Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. Mountain Lions:They can have similar coloring and their tails can look alike, which has lead to some house cats being mistaken for them, even though mountain lions are much, much bigger. It was a flooded area. 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. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. One on Salem Rd and another in the area of Pease Rd in our town. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. Bachelder said he did a double take Friday evening when he looked out the back window of his home on Pease Road. I might also add that I notified the State wildlife division about evidence of a bear in my neighborhood in Windham County and never received even an acknowledgement. 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. And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. 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. Im no wilderness expert, but it sure looked like a mountain lion to me, he said. Hunters and property owners have also set up tens of thousands of trail cameras at various locations throughout the state. Officials recommend not running away, as this can trigger a chase. Rego has many reasons why a conspiracy to conceal mountain lions by his colleagues at DEEP is impossible. Hi! 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. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. Almost daily, there are claims of mountain lion sightings in CT, though. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. Connecticut Dept. Due to mountain lions large size, they require larger meals. 17), Police investigate death of New London High School student, Guide to Legal Cannabis Dispensaries in CT, recent mountain lion sightings in Connecticut have not been confirmed, CT pit bull that was almost euthanized goes viral, gets adopted. There also should have been evidence of animals killed by the predators and roadkill. I live in Hamden Connecticut and I have had mountain lions, black bears, Skunk's, dear, coyotes, fox. 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. He drove me out to the spot. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. From family fun to restaurants and everything in between, everything you need to know about CT is right here. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. The police department decided to put out a warning to those in town. Another important difference: bobcats are found in Connecticut while mountain lions are not. Arms over your head, with a jacket or sweatshirt. According to one internet source, there are 3 types of wild cats that can be found in Connecticut mountain lions, bobcats, and lynxes. DEEP believes their numbers have increased in recent years. 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. Although there are numerous reported sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut every year, the animals have actually been extinct in this state for more than a century. It was a flooded area. Youll get the answer to this question in this article. 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, . Your support makes this news available to everyone. Fight back. 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. 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. Especially, when they do migrate across country. ago. Ask people who spend time outside Connecticut cities and you will hear firsthand or secondhand accounts of mountain lions. Make noise. 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. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. BOSTON (Reuters) - A mountain lion killed on a Connecticut highway in June was a wild animal from South Dakota that prowled more than 1,500 miles eastward before meeting his death 70 miles. Thats only a fraction of the supposed sightings. His mentor, Aldo Leopold, a prominent wildlife biologist, also believed this, but felt if people learned about these populations, they would be hunted to extinction. In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. In yet another variant, DEEP is said to be helicoptering mountain lions in to help control the deer population. Sometimes people feared fishers (erroneously attributing the blood-curdling screams of foxes to these hard-to-spot creatures), and in the late 1930s, after several animals were slain under strange circumstances in Glastonbury, the Hartford Courant dubbed the lion-like creature supposedly responsible, the Glawackus. 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.. 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. Bobcats: They are are the only wild cat found in the state and the most common in North America. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. You cansubscribe here, orfind the current issue on sale here. . Ancient_Ad126 4 mo. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. 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 police provided this photo of a mountain lion, after several reported sightings in the area. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. Dont Run. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. After all, if one mountain lion had wandered here, didnt that mean that others could have? Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. What we do not have is a secure predator corridor.. Im always amazed at the sheer volume of people who are interested in cougars, more even than wolves, she says. Well also go over what types of wild cats can be found in Connecticut. 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. 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. One has been spotted on our street for the last four or five years. Connecticut's official position is that mountain lions have been extinct in the state since the late 1800s. Since then, there have been no confirmed cases here, with the state saying: People very often mistake bobcats for mountain lions. . Mountain lions, however, arent seen much in the Nutmeg State, even though several have reportedly been spotted around the Woodbridge area this month. 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. However, that doesnt mean that mountain lion sightings are all false or that there havent been roaming cats sighted. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. A bobcats tail is short and bob-like, while mountain lions have long, curving tails that can grow up to 3 feet. Abbott believes it is possible that more mountain lions such as the one that was killed in Milford in 2011 could migrate here. The big cat. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. The Canada Lynxs geographic territory in New England only extends as far south as northern New Hampshire and parts of Maine, though. community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years. That means that the animal traveled more than 1,500 miles to Connecticut, more than twice as far as the longest dispersal pattern ever recorded for a mountain lion. However, the captive lion theory was also wrong. In Connecticut, some folks in Sharon say they have seen mountain lions. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. 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. of Energy & Environmental Protection. The sightings havent been confirmed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and there are no videos or photos. 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. Paul Rego, a wildlife biologist with the DEEP, told Connecticut . If it really comes down to it do what you have to do to deter it from following you. It is also the most common wild cat found in North America. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. Watch Live at 7:00 PM: The U.S. and the Holocaust, a film by Ken Burns | Screening & Panel Discussion . Were getting more and more home entries every year. Mountain lion sightings in New Hampshire have increased along . 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. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. Got a question or comment? He was previously a reporter for the Danbury News-Times and the Ridgefield Press. She had seen an animal on foot in broad daylight. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. 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. (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) My heart was saying, Maybe this is it,. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. According to authorities, the mountain lion was reportedly seen on Friday including on Salem. This article appeared in theNovember 2019issue ofConnecticut Magazine. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. Hawley: Yeah. Hawley: That animal was documented. Of course. I frankly have lost faith in some government institutions for this very reason. Bobcats, also, only hunt small prey. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. It was a spotless cat she estimated at close to 100 pounds. They have been documented in Woodbridge and are often quite active this time of year making observations of these normally elusive animals much more likely.. People should also make noise and to make themselves as large as possible by raising their arms over their head with a jacket or sweatshirt. 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. We dont have extra money to do secret projects, he says. 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. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. 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. According to Hawley, if mountain lions were present in the state, there would be evidence and not just unconfirmed sightings. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. Do Not Approach! Bobcats, of course, can be found all over the state. 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. Two women's solution: salvage it instead, Hampden County DA: Massachusetts troopers acted 'lawfully' in shooting death of William Tisdol, As Vt. Not long after, what was believed to be the same mountain lion was struck and killed on Route 15 in Milford. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag. However, the captive lion theory was also wrong. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. 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. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. According to wildlife biologist Jason Hawley, the lack of evidence of mountain lions in Connecticut is the evidence. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. But as Eastern cougar search efforts became more organized and still there were no concrete signs of the creatures, many became more skeptical. Give it space to turn around without feeling threatened to get away from you and your family. So theres fresh mud. It requires engagement and attendance, just like on Election Day. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. I would not have it any other way. So its this gathering storm. of Energy & Environmental Protection. 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? 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