It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. Bobcat sightings are not uncommon in Connecticut. 2012. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. 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). I know the difference between bobcats, lynx, & mt lions. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are So theres fresh mud. Connecticut Public 7.36K subscribers The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been denying they exist in Connecticut, but this past summer a rogue mountain lion was spotted. That report was accompanied by a blurry photo, an indistinct paw print, and a scat sample. 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. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. Bobcats don't shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. Hawley: That animal was documented. And there are different schools of thought about that. A mountain lion from South Dakota apparently made an epic journey to suburban Connecticut. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. 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. While other states have their Bigfoot and sea monster sightings, in Connecticut, and throughout much of the Northeast, we see mountain lions even when were told such sightings are unlikely, if not outright impossible. The only types of lynx that are indigenous to New England are the Canada Lynx and the Lynx rufus (bobcat). Booth DEEP and local authorities around Connecticut have confirmed that the majority of mountain lion sightings in the state turn out to be sightings of bobcats. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. Tandmlally@yahoo.com. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. You may also be interested in: Mountain Lion population by U.S. state 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. 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. We get a lot of pictures sent to us, and people say, I took this picture of a mountain lion in my backyard. And Ill look at it, and to me, its clearly a bobcat, Hawley said. Anyone can get fooled. 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. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book, Abbott, of the Housatonic Valley Association, is equally skeptical of the vast majority of mountain lion sightings. I believe that was about 10 years ago. Youll get the answer to this question in this article. He drove me out to the spot. 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. She didnt claim to see the mountain lions long tail, but optical illusions can lead people to think theyve seen a tail. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. Throw rocks, sticks, etc to scare it off, police said in the post. To date, no footage of a mountain lion has surfaced. They usually either don't disperse at all or they'll kind of overlap their mother's home range, or they'll disperse very short distances.. It had rained previously. 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. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. I couldnt tell you how happy I would be if mountain lions were actually recolonizing the state of Connecticut, Hawley says, but its just not happening., Hawley spoke about bobcats, mountain lions and bears on The Colin McEnroe Show: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators.. Chief Rick OBomsawin of Odanak First Nation currently based in Quebec, whose ancestral lands include Vermont says no one contacted Odanak officials during the state's Truth and Reconciliation selection process. 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. But what might be his most compelling argument is that since this is Connecticut, the budget is too limited. 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. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. They have NEVER observed a single mountain lion track. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. 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. All rights reserved. It was a spotless cat she estimated at close to 100 pounds. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. 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. Bobcats typically have brown fur with a reddish tinge that is marked with black or brown spots or stripes, according to the National Zoo. The Canada Lynxs geographic territory in New England only extends as far south as northern New Hampshire and parts of Maine, though. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. Abbott believes it is possible that more mountain lions such as the one that was killed in Milford in 2011 could migrate here. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. But Bachelder stresses he knows what he saw. The police department decided to put out a warning to those in town. 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. 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. Give today. The arrival of a real mountain lion in the state reframed the discussion in Connecticut surrounding the animal. My wife is not a wildlife expert, but is not prone to flights of fancy. This was maybe a decade ago. 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 had rained previously. 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. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. The gate of a bobcat can often make it look like it has a long tail. 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. 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. 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. The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cats Walk Across America by William Stolzenburg. On June 5, a mountain lion was reported being seen on the Bucknell School campus in Greenwich. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. . 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? As far as the claim that mountain lions live in CT, as we address in the previous section, that has been debunked. In the 1930s, Bruce Wright, an influential wildlife manager from New Brunswick, Canada, began gathering reports of sightings of mountain lions in the East and searching for their tracks. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. But as Eastern cougar search efforts became more organized and still there were no concrete signs of the creatures, many became more skeptical. 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. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. She had seen an animal on foot in broad daylight. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. It would come regularly during its yearly migration. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. Dickson, however, said the agency is not aware of any such reports. "The journey of this mountain lion is a testament to the wonders of. . 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. Even in parts of the country where there are documented breeding populations of mountain lions, there are still many false reports. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. 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. Connecticut's official position is that mountain lions have been extinct in the state since the late 1800s. A quick Google search reveals that the theory is not limited to Connecticut and similar tales are told throughout the Northeast. The news stunned. It was a flooded area. They also have facial ruffs and ear tufts on the tips of their ears, as well as shorter tails. While this isn't the norm, it is becoming slightly more common as mountain lions are striking out further east in search of territory. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. Uscinski, a Connecticut native, adds that the theory that the government is covering up the existence of mountain lions is likely motivated by a distrust of authority. Officially, the last mountain lions were hunted to extinction here in the late 1800s. In 2017, Ann Jarosiewicz and Liz Prete left their jobs as developers and started WasteNot, a building materials recycling company on Cape Cod. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. It was a lion-like cat with a tan coat and no spots that was about three times the size of our 30- to 35-pound dog. The famous "Connecticut mountain lion" traveled 1500 miles from South Dakota, the furthest trek currently recorded. We have plenty of suitable habitat, he says. Thus, the name of the mountain where Castle Craig sits.. nicknamed "Cat Hole Mountain!" And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. It is not of the animal actually seen in town. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. We're not aware of any more confirmed mountain lion sightings other than the one that was hit by the car many years back. Many years ago there was a mountain lion that stayed in a wood pile in my mother's back yard. 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. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. They reside in all eight counties, however, they exist in greatest number in the northwestern corner of the state. Clean_Caterpillar225 4 mo. Breweries in New Haven, CT you MUST Visit! We dont have extra money to do secret projects, he says. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. He was the only confirmed mountain lion in all of Connecticut but was seen several times right after he arrived in the state before being accidentally killed. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. Do Not Approach! As I said previously, 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. Journey mountain lion connecticut chronicled in the house says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions, there reports! 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