According to authorities, the mountain lion was reportedly seen on Friday including on Salem Road and near Pease Road. He was previously a reporter for the Danbury News-Times and the Ridgefield Press. Betty, who has had a dozen personal sightings in Rhode Island, studies mountain lion evidence and attends national conventions. 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. Arms over your head, with a jacket or sweatshirt. Hey, I know what I saw. In yet another variant, DEEP is said to be helicoptering mountain lions in to help control the deer population. Skip to content. Hawley says that they would be finding carcasses of mountain lion prey and mountain lion tracks if these animals had recolonized the state, and this simply isnt happening. 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. Want to post on Patch? We have rolling hills, and more importantly, 200,000 white tails. Mountain Lions: They are officially extinct. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. Weve done a lot of work over the years investigating sightings. Were getting more and more home entries every year. An attack on a 4-year-old near San Diego is just the latest in a string of mountain lion attacks in California. Mountain lions, however, arent seen much in the Nutmeg State, even though several have reportedly been spotted around the Woodbridge area this month. Most mountain lion sightings are reported without any evidence other than eyewitness descriptions. My buddy told me he saw one in our hometown (in litchfield county) 10 or so years ago and I called bullshit. Each sighting involved cougars that are not native to New York. Bobcats are most frequently misidentified by the public as mountain lions, but theyre not the only animals mislabeled. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. A quick Google search reveals that the theory is not limited to Connecticut and similar tales are told throughout the Northeast. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. 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. Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. DEEP sightings: Where the bears are in CT. Jim Shay. Your support makes this news available to everyone. About two years ago in July 2020, there were around 1,500 reports of bobcat sightings in the state, with some bobcat sightings in Brookfield and Ridgefield that year. Officially, the last mountain lions were hunted to extinction here in the late 1800s. Even so, for decades, skeptics dismissed mountain lion sightings in Connecticut out of hand, pointing out that if the cats were here in anywhere close to the number of reported sightings, there would be DNA and physical evidence of their presence, not to mention photos and videos. But that doesnt stop people from seeing them. I reported it to the DEP and they said they dont exist, he said. Despite annual reports since the 1950s, no confirmed sighting was made in the state until the 1990s. Betty later showed maps covered with dots, each of which represented sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut and the rest of New England. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. Re (1): Mountain Lion sighting in Brookfield ct - By russ January 30, 2016 at 05:10:25 PM. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. 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. The sightings havent been confirmed by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), and there are no videos or photos. There also should have been evidence of animals killed by the predators and roadkill. 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. 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, Serious crash closes CT stretch of I-95 South, state police say, Fairfield man charged in alleged high-speed chase, shootout, CT Capitol police arrest 14 people following peaceful protest, DCF denies 'deficiencies' cited in report on CT child deaths, Suspect in 2021 fatal shooting arrested, Hamden police say, Police warn of spike in vehicle thefts in CT town, Elicker presents $662.7m budget that would raise spending $29.5m, Norwalk council hears call for school spending, delays budget cap, NJ man faces more charges in alleged money laundering scheme, Late West Haven audit sees vulnerabilities for more fraud, several have reportedly been spotted around the Woodbridge area this month, one that was killed on the Merritt Parkway in 2011, U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service, mountain lions became extinct in Connecticut in the 1800s, Geno Auriemma gives bleak assessment as UConn womens basketball looks to find footing in March: 'Poorly coached team. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. Mountain lions are found in mountains, coniferous forests, grasslands, swamps, and dry scrublands. Be as loud as you can paired with being as big as you can. Yet we see nothing about what is being planned except how to scare them away if one sees them. 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. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. Almost every state has some sort of legend of something thats hiding somewhere, he says. From Litchfield County, can confirm. However, because they are capable of traveling great distances, they have turned up in all parts of North Dakota. (UPDATE, JANUARY 19, 2022) The Great Falls Police Department said on Wednesday morning that the mountain lion that has been lurking around town for the last . 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. When we lived in Suffield, we had MANY Mountain Lion sightings.probably 4-5 sightings (which qualifies as many to me) and they were definitely not Bobcats. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. 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.. 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. A bill which would change the name to the Pequot River has full support from the Mashantucket Pequot and Eastern Pequot tribes, but the Mohegan Tribe has voiced concerns. