And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. NHPR is nonprofit and independent. Officials recommend not running away, as this can trigger a chase. Hunters and property owners have also set up tens of thousands of trail cameras at various locations throughout the state. Didnt it? Im no wilderness expert, but it sure looked like a mountain lion to me, he said. Of course. The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cats Walk Across America by William Stolzenburg. Give it space to turn around without feeling threatened to get away from you and your family. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. 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. Got a question or comment? That mountain lion was hit by a car and killed on the Merritt Parkway in Milford, CT. After the incident, Connecticut environmental officials were able to determine that the 140-pound cat had . It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. It is the only confirmed presence of a cougar in recent years. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. 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Democracy is not a spectator activity. Don't be a fool and be caught off guard by believing they don't exist in Connecticut. He was the only confirmed mountain lion in all of Connecticut but was seen several times right after he arrived in the state before being accidentally killed. I enjoy exploring CT and reporting back to my readers about fun things to do in Connecticut. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. I saw one cross the rd ( rt 63) in Wtn @ 5 yrs ago, @Craig, 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. 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. Well also go over what types of wild cats can be found in Connecticut. Mountain lions may be stealthy, but they do leave a trace. However, the captive lion theory was also wrong. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. Even in parts of the country where there are documented breeding populations of mountain lions, there are still many false reports. 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. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. Bobcats typically have brown fur with a reddish tinge that is marked with black or brown spots or stripes, according to the National Zoo. What would motivate DEEP officials to do this isnt clear. Connecticut Dept. Hi! 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. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. New Hampshire Public Radio | I strongly suspect what was observed was a bobcat. said Jenny Dickson, director of DEEPs wildlife division. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. So its this gathering storm. This is a carousel. Sometimes in our shock and excitement at seeing wildlife we see what we want to see. All rights reserved. Mountain lion sightings in New Hampshire have increased along . Thus, the name of the mountain where Castle Craig sits.. nicknamed "Cat Hole Mountain!" I believe that was about 10 years ago. Sport hunting for cougars is not sustainable and shouldnt be allowed to go on. My wife is not a wildlife expert, but is not prone to flights of fancy. I feel a little bit like Roy Scheider in Jaws, you know, youve got to shut down the beaches, he said. So theres fresh mud. 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. 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.. 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.. I frankly have lost faith in some government institutions for this very reason. However, that doesnt mean that mountain lion sightings are all false or that there havent been roaming cats sighted. Almost daily, there are claims of mountain lion sightings in CT, though. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. Ive lived here 23 years, Ive seen coyotes, Ive seen bobcats, Ive seen foxes, everything else, never seen anything like this before, said Bachelder. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. Connecticut's official position is that mountain lions have been extinct in the state since the late 1800s. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. Walking our dog in the woods, she had just seen a giant feline saunter across the path. Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. 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. While other states have their Bigfoot and sea monster sightings, in Connecticut, and throughout much of the Northeast, we see mountain lions even when were told such sightings are unlikely, if not outright impossible. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. He drove me out to the spot. We dont have extra money to do secret projects, he says. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. Joseph Uscinski, professor of political science at the University of Miami, and a conspiracy theory expert, says these types of theories are not uncommon. He explains that we frequently overestimate the size of animals in the wild, particularly ones we are afraid of. State conservation officials believe this photo, taken in Greenwich in 2011, shows a mountain lion. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. 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. DEEP says Connecticut does not have a mountain lion population. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. When you look at a state like Connecticut, with all the people we have here, all the trail cameras we have in the woods, all the cars we have driving you can imagine if we had an established population here in Connecticut, we would know about it pretty quickly. 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. "The state [Connecticut] explains any cougar evidence, such as the recent mountain lion killed in Milford, as an escaped pet [or one that came from the Mid-West]," Mr. Betty said in an e-mail. As a scientist, lack of evidence is very good evidence. Hey, I know what I saw. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, Pastry artwork pits bakery against town of Conway in free speech suit, In latest school funding trial, state attorneys argue NH districts' budgets are bloated, Lawmakers, advocates, families in NH react to Biden Admin's proposed Title IX change, Give Back NH: The New England Grassroots Environment Fund. Do not bend, squat, or sit down. 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. 