Granted, the image is not great, and I used some Photoshop adjustment layers to enhance the image, making it a bit easier to see. "It was in Worthington State Forest just across the Delaware River from Smithfield Beach). By the mid-1900s pumas were eliminated from almost all of the eastern states, and by mid-century were officially extinct east of the Mississippi, except for a remnant population in southern Florida. In Michigan, there has been multiple sightings of 'black panthers,' animals that were thought to be mountain lions, or pumas, except that they were black. original web site, although if I ever have enough time I might Some have even reported seeing a "black panther," a near-impossibility because of the rarity of that recessive gene. The northeastern U.S. population is thought to have disappeared in the 1930s. In many regions, the population within the state is actually increasing! (What is meant by "heads" is not clear.). With the Great Lakes in its way, the cat moved either north or south of the water, and the latter route would have seen it pass through at least some of Pennsylvania. I receive about one email or phone call a month, on average, from people that I do not know who are contacting me because their sighting compelled them to do a Google search on puma sightings, and they found my site and previously posted questions. With that hope in mind, I have, for years, asked outdoors people if they ever heard of a mountain lion, or puma, in their area -- with my questioning limited to people in my home state of Pennsylvania. The mountains and isolated forests of the state allow these large cats to live their lives without encountering humans very often. Interesting, too, are the reports I've heard from people who were told that they would be in big trouble if they shot a puma. When I first discovered this fresh carcass I examined it for throat punctures, thinking that it may have been killed by a puma. The first is the mating season which can occur during the late to early spring months. As they get older, the cubs begin to leave the den and explore. A placard affixed to the fence outside Rocky's pen states that "cougars are solitary creatures and rarely seen by humans." In personal contacts, that monthly average might even be higher. Known as the Niagara Falls of Pennsylvania, there are four trails that lead to the cascades from the Bushkill Falls trailhead, each ranging in . Would these ridges be declared off-limits for hunting? Not only do hunting licenses support the various state game commissions, and in some states the acquisition and maintenance of public hunting lands, but hunters are a huge boon to local economies each fall, with purchases of food, lodging, hunting equipment, etc. The Bushkill Falls are a series of eight waterfalls in a 300-acre wooded enclave hidden amongst the Poconos. Noted Wayne County historian Phineas Goodrich recorded in his 1880 book on local history that the common gray wolf was much more common in this area than the cougar. Biologists traced it back to the Black Hills of South Dakota, from where it ventured nearly 2,000 miles looking for a new mate. State Game Officials do concede that some people may indeed have seen a puma, but it was undoubtedly a released captive. Conversely, an outdoor writer I know told me that when Pa. enacted a menagerie permit law years ago, 'a lot of mountain lions suddenly died,' as the owners of these cats, rather than going through the paperwork, simply released their pumas and claimed that they had died. Each year, over tha past five, I've spoken with at least one person who swears they personally saw a puma in this state. Perhaps one or more of these Pocono sightings represent early pioneers reclaiming their former territories. I've seen hoaxes, of pumas carrying deer shot with game cameras, but these were of western cats. Some experts predict that this wide-ranging predator, which can travel 600 miles in search of a territory, will surely reach our eastern states sometime in the next few decades. Here in central Pennsylvania we live on the outskirts of what one puma-tracking website has as almost the high point of sightings, extending from north-central Pennsylvania in a southwestern diagonal that extends into the mountains of West Virginia. Asa Packer Mansion Jim Thorpe. The next day, another friend, who works for Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, called me to ask if I had seen the photo of a Pocono mountain lion with a deer in its jaws. In July and August I received seven different reports, and everyone involved had done a search of some type to compare images of bobcats and pumas. After a small population was reintroduced into their historic land, their population has grown to a stable and breeding group of between 200-300 individuals. Well, right behind our property lies a mountain ridge, one of several that makes a continuous forest that extends, with little interruption, for scores of miles in three directions. The reintroduction of mountain lions into South Dakota is one of the great wins of modern conservation. Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? If you see a puma (mountain lion-cougar), contact me. All rights reserved (About Us). Now, if there were any escapes, and if any of these bred with a possible minuscule number of eastern pumas, a relic native population, wouldn't the gene pool be corrupted? Over 1,100 people follow her page. Are Mountain Lions in Missouri Making a Comeback? The rocky habitat that covers much of the state is perfect for these ambush predators, especially since humans dont inhabit much of the land. Among those who have investigated the primeval times of the Pocono Plateau and Delaware River valleys and tributaries was the late Vernon Leslie, Ph.D., a Wayne County historian and archaeologist. Over the last two years I have occasionally posted a Question of the Month soliciting sightings from people who believed that they have seen a mountain lion in Pennsylvania or in other areas in the mid-Atlantic states. People can manipulate, enhance or combine photos and then create their own stories about the subject's origin, location and even identification. The State argues that there is no physical evidence, and no credible photographs. All rights reserved (About Us). An animal's coat can stray far from the norm. It was decided that this shouldn't influence the decision and, in fact, an infusion of new genes produces a hybrid vigor, lessening the chance of in-breeding. I regularly ask hunters and outdoors people if they've ever seen a mountain lion, or know of anyone that has. Ironically, I almost deleted the image, as on the small camera LCD monitor the cat was small and I thought that it was just another deer that moved along the stream. In this at this distant epoch, archaeologists attempt to clear some of the mists and mysteries of prehistoric times. He notes how over the millennia, the region was inhabited by humans, only to be depopulated by migration brought on by the search of food due to a fickle climate, war or epidemic. At one time this fact almost resulted in this cat not being protected, since it wasn't a pure strain. Viewers can never be certain that what they're seeing on a computer is actually what it's purported to be. And how many would let them go, or provide an opportunity for escaping? There are, from time to time, eyewitness accounts from hunters or hikers who claim to have seen the cat. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. "We should be getting more pictures. The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. There also were camels, sloth and hyena, which migrated elsewhere. Several populations of Gray Squirrels scattered around the country are black, and recently I heard of a neighborhood of black Eastern Chipmunks. "While it seems unlikely, it's not impossible that these animals are showing up in PA," said David Foster, a biology professor at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg. September 21st, 2008, 08:14 PM #74. The state of Texas is home to many mountain lion populations, but the numbers are incredibly hard to find. What you wouldn't expect to find here anymore is a mountain lion. "I thought I had a sighting in the late '90s," Delaware Water Gap National Recreation park ranger Chris Kross said. Phineas Teeple of Manchester Township is thought to have killed the last wolf in Wayne County. Travis Lau, a spokesperson for the Game Commission, said the state has a "never say never" approach when it comes to mountain lions and acknowledges that Western cats could be moving east. Editor's note: The Pocono Record and Tri-County Independent have collaborated for a series of stories called Mountain Beasts: Pocono cryptids, legends and lore. Mountain lions live almost everywhere in the state of Washington. The image in the Upper Left was from a Game Camera, sent to me by a friend. The agency has declared extinct the eastern cougar, one of 11 subspecies ofmountain lions native to North America. So, couldn't that same argument apply to pumas in the Northeast? On some investigations, Foster has teamed up with Stacey Griffiths, who started the Central PA Mountain Lion Sightings page earlier this year. Mountain Lion in Pocono's Pennsylvania Kacie PA 7.9K views 2 years ago Mountain lion in bucks county pa or not? Are there Mountain Lions (Pumas, Cougars) in Pennsylvania and the Mid-Atlantic States? The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. The question is just like in the story of the boy who cried wolf) if that day ever arrives, how will we believe those first, true sightings after so many hoaxes have been perpetrated on the public? Any Truth "Hunters are always saying they see mountain lions, and the Game Commission always says there aren't any," said Robert Hale, owner of Buffalo Gap Outfitters in Dillsburg. Are mountain lions on their way to Pennsylvania? Same story as 'black panthers' across the country, because of course there, scientifically, can be no such thing. Very, very rarely, when I ask someone who would be a likely candidate (a hunter, someone who owns a camp in the deep woods, travels likely routes often, foresters), 'Have you ever seen a mountain lion?' In all those hours I never saw a coyote, bear, or bobcat, and yet all live in my area. I used to archery hunt for deer, and I spent a lot of time (way too much time) sitting silently in a tree stand waiting for deer. The claim of mountain lions on the move was bolstered in 2009 when one was killed by a car in Greenwich, Conn. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. Is there a Puma conspiracy? There are deserts, mountains, and swamps in the state of Utah, all of which are suitable for mountain lions. You would think someone would have a picture on a trail camera or whatever. Let me know if you have seen one! Mountain lions are well-established in 14 western states and have also recently been confirmed in 10 Midwestern states: Nebraska, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin. Mountain lions, Goodrich wrote, were more dreaded than wolves as the cat could climb over any fence that could be built. Like Arizona, New Mexico is the perfect home for mountain lions. The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. When he told me this, he commented on how an experience like the one he and his friends had just is not forgotten. And a bit of an unpleasant one at that, as they now faced ridicule or doubt whenever they discussed their sightings. Oregon has a large, stable breeding population of mountain lions. Let's see a clear photo, or a carcass or something. One man sent me a game camera photo that was blurry but looked like a mountain lion, or puma, as I like to call them. It is almost safe to say that the panther has in these parts become extinct, Goodrich wrote. Have all of those who have seen a puma really seen a bobcat? Still, these resilient animals reside in secluded areas across the United States, with current data suggesting they may even be returning to their historical regions! A Game Commission vehicle was there, and the Fed Ex driver, after reaching the bottom of a long hill, turned back to check on what he saw. He knows and was familiar with bobcats, and it was not a weird house cat that he and his friends misjudged in size. . For example, one man I interviewed said he saw a 'black' puma, and this should disqualify his sighting as a black puma has never been recorded. Activities Milford Things To Do Hotels Map Of Activities Delaware Water Gap Hotels Bushkill Lake Harmony Hawley Skytop Tannersville Pocono Mountains Counties About the Poconos Pocono Mountains History Weather Area Services . Continuing with that thought, if that were so, then it'd be possible, if not very likely, that the Eastern puma would be an Endangered Species. In captivity mountain, lions can live to be about 20 years old. More common critters co-existed with early Native Americans in the Poconos, including two species long since removed: the wolf and mountain lion (also known colloquially as panthers and cougars). I am bothered by the constricted neck of the cat on the game camera; 2. the tail is curved down, rather than up, but it may have been in mid-swing; 3. the goldenrod-appearing flower, and the background of cars, gives a sense of scale and location. In his 1973 book "Faces in Clay" Leslie lays open the archaeological treasures of stone arrow or spear points and tools lost long ago by a succession of native peoples. Looking for things to do in the Poconos? Goodrich said he once saw a mountain lion spring from a thicket and kill a sheep on a public road. Mountain Lion Reports I don't believe someone's imagination could stretch a six inch long tail to three feet! John Leap of East Stroudsburg's Lakeside Peat Humus Co. and an employee, Paul Strauser, found the bones in a peat bog off Route 209. So it happens, and who knows if it is existing in wild pumas in the East. However, it is clearly a mountain lion, and I'm presenting this poor image as a baseline reference for anyone recording a mountain lion on a game camera, or seeing one. Cougar Network tracks mountain lion expansion from the western U.S. to the east. But many others believe wild mountain lions are traveling from Western states, where as many as 30,000 could exist, and across the Midwest to Pennsylvania seeking new territory. Arkansas isnt somewhere that we would generally think of when looking for mountain lions, but they are on the rebound! How do I deal with shaving weight for carrying my gear? "If my son would have been on a pedal bike, without a helmet on, that thing would have nailed him," said Walters, 44. Thank you for reading! Although in captivity, they can live much longer. In Michigan, there has been multiple sightings of 'black panthers,' animals that were thought to be mountain lions, or pumas, except that they were black. It's 90-something degrees, but Rocky's stare feels like ice down your pants. Among other uses, the tax was levied "for destroying wolves, foxes, heads and crows." If so, what would happen to the hunting industry in all of these states? They often would catch sheep in broad daylight. But more and more people in Pennsylvania, from the Alleghenies to the Poconos to rolling farmlands in York County, claim they are seeing the big cats here, even though the state's "last" native lion, also known as a cougar or puma, was shot and killed in Berks County in 1871 and the feds have declared the Eastern subspecies extinct. All rights reserved. Since mountain lions are the top predators (unlike most other states with grizzly bears), they have a well-developed population. Over time, cats that had been released in Florida, probably pets that outlived their welcome, bred with the native puma, and their genes mingled, Over the last few years I've done several Questions of the Month regarding Mountain Lions, or Pumas as they should properly be called, in the Mid-Atlantic States and in Pennsylvania. RelatedBigfoot, mountain lions, and other mythical creatures: PA officials discuss what they know. Every year we receive a few similar reports from hikers, hunters or other outdoor enthusiasts. