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. 3 Last 10 Years. So why does the conspiracy theory that theyre here in significant numbers persist? 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. Copyright 2022 WFSB. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. But the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Sunday that. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. I frankly have lost faith in some government institutions for this very reason. Hunters and property owners have also set up tens of thousands of trail cameras at various locations throughout the state. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. 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. I reported it to the DEP and they said they dont exist, he said. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. Okay, if thats what you say, what can I tell you. Betty later showed maps covered with dots, each of which represented sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut and the rest of New England. 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. Grandson of an old swamp Yankee, trapped, hunted , fished my whole life. 5:30 PM . Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. 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. 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, @Craig, what town is Wtn? Over time, Wright became convinced Eastern cougars lived in small pockets in the deep woods. Its extremely rare for a person to see a wild animal and to underestimate its size. Im Shelton Lively, a Connecticut resident, and an avid outdoors person. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. 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. 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.. Bobcats typically have brown fur with a reddish tinge that is marked with black or brown spots or stripes, according to the National Zoo. Have you seen a puma or bobcat in your neighborhood? Make noise-- be as loud as you can while you make yourself as big as you can. 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? Collection. In the decades that followed, many cougar enthusiasts came to share Wrights conclusions, at least at first. We get a lot of pictures sent to us, and people say, I took this picture of a mountain lion in my backyard. And Ill look at it, and to me, its clearly a bobcat, Hawley said. They vary in size and weight, with males reaching up to 200 pounds and eight feet in length (one-third of their length is the tail). Abbott believes it is possible that more mountain lions such as the one that was killed in Milford in 2011 could migrate here. And the last confirmed sighting prior to the 2011 instance would be a couple hundred years ago, according to Hawley. Posted on Published: November 4, 2022- Last updated: December 28, 2022. Have a map downloaded. But sometimes, instead of mountain lions, people thought they saw other creatures in the Connecticut woods, of which authorities were supposedly aware. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. He drove me out to the spot. According to authorities, the mountain lion was reportedly seen on Friday including on Salem Road and near Pease Road. They also generally have spots on their fur. 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. 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. Inevitably, the New England states will acknowledge that they have some mountain lions.. 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 mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. Throw rocks, sticks, etc to scare it off. NOW - 4:30 PM. In 2016, a woman reported seeing a mountain lion on a Fox Run Road property in New Canaan, though state officials said they were unable to confirm the sighting based on paw prints left by the animal. A harvest is kind of twofold. Dont Run. Mostly shaded. Working in the 1980s in southern California, where there are cougars, biologist Paul Beier said that 95 percent of cougar sightings they investigated turned out to be misidentifications. 'Bo was a legend', Los Charros Cantina closes in Essex, will relocate to Branford, Elizabeth's Cafe in Madison to be razed for new restaurant, housing, CT fathers coaching daughters in girls basketball navigate life lessons at home and on the court, 5 CT companies hiring for 100 or more positions, The Best Window Replacement Companies in CT, Guide to Legal Cannabis Dispensaries in CT, The Best Kitchen Remodeling Companies in CT, The Best Bathroom Remodeling Companies in CT, recent mountain lion sightings in Connecticut have not been confirmed, Video of fatal police shooting of CT man will not be released yet, Cannabis activists want more CT criminal cases dropped, expunged, CT DOT faces criticism following overnight tree-cutting, Haar: $1M in payouts approved, and CT still has a garbage crisis. Mountain lions also have tails that can grow up to 3 feet. Since cougars are the second largest cat in North America and a natural predator, they can pose a threat. No, there are no mountain lions in CT, and there havent been for quite some time. Police have a warning after there were multiple mountain lion sightings reported in Woodbridge. Weve got a growing bear population. 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. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. Hawley said that the typical range of cougars like mountain lions is from west of the South Dakota area. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. It provided absolutely irrefutable proof that a wild Mountain Lion, at least occasionally, can make its way to New England. 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. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. 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. Females are typically smaller. This is the mountain lion that was hit by a car in Milford after several sightings in the Greenwich area. Hey, I know what I saw. They are also known as pumas, cougars and panthers. 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. Multiple people in North Stonington claim they've spotted a mountain lion roaming around. 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.. Although common at the time of European settlement, the last known historical specimen in Missouri was killed in the Bootheel area in 1927. and last updated 8:18 AM, Jan 21, 2022. Mistaken reports of mountain lions are most commonly bobcats. Almost every state has some sort of legend of something thats hiding somewhere, he says. And follow us on Facebook and Instagram @connecticutmagazine and Twitter @connecticutmag. ', 'Saturday Night Live' skit with Woody Harrelson takes place at Naval Submarine Base New London, Bo Hickey, former New Canaan hockey, football coach and NFL player, has died. According to Jason Hawley, a wildlife biologist for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protections Wildlife Division, the department gets around 100 sighting reports of mountain lions each year, but upon further investigation, a good proportion of the sightings end up being bobcats. It was a flooded area. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. Since then, there have been no confirmed cases here, with the state saying: People very often mistake bobcats for mountain lions. And there are different schools of thought about that. 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