It is not of the animal actually seen in town. 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. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. 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. not all bobcats are heavily spotted either - just to add to the confusion.. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. Connecticut Dept. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. We have had five coyotes crossing through our yard in the past few weeks, and one even lingers around our property and the neighbors. ago. Considering that wild animals do not recognize political boundaries, ranges of lions in Connecticut could include adjacent areas of New York and Massachusetts. 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. Below is an evolving list of Connecticut natives and state prep school football players in the Class of 2023 who have signed letters of intent to play football in college. I frankly have lost faith in some government institutions for this very reason. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? 3. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Sport hunting for cougars is not sustainable and shouldnt be allowed to go on. On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. As I said previously, We dont have extra money to do secret projects, he says. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. The one confirmed case, sometimes referred to as the " Connecticut Mountain Lion " happened in June 2011 when an SUV struck and killed a cougar in Milford. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. The gate of a bobcat can often make it look like it has a long tail. Its extremely rare for a person to see a wild animal and to underestimate its size. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. WOODBRIDGE, CT (WFSB) Police in Woodbridge said they have received reports of mountain lion sightings in town. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. Thus, the name of the mountain where Castle Craig sits.. nicknamed "Cat Hole Mountain!" Sign up for our newsletter to get our latest and greatest content delivered right to your inbox. 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. In the 1930s, Bruce Wright, an influential wildlife manager from New Brunswick, Canada, began gathering reports of sightings of mountain lions in the East and searching for their tracks. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. Otherwise, Hawley said cats like bobcats want nothing to do with people, and they will generally prey on chickens, small dogs or cats. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it,. Bobcats don't shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. There also should have been evidence of animals killed by the predators and roadkill. Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. 40K views 8 years ago Multiple people in North Stonington claim they've spotted a mountain lion roaming around. He points out that when there was a real mountain lion in the state in 2011, his office publicized it immediately. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. 2012. Young pumas dispersing from Western habitats are being killed at the source, compromising the Easts critical opportunity for ecosystem health and the return of an apex carnivore., Regardless of where they are found, or whether people want to hunt or protect them, people are enchanted by mountain lions. The news stunned. In Connecticut, some folks in Sharon say they have seen mountain lions. A bobcats tail is short and bob-like, while mountain lions have long, curving tails that can grow up to 3 feet. A couple things to keep in mind if you come across or see a big cat like a Mountain Lion: 1. Walking our dog in the woods, she had just seen a giant feline saunter across the path. Throw rocks, sticks, etc to scare it off, police said in the post. 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.. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. Mountain lions may be stealthy, but they do leave a trace. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. Mountain Lions: They are officially extinct. Bobcats: They are are the only wild cat found in the state and the most common in North America. Weve had housecats misidentified as mountain lions and even deer, Rego says. Woodbridge police reported that there were a few incidents in the area recently, with one involving a resident reporting they encountered a mountain lion with their family on their lawn. 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. It would come regularly during its yearly migration. According to wildlife biologist Jason Hawley, the lack of evidence of mountain lions in Connecticut is the evidence. They also generally have spots on their fur. So theres fresh mud. "The journey of this mountain lion is a testament to the wonders of. However, the National Wildlife Federation notes that the mountain lions range spreads all across the Americas, from the Canadian Yukon to The Strait of Magellan, making it the greatest range of any living mammal in the Americas.. 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 was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. It had rained previously. Due to mountain lions large size, they require larger meals. Woodbridge police provided this photo of a mountain lion, after several reported sightings in the area. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. Hawley said the last confirmed mountain lion sighting in the state was one that was killed on the Merritt Parkway in 2011 when a car struck the animal near Exit 55. It was a lion-like cat with a tan coat and no spots that was about three times the size of our 30- to 35-pound dog. Mountain Lions: Large tan cats with a distinctive two to three-foot curving tail, that can almost touch the ground as they walk. Weve got a growing bear population. He drove me out to the spot. Says that theres no mountain lions in Connecticut they are full of it. of Energy & Environmental Protection. They also have facial ruffs and ear tufts on the tips of their ears, as well as shorter tails. A mountain lion from South Dakota apparently made an epic journey to suburban Connecticut. 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. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. I know the difference between bobcats, lynx, & mt lions. Theres also the lack of visual evidence, more glaring each passing year as so many hikers and hunters now carry phones with cameras. It is also the most common wild cat found in North America. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. 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. That report was accompanied by a blurry photo, an indistinct paw print, and a scat sample. 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. 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. 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. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. For over 30 years, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection has been tracking reported mountain lion sightings. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. Wright, however, didnt agree with his mentor and began writing publicly about mountain lions in the East. DEEP believes their numbers have increased in recent years. As a Do Not Approach! Grandson of an old swamp Yankee, trapped, hunted , fished my whole life. 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. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? So, there you have it an answer to the question of whether or not there are mountain lions in CT. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. Almost daily, there are claims of mountain lion sightings in CT, though. 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. According to French's article: "To date, the only other confirmed evidence of a wild Mountain Lion in Massachusetts was found on March 4, 2011, when Steve Ward . Yet we see nothing about what is being planned except how to scare them away if one sees them. They have NEVER observed a single mountain lion track. 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? We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. In 2017, Ann Jarosiewicz and Liz Prete left their jobs as developers and started WasteNot, a building materials recycling company on Cape Cod. 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. Im no wilderness expert, but it sure looked like a mountain lion to me, he said. Connecticut Wildlife magazine (ISSN 1087-7525) is published bimonthly by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection . After traveling more than 1,500 miles, the lean, male cat met an untimely end in a collision with an SUV. 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. The arrival of a real mountain lion in the state reframed the discussion in Connecticut surrounding the animal. Officials recommend not running away, as this can trigger a chase. Mountain lions also have tails that can grow up to 3 feet. Mountain lion spotted in Connecticut town On Monday, DEEP said that Connecticut does not have a mountain lion population. Somebody needs to take charge of this outfit and do something about the interactions with the citizenry. So why does the conspiracy theory that theyre here in significant numbers persist? Email editor@connecticutmag.com. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. 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. 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. Well also go over what types of wild cats can be found in Connecticut. Peter Yankowski is a breaking news reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group. Once at dusk driving in the Berkshires, he saw what he initially thought was a cat-like creature that was far bigger than a bobcat leap across the road. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. 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