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Just take your pick of all these incredible Pocono lake house rentals or just a Pocono cabin for rent, in luxury of course! Did they migrate south from Canada? They know what they saw, regardless of what the facts say, and they know they saw a puma. I've done this myself once, in Tanzania, when I saw a black house cat that I thought was a black leopard! They are generally believed to be young cats roaming in search of new breeding territories to claim as their own. Only when I reviewed the images on my laptop did I discover that I had a mountain lion! A few could, perhaps, be mistaken idenity. They once inhabited the entire United States, but were killed off and pushed west. "Given the period of time that has passed without verification of even a single eastern puma, the service concludes that the last remaining members of this subspecies perished decades ago," the Fish and Wildlife Service said in a Federal Register notice. At the end of the last Ice Age, many animals in Pennsylvania died out. Biologists traced it. There is also a small population of cougars in Florida. If you can figure out how to travel far back in time for even a day, get lots of wildlife photos, as the rest of us might never believe your story. The last of three glaciations covered 30% of Pennsylvania, including much of the Poconos, from around 20,000-10,000 B.C. These color morphs are most common in rain forests and jungles. Erosion from glacial melt and violence glaciers did to the land left a great litter of boulders, rocks, clay and lakes covering today's landscape. The coat can be spotted or solid. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The Cascade Mountains are an important habitat for mountain lions in the region, and a stable population lives within the state. Eyes are normal and are not light sensitive, and the over-all color, generally black, is usually not detrimental and may actually be of benefit. He said he'd never forget the sighting, but it was only when he saw another, a few months ago, in daylight, from his cabin, that he decided it was time to tell someone. Mountain lions' canines are 3 to 4 inches long. There are controlled hunting laws in the state of Oregon. Mountain lions (cougars, pumas, and more) are among the top predators that live in the United States. And again, while they may have been mistaken, they certainly were completely convinced that they had seen a puma. Here's an example: A man is holding a dead eastern diamondback rattlesnake, which was found in North Carolina and measured more than 9 feet long and weighed 95 pounds. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. ? Claws 'N' Paws Animal Park in Lake Ariel has two. However, my friend and I discussed this, and agreed, we saw what we saw, and had it been 40 years ago or four months ago, we knew we saw a coyote. Confirmed cougar sightings have increased in the Midwest and Great Lakes states in recent years.". ", (PennLive has investigated many reports of mountain lions, and other mystery creatures, and has found no confirming evidence, including in a reported Berks County sighting on January 8. All of these forests are, with few exceptions, open to hunting, and hunting is a very important industry in Pennsylvania, New York, West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia. Send it to me at mkuhns@poconorecord.com. They ponder rare fossil evidence unearthed and seek to make sense of stratified geology, both fleeting in the face of what we call progress. There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. Hunters I've spoken with said they've been told you can't kill a puma, which they felt was ironic since the same official told them pumas don't exist in Pa. Did they migrate south from Canada? With the Great Lakes in its way, the cat moved either north or south of the water, and the latter route would have seen it pass through at least some of Pennsylvania. The State Museum of Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg, displays a taxidermy mount of a mountain lion in glass case, with the notation, "This lion, found near Hawk Mountain in Berks County around 1871, is the last native mountain lion known to have been shot in Pennsylvania.". More about mountain lions in Pennsylvania: If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The next day, the photo disappeared from the site. In Pennsylvania, I receive a few reports of black, big cats, which makes one wonder -- are there melanistic (black) pumas out there, or are those sightings always wrong. A bobcat gives you a warm, that-kind-of-looks-like-my-cat-but-slightly-bigger feeling. Obviously, other pumas must be about, and the series of ridges extending north and east and west from my location could all be included as critical habitat as well. These cubs are born blind and helpless. The Poconos is a mountain area in northeastern Pennsylvania.It is 2,400 square miles of wooded mountains and valleys full of beautiful lakes, rivers, forests and wildlife. One man, in the southwestern part of Pennsylvania, had seen one, at night, about 25 years ago. Puma vs Mountain Lion: Is There a Difference? In the map above, I collected data from the state and on the federal level to find state parks . Here, they've not been," Lau said in an e-mail. More Questions about Pumas in Pennsylvania To be fair, I've also spoken with people who, at first, thought they'd seen a puma only to find, to their embarassment, that they were looking at a house cat!
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