are there mountain lions in the poconos

It's sort of like big foot, some people say they've seen him.". Are there pumas, or mountain lions, in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic States? Looking for things to do in the Poconos? "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. A mastodon's skull was first located in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, on July 5, 1968. No evidence has ever been produced to support those charges. Check out the tails of the two! 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. "From people that I trust have had visual sightings, they've seen mountain lions.". "The cougars examined in the Northeast in the past 70 years are likely released or escaped captives. After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. He said he'd never forget the sighting, but it was only when he saw another, a few months ago, in daylight, from his cabin, that he decided it was time to tell someone. I've done this myself once, in Tanzania, when I saw a black house cat that I thought was a black leopard! Joseph Pugliese 2.2K views 7 years ago Beautiful Bobcat in our yard as our. Several populations of Gray Squirrels scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks. One came to her as the result of an owner's divorce. 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. Colorado is the perfect habitat for mountain lions. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Angel, her African lioness who snarls at strangers, is a big girl. 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. During this time, male mountain lions will travel in search of females. Have some feedback for us? Here in central Pennsylvania we live on the outskirts of what one puma-tracking website has as almost the high point of sightings, extending from north-central Pennsylvania in a southwestern diagonal that extends into the mountains of West Virginia. Cougar vs Mountain Lion What Are the Differences? Some may also be kept illicitly as pets, which would quickly become a problem as the cat matures. More common critters co-existed with early Native Americans in the Poconos, including two species long since removed: the wolf and mountain lion (also known colloquially as panthers and cougars). Are Mountain Lions in Missouri Making a Comeback? Thank you for reading! To be fair, I've also spoken with people who, at first, thought they'd seen a puma only to find, to their embarassment, that they were looking at a house cat! Armand Martinelli isn't only the mayor of East Stroudsburg, he's also a hunter who is connected with plenty of people in the area. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. "People think they can get them declawed and that they're safe, but they still have teeth.". I was heading up the road and I saw an animal with a long tail.". The Pocono Mountains are . With healthy populations and strong conservation programs, however, they seem to be pushing back east. Would these ridges be declared off-limits for hunting? (National Park Service). If pumas do exist in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, could they all be released cats or escapees? What does a Mountain Lion look like on a game camera? Let me know if you have seen one! The 2,400-square-mile area has long been a popular outdoor recreation area boasting hunting, fishing, skiing, and more. 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. Only when I reviewed the images on my laptop did I discover that I had a mountain lion! Flying over the area, I've looked down and commented upon the amount of habitat that would be available for a puma, if only they existed. The state of Idaho is large, expansive, and full of rocky wilderness. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. Would my mountain ridge be declared 'Critical Habitat' for the puma? A dark brown puma, backlighted by a strong sun, could appear all black, or very dark, and he accepted that. 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. Check out our online field guide to read more in this series. I usually follow-up on these reports and, via email or phone conversations, I receive more details. Note the size of the tail, the pointed ears, the speckled coat, the basic lack of white underneath. 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. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. I love the big cats and devote a huge amount of my field time photographing African lions, leopards, cheetahs, and in 2011, tigers. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. 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. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. If there were wild cougars in our midst, the Game Commission also pointed out, eventually there would be solid evidence such as a carcass, scat and paw prints that could be verified. There are at least 20,000 black bears in Pa., and a small percentage are killed each year, but we're probably not talking about 20,000 pumas in the state. Mountain Lion Reports Is there a Mountain Lion Conspiracy? Mountain lions, which continue to be reported across Pennsylvania throughout the year, are officially extinct east of the Mississippi River and north of Florida, according to the U.S. 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. While there have been no confirmed occurrences of mountain lions in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s, dozens . There are approximately 4,000 of those 10- to 40-pound cats in the state. Kross only saw the animal for a second, but it made a believer out of him. Is there a Puma conspiracy? Nevertheless, I put up a MOULTRIE game camera -- a brand that I've had tremendous satisfaction with -- at the carcass, hoping that scavengers would visit. 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. In some areas, entire populations of a species exhibit this trait, for unlike albinism, which results in a conspicuous white color and light-sensitive pink eyes, there are no ill effects with melanism. