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? NHPR is nonprofit and independent. "The state [Connecticut] explains any cougar evidence, such as the recent mountain lion killed in Milford, as an escaped pet [or one that came from the Mid-West]," Mr. Betty said in an e-mail. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. Hey, I know what I saw. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. 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. It was a spotless cat she estimated at close to 100 pounds. Young pumas dispersing from Western habitats are being killed at the source, compromising the Easts critical opportunity for ecosystem health and the return of an apex carnivore., Regardless of where they are found, or whether people want to hunt or protect them, people are enchanted by mountain lions. When you look at a state like Connecticut, with all the people we have here, all the trail cameras we have in the woods, all the cars we have driving you can imagine if we had an established population here in Connecticut, we would know about it pretty quickly. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. 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. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. New London would be the last place I'd expect to see a mountain lion in CT. My sister is on 9 acres in Harwinton and watched a mountain lion cross the driveway which is about a quarter mile surrounded by woods and unpaved. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service reports that mountain lions typical habitat is steep, rocky canyons or mountainous terrain, but they generally can be found wherever deer are present. A harvest is kind of twofold. We have plenty of suitable habitat, he says. Bobcat sightings are not uncommon in Connecticut. It is also the most common wild cat found in North America. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. That report was accompanied by a blurry photo, an indistinct paw print, and a scat sample. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. Watch Live at 7:00 PM: The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns | Screening & Panel Discussion . Working in the 1980s in southern California, where there are cougars, biologist Paul Beier said that 95 percent of cougar sightings they investigated turned out to be misidentifications. Woodbridge police reported that there were a few incidents in the area recently, with one involving a resident reporting they encountered a mountain lion with their family on their lawn. 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. In another version, its about habitat protection and the onerous federal regulations the state would have to follow if we found a mountain lion within the state. He drove me out to the spot. But sometimes, instead of mountain lions, people thought they saw other creatures in the Connecticut woods, of which authorities were supposedly aware. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. 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.. The sightings havent been confirmed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and there are no videos or photos. Make noise. Thats only a fraction of the supposed sightings. Theyll say, Hey, you can see in the picture that it has a long tail, and when I look at the picture, I say, I see how you would see that because they way these cats walk, theyll kind of stand and trail their rear leg. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. ago. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are
Sign up for our newsletter to get our latest and greatest content delivered right to your inbox. "Connecticut is cougar heaven . Bobcats, also, only hunt small prey. MOUNTAIN LION ATTACKS MAN SITTING IN COLORADO HOT TUB After a few moments of the deer trying to maneuver out of the chokehold, it managed to free itself from the claws of the mountain lion.. The arrival of a real mountain lion in the state reframed the discussion in Connecticut surrounding the animal. 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. Connecticut Public 7.36K subscribers The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been denying they exist in Connecticut, but this past summer a rogue mountain lion was spotted. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. Bobcats, of course, can be found all over the state. Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. What we do not have is a secure predator corridor.. 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. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Certainly, bobcats are much larger than housecats, but they are not nearly the size of cougars. Like coyotes, moreover, mountain. Sometimes in our shock and excitement at seeing wildlife we see what we want to see. If it really comes down to it do what you have to do to deter it from following you. And even the home entries are kind of changing. A quick Google search reveals that the theory is not limited to Connecticut and similar tales are told throughout the Northeast. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information. For over 30 years, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been tracking reported mountain lion sightings. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. And theres another school of thought, Well, no, there just are too many of them probably we have to reduce that population somehow. Where do you fall in that whole continuum? On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. And kept goingeast across the Great Plains to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and on to New England, through backyards and parking lots, across highways and railroad tracks, driven by the most. 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. building a betterand more civilConnecticut to live, work, and play. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. 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). . While this isn't the norm, it is becoming slightly more common as mountain lions are striking out further east in search of territory. So its this gathering storm. Ive seen bobcats before, this wasnt a bobcat. And its a lose-lose situation, because theres really not a whole lot you can tell them in most cases thats going to change their mind.. During Autism Awareness Month, columnist John Breunig details the experience of taking his son to a Bruce Springsteen concert and the NY Theres just an incredible amount of bad information that we get from coercion and bad interviewing tactics, a policing expert says. A harvest is kind of twofold. