m budget that would raise spending $29.5m, Norwalk council hears call for school spending, delays budget cap, NJ man faces more charges in alleged money laundering scheme, Late West Haven audit sees vulnerabilities for more fraud, several have reportedly been spotted around the Woodbridge area this month, one that was killed on the Merritt Parkway in 2011, U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service, mountain lions became extinct in Connecticut in the 1800s, Geno Auriemma gives bleak assessment as UConn womens basketball looks to find footing in March: 'Poorly coached team. Mountain Lions: Large tan cats with a distinctive two to three-foot curving tail, that can almost touch the ground as they walk. Get started. 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. Bobcats are most frequently misidentified by the public as mountain lions, but theyre not the only animals mislabeled. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cats Walk Across America by William Stolzenburg. Fv 27, 2023 . This post was contributed by a community member. 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. DEEP believes their numbers have increased in recent years. There is a big difference between Tuesday when none of us saw a moose in our region and then Thursday we did, Morse says. This one cat left DNA and/or photographic evidence of its presence in at least four states "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. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. 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. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. 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? 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. Although common at the time of European settlement, the last known historical specimen in Missouri was killed in the Bootheel area in 1927. 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. Last week was no different, as various reports began trickling in of a mountain lion roaming around, in of all places, Greenwich, Conn. They are also known as pumas, cougars and panthers. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. From sightings of wolves and moose to brown recluses and mountain lions, people in CT have made some wild (pun intended) claims about what animals theyve spotted. (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 . Speaker Bill Betty presented evidence and proposed theories that could prove that Connecticut, including, is home to a native population of Eastern mountain lions. of Energy and Environmental Protection. Each sighting involved cougars that are not native to New York. It was a flooded area. Stay facing the animal and try not to turn your back to it. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. She said the size made her do a double take and indeed she seen it had a very long tail, Bullsh** 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. Re (2): Mountain Lion sighting in Brookfield ct - By Ryan January 31, 2016 at 11:16:51 PM. 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