The Canada Lynxs geographic territory in New England only extends as far south as northern New Hampshire and parts of Maine, though. Even so, Abbott has heard of mountain lion sightings from what he deems reliable sources and believes its possible that other animals have made the difficult, some say almost miraculous trek, from the West to Connecticut. Mistaken reports of mountain lions are most commonly bobcats. Anyone can get fooled. In 1991 mountain lion tracks were found . McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? In 2011, a young male lion walked 1500 miles from South Dakota to Connecticut, where he was hit and killed on the parkway in Milford. A quick Google search reveals that the theory is not limited to Connecticut and similar tales are told throughout the Northeast. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. Pepper spray has also been proven as an effective weapon against the animal. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. 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. Population estimates are thought to be around 20 individuals which is considered caring capacity based on the amount of land and . Im watching it, its big, its got the body, and the thing that really gave it away was the tail, had that mountain lion long tail that goes down to the ground and comes up at the end, saw that and was like, thats a freaking mountain lion.. Police have a warning after there were multiple mountain lion sightings reported in Woodbridge. Description. Bobcats, of course, can be found all over the state. 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. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. A month after the cat was struck and killed, researchers confirmed it had traveled more than 1,500 miles from the Black Hills of South Dakota. But sometimes, instead of mountain lions, people thought they saw other creatures in the Connecticut woods, of which authorities were supposedly aware. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. He drove me out to the spot. In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. On Friday July 8, 2022 there was a few reported Mountain Lion sightings the last few days one actually involving an encounter with one's family in their lawn. According to authorities, the mountain lion was reportedly seen on Friday including on Salem Road and near Pease Road. Although mountain lions were part of Nebraska's native fauna, they were extirpated by the end of the 19th century. For over 30 years the CT DEEP has been tracking reported sightings and maintain it has never observed or found proof that mountain lions are still here in the state. Ive lived here 23 years, Ive seen coyotes, Ive seen bobcats, Ive seen foxes, everything else, never seen anything like this before, said Bachelder. Re (1): Mountain Lion sighting in Brookfield ct - By russ January 30, 2016 at 05:10:25 PM. She said the size made her do a double take and indeed she seen it had a very long tail, Bullsh** 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. Despite frequent claims, there has only been one confirmed mountain lion sighting since the late 1800s here. After all, if one mountain lion had wandered here, didnt that mean that others could have? NHPR is nonprofit and independent. 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. Today, instead of focusing on cougar sightings in Eastern states, many cougar enthusiasts want to protect the animal from being hunted in the regions in which they are currently found. This article appeared in theNovember 2019issue ofConnecticut Magazine. A bobcats tail is short and bob-like, while mountain lions have long, curving tails that can grow up to 3 feet. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it, he recalls. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. Black panthers, which are not found in the U.S., are actually black jaguars or leopards. Typically, mountain lion sightings occur from a distance and usually around dawn or dusk. I reported it to the DEP and they said they dont exist, he said. The whole trail is very . 4. I enjoy exploring CT and reporting back to my readers about fun things to do in Connecticut. He drove me out to the spot. On June 11, 2011, in Milford, CT, a mountain lion was killed by a motor vehicle. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. Were getting more and more home entries every year. Weight: 70-170 lbs. But that doesnt stop people from seeing them. The current editor of the publication, which is based in New Hampshire, explains why the job is worth sticking around. 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. For more information on cougars in Connecticut, visit theCougars of the Valley siteor theConnecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. Reports of mountain lion sitings in Matunuck and the Great Swamp Management Area date back to at least 2004, but have never been confirmed by state officials. Arms over your head, with a jacket or sweatshirt. For decades afterward, there were reported sightings of the mythical creature prowling the woods around town. Have a map downloaded. 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. There are mountain lions in connecticut. Booth DEEP and local authorities around Connecticut have confirmed that the majority of mountain lion sightings in the state turn out to be sightings of bobcats. While there is currently not much safety training being done in the state for the extinct animal, Betty predicts that cougar safety will eventually be as common in New England as it is in California. It's 8:02 p.m., according to the timestamp at the bottom of the image. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. Betty, however, said that the sheer number of sightings and evidence substantiates a native population of cougars. 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. The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. Bobcats don't shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. Mountain Lions: cougars, pumas, panthers and catamounts. There is also something appealing about the idea that there is an animal out there so cunning that it has escaped our notice and the eyes of our cameras. About 80 people gathered at Tolland High School Thursday night to take in a mountain lion lecture sponsored byConserving Tolland. Watch Live at 7:00 PM: The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns | Screening & Panel Discussion . These hangers include safety tips about living with mountain lions, and what to do if people observe or encounter one. Sighting reports of bobcats will help biologists gain an understanding of the current state population. But recent expert-confirmed sightingswhich have involved photographs, videos, and DNAin Tennessee support a theory that mountain lions, whose populations out west have continued to expand, are slowly making their way back to this side of the country. This is a carousel. He explains that we frequently overestimate the size of animals in the wild, particularly ones we are afraid of. Uscinski, a Connecticut native, adds that the theory that the government is covering up the existence of mountain lions is likely motivated by a distrust of authority. Females are typically smaller. Hes even had his own false sighting. 60-108 inches. 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.. Be mindful of small pets and small children. Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, For the first time in decades, The Old Farmer's Almanac is looking for a new editor, NSC-131 members say they can't find a NH defense lawyer for pending civil rights case, Cautiously optimistic: Maple syrup producers expect a good season this year, In Spokane, Washington, officials test a housing strategy rejected by NH lawmakers. The last confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in CT was in 2011 when a driver struck and killed one on the Merrit Parkway. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. Hawley: Yeah. 5:00 PM. Residents of Greenwich, Conn., have reported seeing a mountain lion roaming the woods -- even though the species is extinct in the region, MyFoxNY.com reports. Height at shoulder: 25-30 in. Hey, I know what I saw. He points out that when there was a real mountain lion in the state in 2011, his office publicized it immediately. WOODBRIDGE, CT (WFSB) Police in Woodbridge said they have received reports of mountain lion sightings in town. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. Bobcats top out at about 40 pounds (most are much lighter than that) and are only. not all bobcats are heavily spotted either - just to add to the confusion.. Colorado and California have the highest estimated populations of mountain lions in the United States. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. The state adds bobcats are often active this time of year, making sightings much more likely. Height: 3 ft. Max. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . DEEP sightings: Where the bears are in CT. Jim Shay. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. Here are some physical differences between mountain lions and bobcats: These 2 big cats also behave differently. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. Well also go over what types of wild cats can be found in Connecticut. The only types of lynx that are indigenous to New England are the Canada Lynx and the Lynx rufus (bobcat). We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. They vary in size and weight, with males reaching up to 200 pounds and eight feet in length (one-third of their length is the tail). Bobcats are most frequently misidentified by the public as mountain lions, but theyre not the only animals mislabeled. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. Betty said that, according to officials, it's thought that there has been no reproducing, native population in the state since the 1920s. Heres what to know about mountain lions (and other large cats) in Connecticut. 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