are there mountain lions in the poconos are there mountain lions in the poconos

Although there was no evidence that the 2011 mountain lion ever set foot in Pennsylvania, DNA evidence confirmed that it had been both west and east of the state. The skeleton was reassembled at the State Museum, where it has been on display ever since. I've seen about 20 mountain lions, or pumas, in the field, but all but 2 were in Chile. The name Pocono is derived from the . There's a saying that "things aren't always what they appear to be." In his 1973 book "Faces in Clay" Leslie lays open the archaeological treasures of stone arrow or spear points and tools lost long ago by a succession of native peoples. What would account for the long tails? Everyone is familiar with albinism, the absence of pigmentation that results in a white, essentially pigment free animal, defined by pink skin and pink eyes. Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. In Pennsylvania, I receive a few reports of black, big cats, which makes one wonder -- are there melanistic (black) pumas out there, or are those sightings always wrong. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. The Asa Packer Mansion, built in the year 1861, is a historic house museum. Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! The mountain lion is a large, slender cat, with a long rope-like tail. Mountain lions, Goodrich wrote, were more dreaded than wolves as the cat could climb over any fence that could be built. If so, what would happen to the hunting industry in all of these states? These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. The Cougar Network, working with state agencies, have documented multiple mountain lions as far east as Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan in recent years, as well as one cat killed on a highway in Milford, Connecticut, in June 2011. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. All rights reserved. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. I am hoping that more and more people will learn of my own interest in this, and will pass on this information and that I'll receive more reports and, hopefully, sometime, a game camera photo that is definitive. I haven't seen any reports like that.". All rights reserved (About Us). Hunting is legal, but the use of dogs was banned in 1996. In the forests of Kenya, however, they do occur. In this at this distant epoch, archaeologists attempt to clear some of the mists and mysteries of prehistoric times. Mountain Lions do remain in the western states and there is evidence that in 2011, a mountain lion migrated about 1,500 miles from South Dakota to Connecticut where it was killed by a. Wishful thinking? Who knows? Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? Would a puma then qualify as a native species? Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. Kross only saw the animal for a second, but it made a believer out of him. Obviously, other pumas must be about, and the series of ridges extending north and east and west from my location could all be included as critical habitat as well. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. There also were camels, sloth and hyena, which migrated elsewhere. Still, these resilient animals reside in secluded areas across the United States, with current data suggesting they may even be returning to their historical regions! "We've been here 45 years and I've probably been told by people at least 100 times that they've seen a cougar or mountain lion," said owner Vince Hall. Since mountain lions are the top predators (unlike most other states with grizzly bears), they have a well-developed population. "Given the period of time that has passed without verification of even a single eastern puma, the service concludes that the last remaining members of this subspecies perished decades ago," the Fish and Wildlife Service said in a Federal Register notice. Biologists who investigate these reports claim that several may, indeed, be mountain lions, but most likely they're animals that have escaped from captivity or have been released by their. Had this been faked, I'd suspect the hoaxter would try for a more authentic background. After all, skeptics often suggest that puma sightings are just deer sightings, so it would be logical to worry that a hunter might shoot an endangered puma, mistaking it for a brown deer. RelatedBigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know. Again, I've been told that some Game Commission personnel have admitted that pumas may exist in Pennsylvania, but they rationalize this by saying that the pumas are not breeding and they are not from original wild stock. . Mountain lions live almost everywhere in the state of Washington. I'm wondering, then, if the complete dismissal of sightings of Eastern pumas (other than the acknowledgement of released or escaped pets) isn't motivated by economics. The Golden State has one of the largest populations of mountain lions in the country. DNA collected from the mountain lion killed on a roadway in Connecticut in 2011 showed the animal to have originated in South Dakota. Caribou remains, dated by radiocarbon in excess of 10,000 B.C. In August, Amy Walters said her 12-year-old son was spooked by a mountain lion in Forest County in northwest Pennsylvania while riding his dirt bike. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. An assessment list for Lower Smithfield Township in 1761 when it was part of Northampton County (Monroe having not yet been created) taxed "three pence per pound and shillings per head" laid on the land and inhabitants. The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Imagine my surprise. Are Mountain Lions in Missouri Making a Comeback? Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. The bounty for adult wolves and cougars was raised on March 16, 1819 to $12. The rocky habitat that covers much of the state is perfect for these ambush predators, especially since humans dont inhabit much of the land. Murray has cared for four mountain lions since she took over the rescue in 1998. There had been 17 other mastodon finds in Pennsylvania up to 1968, but all were fragmentary. Some experts predict that this wide-ranging predator, which can travel 600 miles in search of a territory, will surely reach our eastern states sometime in the next few decades. If pumas do exist in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released cats or escapees? In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. In 2011, a confirmed mountain lion was killed by a vehicle in Connecticut and which had been determined that it had wandered east from the Mid-West. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. The mountain lion, which is also called a cougar, puma or panther, weighs on average between 75-120 pounds, has long whiskers and a distinctive swooping tail. Mountain lions have a lifespan of about 8 to 13 years old in the wild. If mountain lions are discovered in PA anytime soon they'll either be big foot's pets or genetically engineered and released by the DCNR to cull the orangu-bear population. Penn State's Nittany Lion hide sampled for DNA sequencing, Mountain lion reports in Pennsylvania popular, but often a hoax, More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. All of these forests are, with few exceptions, open to hunting, and hunting is a very important industry in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. Known as the Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania, there are four trails that lead to the cascades from the Bushkill Falls trailhead, each ranging in . Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. In prior interviews with the Game Commission, the suggestion was made to this writer that what many people may actually be seeing is a bobcat, perhaps in less than ideal circumstances. Some outdoor enthusiasts insist they have seen the big cats here and believe them to be naturally occurring, native animals. Wyoming has a historically stable population of mountain lions, but recent drops in numbers have caused some to worry. Can so many people be so wrong? While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens . The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Woolly mammoth bones were discovered in Bradford County in 1983. Something to consider, even though we all trust the government. "I know they're native to this area. One man sent me a game camera photo that was blurry but looked like a mountain lion, or puma, as I like to call them. I've done this myself once, in Tanzania, when I saw a black house cat that I thought was a black leopard! Unfortunately, their web site no longer seems active, and has been taken over by some wacky drug product. One of the important things for any animal is a place to call home. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. I wanted to know if they're here, so I called some people I trust and asked them one simple question: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? If we don't see it, it doesn't exist. With that in mind, lets break down how we classified the states. I have not spoken with a Game Commission officer personally, so I don't know whether anyone killing a puma in Pennsylvania could do so without legal repercussions. This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. The Poconos is a mountain area in northeastern Pennsylvania.It is 2,400 square miles of wooded mountains and valleys full of beautiful lakes, rivers, forests and wildlife. The coat can be spotted or solid. There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? I've read a lot about this, and the usual explanation is the very human desire to see something, to see what someone wants to see, and thus these people are seeing bobcats or brown cats or dogs or foxes and, because they 'want' to see a puma, they do. Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions. So what? As the latest hoaxed photo of a mountain lion supposedly killed in Pennsylvania died a slow death on Facebook yesterday, the head of an organization tracking the eastern movements of the big cats was preparing a presentation for a Pennsylvania audience tonight. Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? Several populations of Gray Squirrels scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks. Is there a Puma conspiracy? "They preyed upon the caribou, and probably the mastodon," Leslie wrote of these large animals flourishing on the grasses and cold-climate flora that sprouted following the glacier's retreat. As a state known for its mountains, its no wonder that mountain lions live here! However, if you've seen a mountain lion, or other mystery creature, or evidence of either, in Pennsylvania, contact outdoor writer Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.). In Pennsylvania, I receive a few reports of black, big cats, which makes one wonder -- are there melanistic (black) pumas out there, or are those sightings always wrong. Both were a threat to the farmer and family who carved a home in the ancient wilderness of the Poconos. The Bushkill Falls are a series of eight waterfalls in a 300-acre wooded enclave hidden amongst the Poconos. Although a large proportion of the Lenape Nation was dispersed far from their ancestral homelands in the 18th century, colonial settlers and their descendants struggled to live in this region with wolves and cougars inhabiting the forests.