It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. Five summers ago, a mountain lion made regional headlines after it was photographed in Greenwich and later struck and killed by a motor vehicle on the parkway in Milforda young male that DEEP officials determined through DNA evidence had traveled east all the way from South Dakota. The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. 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. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . He published his first book in 1959, 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, In the 1950s, the 'Mad Dog murders' terrorized Connecticut, Connecticut Magazine: Best restaurants for dessert for 2023, Connecticut Magazine: CT's best brunch spots for 2023, Meet rising hip-hop star and CT native Felly, Connecticut Magazine: Best vegetarian, vegan restaurants for 2023, Save money by electrifying your homes systems, Stratford's Allan Dias and his brush with rock 'n' roll fame, Review: Hachiroku in New Haven is a slice of Japanese heaven, Geno Auriemma gives bleak assessment as UConn womens basketball looks to find footing in March: 'Poorly coached team. 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. Coyotes have been mistaken for mountain lions. Due to mountain lions large size, they require larger meals. Re (2): Mountain Lion sighting in Brookfield ct - By Ryan January 31, 2016 at 11:16:51 PM. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Mountain lions would have inhabited all of what is now Nebraska, roaming the hills and plains as an apex predator, hunting deer, elk and other large game. Females are typically smaller. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. Here are some things to keep in mind if you come across or see a big cat like a mountain lion: The sightings were reported to the state Dept. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it,. In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. Last week was no different, as various reports began trickling in of a mountain lion roaming around, in of all places, Greenwich, Conn. Since then, there have been no confirmed cases here, with the state saying: People very often mistake bobcats for mountain lions. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. Stay facing the big cat and try not to turn your back to it. Tandmlally@yahoo.com. I agreeI am a person with very good knowledge of animals and know the distinct differences between closely related species in some cases You know, weve had so many home entries this year. Eastern Cougar Sightings Mountain Lions in New York. A fourth cougar sighting in recent days was reported near the New Canaan border Thursday, according to Animal Control officer Allyson Halm. As I said previously, 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. Copyright 2023 The Connecticut Explorer | Wisteria on Trellis Framework by Mediavine, Connecticut Explorer Home Find Things to do in CT. Top Speed: 50 mph. 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. In 1991 mountain lion tracks were found . Adult males may be more than 8 feet long (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail), and can weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. The Canada Lynxs geographic territory in New England only extends as far south as northern New Hampshire and parts of Maine, though. Report a Moose Sighting Select the link above to report your sighting. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. 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. 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. Not long after, what was believed to be the same mountain lion was struck and killed on Route 15 in Milford. Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. That had to be a mountain lion. Youll get the answer to this question in this article. This young adult, male Mountain Lion was struck and killed by a SUV in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2012. They have been absent from this state since the late 1800s; however, there have been a few isolated sightings. Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, Cassano Being Honored For Contributions To Manchester Children, Sandwich Giant Again Pledging Sales Proceeds To Major Charity In March, Snow Day For Schools, Parking Ban Issued In Manchester, Book Release Event: Bad Hair Day on Planet Earth, a memoir by Barbara Ruzansky, Jazz Series: Luke Hendon & Jack Soref - An Evening of Gypsy Jazz, The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night-Time, Brady Sullivan Properties Supports Elliot Emergency Department, Public Access TV Show Focuses On Non-Profits And Community Heroes, Pairings Released For CIAC Boys Basketball State Tournaments, 4 Students Injured In 2 Collisions On UConn's Horsebarn Hill. Meanwhile, a family in Redwood City has shared footage of a big cat seen recently in Betty later showed maps covered with dots, each of which represented sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut and the rest of New England. 60-108 inches. The mountain lion is believed to have had an encounter with a family on their lawn. That said there have been numerous sightings of them over the years. It was a spotless cat she estimated at close to 100 pounds. Do not bend, squat, or sit down. Adult males can be around 8 feet in length and weigh between 130 and 150 pounds, while adult females can be 7 feet long and weigh between 65 and 90 pounds. 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. Betty later showed maps covered with dots, each of which represented sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut and the rest of New England. mountain lions in washington. The large cat was seen on Hoyt Farm Road not far from Route 123 near the Norwalk-New Canaan border. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. Dashboard for displaying mountain lion reports to the public. Weve had coyotes misidentified. Explore the most popular trails in my list Mountain lion sightings with hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. Heres what to know about mountain lions (and other large cats) in Connecticut. to scare it off. DEEP says Connecticut does not have a mountain lion population. Mountain lion fur is unspotted and tan-brown . Bobcats: They are are the only wild cat found in the state and the most common in North America. However, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEE. Make yourself big -- do not bend, squat or sit down. 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? I always hold out the possibility of a sighting to be genuine, but at the same time, over decades of experience, we know that the vast majority are misidentifications and a small number are actually hoaxes, he says. The Damned Story: Eastern mountain lions, or pumas or cougars, were last officially seen in Connecticut near the end of the 19th century. 5:00 PM. And even the home entries are kind of changing. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an, on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. While the state says it was likely a bobcat, one of the people who reported the sighting says it was unlike anything hes ever seen before. 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. 4 . Two mountain lion sightings have been confirmed in Tennessee. Fight back. Ive lived here 23 years, Ive seen coyotes, Ive seen bobcats, Ive seen foxes, everything else, never seen anything like this before, said Bachelder. 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. Weve got a growing bear population. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. 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. They also generally have spots on their fur. So theres fresh mud. he recalls. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. Mountain lions weigh 105 to 140 pounds and can be up to eight feet long from the nose to the tip of the tail. The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. The map from that publication is shown below, with the current mountain lion range in green and confirmed mountain lion locations as black dots. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? Join as a $8 per month sustainer and get our brand-new owl umbrella! Its important to stand your ground and not run or hide. 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. Are There a Lot of Spiders in Connecticut? In 2011, in the affluent suburbs of Connecticut, there were several reported sightings of a mountain lion, and much pooh-poohing from authorities, until a sport utility vehicle struck and killed . Even in parts of the country where there are documented breeding populations of mountain lions, there are still many false reports. Its fur is a light, tawny brown color which can appear gray or almost black, depending on light conditions. Give it space to turn around without feeling threatened to get away from you and your family. She was calling from a trail in Pootatuck State Forest, the 1,200-acre strip of nature occupying the hills above Squantz Pond in New Fairfield. 4. All rights reserved, Hunter Accused of Killing 2 Pet Dogs in Ridgefield Appears in Court, Avelo Says Airline Will Work to Improve Communication After NBC CT Responds Report, CCSU Student Dies After Being Found Unresponsive in Campus Dorm, I-95 South in Madison Reopens After Crash With Serious Injuries, Better Health: Dr. Katherine Rotker Discusses Vasectomy Procedure, NBC & Telemundo Connecticut Job Opportunities. A harvest is kind of twofold. 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. 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. For more information on cougars in Connecticut, visit theCougars of the Valley siteor theConnecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection. Weight: 160 lbs. 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