It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. The news stunned. After all, if one mountain lion had wandered here, didnt that mean that others could have? 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. 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. It had rained previously. However, the captive lion theory was also wrong. WOODBRIDGE Police are offering tips after they said there have been several mountain lion sightings in town. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. 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. 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. Hawley: Yeah. Almost every state has some sort of legend of something thats hiding somewhere, he says. Yet we see nothing about what is being planned except how to scare them away if one sees them. It also doesnt mean there wont be more sightings in the future, as these animals have been known to reclaim areas their species once roamed. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are As I rushed to meet her in the woods, she told me what she had seen. 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. 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. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. 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). Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, DEEP confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. Throw rocks, sticks, etc to scare it off. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. 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. 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 DEEP. Were getting more and more home entries every year. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Weve got a growing bear population. 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. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. Ancient_Ad126 4 mo. BOSTON (Reuters) - A mountain lion killed on a Connecticut highway in June was a wild animal from South Dakota that prowled more than 1,500 miles eastward before meeting his death 70 miles. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. Im no wilderness expert, but it sure looked like a mountain lion to me, he said. Anyone can get fooled. Almost daily, there are claims of mountain lion sightings in CT, though. 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. Anyone can get fooled. According to DEEP the bobcat is the only confirmed species of wild cat in CT as of 2022. 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.. 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. Map reproduced from LaRue et al. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. Bobcats: Whiskered face and are gray in the winter and tan in the summer, with black spots on their fur that are not always visible. 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. 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And the last confirmed sighting prior to the 2011 instance would be a couple hundred years ago, according to Hawley. 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.. 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. 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. 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. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. They investigate hundreds of mountain lion sightings every year without finding physical evidence of their presence. 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. These sightings are so persistent that there is a conspiracy theory that says DEEP officials know mountain lions are in the state but cover up their existence. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. But that doesnt stop people from seeing them. Theres also the lack of visual evidence, more glaring each passing year as so many hikers and hunters now carry phones with cameras. Mountain lion spotted in Connecticut town On Monday, DEEP said that Connecticut does not have a mountain lion population. They also want to foster the formation and protection of migration pathways for them and other animals to enter new states. Hey, I know what I saw. 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. And kept goingeast across the Great Plains to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and on to New England, through backyards and parking lots, across highways and railroad tracks, driven by the most. The only types of lynx that are indigenous to New England are the Canada Lynx and the Lynx rufus (bobcat). Those are the two closest populations that we have here. The department has said it receives reports every year of. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. These were reported to CT DEEP and though the sightings may not have been confirmed as true mountain Lion sightings, this post is to spread awareness on the issue in case youre presented with such situation. The state says no, theyre extinct, that cant be. I am 58 years old and another cougar was identified when I was much younger by the Deep in Meriden. ago. Despite frequent claims, there has only been one confirmed mountain lion sighting since the late 1800s here. Well also go over what types of wild cats can be found in Connecticut. Uscinski, a Connecticut native, adds that the theory that the government is covering up the existence of mountain lions is likely motivated by a distrust of authority. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. As far as the claim that mountain lions live in CT, as we address in the previous section, that has been debunked. In Florida, where mountain lions are known as panthers, dozens are killed each year by cars. A couple things to keep in mind if you come across or see a big cat like a Mountain Lion: 1. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. He drove me out to the spot. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. Black panthers, which are not found in the U.S., are actually black jaguars or leopards. 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. It requires engagement and attendance, just like on Election Day. State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. Sign up for our newsletterto get the latest and greatest content fromConnecticut Magazinedelivered right to your inbox. Connecticut Public Radio | State conservation officials believe this photo, taken in Greenwich in 2011, shows a mountain lion. So theres fresh mud. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. People have been known to submit photos of real mountain lions taken in other states and claim they were taken in Connecticut. Connecticut Dept. Not really, Rego says. 40K views 8 years ago Multiple people in North Stonington claim they've spotted a mountain lion roaming around. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. Weve had housecats misidentified as mountain lions and even deer, Rego says. On June 11, 2011, in Milford, CT, a mountain lion was killed by a motor vehicle. I would not have it any other way. The arrival of a real mountain lion in the state reframed the discussion in Connecticut surrounding the animal. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. McEnroe: It is an uphill challenge. 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. Lets learn to live alongside this very large animal is one of the schools of thought. So its this gathering storm. 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 . You know, weve had so many home entries this year. I frankly have lost faith in some government institutions for this very reason. 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. 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