So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. I frankly have lost faith in some government institutions for this very reason. And even the home entries are kind of changing. It was a flooded area. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. Robert Tompkins said he saw a mountain lion in Sharon about five years ago. All rights reserved. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. The famous "Connecticut mountain lion" traveled 1500 miles from South Dakota, the furthest trek currently recorded. Or at least theyre not supposed to be. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. 17), Police investigate death of New London High School student, Long Wharf Theatre to present Live from the Edge in Hamden, Torrington students to stage 'The Sponge Bob Musical' in May, 'American Idol' alums Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken to perform in CT, Talcott Mountain Music Festival starts June 30. Report: CT man killed in police shootout after dispute at casino, 24 Connecticut towns don't have stores that accept food stamps, CT pit bull that was almost euthanized goes viral, gets adopted, CT could lose thousands of affordable housing units. So, now we know what DEEP says about mountain lions in the state and we know that many people mistakenly believe theyve sighted one but its still possible there are some in CT, right? Rego says that the way bobcats stride when they run, often times a rear leg is kicked up in the back and that could be mistaken for a long tail.. of Energy & Environmental Protection. 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? Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. DEEP believes their numbers have increased in recent years. Arms over your head, with a jacket or sweatshirt. community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. And theyre not going to find one, because the females don't disperse like that. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. For over 30 years, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been tracking reported mountain lion sightings. You cansubscribe here, orfind the current issue on sale here. Says that theres no mountain lions in Connecticut they are full of it. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cats Walk Across America by William Stolzenburg. 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. Especially when pictures are blurry which happens a lot in trail cameras or youll get pictures taken at night or something on Ring cameras that hind leg really does often look like a tail kind of curling up behind the animal.. 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. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. Watch Live at 7:00 PM: The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns | Screening & Panel Discussion . This can trigger a chase. Yet we see nothing about what is being planned except how to scare them away if one sees them. WOODBRIDGE, CT (WFSB) - Police in Woodbridge said they have received reports of mountain lion sightings in town. 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. However, Hawley noted that Eastern bobcats tend to have very few spots compared to bobcats that are out west or even in the Midwest. If they have spots, they are typically in the white, underside part of the bodies or on the insides of their legs. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. . 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. Wright, however, didnt agree with his mentor and began writing publicly about mountain lions in the East. When it comes to mountain lions, (also called cougars, pumas, or panthers) is there really a chance you will come across one in the wild, or will you need to visit a zoo to see one of these magnificent animals in real life? So its this gathering storm. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. Weve had housecats misidentified as mountain lions and even deer, Rego says. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. Even in parts of the country where there are documented breeding populations of mountain lions, there are still many false reports. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. Like coyotes, moreover, mountain. However, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) says. Give today. Weve got a growing bear population. There are usually about 50-100 mountain lion sightings reported every year. not all bobcats are heavily spotted either - just to add to the confusion.. Ive seen bobcats before, this wasnt a bobcat. And its a lose-lose situation, because theres really not a whole lot you can tell them in most cases thats going to change their mind.. Another important difference: bobcats are found in Connecticut while mountain lions are not. 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. Mountain lion sightings in New Hampshire have increased along . Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. Hey, I know what I saw. Hey, I know what I saw. I strongly suspect what was observed was a bobcat. said Jenny Dickson, director of DEEPs wildlife division. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. It is not of the animal actually seen in town. Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. MOUNTAIN LION ATTACKS MAN SITTING IN COLORADO HOT TUB After a few moments of the deer trying to maneuver out of the chokehold, it managed to free itself from the claws of the mountain lion.. Connecticut's official position is that mountain lions have been extinct in the state since the late 1800s. National Signing Day 2022-2023: Connecticuts signing list. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. So theres fresh mud. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. 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. 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. They have been documented in Woodbridge and are often quite active this time of year making observations of these normally elusive animals much more likely.. 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. A harvest is kind of twofold. But what might be his most compelling argument is that since this is Connecticut, the budget is too limited. Don't be a fool and be caught off guard by believing they don't exist in Connecticut. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. Make noise. Stephen Gencarella, professor of folklore studies at the University of Massachusetts and a Connecticut resident, says, The government coverup is only the latest version of something that could stretch back in the oral tradition to precolonial times. He notes that supposed mountain lion sightings spiked in the late 1800s and early 1900s shortly after the animals disappeared from New Englands woods. In 2017, Ann Jarosiewicz and Liz Prete left their jobs as developers and started WasteNot, a building materials recycling company on Cape Cod. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? The sightings havent been confirmed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and there are no videos or photos. Ancient_Ad126 4 mo. Hes even had his own false sighting. Are There a Lot of Spiders in Connecticut? 2. The one confirmed case, sometimes referred to as the " Connecticut Mountain Lion " happened in June 2011 when an SUV struck and killed a cougar in Milford. It was a flooded area. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag. So theres fresh mud. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. 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. They also want to foster the formation and protection of migration pathways for them and other animals to enter new states. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. Woodbridge police reported that there were a few incidents in the area recently, with one involving a resident reporting they encountered a mountain lion with their family on their lawn. There are no mountain lions in Connecticut, so why do we keep seeing them? "The journey of this mountain lion is a testament to the wonders of. 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. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, mountain lions became extinct in Connecticut in the 1800s, and bobcats are the only large wild cats found in the state. Give it space to turn around without feeling threatened to get away from you and your family. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. Officially, the last mountain lions were hunted to extinction here in the late 1800s. Dickson, however, said the agency is not aware of any such reports. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. Stay facing the big cat and try not to turn your back to it. Dont Run. Hey, I know what I saw. I know the difference between bobcats, lynx, & mt lions. The gate of a bobcat can often make it look like it has a long tail. Its extremely rare for a person to see a wild animal and to underestimate its size. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it,. Were getting more and more home entries every year. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. And there are different schools of thought about that. listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information. Anyone can get fooled. A qualitative assessment of . 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. 2012. It had rained previously. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. According to Hawley, if mountain lions were present in the state, there would be evidence and not just unconfirmed sightings. He published his first book in 1959, The Ghost of North America: The Story of the Eastern Panther. Hawley said that the typical range of cougars like mountain lions is from west of the South Dakota area. Since then, theyve diverted over an acre of hardwood flooring, roughly 570 kitchen cabinets, and 500 windows from landfills. They investigate hundreds of mountain lion sightings every year without finding physical evidence of their presence. Connecticut Public Radio | Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. 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. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. 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. Mountain lions may be stealthy, but they do leave a trace. Copyright 2022 WFSB. After all, if one mountain lion had wandered here, didnt that mean that others could have? And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. Do not bend, squat, or sit down. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. Thus, the name of the mountain where Castle Craig sits.. nicknamed "Cat Hole Mountain!" Mountain lions were hunted to extinction near the end of the 19th century. 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