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

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. I receive about one email or phone call a month, on average, from people that I do not know who are contacting me because their sighting compelled them to do a Google search on puma sightings, and they found my site and previously posted questions. She feeds and cares for them with donations and grants. She also houses a bobcat named Nia she took in from a couple who couldn't handle her. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Currently, there are only 15 states that meet that qualification. Mountain lions live almost everywhere in the state of Washington. Why is bat photography so difficult? Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. "When I started telling people, most of them didn't believe me, but I will never forget that huge face staring right at me," said a Montgomery County woman who says she saw a lion last summer in Limerick Township while walking her dog. That's true. They include a reported attack on horses at a farm near Dillsburg, York County, that Foster thinks may be legitimate. "If there was mountain lions in Pennsylvania), I think we'd be getting reports from farmers and people with pets that there were attacks on their animals," Martinelli said. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? Well, right behind our property lies a mountain ridge, one of several that makes a continuous forest that extends, with little interruption, for scores of miles in three directions. The Golden State has one of the largest populations of mountain lions in the country. 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. However, if you've seen a mountain lion, or other mystery creature, or evidence of either, in Pennsylvania, contact outdoor writer Marcus Schneck at [email protected].). . What the Lenape Indians never did, the European colonists and their descendants did swiftly eradicate the wolf and cougars viewed as a menace to their families and livestock. Did they migrate south from Canada? With healthy populations and strong conservation programs, however, they seem to be pushing back east. By the mid-1900s pumas were eliminated from almost all of the eastern states, and by mid-century were officially extinct east of the Mississippi, except for a remnant population in southern Florida. In 2016, a trail cam photo in South Jersey was later determined to show a house cat. However, if you've seen a mountain lion, or other mystery creature, or evidence of either, in Pennsylvania, contact outdoor writer Marcus Schneck at [email protected].). 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. In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. Today, we are going to explore the 15 US states that have mountain lions, plus a few others that may have some. Newspapers carried stories in 1956 about hunters supposedly seeing and killing wolves in Pike and Monroe Counties. The cat was far enough away that I couldn't get a size reference, and I believed the cat was further away than it actually was. The question is just like in the story of the boy who cried wolf) if that day ever arrives, how will we believe those first, true sightings after so many hoaxes have been perpetrated on the public? The State cites that there are no road-kills, and in a heavily trafficed state like Pennsylvania there should be kills. That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. In only one report had an official from the Pennsylvania Game Commision, a local warden, actually agree with the person reporting the sighting. So what? Most of my original Questions of the Month for the last several Let's see a clear photo, or a carcass or something. They have almost been killed off a few times, but conservation efforts have helped to keep their numbers stable. The sightings were great bear views, but too fast or fleeting to allow me to grab a camera. The woman, a 66-year-old grandmother, asked not to be identified because she's a senior and didn't want people "bothering" her about it. Packer Hill Ave. Jim Thorpe, PA 18229. They ponder rare fossil evidence unearthed and seek to make sense of stratified geology, both fleeting in the face of what we call progress. Geologist Dr. John Yolton made the identification. "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. Accounts abound concerning interaction between these great beasts and people in northeast Pennsylvania, with wolves into the early 19th century and in the case with cougars, well into the early 20th century. Imagination? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. Like Rocky, Nia is declawed. On that note, I was speaking with a Fed Ex driver recently who told me that one of his colleagues had seen what he swore was a dead mountain lion on the side of a road. However, many of my reports were at distances that people knew, and as you look at the images of the puma there really is a big difference in color and shape between a puma and a house cat. Mountain lions roamed all of the continent prior to the arrival and westward spread of European settlers, but only the eastern and Florida subspecies were found east of the Mississippi. There are also big swaths of thick of forests in parts of the state. The Pocono Mountains, commonly referred to as the Poconos / p o k n o z /, are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania.They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the north, Wyoming Valley and the Coal Region to the west, and the Lehigh Valley to the south. Imagine my surprise. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Leslie estimated that the first humans making up the Paleo-Indians lived in the upper Delaware valley as early as 11,000 B.C. According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. That summer, a team from the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg excavated the nearly complete skeleton of the ancient elephant, the first of its kind found in the Commonwealth. When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. All rights reserved (About Us). With that hope in mind, I have, for years, asked outdoors people if they ever heard of a mountain lion, or puma, in their area -- with my questioning limited to people in my home state of Pennsylvania. As they get older, the cubs begin to leave the den and explore. Two weeks ago, a friend of mine who teaches in one of the Monroe County school districts called to tell me he was sending me a photo of a mountain lion taken by one of his students in the Poconos. Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." (570) 325-3229. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. Others would like to see some scientific proof. And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. This will be one of your best identification marks, along with size. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. "They are very strong animals," she said. However, my friend and I discussed this, and agreed, we saw what we saw, and had it been 40 years ago or four months ago, we knew we saw a coyote. Find cabins in the Poconos, PA near places like Bushkill Falls, Camelback Mountain Resort, and more. On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. I have received about two dozen reports during that time, including one game camera image that still looks very credible to me. Mountain lions that are looking for new breeding areas are known as transient and are almost always males. The State Museum of Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg, displays a taxidermy mount of a mountain lion in glass case, with the notation, "This lion, found near Hawk Mountain in Berks County around 1871, is the last native mountain lion known to have been shot in Pennsylvania. This, after they were told that there were no pumas in Pa. Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? The bobcat wouldn't survive. 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. Goggling Eastern Puma brings up other web sites, however, with varying levels of professionalism or credibility. The name Pocono is derived from the . Mountain lions, Goodrich wrote, were more dreaded than wolves as the cat could climb over any fence that could be built. Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. Mountain lions have killed humans in the wild, though sightings and encounters are rare even in the American West and Canada. Is it the New Best Pack? Albinos are often very light sensitive, and they certainly are conspicuous, and most do not live very long. Are the various States guilty of essentially the same thing? There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. This one streaked across the road in the early evening, and fortunately, it stopped when it climbed a hill on the other side where I had another view from my side of the truck. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. Would a puma then qualify as a native species? Mountain lions can live in almost any habitat including forests, prairies, deserts, and swamps. In 2015, a Pennsylvania State Historical Marker was placed near the site where the mastodon was found. 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. The Cascade Mountains are an important habitat for mountain lions in the region, and a stable population lives within the state. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a. Goodrich said he once saw a mountain lion spring from a thicket and kill a sheep on a public road. In this at this distant epoch, archaeologists attempt to clear some of the mists and mysteries of prehistoric times. Some outdoor enthusiasts insist they have seen the big cats here and believe them to be naturally occurring, native animals. In Michigan, there has been multiple sightings of 'black panthers,' animals that were thought to be mountain lions, or pumas, except that they were black. The cat is known to live in the western U.S. and Florida, South America and Canada. 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!' The Asa Packer Mansion, built in the year 1861, is a historic house museum. One man, in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, had seen one, at night, about 25 years ago. I haven't seen any reports like that.". It was definitely a mountain lion, and it had a big buck, white-tailed deer in its jaws. The story behind our new web site. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. On a recent stifling morning in Adams County, the 290-pound mountain lion with perfect bone structure is ignoring the raw chicken breast and pork chops a handler tossed into his pen. Caribou remains, dated by radiocarbon in excess of 10,000 B.C. This happens usually around the 18-month mark. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. Mary saw the photo, too, and she immediately agreed, it was a puma. The rocky habitat that covers much of the state is perfect for these ambush predators, especially since humans dont inhabit much of the land. One might argue that the eastern puma is extinct, but that does not mean that there are not pumas (mountain lions, cougars) in the east. I spend a lot of time outdoors, and I've seen about 10 black bears in Pennsylvania, and all within ten miles of my home. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. My friend was a former hunter and fisherman, and spent a lot of time in the woods, as did I, but neither of us had ever seen a coyote. I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". Thank you for reading! You would think someone would have a picture on a trail camera or whatever. He notes how over the millennia, the region was inhabited by humans, only to be depopulated by migration brought on by the search of food due to a fickle climate, war or epidemic. "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. Below is a list of physical characteristics that distinguish mountain lions from more . Here are the 15 US States That Have Mountain Lions. Do Mountain Lions Attack Humans? I want to believe they're here, but I'm having some trouble. What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? Consider that the endangered Florida puma has mixed genes. Best hike for seeing waterfalls. I believe Kross fully, but I wanted to hear more. The agency has declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies ofmountain lions native to North America. I Googled "Pocono mountain lion" and there it was the same photo, except the caption claimed that it was taken in Oklahoma, not Pennsylvania, and various posted comments asserted that the photo was manipulated. Currently, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback in regard to their historic range. Leap transferred ownership rights to the state. Viewers can never be certain that what they're seeing on a computer is actually what it's purported to be. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Is there a Puma conspiracy? As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I can't dismiss the eye-witnesses I've interviewed. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern subspecies of the mountain lion extinct, which would seem to bolster the skeptics. Furthermore, a different set of photos showed a "mountain lion" dragging a deer into the woods in Bradford County. The last known mountain lion in Pennsylvania was killed in Berks County in 1874. An article in last year's New York State Conservationist magazine about mountain lions concluded that none exists in that state, even in the 6-million-acre Adirondack Mountain wilderness. The other three images are from my file, selected to most closely approximate the pose of the cat from the game camera. 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. One of these days, though, I'll get one that won't be, and I hope that will be soon. Here's an example: A man is holding a dead eastern diamondback rattlesnake, which was found in North Carolina and measured more than 9 feet long and weighed 95 pounds. Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". All rights reserved (About Us). But even without that second look there was no question that we'd seen a coyote. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. Since mountain lions are the top predators (unlike most other states with grizzly bears), they have a well-developed population. What do I think of the Canon 1D Mark IV? I think it is possible that recognizing the existence of pumas in the East could jeopardize this industry and an entire economy. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. A law was passed March 10, 1806, requiring the county to pay the person producing the scalp of a full-grown wolf or cougar, $8, and for the scalp of a young whelp or cub, $4. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) also reports evidence that humans arrived during the last glaciation or soon after. The first is the mating season which can occur during the late to early spring months. 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. John Leap of East Stroudsburg's Lakeside Peat Humus Co. and an employee, Paul Strauser, found the bones in a peat bog off Route 209. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. None of these sightings has been authenticated, and many of them, including a recent, alleged mountain lion picked up on a surveillance camera in Lackawanna County, turned out to be bobcats. There also were camels, sloth and hyena, which migrated elsewhere. He wrote that not being a roving animal, the mountain lion was much sooner destroyed than the wolf, and he said that if there were any left, it would have to be in the most desolate places in the county.