are there mountain lions in the poconos

Fish and Wildlife Service. 2023 www.poconorecord.com. They regularly join the camp of those angrily claiming the commission has introduced the big cats back into Pennsylvania as a control measure against the state's huge deer population. These cubs are born blind and helpless. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". Mountain Lion (Puma concolor) - Texas It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. Continuing with that thought, if that were so, then it'd be possible, if not very likely, that the Eastern puma would be an Endangered Species. Those cats for which DNA evidence was recovered had come east from South Dakota, part of the known, modern-day, U.S. mountain lion range. Despite reported sightings throughout the East, including Pennsylvania, and a confirmed mountain lion killed in Connecticut in 2011, there has been no evidence that any of those cats were native to the East. The photographer had no reason to stage the shot -- indeed, the composition and background was terrible, and not what you'd expect for something staged, but the shot wasn't perfectly clear. Encouraged by the bounties, settlers waged war on these perceived beasts. 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). 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. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. There is a small breeding population in the state, despite being killed off in the 1920s. That may be true, or was once true, but even a declawed puma, if it can survive off rabbits and squirrels, and breeds, its offspring would be fully equipted to survive. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. Most of the native mountain lions live in Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, but humans rarely ever see them due to their secretive nature. But more importantly, he also said that regardless of color, he saw a big cat, with a tail that looked to be about 4 feet long! Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? 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. Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. Many people have claimed to see them, and this writer chronicled numerous such reports in the local press from the mid-1990s to the 2010s. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. "It was in Worthington State Forest just across the Delaware River from Smithfield Beach). Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. The next day, the photo disappeared from the site. How, Who, and Why? Mountain lions, Goodrich wrote, were more dreaded than wolves as the cat could climb over any fence that could be built. Unfortunately, their web site no longer seems active, and has been taken over by some wacky drug product. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? About six months ago I posted the question, Are there Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? I believe that the folks that are reporting, in detail, their sightings are faced with a similar situation. Ashley Catherine Fontones, Pocono Record. "I know they're native to this area. Mountain Lion Population (In Each U.S. State) - Wildlife Informer The 2,400-square-mile area has long been a popular outdoor recreation area boasting hunting, fishing, skiing, and more. 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.). What equipment do we take in the field? 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 last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg. Can so many people be wrong? 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. 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. Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens . It was decided that this shouldn't influence the decision and, in fact, an infusion of new genes produces a hybrid vigor, lessening the chance of in-breeding. "He doesn't like men too much," said Suzanne Murray, owner of East Coast Exotic Animal Rescue in this south-central Pennsylvania town. But no one that I've communicated with had these preconceptions, and seeing what they saw was a complete surprise. There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. Their are two web sites I know of that dealt with eastern pumas, with the one, the Eastern Puma Research Network, concentrating on sightings in the east. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. DCNR gave the following as examples: the saber-tooth cat; a small, three-toed horse; the Pleistocene beaver, and the mastodon. So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. Editor's note: The Pocono Record and Tri-County Independent have collaborated for a series of stories called Mountain Beasts: Pocono cryptids, legends and lore. Michelle LaRue, executive director of the Cougar Network and a research ecologist at the University of Minnesota, will discuss the eastern expansion of cougars from their core range in the western U.S. at 7 p.m. in Moravian College's Haupert Union Building, Bethlehem. Is it the New Best Pack? Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. "It's fall bow-hunting season soon," he said. Since mountain lions are the top predators (unlike most other states with grizzly bears), they have a well-developed population. Conversely, an outdoor writer I know told me that when Pa. enacted a menagerie permit law years ago, 'a lot of mountain lions suddenly died,' as the owners of these cats, rather than going through the paperwork, simply released their pumas and claimed that they had died. "Hunters are always saying they see mountain lions, and the Game Commission always says there aren't any," said Robert Hale, owner of Buffalo Gap Outfitters in Dillsburg. Bo Ottman is a landscaper in Connecticut who founded an . An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. The bones were found perfectly preserved. Big cats in Pennsylvania: mountain lions or bobcats? - Pocono Record Outdoor adventures abound, and so do our fabulous shopping and restaurants. There is no known estimate of the number of mountain lions inhabiting Texas. The sightings were great bear views, but too fast or fleeting to allow me to grab a camera. Woolly mammoth bones were discovered in Bradford County in 1983. Mountain Lions in Pennsylvania? I could fill pages recounting the eye-witness reports I've heard, and for every report critics could certainly say 'but there's no physical evidence!' But the point of this article isn't whether or not mountain lions exist in Pennsylvania or the Poconos. (What is meant by "heads" is not clear.). 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. The head of the puma is small in comparision to a house cat when compared to the entire body. I believe Kross fully, but I wanted to hear more. It wasn't, and I assumed it was a road-kill. Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. ? As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 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 owners. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania. Yet, except for Florida, which has about 100 of them "Florida panthers"), no eastern state has a verifiable population of these large 100- to 200-pound cats that were extirpated 100 years ago. 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. On the other hand, there are probably thousands of game cameras covering water holes and game trails throughout Pennsylvania, and to my knowledge no one has yet recorded a puma. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Archived Questions of the Month No An official form of the United States government. If pumas do exist in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released cats or escapees? Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Murray also has a cross-eyed white tiger named Keisha, who crushed chicken bones with ease but delicately stepped into a metal pool to cool off. A Game Commission vehicle was there, and the Fed Ex driver, after reaching the bottom of a long hill, turned back to check on what he saw. Phineas Teeple of Manchester Township is thought to have killed the last wolf in Wayne County.