A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. 5:00 PM. There have been no "confirmed" reports of mountain lions, AKA Puma concolor, in Pennsylvania since the late 1800s. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. 'Bo was a legend', Los Charros Cantina closes in Essex, will relocate to Branford, Elizabeth's Cafe in Madison to be razed for new restaurant, housing, CT fathers coaching daughters in girls basketball navigate life lessons at home and on the court, 5 CT companies hiring for 100 or more positions, Celebrity gossip and sightings in and around CT, February 2023, John Mayer to appear on Impractical Jokers Thursday, Stamford's Alive At Five concert series announces 2023 dates, Dionne Warwick, '80 for Brady producer bring music review to CT. The New Hampshire Department of Justice is pursuing civil charges against two members of the hate group for allegedly hanging a racist banner in Portsmouth last summer. You can subscribe to Connecticut Magazine here, or find the current issue on sale here. 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? What would motivate DEEP officials to do this isnt clear. We have people eating dinner in their kitchen, they hear a noise, all of a sudden a bear walks in, so they run into their bedroom to get away from the bear, while the bears out ransacking their refrigerator. Register for a user account. The upper mile is pretty overgrown in a pretty way. (My wife didnt get a look at the tail.) My buddy told me he saw one in our hometown (in litchfield county) 10 or so years ago and I called bullshit. National Signing Day 2022-2023: Connecticuts signing list. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. Mountain lions are solitary animals, traveling alone except during mating season or when a female is supporting young. Mountain lion, cougar, puma, panther, painter, and catamount are all different names for the same animal ( Puma concolor ). building a betterand more civilConnecticut to live, work, and play. 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. The last confirmed mountain lion sighting in Connecticut occurred in 2011. Mountain Lions: cougars, pumas, panthers and catamounts. Although common at the time of European settlement, the last known historical specimen in Missouri was killed in the Bootheel area in 1927. Mountain lions went extinct in Connecticut during the 1800s, but bobcats are still seen regularly. These tips include carrying safety equipment and walking . 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In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. After the male mountain lion was removed from Red Hill Trail on May 11, additional sightings in that area were reported: one on May 16, and two over the weekend of May 19 and 20. Get started. Do not bend, squat, or sit down. Pepper spray has also been proven as an effective weapon against the animal. Despite annual reports since the 1950s, no confirmed sighting was made in the state until the 1990s. They can be seen at any time of the day or night, but are most active at dawn and . 2. 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. Most mountain lion sightings are reported without any evidence other than eyewitness descriptions. According to the Connecticut DEEP, the bobcat is the only wild cat found in Connecticut. Bachelder said he did a double take Friday evening when he looked out the back window of his home on Pease Road. They are very bold. Mountain lions, however, arent seen much in the Nutmeg State, even though several have reportedly been spotted around the Woodbridge area this month. It's 8:02 p.m., according to the timestamp at the bottom of the image. 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. Over a period of a year and a half, this mountain lion left DNA evidence in at least four states. and last updated 8:18 AM, Jan 21, 2022. Report a Moose Sighting Select the link above to report your sighting. Adult males typically weigh between 18 and 35 pounds and measure from 32 to 37 inches in length. Bobcats, of course, can be found all over the state. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. The Department of Environmental. 6. Bobcats are found across Connecticut, but even fully grown they are much smaller than what she was describing, only weighing between 18 and 35 pounds. What to know about unconfirmed mountain lion sightings in CT. Nicole Funaro was formerly a statewide trending reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group, covering everything from the most fascinating properties for sale in the Nutmeg State to the latest movie filming in the state. @Edward Case, On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. Beautiful clear day just like this, and there in my backyard I see this huge golden animal, walking through the yard, Bachelder said. And there are different schools of thought about that. Inevitably, the New England states will acknowledge that they have some mountain lions.. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. It was a flooded area. 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This one cat left DNA and/or photographic evidence of its presence in at least four states It is also the most common wild cat found in North America. Re (2): Mountain Lion sighting in Brookfield ct - By Ryan January 31, 2016 at 11:16:51 PM. Even though human persecution has driven them locally extinct in the eastern part of the state, Texas mountain lion hunting is allowed year-round with no bag limits. She was also the voice behind the weekly Connecticut Real Estate newsletter by CT Insider. 