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Wishful thinking? a high priority. "They're getting a lot of that out west. "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. I've know of reports since 1973, in Cooke Forest, the heart of a lot of Pa. wilderness. 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. I want to believe they're here, but I'm having some trouble. Recently the US Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Puma an extinct species, except for the remnant population in Florida. A recent alleged sighting in South Abington Township, Lackawanna County, had Facebook groups abuzz. ", (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence, including in a reported Berks County sighting on January 8. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? One sighting I give complete belief in was from a friend who told me a puma crossed right in front of their vehicle, and paused on the berm for a few seconds, at a distant of ten yards or less. The Bushkill Falls are a series of eight waterfalls in a 300-acre wooded enclave hidden amongst the Poconos. This is not a Pennsylvania puma! The story behind our new web site. Do elk live in Pennsylvania? With that in mind, lets break down how we classified the states. Currently, there are only 15 states that meet that qualification. The sightings were great bear views, but too fast or fleeting to allow me to grab a camera. Oregon has a large, stable breeding population of mountain lions. Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? 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 Pennsylvania Game Commission is always open to review evidence, but to date only hoaxes have crossed the PGC. In many regions, the population within the state is actually increasing! However, it is clearly a mountain lion, and I'm presenting this poor image as a baseline reference for anyone recording a mountain lion on a game camera, or seeing one. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. That's true. The record size for this species is 8 feet, and it probably weighed 15 to 20 pounds, which shows how exaggerated this claim is. Possibly, but it seems unlikely that enough would have been released or had escaped to make for a viable population. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. This is actually a good thing, as genetic isolation generally weakens a species. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. 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. 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. Recently, on our Arizona Hummingbird and Bat Photo Shoot, I found a deer that had been hit by a car and had moved off to die beside a stream just 200 yards upstream from our lodge. Every year we receive a few similar reports from hikers, hunters or other outdoor enthusiasts. Why do I advocate manual exposure so avidly? 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. In the area around the border of Pennsylvania and West Virginia there are mountains and deep caves that contain some of the coal mines that were a major part of the state's industry in the early part of the 19 th century. These experiences are still available, but the reality is there is so much more for the mature traveler to enjoy in the Pocono Mountains. Of interestRamapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization. A total of 32 mountain lions have been struck and killed by vehicles in the study area since 2002. Wyoming has a historically stable population of mountain lions, but recent drops in numbers have caused some to worry. It has long been popular with honeymooners, but today the Poconos are a popular destination for families, skiers, adventure seekers, NASCAR fans, and those from urban areas around New England, New York City, Philadelphia . Travis Lau, a spokesperson for the Game Commission, said the state has a "never say never" approach when it comes to mountain lions and acknowledges that Western cats could be moving east. I can't dismiss the eye-witnesses I've interviewed. 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. Reports generally go uninvestigated by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, which discounts them as mistaken identities, illegal pets escaped or released and outright fabrications. The Game Commission concluded they were coyotes. One of the three branches or clans of the Lenape Tribe at the end of the 17th century was known as the Wolf (Minsi). Those special two were across a river just outside Glacier National Park in Montana, and consisted of a mother and two cubs (Mary saw both cubs, I only saw one, and we did so separately, as we were driving two vehicles). Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. A Mountain Lion Cover Up And yet today the debate continues: Are there mountain lions in Pennsylvania? While the chances that I'll ever see a puma in Pennsylvania myself are virtually zero, I'm always on the alert -- for the bobcat I've never seen in Pa., for a fisher, bear, deer, red salamander, toad, or snake, and yes, I'm always hoping that I too will become one of those who saw something that officially cannot exist within the state, a puma I know I saw but, of course, could not have! Where can I find Depth of Field reference charts? Colorado has a large number of mountain lions within its borders, mostly due to the high elk population, dense forests, and isolated mountain ranges. They're common in the rural areas of the Lehigh Valley but are moving into more populated areas as evidenced by a 600-pound specimen (pictured) that was tranquilized in March after neighbors in. Hunters I've spoken with said they've been told you can't kill a puma, which they felt was ironic since the same official told them pumas don't exist in Pa. Mountain lions that are looking for new breeding areas are known as transient and are almost always males. Hunting is legal in the state, but it is heavily controlled and restricted. Perhaps one or more of these Pocono sightings represent early pioneers reclaiming their former territories. A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. 