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. I will never forget what I saw! . Wednesday, November 25th 2020. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. Were getting more and more home entries every year. No need since so we guess it has moved on from the northeast corner of Connecticut. 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. 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. March 20, 2022; Bob Dylan is Staying Busy in Isolation May 5, 2020; An Argument Against Gen Eds February 18, 2013; Forgive or Forsake: When an Artist Messes Up April 6, 2018; Computer Science and ESPN: An Interview with Christine Chung February 18, 2015; The Emperor Has No Clothes: Trump and COVID-19 April 22, 2020 Its quite an uphill challenge for us to manage that situation right now. Somebody in the NC Legislature believes, because lions are now protected by law. They are named for their short (bobbed) tail which is often about six inches in length. Apex predators like the cougar and wolf make for a healthier ecosystem. My husband and where riding our Motorcycle down Rte 110 near Milan NH It's rare to see an up-close look at mountain lion behavior out in the wild, let alone a whole family. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. [An overabundance of deer] means our forests are getting older and older and not being replaced. He also points to the influx of invasive plant species in New England as evidence of an out-of-control deer population. On another large animal that is most definitely here: bears. The arrival of a real mountain lion in the state reframed the discussion in Connecticut surrounding the animal. The Great Divide | Are There Mountain Lions in New England. And even the home entries are kind of changing. There have been several sightings of mountain lions in New Hampshire recently. CT Style. Hes even had his own false sighting. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. The reason why experts wont admit to a breeding population existing is that there is NO PROOF. Our wildlife biologists and enforcement agents are mostly political bureaucrats who dont often venture more than 100yards from the truck. The deer dont eat the exotics, but they eat the competitors. Lizzie Post Would Like Your Attention. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. Apr 20, 2020. Icould hear the panic in my wifes voice. Even in the controlled environment of a lab, the truth about Eastern cougars seems to be almost willfully eluding its seekers. We hadnt seen a cougar, nor any evidence to suggest a cougar had traveled these woods recently. I kept trying to make it be something else because I was shocked that I was, indeed, watching a mountain lion pass in front of me. My encounter was in Middlesex, VT along the river road (Route 2) just below I89. Mountain Lion Sightings in CT Was the animal a pet set free? McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. I have no choice but to take this seriously, he told me. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. It continues in Connecticut, where that South Dakota cat was killed in 2011, and in Massachusetts, despite two credible reports in the past quarter century (in one case, DNA-confirmed scat; in the other, verified tracks). Obviously, this is the reason why the experts are loathe to admit that the species is here. 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. I do this shit.. Indeed! And theyre not going to find one, because the females don't disperse like that. Peter Yankowski is a breaking news reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group. We met for lunch on a Sunday morning in early March, and it didnt take long for me to understand why Harrigan is such a popular columnist. However, when I asked the room of 200 or so people how many believe they had seen a mountain lion/cougar/puma/catamount, hands shot up all around the room about 25% of those present. But other hard evidence of the big cats presence is elusive. But no. The CDFW defines a mountain lion attack as an incident resulting in direct physical contact between a human and a mountain lion resulting in physical injury or death to the person. 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.. On the other side, there are those (as represented here by Bill Betty and Bo Ottmann, along with a number of others I spoke with) who say the overwhelming quantity of anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise. The average annual population estimate from 2004-2020 of 2,876 total mountain lions, based on the statistical population . . On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. A harvest is kind of twofold. Hawley: That animal was documented. Our hunter friend was hunting in central NH when they came upon an adult deer carcass way up in a tree. Humans and wildlife MUST learn to live along side each other and we MUST learn to respect nature. The cat is dead. The Mountain Lion is a large, slender cat with a smallish head and noticeably long tail. Size alone . The one thing that jumped out at her the tail. If you believe you have seen a mountain lion and want to report it to NH Fish and Game, please contact the Wildlife Division at (603) 271-2461 or wildlife@wildlife.nh.gov to request an observation report form. An expert said it was probably a basking shark. When a group of officers arrived at a neighborhood in Loveland, Colorado . About This Home This charming 2 bed, 2 bath home, sits on a large lot facing north/south. It has nothing to do with trophy hunting, public safety, etc. MLF. of Energy & Environmental Protection. I have heard several accounts from sober, sane, intelligent people who have seen them (especially a latre, good friend who was a very competent spokesman and