However, that doesnt mean that mountain lion sightings are all false or that there havent been roaming cats sighted. This can trigger a chase. 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Fish and Game staff have distributed door hangers in neighborhoods the lion has been using. Hey, I know what I saw. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. Mountain lion fur is unspotted and tan-brown . He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. She had seen an animal on foot in broad daylight. Bobcats, also, only hunt small prey. Were getting more and more home entries every year. This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Publics Members Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. of Energy & Environmental Protection. Rego says that if there were many other animals like the 2011 cat that died in Milford, there would be more visual or physical evidence. Wait a minute--there was a sighting in New London County a few years back, and my wife read an article about a mountain lion or cougar being struck by a vehicle in Milford a few years back. Following the recent death of a mountain lion in Milford, and several reported. More recently, unexplained animal sightings in Connecticut and other states became more and more associated with mountain lions. While the state says it was likely a bobcat, one of the people who reported the sighting says it was unlike anything hes ever seen before. Population estimates are thought to be around 20 individuals which is considered caring capacity based on the amount of land and . Slowly, mountain lions recolonized North America after having retreated to warmer climates in South America during the Pleistocene ice age. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. Theres something in human nature to overestimate the size of wild animals we see, especially if we get a brief glance and if the animal is moving. He adds, Bobcats can get pretty large and some people believe they should have pretty visible spots and very often theyre pretty uniform in color. This is especially true in the summer, when my wifes sighting occurred. 4. Body length: 3-4 ft. Tail: 2.5-3 ft. I reported it to the DEP and they said they dont exist, he said. But what might be his most compelling argument is that since this is Connecticut, the budget is too limited. In the decades that followed, many cougar enthusiasts came to share Wrights conclusions, at least at first. Betty later showed maps covered with dots, each of which represented sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut and the rest of New England. 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. Since then, there have been no confirmed cases here, with the state saying: People very often mistake bobcats for mountain lions. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. Not long after, what was believed to be the same mountain lion was struck and killed on Route 15 in Milford. Due to mountain lions large size, they require larger meals. Sometimes people feared fishers (erroneously attributing the blood-curdling screams of foxes to these hard-to-spot creatures), and in the late 1930s, after several animals were slain under strange circumstances in Glastonbury, the Hartford Courant dubbed the lion-like creature supposedly responsible, the Glawackus. This one cat left DNA and/or photographic evidence of its presence in at least four states After all, if one mountain lion had wandered here, didnt that mean that others could have? We're not aware of any more confirmed mountain lion sightings other than the one that was hit by the car many years back. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. 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. The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. I know the difference between bobcats, lynx, & mt lions. According to authorities, the mountain lion was reportedly seen on Friday including on Salem Road and near Pease Road. Police have a warning after there were multiple mountain lion sightings reported in Woodbridge. Give it space to turn around without feeling threatened to get away from you and your family. 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. Dont Run. building a betterand more civilConnecticut to live, work, and play. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots. According to the Connecticut DEEP, the bobcat is the only wild cat found in Connecticut. "I was hoping for tracks after the rain, but the area was not conducive for it," Halm said. Give users the ability to create and share their own custom maps and use zoom, pinch, rotate, and tilt to explore maps in more detail. Inevitably, the New England states will acknowledge that they have some mountain lions.. She served as the Senior Producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show' for several years before stepping down in 2021 and returning to her previous career as a registered nurse. Canton and Simsbury have also had about 70 sightings. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. And even the home entries are kind of changing. He was previously a reporter for the Danbury News-Times and the Ridgefield Press. The gate of a bobcat can often make it look like it has a long tail. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. More sightings that Halm deemed credible came in 2018 from Nursery, Marvin Ridge and Briscoe Roads.. Halm noted that the route between the two recent sightings appears to be straight south. Copyright 2023 The Connecticut Explorer | Wisteria on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Connecticut Explorer Home Find Things to do in CT. 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. Since cougars are the second largest cat in North America and a natural predator, they can pose a threat. Over time, this will help us evaluate problem areas, movement barriers for wildlife, and potential for human-puma conflict. 5. 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. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . According to Hawley, if mountain lions were present in the state, there would be evidence and not just unconfirmed sightings. Anyone can get fooled. 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. Hawley: That animal was documented. 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. 5:00 PM. Icould hear the panic in my wifes voice. We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. Also known as cougars, panthers or pumas, mountain lions range in color from tan to grey, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service. Stay facing the animal and try not to turn your back to it. Hi! (https://wildlifeinformer.com/what-to-do-if-you-encounter-a-mountain-lion/). 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. We dont have extra money to do secret projects, he says. 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. Employees from the state DEEP, as well as Tolland Public Safety Supervisor John Littell attended the event last night. Fight back. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. Sometimes people feared fishers (erroneously attributing the blood-curdling screams of foxes to these hard-to-spot creatures), and in the late 1930s, after several animals were slain under strange circumstances in Glastonbury, the. Top Speed: 50 mph. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag. It was a spotless cat she estimated at close to 100 pounds. 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? And there are different schools of thought about that. We have rolling hills, and more importantly, 200,000 white tails. The last confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in CT was in 2011 when a driver struck and killed one on the Merrit Parkway. Bobcats are most frequently misidentified by the public as mountain lions, but theyre not the only animals mislabeled. (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) Seeing a wild cat can be both frightening and exciting, and its common for people to make mistakes in identification, as all most people are used to seeing is the common housecat. They reside in all eight counties, however, they exist in greatest number in the northwestern corner of the state. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference. They also generally have spots on their fur. So is the second largest extant cat in North America still managing to eke out a living in the . Bobcats, of course, can be found all over the state. Beautiful clear day just like this, and there in my backyard I see this huge golden animal, walking through the yard, Bachelder said. Sign up for our newsletter to get our latest and greatest content delivered right to your inbox. Wright, however, didnt agree with his mentor and began writing publicly about mountain lions in the East. However, the captive lion theory was also wrong. Mountain lions are solitary animals, traveling alone except during mating season or when a female is supporting young. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. What we do not have is a secure predator corridor.. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. His mentor, Aldo Leopold, a prominent wildlife biologist, also believed this, but felt if people learned about these populations, they would be hunted to extinction. 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. Although there are numerous reported sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut every year, the animals have actually been extinct in this state for more than a century. 2 Last 5 Years. This can trigger a chase. State wildlife experts say those big cats have been extinct in Connecticut for more than 100 years. Betty recommended that anyone who encounters a cougar should make themselves large, raise their hands and yell. 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. 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. 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. 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. Theyll say, Hey, you can see in the picture that it has a long tail, and when I look at the picture, I say, I see how you would see that because they way these cats walk, theyll kind of stand and trail their rear leg. Although mountain lions were part of Nebraska's native fauna, they were extirpated by the end of the 19th century. Typically, they will slink out of there as quickly as they can to get away from humans. This was maybe a decade ago. 60-108 inches. '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. Many, many times, in many different ways along its travel up through Minnesota, Michigan and to Canada, down through New York, through hair samples, blood samples, trail camera photos. A mountain lion is a wild cat ranging from two to three feet tall, with females weighing up to 120lbs and males up to 200lbs, making it the fourth largest cat in the world. 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. He drove me out to the spot. Arms over your head, with a jacket or sweatshirt. This mountain lion was documented by DNA samples from Minnesota and Wisconsin between December 2009 and early 2010. Weight. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . If you follow local news outlets and local social media pages, youll notice a common theme when it comes to wildlife sightings people often mistake one type of animal for another. It says genetic testing revealed that a mountain lion hit by a car and killed on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford on June 11, 2011 originated from South Dakota and had traveled to Connecticut though Wisconsin and Minnesota a distance of around 1,800 miles a record distance for a land mammal. 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. Almost daily, there are claims of mountain lion sightings in CT, though. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. Below is an evolving list of Connecticut natives and state prep school football players in the Class of 2023 who have signed letters of intent to play football in college. 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. This article appeared in theNovember 2019issue ofConnecticut Magazine. Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. Even in parts of the country where there are documented breeding populations of mountain lions, there are still many false reports. Many, many times, in many different ways along its travel up through Minnesota, Michigan and to Canada, down through New York, through hair samples, blood samples, trail camera photos. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. Since May 21, three other lion sightings were reported in the Chubbuck and Pocatello areas and one in Inkom. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. From Litchfield County, can confirm. In the wild, they live 8-13 years, but in captivity they can live into their 20s. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. I always hold out the possibility of a sighting to be genuine, but at the same time, over decades of experience, we know that the vast majority are misidentifications and a small number are actually hoaxes, he says. There is a big difference between Tuesday when none of us saw a moose in our region and then Thursday we did, Morse says. An adult male bobcat can reach four feet in length and 35 to 40 pounds. The map from that publication is shown below, with the current mountain lion range in green and confirmed mountain lion locations as black dots. Abbott believes it is possible that more mountain lions such as the one that was killed in Milford in 2011 could migrate here. Put your arms over your head with a jacket or sweatshirt. Females are typically smaller. Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Mountain lions are commonly identified by trail camera photographs, tracks, and feces. 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