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. So theres fresh mud. Another important difference: bobcats are found in Connecticut while mountain lions are not. 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. Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. 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. They reside in all eight counties, however, they exist in greatest number in the northwestern corner of the state. Make yourself BIG. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. Connecticut Wildlife magazine (ISSN 1087-7525) is published bimonthly by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection . Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. Also known as cougars, panthers or pumas, mountain lions range in color from tan to grey, according to the U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service. No, there are no mountain lions in CT, and there havent been for quite some time. 17), Police investigate death of New London High School student, Long Wharf Theatre to present Live from the Edge in Hamden, Torrington students to stage 'The Sponge Bob Musical' in May, 'American Idol' alums Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken to perform in CT, Talcott Mountain Music Festival starts June 30. During Autism Awareness Month, columnist John Breunig details the experience of taking his son to a Bruce Springsteen concert and the NY Theres just an incredible amount of bad information that we get from coercion and bad interviewing tactics, a policing expert says. 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. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. Speaker Bill Betty presented evidence and proposed theories that could prove that Connecticut, including , is home to a native population of Eastern mountain lions. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. Were getting more and more home entries every year. If it really comes down to it do what you have to do to deter it from following you. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. We have had five coyotes crossing through our yard in the past few weeks, and one even lingers around our property and the neighbors. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. But the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Sunday that bobcats are the only large wild cats found in the state. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. In the decades that followed, many cougar enthusiasts came to share Wrights conclusions, at least at first. Figure 1 - Mountain lion range and confirmed sightings from 1990-2008. According to wildlife biologist Jason Hawley, the lack of evidence of mountain lions in Connecticut is the evidence. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. Were getting more and more home entries every year. 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. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of calls about mountain lions each year. The department has said it receives reports every year of mountain lions, though the animal became extinct in Connecticut in the late 1800s. Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. 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.. According to the Connecticut DEEP, the bobcat is the only wild cat found in Connecticut. 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. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. Hey, I know what I saw. Ask people who spend time outside Connecticut cities and you will hear firsthand or secondhand accounts of mountain lions. In yet another variant, DEEP is said to be helicoptering mountain lions in to help control the deer population. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. Only Ignorance would believe that something that once know to be - no longer is Just because you don't see it, doesn't mean it is not there. 5. 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. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? ago. That had to be a mountain lion. Sometimes physical evidence shows the sighting was of some other animal, including dogs, cats, fishers, coyotes, bears and bobcats. Hawley: Yeah. By, Corporate Support: Advertising & Sponsorship, Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, CT could lose thousands of affordable housing units in next few years, With a visit to New Haven, Lamont makes pitch to plant more trees in cities ahead of Earth Day, New London expands housing as General Dynamics Electric Boat prepares to hire thousands, Connecticuts Hispanic performing artists adapt to inflation with hope for future generations, Connecticut's summer enrichment program is awarded $11.5 million to continue, Connecticut COVID data: Your town's infection rate, hospitalizations & vaccinations, As new research suggests COVID-19 is now endemic, physicians push back, Long COVID rates fall by half nationwide, New England rates among lowest, Construction waste clogs landfills, worsens climate change. Heres what to know about mountain lions (and other large cats) in Connecticut. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. Ive been doing this for 40 years. The history of this theory in Connecticut and New England goes back long before our current era of fake news. Officials used DNA to genetically fingerprint the mountain lion as the same one spotted more than 18 months ago in Minnesota. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. 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, . (https://wildlifeinformer.com/what-to-do-if-you-encounter-a-mountain-lion/). 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. 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. Says that theres no mountain lions in Connecticut they are full of it. Weve had housecats misidentified as mountain lions and even deer, Rego says. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. 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. Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. But that doesnt stop people from seeing them. Wright, however, didnt agree with his mentor and began writing publicly about mountain lions in the East. 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.. She adds, I think its because a lot of people are fascinated by wild cats; they are the embodiment of the wild.. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. 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.. 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.. 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