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. This is only hearsay, however, since I'm only going on their stories. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. Murray said Rocky was emaciated and chained when she found him at a private zoo. It is an Italianate Villa home that features authentic Victorian furniture and finishing. They're seeing an animal they don't know or recognize, and while some may be watching a smaller bobcat about 35 pounds), some believe they've actually spotted a cougar. 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. In books I've read critical or skeptical or down-right dismissive of the idea of pumas in the East, the argument has been advanced that the hopefull puma-dreamer/spotters arguing that the State needs to prove pumas don't exist does not mean that in the State not proving this means that pumas indeed do exist in this state. "It's one of those things where I'll believe it when I see it," said Jason Farmer of Pocono Summit, my hunting partner for the last eight years. Over the last few months several people have responded to this question with reports of their own. Although in captivity, they can live much longer. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? The Cascade Mountains are an important habitat for mountain lions in the region, and a stable population lives within the state. In the wild, adult mountain lions can weigh anywhere from 65 to 220 pounds. When he isn't distracted by his backyard birdfeeder, you can find him camping, exploring, and telling everyone around him about what he's recently learned. 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. Over the last few years I've done several Questions of the Month regarding Mountain Lions, or Pumas as they should properly be called, in the Mid-Atlantic States and in Pennsylvania. Biologists traced it. Below is a list of physical characteristics that distinguish mountain lions from more . I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. In captivity mountain, lions can live to be about 20 years old. For example, one man I interviewed said he saw a 'black' puma, and this should disqualify his sighting as a black puma has never been recorded. 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. Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. But more and more people in Pennsylvania, from the Alleghenies to the Poconos to rolling farmlands in York County, claim they are seeing the big cats here, even though the state's "last" native lion, also known as a cougar or puma, was shot and killed in Berks County in 1871 and the feds have declared the Eastern subspecies extinct. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Very, very rarely, when I ask someone who would be a likely candidate (a hunter, someone who owns a camp in the deep woods, travels likely routes often, foresters), 'Have you ever seen a mountain lion?' Jones has never seen a mountain lion, but he thinks they're prowling around. They mostly live in the far western Trans-Pecos region of the state, with about 50,000 to 80,000 acres of suitable land currently being used by the cat. So many of these sightings have been proven wrong misidentified bobcats, coyotes or even house cats) that it would be irresponsible for a biologist to accept any of them as fact without absolute physical evidence hair, droppings, tracks or a road-killed animal. The Golden State has one of the largest populations of mountain lions in the country. These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. 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. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled. 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. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. Recently, on a back road in Pennsylvania, a friend and I had our first sighting of a coyote in Pennsylvania. Over 1,100 people follow her page. Many of the reports I receive are extremely credible. In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . Woolly mammoth bones were discovered in Bradford County in 1983. Adults are a uniform tan or tawny in color, with a white or cream-colored chin, undersides and inner legs. 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. In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. The state of Arizona is home to a large, stable population of mountain lions. The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. Unless I am only dealing with a lot of delusional people with little judgment, something is out there. 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. It seems unlikely, considering captives have never shown this trait, but people are reporting big black cats. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead. The cat is known to live in the western U.S. and Florida, South America and Canada. However, if it doesn't exist, and if someone saw one, wouldn't there be a worry that it was a dangerous escapee? Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. Both were a threat to the farmer and family who carved a home in the ancient wilderness of the Poconos. Known as the Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania, there are four trails that lead to the cascades from the Bushkill Falls trailhead, each ranging in . I used to archery hunt for deer, and I spent a lot of time (way too much time) sitting silently in a tree stand waiting for deer. He also noted that if the cat was here, wouldn't they be reproducing and increasing in population by now? Melanism is the reverse, where there is an abundance of dark or black pigmentation. This is huge news for conservationists around the country and a sign that cougars may be heading east once again. Certainly it is a romantic notion, but I've always held out the hope that pumas still roamed the east. One man, in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, had seen one, at night, about 25 years ago. Where reports dating that far back from escapees? Can so many people be wrong? "There hasn't been one solid piece of proof to believe they are here. Although size can be difficult to determine in the field, a puma will be three or four times larger than a bobcat. We hope you enjoy this foray into the most weird and wonderful our beloved Pocono Mountains have to offer. He's sitting in a plastic doghouse, paws crossed, amber eyes locked on the two men ticking him off by their mere presence out beyond the fence. Recent post: Why Is It Called Beaver Stadium? 