Conserving Tolland President and founder Roseann Kellner Gottier said that the issue has become important for the region and is glad the lecture was well-attended. According to DEEP the bobcat is the only confirmed species of wild cat in CT as of 2022. 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. Hes even had his own false sighting. I agreeI am a person with very good knowledge of animals and know the distinct differences between closely related species in some cases Or at least theyre not supposed to be. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) As unlikely as it sounds, it was a more believable theory than some of the alternatives, among them that the cat was evidence of a breeding population in the state that was being kept secret by DEEP. Anyone can get fooled. There are mountain lions in connecticut. Mountain lion Over 7 ft in length Over 100 lbs Uniform tan color Long tails Bobcat Under 3ft in length Under 50lbs Dark spots Tufts of fur in ears These 2 big cats also behave differently. 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. 105 of 119 106 of 119 A dead mountain lion, killed on the Merritt Parkway in Milford in June 2011. 60-108 inches. Join as a $8 per month sustainer and get our brand-new owl umbrella! He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. The big cat traveled some 1,100 miles before his life came to a tragic end after being hit by a SUV on Route 15 in . A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . It had rained previously. Hey, I know what I saw. And there are different schools of thought about that. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. 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. 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. Once at dusk driving in the Berkshires, he saw what he initially thought was a cat-like creature that was far bigger than a bobcat leap across the road. The mountain lion is believed to have had an encounter with a family on their lawn. Breweries in New Haven, CT you MUST Visit! Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. You cansubscribe here, orfind the current issue on sale here. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. Thats only a fraction of the supposed sightings. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Mountain Lion Sightings in CT. Was the animal a pet set free? Despite frequent claims, there has only been one confirmed mountain lion sighting since the late 1800s here. Hes even had his own false sighting. "We get calls about mountain lions all the time, but they turn out to be unprovable," Brown told the Independent in March. The nearest known populations of mountain lions are in Wyoming, Colorado, North . 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. Possible mountain lion sightings reported in Woodbridge, Mountain lion sightings reported in Woodbridge. 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. It was a spotless cat she estimated at close to 100 pounds. Running joke in the family when we see one is "But of course it wasn't a Mountain Lion, because there are no Mountain Lions in CT". But as Eastern cougar search efforts became more organized and still there were no concrete signs of the creatures, many became more skeptical. He points out that when there was a real mountain lion in the state in 2011, his office publicized it immediately. One on Salem Rd and another in the area of Pease Rd in our town. Here are some physical differences between mountain lions and bobcats: These 2 big cats also behave differently. It also doesnt mean there wont be more sightings in the future, as these animals have been known to reclaim areas their species once roamed. In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. She had seen an animal on foot in broad daylight. 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. Once at dusk driving in the Berkshires, he saw what he initially thought was a cat-like creature that was far bigger than a bobcat leap across the road. Following the recent death of a mountain lion in Milford, and several reported. not all bobcats are heavily spotted either - just to add to the confusion.. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. ', 'Saturday Night Live' skit with Woody Harrelson takes place at Naval Submarine Base New London, Bo Hickey, former New Canaan hockey, football coach and NFL player, has died. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. A fourth cougar sighting in recent days was reported near the New Canaan border Thursday, according to Animal Control officer Allyson Halm. State conservation officials believe this photo, taken in Greenwich in 2011, shows a mountain lion. Mountain Lions: cougars, pumas, panthers and catamounts. Since then, there have been no confirmed cases here, with the state saying: People very often mistake bobcats for mountain lions. Typically, they will slink out of there as quickly as they can to get away from humans. Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. Tandmlally@yahoo.com. The map from that publication is shown below, with the current mountain lion range in green and confirmed mountain lion locations as black dots. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Youll get the answer to this question in this article. It had rained previously. She said the size made her do a double take and indeed she seen it had a very long tail, Bullsh** And even the home entries are kind of changing. Weight: 70-170 lbs. Were getting more and more home entries every year. People have been known to submit photos of real mountain lions taken in other states and claim they were taken in Connecticut. Posted on Published: November 4, 2022- Last updated: December 28, 2022. This is the mountain lion that was hit by a car in Milford after several sightings in the Greenwich area. They reside in all eight counties, however, they exist in greatest number in the northwestern corner of the state. From family fun to restaurants and everything in between, everything you need to know about CT is right here. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. Mountain lions were hunted to extinction near the end of the 19th century. She adds, I think its because a lot of people are fascinated by wild cats; they are the embodiment of the wild.. 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. Do not run. These were reported to CT DEEP and though the sightings may not have been confirmed as true mountain Lion sightings, this post is to spread awareness on the issue in case youre presented with such situation. They have been absent from this state since the late 1800s; however, there have been a few isolated sightings. Most mountain lion sightings are reported without any evidence other than eyewitness descriptions. 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. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. The views expressed here are the author's own. There also should have been evidence of animals killed by the predators and roadkill. Pepper spray has also been proven as an effective weapon against the animal. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. Despite annual reports since the 1950s, no confirmed sighting was made in the state until the 1990s. The state adds bobcats are often active this time of year, making sightings much more likely. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. But that doesnt stop people from seeing them. Re (2): Mountain Lion sighting in Brookfield ct - By Ryan January 31, 2016 at 11:16:51 PM. 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. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons. No, there are no mountain lions in CT, and there havent been for quite some time. That said there have been numerous sightings of them over the years. The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. In 2011, in the affluent suburbs of Connecticut, there were several reported sightings of a mountain lion, and much pooh-poohing from authorities, until a sport utility vehicle struck and killed . WOODBRIDGE Police are offering tips after they said there have been several mountain lion sightings in town. After all, if one mountain lion had wandered here, didnt that mean that others could have? Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. 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? Mountain lions are about half the size of lions, but they can run up to 50 mph while lions can run only 37 mph. This young adult, male Mountain Lion was struck and killed by a SUV in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2012. He was previously a reporter for the Danbury News-Times and the Ridgefield Press. The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cats Walk Across America by William Stolzenburg. Last week was no different, as various reports began trickling in of a mountain lion roaming around, in of all places, Greenwich, Conn. Jan. 6, 2016 Updated: Jan. 6, . He drove me out to the spot. In the decades that followed, many cougar enthusiasts came to share Wrights conclusions, at least at first. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it,. Ive lived here 23 years, Ive seen coyotes, Ive seen bobcats, Ive seen foxes, everything else, never seen anything like this before, said Bachelder. Meanwhile, a family in Redwood City has shared footage of a big cat seen recently in Do Not Approach! Sue Morse, the founder and science director of Keeping Track, a Vermont-based organization dedicated to protecting wildlife habitats, has studied mountain lions over her career as a naturalist, and says the majority of cougar sightings in the Northeast are misidentifications. Time changes all and Im not going to shut the door on the future and say that a breeding population of cougars is not here because the day after tomorrow they could be here its just a matter of time., Though a deer hunter herself, Morse is opposed to the way mountain lions have been hunted in the western U.S., where they are found. Abbott believes it is possible that more mountain lions such as the one that was killed in Milford in 2011 could migrate here. About two years ago in July 2020, there were around 1,500 reports of bobcat sightings in the state, with some bobcat sightings in Brookfield and Ridgefield that year. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. This young male cougar was found to . This is a carousel. 4:30 PM. He drove me out to the spot. (My wife didnt get a look at the tail.) According to the Connecticut DEEP, the bobcat is the only wild cat found in Connecticut. One on Salem Rd and another in. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. These tips include carrying safety equipment and walking . 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. 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. Mountain lions went extinct in Connecticut during the 1800s, but bobcats are still seen regularly. "I was hoping for tracks after the rain, but the area was not conducive for it," Halm said. Icould hear the panic in my wifes voice. These sightings have not been confirmed as true mountain lion sightings. Contrary to traditional thought, population. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an, on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. An adult male bobcat can reach four feet in length and 35 to 40 pounds. Are there any mountain lions in CT? Hawley, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, says data dont support a breeding population of mountain lions in Connecticut. He published his first book in 1959, 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, In the 1950s, the 'Mad Dog murders' terrorized Connecticut, Connecticut Magazine: Best restaurants for dessert for 2023, Connecticut Magazine: CT's best brunch spots for 2023, Meet rising hip-hop star and CT native Felly, Connecticut Magazine: Best vegetarian, vegan restaurants for 2023, Save money by electrifying your homes systems, Stratford's Allan Dias and his brush with rock 'n' roll fame, Review: Hachiroku in New Haven is a slice of Japanese heaven, Geno Auriemma gives bleak assessment as UConn womens basketball looks to find footing in March: 'Poorly coached team. I have a fence in the backyard, it was above the bottom rail, so its back was probably this big, this long, the tail, said John Bachelder. Almost every state has some sort of legend of something thats hiding somewhere, he says. Betty said that, according to officials, it's thought that there has been no reproducing, native population in the state since the 1920s. 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. Copyright 2022 WFSB. More recently, unexplained animal sightings in Connecticut and other states became more and more associated with mountain lions. 75-170 pounds. Bachelder says he didnt have his phone on him, so he couldnt take a picture or video, but describes his backyard visitor just like what you see in the stock photo provided by the Woodbridge Police Department. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. They can be seen at any time of the day or night, but are most active at dawn and . We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. Tolland resident Loren Gerber said that he and his wife have both seen cougars in the area. What about mountain lions, though? Height at shoulder: 25-30 in. Adult males typically weigh between 18 and 35 pounds and measure from 32 to 37 inches in length. The police department decided to put out a warning to those in town. I feel a little bit like Roy Scheider in Jaws, you know, youve got to shut down the beaches, he said. 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. 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. While recent mountain lion sightings in Connecticut have not been confirmed, if someone suspects they encountered a mountain lion, they should not run away, as it might spur a chase. Mountain lion, cougar, puma, panther, painter, and catamount are all different names for the same animal ( Puma concolor ). Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are According to wildlife biologist Jason Hawley, the lack of evidence of mountain lions in Connecticut is the evidence. to scare it off. 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