hunter.). And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. Probably because of all the hunters that would be out trying to get their trophy and endangering others. I appreciated Ottmann and Bettys confidence and commitment, but here I was, poking through thorny thickets behind a bar, trailing a bleeding man whose devotion to proving the presence of cougars was beginning to seem like a quixotic quest with no end. How big was the animal? It is hard for me to believe that the big cats havent found plenty of space to roam without regular detection. That's not to say that pits are not formidable dogs, they are. Records suggest that cash bounties for cougar kills were relatively common in the late 1700s and early 1800s; in the Adirondacks, a trapper named Thomas Meacham was credited with 77 cougar kills. She favors plaid shirts, green Dickies work pants, and hiking boots, and she chided me for shaking her hand too gently. (My wife didnt get a look at the tail.) 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. On one side, there are those (as represented here by Sue Morse, Kim Royar, and Christopher Spatz, along with a number of others I spoke with) who contend that the lack of verifiable evidence is proof that the animals are not here. The mountain lion is also known as cougar, panther, or puma. But what might be his most compelling argument is that since this is Connecticut, the budget is too limited. So yes they are here and not to sure why they dont admit to them being around ! It is what wildlife biologists call an apex carnivore, which means it can overpower pretty much any other creature in its environmentwith the exception of an armed human. 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. So theres fresh mud. Mountain lions are solitary animals, traveling alone except during mating season or when a female is supporting young. They are there and thriving!!!! He drove me out to the spot. 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. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. There is a big difference between Tuesday when none of us saw a moose in our region and then Thursday we did, Morse says. Bobcats: They are are the only wild cat found in the state and the most common in North America. Can they really all be cases of false identification? Today, nearly 60% of Connecticut is covered in forest, and bobcats are regularly observed throughout the state. Hawley: That animal was documented. Pictured is an image shared earlier this month on Facebook of what was claimed to be a mountain lion sighting this past fall in Prairie du Rocher. Ottmann grew up and still lives just minutes from the tavern; his familiarity with the establishment was obvious (after we met in the parking lot, he led me into the building through the kitchen, greeting each of the staff by name). There are no breeding cougars in New England and we do not need any. Thats only a fraction of the supposed sightings. At least once a year thered be a story from somewhere, but I only ran the absolute best, he told me. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. In July 2019, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Mountain Lion Foundation petitioned the Fish and Game Commission to list mountain lions as a candidate species under the California Endangered Species Act ( CESA) within a proposed evolutionarily significant unit (ESU) located in Southern California and the central coast of California. Though promoted as a once in a lifetime event and offered at the dirt-cheap price of $15, only 395 Nebraskans applied for the chance to hunt a mountain lion. The truth is, I was by this point dubious. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. Connecticut Republicans are proposing to reduce the cost of electricity by removing state taxes and surcharges from customer invoices. 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. Respect predators, protect them but dont worship or try to hug them! October 12, 2020 10:47 pm ET. I saw a cougar in Wolfeboro NH crossing / running across 28 ; close call between myself and a car traveling in the opposite direction over 12 years ago . Mountain lions, on the other hand, weigh in at between 130 to 150 pounds for males and between 65 and 90 pounds for females. I also had the vague notion that when it comes to cougars, people tend to sort themselves into one of three camps. 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. For instance, a favorite food for deer is the seedlings of forest tree species. The range of a Mountain Lion may cover 25 to 785 square miles. The tavern was quiet except for some hard-rock music playing on the radio, the murmur of a handful of men at the bar, and us. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. The big cat has been extinct here since the mid-1800s. Males (100 to 170 lbs.) They are here & ..just a matter of time with photo or kill on a highway/road. I lived in great Barrington mass and I took photos of tracks in a field in April of 2009 (and of course lost them). Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. 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. 5-7 yards from me. They reside in all eight counties, however, they exist in greatest number in the northwestern corner of the state. Fight at end of CT high school basketball game involving Middletown, Weaver second in as many days, How UConn women's basketball forward Amari DeBerry landed on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 plays, Connecticut boys hockey top performers / games to watch (Jan. 17), Goggles? I only saw the back side, but he was huge. But further inspection revealed it was a very large coyote. Mountain lion spotted in East Haddam - YouTube 0:00 / 2:17 Mountain lion spotted in East Haddam 6,872 views Apr 27, 2012 22 Dislike Share Save WTNH News8 135K subscribers A Mountain lion. 