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. 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.. Especially, when they do migrate across country. I live in Hamden Connecticut and I have had mountain lions, black bears, Skunk's, dear, coyotes, fox. Icould hear the panic in my wifes voice. Throw rocks, sticks, etc to scare it off. Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. The state adds bobcats are often active this time of year, making sightings much more likely. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. 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. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag. A young male was hit and killed by a car several years ago, but. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. Mountain Lions: cougars, pumas, panthers and catamounts. 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. 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. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. 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. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. The only types of lynx that are indigenous to New England are the Canada Lynx and the Lynx rufus (bobcat). Were getting more and more home entries every year. He drove me out to the spot. Tandmlally@yahoo.com. Officials are reminding residents to be mindful of small pets and children wandering out of sight, to not approach the animal and give it space to turn around if faced with a big cat, like a mountain lion. 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). She said the size made her do a double take and indeed she seen it had a very long tail, Bullsh** Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. Mountain lions, however, arent seen much in the Nutmeg State, even though several have reportedly been spotted around the Woodbridge area this month. Speaker Bill Betty presented evidence and proposed theories that could prove that Connecticut, including , is home to a native population of Eastern mountain lions. As I rushed to meet her in the woods, she told me what she had seen. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. Stay facing the big cat and try not to turn your back to it, officials said in a Facebook post. However, that doesnt mean that mountain lion sightings are all false or that there havent been roaming cats sighted. They are very bold. Join as a sustainer and support independent local news for your community. Copyright 2023 The Connecticut Explorer | Wisteria on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Connecticut Explorer Home Find Things to do in CT. It was a flooded area. Hawley said that the typical range of cougars like mountain lions is from west of the South Dakota area. 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, Report: CT man killed in police shootout after dispute at casino, Police: CT man jumped off overpass after causing head-on crash, Police: Fugitive captured after crashing stolen car on Merritt, Danbury apartment project gets environmental green light, Senior center benefit to feature 'roadshow-style' appraisals, Ridgefield teens learn about dementia through interactive lesson, 24 Connecticut towns don't have stores that accept food stamps, CT could lose thousands of affordable housing units, Greenwich police offer new emergency alert system, Norwalk business moves to make room for CT's first Wegmans, 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, UConn men's basketball freshman Yarin Hasson enters transfer portal, 7 cute villages and hamlets in CT to explore this spring, Feds: Four Connecticut men face drug charges for allegedly flooding Waterbury with fentanyl, heroin, Branford gym for 50+ reaches milestone with help from members who paid dues during COVID lockdown, Police: Meriden father and son had child sex abuse videos on their phones, Connecticut softball top performers (Apr. These sightings are so persistent that there is a conspiracy theory that says DEEP officials know mountain lions are in the state but cover up their existence. Mountain lions went extinct in Connecticut during the 1800s, but bobcats are still seen regularly. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. She didnt claim to see the mountain lions long tail, but optical illusions can lead people to think theyve seen a tail. community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years. Connecticut's official position is that mountain lions have been extinct in the state since the late 1800s. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. According to Jason Hawley, a wildlife biologist for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protections Wildlife Division, the department gets around 100 sighting reports of mountain lions each year, but upon further investigation, a good proportion of the sightings end up being bobcats. Hi! Police have a warning after there were multiple mountain lion sightings reported in Woodbridge. One has been spotted on our street for the last four or five years. Officials recommend not running away, as this can trigger a chase. Stay facing the big cat and try not to turn your back to it. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Stephen Gencarella, professor of folklore studies at the University of Massachusetts and a Connecticut resident, says, The government coverup is only the latest version of something that could stretch back in the oral tradition to precolonial times. He notes that supposed mountain lion sightings spiked in the late 1800s and early 1900s shortly after the animals disappeared from New Englands woods. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) A harvest is kind of twofold. of Energy & Environmental Protection. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal. Humans and bears situation right now hawley says rocks, sticks, etc to scare it.. Lions and other large predators killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for than. 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