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. So its this gathering storm. 47 6 thatphanom.techno@gmail.com 042-532028 , 042-532027 And there are different schools of thought about that. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. My wife is not a wildlife expert, but is not prone to flights of fancy. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. 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? But a high-profile sighting in 2011 stirred up renewed interest in the animals here, when a mountain lion from South Dakota was hit and killed by a car on a Connecticut highway. Description. They are named for their short (bobbed) tail which is often about six inches in length. Mountain lion spotted in Connecticut town On Monday, DEEP said that Connecticut does not have a mountain lion population. What we do not have is a secure predator corridor.. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Not really, Rego says. Also known as cougars, panthers or pumas, mountain lions range in color from tan to grey, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service. In Florida, where mountain lions are known as panthers, dozens are killed each year by cars. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. Weve got a growing bear population. Mountain lions were hunted to extinction near the end of the 19th century. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. This young male cougar was found to . 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. Connecticut is cougar heaven, Betty said. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. In general, the audience members seemed to agree with Bettys views. Youll get the answer to this question in this article. TPWD Confirmed Mountain Lions. This post was contributed by a community member. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. So why does the conspiracy theory that theyre here in significant numbers persist? For decades afterward, there were reported sightings of the mythical creature prowling the woods around town. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. I enjoy exploring CT and reporting back to my readers about fun things to do in Connecticut. By, March 2023 Fund Drive Rules and Regulations, Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing NHPR's FCC public files, please contact us at publicfile@nhpr.org. 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. Tim Abbott, the regional land conservation and greenprint director for the Housatonic Valley Association, says that during a lecture on mountain lions last winter at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, when the speaker asked if anyone had seen a mountain lion, half of the roughly 400 people in attendance raised their hands. Put your arms over your head with a jacket or sweatshirt. Hey, I know what I saw. To date, no footage of a mountain lion has surfaced. You really couldnt ask for a better place for mountain lions.. Abbott believes it is possible that more mountain lions such as the one that was killed in Milford in 2011 could migrate here. Bobcats dont shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. Mountain Lions:100 all the way up to 200 pounds, Mountain Lions:Can grow up to 6 feet long. However, the captive lion theory was also wrong. Bobcats: They are are the only wild cat found in the state and the most common in North America. . 60-108 inches. Weight: 70-170 lbs. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. According to wildlife biologist Jason Hawley, the lack of evidence of mountain lions in Connecticut is the evidence. Weve got a growing bear population. We have had five coyotes crossing through our yard in the past few weeks, and one even lingers around our property and the neighbors. Hes even had his own false sighting. Wright, however, didnt agree with his mentor and began writing publicly about mountain lions in the East. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. Hawley says that they would be finding carcasses of mountain lion prey and mountain lion tracks if these animals had recolonized the state, and this simply isnt happening. The mountain lion is believed to have had an encounter with a family on their lawn. The state adds bobcats are often active this time of year, making sightings much more likely. 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 mountain lion in winter. Do Not Approach! DEEP sightings: Where the bears are in CT. Jim Shay. 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). Mountain Lions: Large tan cats with a distinctive two to three-foot curving tail, that can almost touch the ground as they walk. Sightings can be reported to the McCall Fish and Game office at 208-634-8137. I agreeI am a person with very good knowledge of animals and know the distinct differences between closely related species in some cases As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. Here are the Winter Storm Anthony snowfall totals so far, Melting Pot restaurant in Darien closes down. Otherwise, Hawley said cats like bobcats want nothing to do with people, and they will generally prey on chickens, small dogs or cats. 75-170 pounds. Even so, for decades, skeptics dismissed mountain lion sightings in Connecticut out of hand, pointing out that if the cats were here in anywhere close to the number of reported sightings, there would be DNA and physical evidence of their presence, not to mention photos and videos. 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