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. 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. An adult male bobcat can reach four feet in length and 35 to 40 pounds. Native: Yes. mountain lions in washington. 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. Today, instead of focusing on cougar sightings in Eastern states, many cougar enthusiasts want to protect the animal from being hunted in the regions in which they are currently found. Do Not Approach! He said that the conservation organization,Cougars of the Valley, has compiled 300 sightings in the Farmington Valley region of the state alone. Mountain Lions: cougars, pumas, panthers and catamounts. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. @Edward Case, Multiple people in North Stonington claim they've spotted a mountain lion roaming around. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. The Department of Environmental. My first thought literally was, is that a lion?. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. 2 Last 5 Years. The Canada Lynxs geographic territory in New England only extends as far south as northern New Hampshire and parts of Maine, though. Although mountain lions were part of Nebraska's native fauna, they were extirpated by the end of the 19th century. A harvest is kind of twofold. 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. Copy to clipboard. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. However, that doesnt mean that mountain lion sightings are all false or that there havent been roaming cats sighted. Running joke in the family when we see one is "But of course it wasn't a Mountain Lion, because there are no Mountain Lions in CT". The map below includes both confirmed and unverified puma sightings in the larger San Francisco Bay region (and beyond) since 2004. So its this gathering storm. Even though human persecution has driven them locally extinct in the eastern part of the state, Texas mountain lion hunting is allowed year-round with no bag limits. Employees from the state DEEP, as well as Tolland Public Safety Supervisor John Littell attended the event last night. 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. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. Give it space to turn around without feeling threatened to get away from you and your family. 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. 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. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. 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. 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. Do not run. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. 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. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. What would motivate DEEP officials to do this isnt clear. The state says no, theyre extinct, that cant be. 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. 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. The tail may have one to several indistinct dark bands and a tip that is black on top and whitish below. Make noise-- be as loud as you can while you make yourself as big as you can. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. 2. I saw one, not mistaken with a bobcat I know what bobcats look like. You cansubscribe here, orfind the current issue on sale here. Im Shelton Lively, a Connecticut resident, and an avid outdoors person. Mistaken reports of mountain lions are most commonly bobcats. After all, if one mountain lion had wandered here, didnt that mean that others could have? As I rushed to meet her in the woods, she told me what she had seen. Stay facing the big cat and try not to turn your back to it. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it, he recalls. Be mindful of small pets and small children. While he might feel like that well known movie character who was doubted at first, Bachelder is confident it was a cougar. Its extremely rare for a person to see a wild animal and to underestimate its size. Mountain Lions can be found in Orange County throughout the Santa Ana Mountain Range down to the foothills and canyons directly connected to them. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. State conservation officials believe this photo, taken in Greenwich in 2011, shows a mountain lion. Betty later showed maps covered with dots, each of which represented sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut and the rest of New England. 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. And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. Be mindful of small pets and small children wandering too far away from your sight line. Hi! 5:30 PM . Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. Do not bend, squat, or sit down. 105 of 119 106 of 119 A dead mountain lion, killed on the Merritt Parkway in Milford in June 2011. Mountain Lions: Large tan cats with a distinctive two to three-foot curving tail, that can almost touch the ground as they walk. Body coloration can range from tan to gray and cubs are usually covered with blackish brown spots. A mountain lion in winter. Collection. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. Youll get the answer to this question in this article. You can highlight your store locations with custom colors and elements. 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. 1 Last 365 Days. Here are the Winter Storm Anthony snowfall totals so far, Melting Pot restaurant in Darien closes down. Okay, if thats what you say, what can I tell you. 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. Mountain lions weigh 105 to 140 pounds and can be up to eight feet long from the nose to the tip of the tail. Connecticut Public Radio | She adds, I think its because a lot of people are fascinated by wild cats; they are the embodiment of the wild.. It had rained previously. Live Now All times eastern. 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