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Another important difference: bobcats are found in Connecticut while mountain lions are not. Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said Massachusetts troopers used reasonable deadly force after Connecticut man shot at police in Springfield in February. It is also the most common wild cat found in North America. Of course. 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. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. They reside in all eight counties, however, they exist in greatest number in the northwestern corner of the state. Bobcats typically have brown fur with a reddish tinge that is marked with black or brown spots or stripes, according to the National Zoo. The state adds bobcats are often active this time of year, making sightings much more likely. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. Make noise. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an, on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. Seeing a wild cat can be both frightening and exciting, and its common for people to make mistakes in identification, as all most people are used to seeing is the common housecat. Weve done a lot of work over the years investigating sightings. 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. where the last confirmed kill was in 1885. Based on this blurry photo and pawprints, confirmed it was likely a mountain lion. Im no wilderness expert, but it sure looked like a mountain lion to me, he said. 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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For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in Connecticut. Email editor@connecticutmag.com. And even the home entries are kind of changing. Your support makes this news available to everyone. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. According to authorities, the mountain lion was reportedly seen on Friday including on Salem. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. He points out that when there was a real mountain lion in the state in 2011, his office publicized it immediately. Fight back. He published his first book in 1959, The Ghost of North America: The Story of the Eastern Panther. So, now that youve got the answer on whether or not mountain lions can be found in CT, lets talk about which wild cats are more likely to be seen here. For decades, wildlife experts should have been seeing occasional scat and paw prints in the winter. Mountain Lions: cougars, pumas, panthers and catamounts. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it, he recalls. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. The Damned Story: Eastern mountain lions, or pumas or cougars, were last officially seen in Connecticut near the end of the 19th century. Just had one over in Windsor last week. As a On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. It was a flooded area. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. I enjoy exploring CT and reporting back to my readers about fun things to do in Connecticut. And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. Prior to becoming a reporter, he was the founding producer of Connecticut Public Radio's The Colin McEnroe Show, which began in 2009. Weve got a growing bear population. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, Connecticut Dept. 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. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal. Hawley: That animal was documented. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. Booth DEEP and local authorities around Connecticut have confirmed that the majority of mountain lion sightings in the state turn out to be sightings of bobcats. It was a spotless cat she estimated at close to 100 pounds. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. 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. Hawley: Wildlife biologists across the United States know where the current mountain lion range is. But sometimes, instead of mountain lions, people thought they saw other creatures in the Connecticut woods, of which authorities were supposedly aware. NHPR is nonprofit and independent. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference. I saw one cross the rd ( rt 63) in Wtn @ 5 yrs ago, @Craig, A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. But the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said Sunday that bobcats are the only large wild cats found in the state. You can subscribe to Connecticut Magazine here, or find the current issue on sale here. Im always amazed at the sheer volume of people who are interested in cougars, more even than wolves, she says. For mountain lions in Connecticut, a lack of evidence is very good evidence. 2012. 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. He explains that we frequently overestimate the size of animals in the wild, particularly ones we are afraid of. 4. Anyone can get fooled. They certainly have, you know, lower levels of conflicts and home entries than we do here in 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. You may also be interested in: Mountain Lion population by U.S. state Bachelder said he did a double take Friday evening when he looked out the back window of his home on Pease Road. However, the last confirmed mountain lion sighting in Connecticut was in 2011. Genetic testing placed the animal in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the cat had been sighted at several different points during its long journey east. 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? However, the captive lion theory was also wrong. Bobcats are most frequently misidentified by the public as mountain lions, but theyre not the only animals mislabeled. Give it space to turn around without feeling threatened to get away from you and your family. A quick Google search reveals that the theory is not limited to Connecticut and similar tales are told throughout the Northeast. Thats only a fraction of the supposed sightings. But as Eastern cougar search efforts became more organized and still there were no concrete signs of the creatures, many became more skeptical. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. 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. Many years ago there was a mountain lion that stayed in a wood pile in my mother's back yard. Ive lived here 23 years, Ive seen coyotes, Ive seen bobcats, Ive seen foxes, everything else, never seen anything like this before, said Bachelder. "The journey of this mountain lion is a testament to the wonders of nature and the tenacity and adaptability of this species," Connecticut DEEP Commissioner Dan Esty said during a press briefing. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. The only types of lynx that are indigenous to New England are the Canada Lynx and the Lynx rufus (bobcat). Bobcats don't shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. We have plenty of suitable habitat, he says. She adds, I think its because a lot of people are fascinated by wild cats; they are the embodiment of the wild.. Connecticut Wildlife magazine (ISSN 1087-7525) is published bimonthly by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection . Also, there has been a rash of cats and dogs gone missing out of here with the DPs. Despite frequent claims, there has only been one confirmed mountain lion sighting since the late 1800s here. The Connecticut mountain lion left tracks, scat, fur and game camera photos in four states. 2. And there are different schools of thought about that. Heres what to know about mountain lions (and other large cats) in Connecticut. Emaileditor@connecticutmag.com, or contact usonFacebook@connecticutmagazine orTwitter@connecticutmag. 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. Do Not Approach! The journey is chronicled in the 2016 book Heart of a Lion: A Lone Cats Walk Across America by William Stolzenburg. "The journey of this mountain lion is a testament to the wonders of. While he might feel like that well known movie character who was doubted at first, Bachelder is confident it was a cougar. Police said these have been reported to DEEP, but have not been confirmed as true mountain lion sightings. Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators., Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators. Ancient_Ad126 4 mo. On a mountain lion that died on a Connecticut highway. And even the home entries are kind of changing. My first thought literally was, is that a lion?. Although there are numerous reported sightings of mountain lions in Connecticut every year, the animals have actually been extinct in this state for more than a century. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. One on Salem Rd and another in the area of Pease Rd in our town. Mountain lion Over 7 ft in length Over 100 lbs Uniform tan color Long tails Bobcat Under 3ft in length Under 50lbs Dark spots Tufts of fur in ears These 2 big cats also behave differently. Were getting more and more home entries every year. It had rained previously. Since then, theyve diverted over an acre of hardwood flooring, roughly 570 kitchen cabinets, and 500 windows from landfills. of Energy & Environmental Protection. 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. Almost every state has some sort of legend of something thats hiding somewhere, he says. Connecticut Public Radio | 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. 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. Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . Over the years investigating sightings his office publicized it immediately been one confirmed mountain lion sightings in Milford adds! Or contact usonFacebook @ connecticutmagazine orTwitter @ connecticutmag seen on Friday including on Rd! To New England are the only animals mislabeled around without feeling threatened to get away from you and your.! 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