McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? To answer these and other questions about sightings of mountain lions, I turned to DEEPs Rego, who has investigated many purported cougar sightings over the past three decades. Im Shelton Lively, a Connecticut resident, and an avid outdoors person. He explains that we frequently overestimate the size of animals in the wild, particularly ones we are afraid of. But what might be his most compelling argument is that since this is Connecticut, the budget is too limited. Your support makes this news available to everyone. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. This was maybe a decade ago. where the last confirmed kill was in 1885. Be mindful of small pets and small children wandering too far away from your sight line. "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. listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information. Woodbridge police shared tips for if you encounter a big cat: On Friday July 8, 2022 there was a few reported Mountain Lion sightings the last few days one actually involving an encounter with ones family in their lawn. 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. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. 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. Mountain lions, however, arent seen much in the Nutmeg State, even though several have reportedly been spotted around the Woodbridge area this month. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Grandson of an old swamp Yankee, trapped, hunted , fished my whole life. According to DEEP the bobcat is the only confirmed species of wild cat in CT as of 2022. Didnt it? Mountain lions also have tails that can grow up to 3 feet. 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 couple things to keep in mind if you come across or see a big cat like a Mountain Lion: 1. Mountain Lions:100 all the way up to 200 pounds, Mountain Lions:Can grow up to 6 feet long. But its also a great story that lays out how an animal this large, at 150 pounds, traveling through even rural areas, leaves signs and is detected. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Bachelder says he didnt have his phone on him, so he couldnt take a picture or video, but describes his backyard visitor just like what you see in the stock photo provided by the Woodbridge Police Department. 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.. Black panthers, which are not found in the U.S., are actually black jaguars or leopards. Not long after, what was believed to be the same mountain lion was struck and killed on Route 15 in Milford. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. And there are different schools of thought about that. She didnt claim to see the mountain lions long tail, but optical illusions can lead people to think theyve seen a tail. What would motivate DEEP officials to do this isnt clear. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. Here are some physical differences between mountain lions and bobcats: These 2 big cats also behave differently. She was also the voice behind the weekly Connecticut Real Estate newsletter by CT Insider. DEEP says Connecticut does not have a mountain lion population. We have people eating dinner in their kitchen, they hear a noise, all of a sudden a bear walks in, so they run into their bedroom to get away from the bear, while the bears out ransacking their refrigerator. While recent mountain lion sightings in Connecticut have not been confirmed, if someone suspects they encountered a mountain lion, they should not run away, as it might spur a chase. This young male cougar was found to have DNA from other cougars found in South Dakota which means it traveled about 1,800 miles east. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. No, there are no mountain lions in CT, and there havent been for quite some time. Somebody needs to take charge of this outfit and do something about the interactions with the citizenry. 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.. And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. According to authorities, the mountain lion was reportedly seen on Friday including on Salem. It would come regularly during its yearly migration. And theyre not going to find one, because the females don't disperse like that. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. Hunters and property owners have also set up tens of thousands of trail cameras at various locations throughout the state. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. Bobcats dont shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. Connecticut Dept. WOODBRIDGE, CT (WFSB) Police in Woodbridge said they have received reports of mountain lion sightings in town. MoRRoW187 4 mo. 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.. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. Are there any mountain lions in CT? 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. 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.. It had rained previously. She had seen an animal on foot in broad daylight. 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. On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. To date, no footage of a mountain lion has surfaced. of Energy & Environmental Protection. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. 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.. It continues in Connecticut, where that South Dakota cat was killed in 2011, and in Massachusetts, despite two credible reports in the past quarter century (in one case, DNA-confirmed scat; in the other, verified tracks). As I rushed to meet her in the woods, she told me what she had seen. We have had five coyotes crossing through our yard in the past few weeks, and one even lingers around our property and the neighbors. While this isn't the norm, it is becoming slightly more common as mountain lions are striking out further east in search of territory. On June 5, a mountain lion was reported being seen on the Bucknell School campus in Greenwich. And even the home entries are kind of changing. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, Connecticut Dept. However, the captive lion theory was also wrong. DEEP believes their numbers have increased in recent years. New Hampshire Public Radio | They investigate hundreds of mountain lion sightings every year without finding physical evidence of their presence. Be as loud as you can paired with being as big as you can. Bobcats, also, only hunt small prey. Were getting more and more home entries every year. While he might feel like that well known movie character who was doubted at first, Bachelder is confident it was a cougar. 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. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. According to Jason Hawley, a wildlife biologist for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protections Wildlife Division, the department gets around 100 sighting reports of mountain lions each year, but upon further investigation, a good proportion of the sightings end up being bobcats. 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. Watch Live at 7:00 PM: The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns | Screening & Panel Discussion . State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. A bobcats tail is short and bob-like, while mountain lions have long, curving tails that can grow up to 3 feet. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. The famous "Connecticut mountain lion" traveled 1500 miles from South Dakota, the furthest trek currently recorded. And there are different schools of thought about that. They have NEVER observed a single mountain lion track. A quick Google search reveals that the theory is not limited to Connecticut and similar tales are told throughout the Northeast. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. Theyll say, Hey, you can see in the picture that it has a long tail, and when I look at the picture, I say, I see how you would see that because they way these cats walk, theyll kind of stand and trail their rear leg. It requires engagement and attendance, just like on Election Day. 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? That report was accompanied by a blurry photo, an indistinct paw print, and a scat sample. The state adds bobcats are often active this time of year, making sightings much more likely. The big cat. Wright, however, didnt agree with his mentor and began writing publicly about mountain lions in the East. From sightings of wolves and moose to brown recluses and mountain lions, people in CT have made some wild (pun intended) claims about what animals theyve spotted. 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. Weve done a lot of work over the years investigating sightings. According to one internet source, there are 3 types of wild cats that can be found in Connecticut mountain lions, bobcats, and lynxes. NHPR is nonprofit and independent. As far as the claim that mountain lions live in CT, as we address in the previous section, that has been debunked. So theres fresh mud. But its also a great story that lays out how an animal this large, at 150 pounds, traveling through even rural areas, leaves signs and is detected. Officially, the last mountain lions were hunted to extinction here in the late 1800s. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . Those are the two closest populations that we have here. 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. of Energy & Environmental Protection. Rego has many reasons why a conspiracy to conceal mountain lions by his colleagues at DEEP is impossible. If it really comes down to it do what you have to do to deter it from following you. 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. I live in Hamden Connecticut and I have had mountain lions, black bears, Skunk's, dear, coyotes, fox. Mountain lion sightings in New Hampshire have increased along . WOODBRIDGE, CT (WFSB) - Police in Woodbridge said they have received reports of mountain lion sightings in town. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. Officials recommend not running away, as this can trigger a chase. Connecticut Wildlife magazine (ISSN 1087-7525) is published bimonthly by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection . And even the home entries are kind of changing. (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. However, that doesnt mean that mountain lion sightings are all false or that there havent been roaming cats sighted. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. 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.. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. 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. Hawley: Yeah. In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. Have a question or comment? State wildlife experts say those big cats have been extinct in Connecticut for more than 100 years. However, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) says. ago. 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