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. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a great litter of boulders, rocks, clay and lakes covering today's landscape. There's a whole world to learn about and Colby is content to spend his life learning as much as he can about it! That's significant because, in states where mountain lions live, they're often struck by vehicles or otherwise found dead. Instead, the person usually pauses, sometimes with a sheepish or embarrassed expression on his face, and seems reluctant to continue. 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. 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'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 Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. 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. State Game Officials do concede that some people may indeed have seen a puma, but it was undoubtedly a released captive. Now consider: If it was confirmed that there was a breeding population of endangered pumas on the mountain ridge behind my house, if the USFWS recognized the existence of this endangered species, what might happen? For information on predator tracks, check out this guide: https://www.wildliferemoval.com/animal-track-identification-guide/, Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. But the point of this article isn't whether or not mountain lions exist in Pennsylvania or the Poconos. In the forests of Kenya, however, they do occur. In all those hours I never saw a coyote, bear, or bobcat, and yet all live in my area. A phantom creature has been sighted in the vast Delaware State Forest region of Pike County. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Over the last two years I have occasionally posted a Question of the Month soliciting sightings from people who believed that they have seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania or in other areas in the mid-Atlantic states. Please keep scrolling - ALL the Puma posts are included. do I get an immediate, 'Oh yeah!' "We should be getting more pictures. Is there a correct position for the upright on a Wimberley actionhead? There are controlled hunting laws in the state of Oregon. Ramapough Lenape chief: National park in PA and NJ would be among 'most destructive things' since colonization, Bigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. It was recorded in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010, and then died in Connecticut in 2011. I believe Kross fully, but I wanted to hear more. Transient males have been sighted as far east as New York! According to the commission, the last Pennsylvania mountain lion was killed in the late 1800s. Remember, this one was photographed in Arizona in good puma country, although this was the first one I've recorded there. There's a saying that "things aren't always what they appear to be." (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence. Over the last two years I have occasionally posted a Question of the Month soliciting sightings from people who believed that they have seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania or in other areas in the mid-Atlantic states. A brief look, yes, but no question we saw a coyote. 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). I believe them. Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! Reports of a mountain lion have come from several residents of Hemlock Farms who were hiking on. 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. These cubs are born blind and helpless. There had been 17 other mastodon finds in Pennsylvania up to 1968, but all were fragmentary. Hopefully, we'll see the real thing. After a small population was reintroduced into their historic land, their population has grown to a stable and breeding group of between 200-300 individuals. Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. "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. Phineas Teeple of Manchester Township is thought to have killed the last wolf in Wayne County. That solution: Shoot, Shovel, and Shut Up. I don't want to seem like a nut case here, but I must ask this question and you'll soon understand why? Imagination? Then there is Rocky. Archived Questions of the Month 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. At one time mountain lions, or more properly puma (Puma concolor), enjoyed the widest geographic range of any New World mammal, and were found throughout all of the contiguous United States. Viewers can never be certain that what they're seeing on a computer is actually what it's purported to be. Recently, a man I spoke with told me that he was reminded of a sighting he and two friends had 20 years earlier, and after recalling the incident he was motivated to call his college buddies and reflect on their observation. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. Are they all the product of the off-spring of pumas that escaped their owners or were released? Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. If you can figure out how to travel far back in time for even a day, get lots of wildlife photos, as the rest of us might never believe your story. Local outlets carried reports of cougar encounters at least into the 1910s. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States.

Who Are The Descendants Of Esau Today, The Sports Gene Quizlet, Articles A