Typically, they will slink out of there as quickly as they can to get away from humans. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection thinks it's unlikely. This might serve as proof to some that there, in fact, might still be mountain lions in CT. According to the Connecticut DEEP, the bobcat is the only wild cat found in Connecticut. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. The sightings havent been confirmed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and there are no videos or photos. I feel a little bit like Roy Scheider in Jaws, you know, youve got to shut down the beaches, he said. The police shoot of Cougars behind the police Academy when they get over populated. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. The state adds bobcats are often active this time of year, making sightings much more likely. 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. Were getting more and more home entries every year. Mountain lions went extinct in Connecticut during the 1800s, but bobcats are still seen regularly. 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.. Despite frequent claims, there has only been one confirmed mountain lion sighting since the late 1800s here. Woodbridge police provided this photo of a mountain lion, after several reported sightings in the area. Mountain Lions: Large tan cats with a distinctive two to three-foot curving tail, that can almost touch the ground as they walk. So, now that youve got the answer on whether or not mountain lions can be found in CT, lets talk about which wild cats are more likely to be seen here. of Energy & Environmental Protection. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. Especially, when they do migrate across country. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. 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. Bobcats dont shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. The big cat. Instead, people should remain facing the cat and not turn their back on it, make noise and make themselves appear as large as possible by raising their arms over their heads with a jacket. Map reproduced from LaRue et al. According to Hawley, if mountain lions were present in the state, there would be evidence and not just unconfirmed sightings. 40K views 8 years ago Multiple people in North Stonington claim they've spotted a mountain lion roaming around. But as Eastern cougar search efforts became more organized and still there were no concrete signs of the creatures, many became more skeptical. 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. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. And there are different schools of thought about that. State conservation officials believe this photo, taken in Greenwich in 2011, shows a mountain lion. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. Weve got a growing bear population. 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. 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. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. Weve had coyotes misidentified. Connecticut's official position is that mountain lions have been extinct in the state since the late 1800s. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. The department has said it receives reports every year of. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. The department has said it receives reports every year of mountain lions, though the animal became extinct in Connecticut in the late 1800s. Many years ago there was a mountain lion that stayed in a wood pile in my mother's back yard. Hey, I know what I saw. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. Hes even had his own false sighting. Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. What we do not have is a secure predator corridor.. Ancient_Ad126 4 mo. 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. According to the Smithsonians National Zoo, bobcats are part of the lynx genus, which means they are related to other cats like the Canadian lynx, Iberian lynx and Eurasian lynx. 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. Be as loud as you can paired with being as big as you can. It was found, though, that this particular big cat had traveled all the way from South Dakota a distance of 1,500 miles. Theres also the lack of visual evidence, more glaring each passing year as so many hikers and hunters now carry phones with cameras. Well also go over what types of wild cats can be found in Connecticut. Since then, theyve diverted over an acre of hardwood flooring, roughly 570 kitchen cabinets, and 500 windows from landfills. 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. Even in parts of the country where there are documented breeding populations of mountain lions, there are still many false reports. Bobcats, of course, can be found all over the state. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it,. Just had one over in Windsor last week. Make noise. For decades afterward, there were reported sightings of the mythical creature prowling the woods around town. All rights reserved. Copyright 2023 The Connecticut Explorer | Wisteria on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Connecticut Explorer Home Find Things to do in CT. 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. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. ago. That's a lynx not a mountain lion. Officials used DNA to genetically fingerprint the mountain lion as the same one spotted more than 18 months ago in Minnesota. The Connecticut mountain lion left tracks, scat, fur and game camera photos in four states. Email editor@connecticutmag.com. His mountain lion was over twice the size of the bobcat which the bobcat had killed half my flock of chickens. Paul Rego, a wildlife biologist with the DEEP, told Connecticut . From family fun to restaurants and everything in between, everything you need to know about CT is right here. He drove me out to the spot. WOODBRIDGE, CT (WFSB) - Police in Woodbridge said they have received reports of mountain lion sightings in town. 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Democracy is not a spectator activity. of Energy & Environmental Protection. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. We know that strays have wandered through New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts; that does not indicate that a sighting means we have a resident mountain lion in the Berkshires. How much wild life is out there? Time changes all and Im not going to shut the door on the future and say that a breeding population of cougars is not here because the day after tomorrow they could be here its just a matter of time., Though a deer hunter herself, Morse is opposed to the way mountain lions have been hunted in the western U.S., where they are found. I know the difference between bobcats, lynx, & mt lions. She didnt claim to see the mountain lions long tail, but optical illusions can lead people to think theyve seen a tail. Youll get the answer to this question in this article. But the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Sunday that bobcats are the only large wild cats found in the state. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. Throw rocks, sticks, etc to scare it off. Walking our dog in the woods, she had just seen a giant feline saunter across the path. You cansubscribe here, orfind the current issue on sale here. State wildlife experts say those big cats have been extinct in Connecticut for more than 100 years. Almost daily, there are claims of mountain lion sightings in CT, though. The Damned Story: Eastern mountain lions, or pumas or cougars, were last officially seen in Connecticut near the end of the 19th century. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. Connecticut Public Radio | Even so, Abbott has heard of mountain lion sightings from what he deems reliable sources and believes its possible that other animals have made the difficult, some say almost miraculous trek, from the West to Connecticut. A threat to livestock, they were hunted out of the state and driven to parts more wild. Didnt it? 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. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. Sport hunting for cougars is not sustainable and shouldnt be allowed to go on. where the last confirmed kill was in 1885. Beautiful clear day just like this, and there in my backyard I see this huge golden animal, walking through the yard, Bachelder said. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. His mountain lion sighting since the late 1800s here our dog in woods... 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