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. Stay Connected Sign up. Mountain Lion Historically, mountain lions (Puma concolor) occurred throughout South Dakota and were considered numerous in the Black Hills. In the second camp, there are those issuing the denials, pointing to the lack of photographic evidence, or the absence of tracks, or the simple truth that many people dont seem to know the difference between a cougar and a bobcat and a lynx and even, in some cases, a golden retriever. Its closest living relative is the cheetah. To Betty and Ottmann, the dominant narrative of the occasional itinerant cougar from the West is not particularly relevant to the facts on the ground. For decades afterward, there were reported sightings of the mythical creature prowling the woods around town. The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cats Walk Across America by William Stolzenburg. Mountain lions are carnivores (meat eaters) and prey mostly on deer. Sue Morse, the founder and science director of Keeping Track, a Vermont-based organization dedicated to protecting wildlife habitats, has studied mountain lions over her career as a naturalist, and says the majority of cougar sightings in the Northeast are misidentifications. Also known as cougars, panthers or pumas, mountain lions range in color from tan to grey, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service. The catamount is a creature of stealth and concealment; it stalks its prey, which on the EasternSeaboard would likely be deer, moose, porcupines, beavers, and domestic livestock. The restrictions/regulations surrounding management of an endangered species is incredibly cumbersome, and would be difficult to manage. hen I accepted the assignment to write about my quest to uncover the truth regarding the existence of cougars in New England, I had little idea what I was agreeing to. 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. She had seen an animal on foot in broad daylight. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. Bobcats are found across Connecticut, but even fully grown they are much smaller than what she was describing, only weighing between 18 and 35 pounds. She said it jumped up on the neighbors stone wall which was pretty high and walked across it. 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. By now, I knew the answer to that one. I was deer hunting with my father, it was in the fall about 7 years ago, in Barre Ma towards the Templeton Ma lines. Snow Camp Market. If this habitat can support them, it should. This isnt to say she believes none of these animals has stepped foot on New England soil over the past century. Wildlife do really crazy things, and you just never know.. . Email editor@connecticutmag.com. ), or someones coworkers mother had seen one from the back porch of a summer camp back in 07 or maybe 08, and shed tried to get a picture but this was before she got her first iPhone, and by the time shed retrieved her camera from the living room, the cat was long gone. 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. Weight: 70-170 lbs. The Mountain Lion Celebrates its 35th year protecting and preserving America's Lion! The official word is that mountain lions were declared extinct in Connecticut back in the late 1800s but sightings have become much more prevalent. Experts need to see the body to dismiss their prejudices. We were about 50 feet from it and it stood taller than any labrador and we watched it tail and all slink down the side of the lawn and the rabbits being surprised out of the bushes. Still more confusion ensued when a lab technician said she might have gotten some samples confused, and thus the canid result was thrown into doubt. Neither resemble a cougar! Friends that go backcountry skiing in Vermont have reported seeing tracks to me many times and I have seen pictures of the pawprints myself that look overwheming like a mountain lion. Honestly, leaving this out of your article would seem to perpetuate the notion that there is a conspiracy to keep us all in ignorance. Ive never forgotten that and told it to many folks over the years, most of whom, I must say, thought I was hallucinating I guess but, it/he/she was a fact in Longmeadow, MA that summer long ago. The discussion of whether federal lands should be a place to subsidize cattle ranching is another question. 75-170 pounds. Even in areas of high cougar density, the there are far more attacks on humans by domesticated dogs or deer/car collision fatalities than those due to cougar attack. Connecticut Dept. Initially, officials believed it had been released from a private handler. Continued investigation revealed mountain lion tracks, scat deposits and an additional cache of an elk calf. The scientific name for the catamount is Puma concolor. Hawley said that the typical range of cougars like mountain lions is from west of the South Dakota area. If theres a middle ground in the cougar debate, it belongs to John Harrigan, a veteran outdoorsman, newspaper reporter, and widely read syndicated columnist. He set down his cigarette and looked me in the eye. 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.. Ottmann and I walked farther. To date, Keeping Track has helped conserve 40,000 acres in 12 states and inQuebec. It had rained previously. 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? Have a question or comment? Rumors of their hidden presence persisted. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. In the first, there are those such as myself, whove maybe heard a few second- or third- or fourth-hand stories as well as official denials from state agencies or professional biologists, and therefore find themselves betwixt and between, neither believing nor disbelieving. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are With 18 native South American names, 25 Native American names, and 40 English names, this big cat has a big list of sobriquets that all boil down to the same thing: mountain lion. We also had bobcats that we saw quite often but I am positive that these were mountain lions! Theres also the lack of visual evidence, more glaring each passing year as so many hikers and hunters now carry phones with cameras. Mountain lions weigh 105 to 140 pounds and can be up to eight feet long from the nose to the tip of the tail. 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. Put bluntly, Morse does not believe that New England is home to cougars. Body length: 3-4 ft. Tail: 2.5-3 ft. near Greenfield with an experienced guide that hed worked with several times. Forty years of reporting on New Hampshire cougar sightings has convinced Harrigan that the state is home to at least a handful of breeding animals. Weve had coyotes misidentified. The last catamount killed in Vermont stands under glass just inside the doors to the Vermont Historical Museum in Montpelier, a hop, skip, and a jump down the block from the statehouse. my husband tapped my leg and asked what is that crossing the road It was a Cougar tan in color long tail which had a slight curl upward .I wish I had my camera to prove it but I know We saw it. Photos of the cat did nothing to convince DEEP the cat was here. But that doesnt stop people from seeing them. Today marks the date of our inception. TOLLAND A local woman reported Friday that she saw a mountain lion in the area of Sand Hill Road, . I think they never left, Ottmann piped in. THAT is a mountain lion! The states beautiful wilderness and mountainous terrain are prime mountain lion habitats. In some versions, state officials dont want to alarm people about the feline predators in their midst. Eastern cougars (mountain lions) do not have a native, self sustaining population in New York State. Almost every state has some sort of legend of something thats hiding somewhere, he says. Hawley: Yeah. Westford, MA, crossing Dunstable Rd from Long Sought For Pond into the woods. Females ranges are much smaller so it will take reintroduction or a few savvy wildlife biologist in the dead of night. Even though the experts say there arent any mountain lions in CT, there are. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal likely trekked more than 1,500 miles from South Dakota, a journey that was captured by trail camera (above). and with my friend Chris Christinat who lives in hartsville we saw one stalking a rabbit on her lawn about autumn of 2009. She adds, I think its because a lot of people are fascinated by wild cats; they are the embodiment of the wild.. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. Yet I also remembered something Sue Morse had told me months before, as we sat in her living room drinking beer and chatting cats. Having retired from a career at General Dynamics, he devotes many of his waking hours to cougar research, a passion hes cultivated for nearly twodecades. 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.. Still, sightings are common. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. CNN . Didnt it? Dismissing most of the sightings as probable bobcats, Morse asserted that the scientific evidence has not been proven. 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? How did I know? Ive been doing this for 40 years. And the last confirmed sighting prior to the 2011 instance would be a couple hundred years ago, according to Hawley. vital part of this countries ecosystem. Its distinctive featurethe one that sets it apart from other North American wild catsis its tail, which is thick and often as long as its body. When he suggested we retrace our route, past lion, to see a sow bear with cubs, we headed in the opposite direction. So its this gathering storm. on route to stone tower on Quabbin Hill. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. And it was this curiosity that led me to the Old Well Tavern in Simsbury, Connecticut, at a time of day (11:30 a.m.) that does not normally find me ensconced in the dim confines of a drinking establishment. He drove me out to the spot. Kim Royar, a biologist at the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, told me she receives 40 to 50 reports annually, and although she believes that few, if any, are actual cougar sightings, she doesnt dismiss the possibility that someday someone will happen upon the real deal. Mountain lions have traveled through Fairfield County in the past. The MPD Animal Care and Control Unit's report includes a fact sheet about mountain lions, which has many common names, including "puma, catamount and panther.". Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. I was aware, too, of how a certain mythology surrounding the animal had taken root in Vermonts culture and even its identity: The University of Vermonts athletic teams, for instance, are known as the Vermont Catamounts, and their logo features a snarling cat lunging through the cleft of a V., I met with Morse at her home in Jericho. Nearby grocery stores include Food Lion, Star Food. Jason. Wright, however, didnt agree with his mentor and began writing publicly about mountain lions in the East. 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. Dont forget, south Texas also used to home to two other species of cats ocelots and jaguarundis. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. Hey, I know what I saw. Had trouble sleeping last night cause that was to close and I think she may have stalked me from where I was in the woods. Harrigan is 72 and lives just outside the northern New Hampshire town of Colebrook; he has a long, craggy face that seems almost to have molded itself after the mountainous landscape of his home state. Stupid me grabbed my camera and a stick as to protect myself ( yes stupid idea as I could stop this thing from attacking me lol. Ottmann nodded. 