mountain lion connecticut

Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. 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. Due to mountain lions large size, they require larger meals. Got a question or comment? It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. Dickson, however, said the agency is not aware of any such reports. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. 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. As unlikely as it sounds, it was a more believable theory than some of the alternatives, among them that the cat was evidence of a breeding population in the state that was being kept secret by, . If you have a worldview in which the government is conspiring to do weird stuff, than thats what youre going to see, and all the evidence is going to point to exactly what you believe, he says. It certainly would be a spectacular sight to witness a cat as large as a mountain lion out in the wild, but, for now, in Connecticut, its not in the cards. 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. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are Figure 1 - Mountain lion range and confirmed sightings from 1990-2008. Fight back. 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. There also should have been evidence of animals killed by the predators and roadkill. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. 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? And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. And even the home entries are kind of changing. 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.. Everyone thought my family was crazy until it crossed the road into the "Strong Elementary School" play yard during recess with small children playing. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. 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. Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. 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. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal. According to authorities, the mountain lion was reportedly seen on Friday including on Salem. From family fun to restaurants and everything in between, everything you need to know about CT is right here. What we do not have is a secure predator corridor.. 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. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. . 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. Your support makes this news available to everyone. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. And theyre not going to find one, because the females don't disperse like that. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. "The journey of this mountain lion is a testament to the wonders of nature and the tenacity and adaptability of this species," Connecticut DEEP Commissioner Dan Esty said during a press briefing. A qualitative assessment of . Bachelder said he did a double take Friday evening when he looked out the back window of his home on Pease Road. Bobcats are found across Connecticut, but even fully grown they are much smaller than what she was describing, only weighing between 18 and 35 pounds. The department has said it receives reports every year of. I agreeI am a person with very good knowledge of animals and know the distinct differences between closely related species in some cases A couple things to keep in mind if you come across or see a big cat like a Mountain Lion: 1. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. What to know about unconfirmed mountain lion sightings in CT. Nicole Funaro was formerly a statewide trending reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group, covering everything from the most fascinating properties for sale in the Nutmeg State to the latest movie filming in the state. The news stunned. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? Its extremely rare for a person to see a wild animal and to underestimate its size. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. It had rained previously. A young male was hit and killed by a car several years ago, but. Im always amazed at the sheer volume of people who are interested in cougars, more even than wolves, she says. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. 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. Are there any mountain lions in CT? 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. It was a flooded area. . So why does the conspiracy theory that theyre here in significant numbers persist? They also want to foster the formation and protection of migration pathways for them and other animals to enter new states. 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. On June 5, a mountain lion was reported being seen on the Bucknell School campus in Greenwich. What about mountain lions, though? Almost daily, there are claims of mountain lion sightings in CT, though. Also, there has been a rash of cats and dogs gone missing out of here with the DPs. I saw one cross the rd ( rt 63) in Wtn @ 5 yrs ago, @Craig, Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, Connecticut Dept. 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? WOODBRIDGE, CT (WFSB) - Police in Woodbridge said they have received reports of mountain lion sightings in town. It went through my yard, went up behind, I have some property, past my barn, went into the woods, east, lots of woods back there, just disappeared.. 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. They have NEVER observed a single mountain lion track. Police said these have been reported to DEEP, but have not been confirmed as true mountain lion sightings. Bobcats: They are about two to three times larger than their distant relative. . Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. Hawley: That animal was documented. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. Emaileditor@connecticutmag.com, or contact usonFacebook@connecticutmagazine orTwitter@connecticutmag. 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.. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. And theres another school of thought, Well, no, there just are too many of them probably we have to reduce that population somehow. Where do you fall in that whole continuum? In 2011, genetic testing confirmed that a mountain lion originated in South Dakota and traveled more than 1,500 miles before being struck by a car on the Merritt Parkway, according to Reuters. 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. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. not all bobcats are heavily spotted either - just to add to the confusion.. Heres what to know about mountain lions (and other large cats) in Connecticut. I strongly suspect what was observed was a bobcat. said Jenny Dickson, director of DEEPs wildlife division. Stay facing the big cat and try not to turn your back to it. 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. Hes even had his own false sighting. Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. The department has said it receives reports every year of mountain lions, though the animal became extinct in Connecticut in the late 1800s. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service reports that mountain lions typical habitat is steep, rocky canyons or mountainous terrain, but they generally can be found wherever deer are present. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. Mountain Lions: cougars, pumas, panthers and catamounts. Youll get the answer to this question in this article. 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. Tandmlally@yahoo.com. Didnt it? People have been known to submit photos of real mountain lions taken in other states and claim they were taken in Connecticut. We had a mountain lion go thru my property was about 125 lbs left his paw prints in the mug, which were a bigger than my hand and have pictures of it we also had bobcats come through. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. Abbott, of the Housatonic Valley Association, is equally skeptical of the vast majority of mountain lion sightings. 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. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection thinks it's unlikely. Sometimes referred to as the ghosts of the forest, mountain lions or cougars are stealthy hunters that are hard to spot, even in areas they are known to inhabit. 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. Possible mountain lion sightings reported in Woodbridge, Mountain lion sightings reported in Woodbridge, Man arrested for running illegal dental operation in a Danbury hotel room, Meriden police: Father and son sexually assaulted woman in basement, Crash involving three tractor trailers slows traffic on I-84 in Hartford, CT man wanted for murder of woman arrested in Ohio. Make yourself BIG. But the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Sunday that bobcats are the only large wild cats found in the state. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. Sign up for our newsletter to get our latest and greatest content delivered right to your inbox. Especially, when they do migrate across country. 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.. 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. 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. 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