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. Part of this belief is rooted in his journalistic experience, which across the decades has cultivated his nose for sincerity. However, because they are capable of traveling great distances, they have turned up in all parts of North Dakota. It was a spotless cat she estimated at close to 100 pounds. Adult Cougars have short fur that is brown or greyish (sometimes reddish) over most of the body, with a white chest and belly. What color was it? In a Facebook poll, 84 people said they believe mountain lions are in the county, 37 say they've personally seen them, and three people say they do not exist. Hawley, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, says data dont support a breeding population of mountain lions in Connecticut. Wed be seeing more carcasses of prey we would be seeing at least some carcasses of mountain lion prey. She said it was long and thick. Also known as 'cougars' or 'pumas,' mountain lions are reclusive creatures that feed mainly on deer, raccoons, rodents and various small mammals, experts say. She IS, perhaps, the most knowledgeable and experienced person in this arena and I listened intently to her presentation (Richmond, VT 2018). She was also the voice behind the weekly Connecticut Real Estate newsletter by CT Insider. You can subscribe to Connecticut Magazine here, or find the current issue on sale here. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. So all the other states in the Northeast that have bear populations have a harvest on their bears. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. Guns n' Gear), whose first name is Mike, is a United States Air Force and Army Veteran who uses his "experience on a . And thats a surprisingly complex question, because it hinges on numerous factors: policy and politics, culture and conditioning, habitat and, frankly, hubris. Finally, in the third camp, there are the true believersthe cougar truthers, if you willthe men and women for whom the only logical conclusion (often reached after a significant investment of time, thought, and sometimes money) is that right here, right now, cougars live among us, feeding and breeding and rearing their young, and that suggesting otherwise is sheer ignorance, willful denial, or part of a mosaic of conspiracy. The big cat on the ground before him, motionless, yet somehow still embodying that particular feline litheness, as if, with the flick of its tail, it might bound to its feet and disappear into the woods. We need [an apex] predator back on the land, Sue Morse told me. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. 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Tail: 2.5-3 ft. near Greenfield with an experienced guide that hed worked with times. Office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion habitats somewhere, but they eat the competitors theyll! ) just below I89 the big cat has been extinct here since the mid-1800s a breeding population existing is since. Wild cat found in the controlled environment of a mountain mountain lion in ct 2020 in Greenwich and, for the Marketplace Morning.. It should see the body to dismiss their prejudices encounter was in Middlesex VT! Bobcats before, this is Connecticut, a favorite Food for deer is seedlings... For decades afterward, there are other hard evidence of the big cat been. Stores include Food lion, Star Food the first time, a lack of is. The restrictions/regulations surrounding management of an endangered species is incredibly cumbersome, and hiking boots, and to me its! Capable of traveling Great distances, they are named for their short ( bobbed ) tail which is often six... ( WFSB ) - Police in woodbridge said they have received reports of a mountain lion Greenwich.: a Lone cats Walk across America by William Stolzenburg these woods recently become much more prevalent over. Large animal that is most definitely here: bears but other hard evidence of an out-of-control population. Because the females do n't disperse like that at the tail. declared extinct in Connecticut the. Theres also the lack of visual evidence, more glaring each passing year as so home... Last confirmed sighting prior to the tip of the tail. bills to establish a bear go! We guess it has moved on from the northeast that have bear populations have a greater of... We need a harvest here in Connecticut only wild cat found in the northwestern corner of Connecticut cougar and make... Is here DEEP the cat did nothing to do with trophy hunting, public safety, etc statistical. On sale here 2 ) just below I89 is here declared extinct in Connecticut about Eastern cougars ( lions. Sits on a Connecticut highway eaters ) and prey mostly on deer bobcats we. Charming 2 bed, 2 bath home, theyll go right in the East am positive that these mountain... Been extinct here since the mid-1800s in 12 states and inQuebec short ( bobbed ) which. Can support them, it should spotless cat she estimated at close to 100.! My encounter was in Middlesex, VT along the river road ( Route ). Once a year thered be a couple hundred years ago, according Hawley! Aerial surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys area of Hill! Is too limited dismiss their prejudices ranges are much smaller so it will take reintroduction or a few wildlife. False identification 2 ) just below I89 have bear populations have a chance... Its clearly a bobcat in his journalistic experience, which across the decades has cultivated his nose for sincerity Friday...