One particular sub-species, the eastern cougar (Puma concolor cougar), called the state home. A litter of bobcat kittens even started living in my friends open barn because they were obviously abandoned. Description of the Mountain Lion. The woman I spoke with assured it would be left alone unless there was a problem with it, in which case it would be relocated. Im not suggesting this a farm animal. I think I may have seen a fully jet black cougar around 2230 just by the cement plant north of Roanoke Va but Im not sure. I would assume that a large black cat would be that type. The deer have been congregating down there. At a second glance, we knew that it couldnt be deer. Originally, mountain lions lived across the entire continent of North America. The Bluefield, West Virginia native . Despite the widely-held belief in the scientific community that eastern mountain lions have been long gone and any cats seen roaming the region these days must have made the long trek from midwestern states like South Dakota, some Appalachian residents remain convinced that the cats never actually left the area. Sarah, The cougar (Puma concolor), also known as mountain lion, panther, painter, puma, and catamount, is the largest feline animal in North America.. "This photo has been all over the internet and Facebook for the past 18 months or so," said Michael L. Fies, furbearer project leader for the Virginia . I have hiked (a lot) and hunted in the woods for 35 years and I cannot say for sure that I have seen a mountain lion. Thats my opinion. The closest description I could find was the cry of the cougar or the mountain lion. I was relating a story about a multiple sighting of a black phase mountain lion just a few miles from town to a friend that had arrived from middle TN. Other observations: Chestnut Oaks have lots of big acorns, beech trees have some nuts. So this is good newsthe cat is back, surely. Perhaps some of thes animals came from the private sector and they were simply let loose by their owners. I don't believe any mountain lions are here. During one of our walks last weekend my sister spotted a very !large! just wanted to know more about wolves in Virginia. To his credit he told them that some one must be feeding this cat steriods and sewed a three foot tail on him or her. Since 1970, 121 sightings have been identified as possible mountain lions, but have not been officially . It was standing next to a large hill in the median and looked at my car as I passed. I called the wild life biologist at the Game and Inland Fisheries to report the sighting and they basically blew it off and asked me if I wasnt sure that it wasnt a large house cat! There was another report of someone (much less credible) who spotted one near Midway (outside Gate City) about 5 years ago. OUR DEER POPULATION IS SO RIDICULOUS THAT A COUGARE WOULD HAVE PLENTY TO FEED ON-JUST WONDERING WITH THE LAKE AND HIGH POPULATION OF DEER, IS THIS POSSIBLE. Both went into the woods without any fuss. Given my report in spring of 07 of a lion sighting could this be a return of the catamount? April 9, 2019 edition, High latitude clouds seen at night are getting brighter, Mountain Lions in Virginia: How Theyre Here and Why Its Denied, http://hstallard.blogspot.com/2008/03/mountain-lion-hoax-in-virginia.html, Oklahoma, where the denial comes right before the drought, Plants will be hard put to handle greenhouse gases, scientists say, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, Good NewsFeral Cattle To Be Removed From Gila Wilderness, Theodore Roosevelt National Park Proposal To Remove Domestic Cattle and Feral Horses Runs Into Opposition, Oregons Blue Mountains-Opportunities for Carbon Storage and Wildlands Preservation, Travesty of Tribal Slaughter of Yellowstone Bison. He got only a few yards from the back door when the flashlight moved in the direction of a large cougar crouching in the garden and staring directly at him! So, if anyone knows who I can contact please let me know. While Virginia Beach has been known to house several species of sharks, it's more unusual for these intimidating creatures to wander inland. I never had heard anything like it before. The cat was black with a tail nearly as long as its body. In the subsequent photos weve gotten of cougars, there wasnt any evidence of any kind of wound or anything on it, Peterson said. The species epithet "concolor" is Latin for "of one color," because adults are a solid version of some sort of tan. It certainly is rare to get more than just a glimpse of them. I remember seeing very large cat tracks(not a normal bobcat track) while hunting the GWNF sw of harrisonburg,va in the mid to late 1980s. They had their minds set and there was nothing that was going to change their minds. Today, we are going to be learning about where they live. This lion was hit between Cherry Reservoir Road and High Knob area At the base of the cliffs lived a mountain lion named . My house was in a very wooded area and driveway led off into those woods about 1/2 mile from the main road (which was a dirt/gravel road about 1 mile from a paved road). "I think some people they start out as a joke between friends, then it gets circulated andit just snowballs from there and can't be stopped," he said. Because they are lone animals that are not breeding. I hope the person who struck it hears its cries in his or her nightmares / dreams for a very long time to come. Yes, most sightings, if not all of them have to be taken on 100% trust in the person who has it. Its part of mother nature I guess. Even thou it is a much smaller cat , its scream is much scarier ! SHE WAS OLD LIVED BY HERSELF AND IN A SECLUDED AREA.AND THE KITTY AS SHE CALLED IT WOULD NOT TRY TO GET IN THE HOUSE AND SHE NEVER TRIED TO PET IT IT WOULD RUN IF SHE OPENED THE DOOR BUT SHE COULD SEE IT THROUGH A WINDOW(SCREENED IN BACK PORCH. Though they are pushing steadily eastward from the Rockies. The cat was totally black with a long tail. This seems strange for late in the summer. It was slinking off up a hill after crossing the road, he said it was 100 + lbs. Now, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission estimates that the population has reached at least a couple dozen. He told me that he was having a problem with coyotes killing his sheep. "According to Handley and Pattons 'Wild Mammals of Virginia'published in 1947, the last Virginia mountain lion was killed in Washington County in 1882. My husband and I just got home from work about 3 hours ago at 1:30 am. As the science stands, the most likely option is that the sightings are the result of young males traveling east in search of new hunting and breeding grounds. Since 1970, 121 sightings have been identified as possible mountain lions, but have not been officially confirmed. The animal has been determined extinct, and thats just a shame, she said. I was frozen with fear as I realized it wasnt a bear, but a black mountain lion. Were not taking any action to move them or kill them. How do we find out about sightings of this mountain lion(s). In November of last year, a giant cat with a long tail wandered in front of Tennessee resident Austin Burtons deer camera on his familys farm in Humphreys County. Then I was like Oh, wow after it got closer and I realized what it was making that sound. Could a mountain lion or cougar be in my area? Press J to jump to the feed. Mountain lions live in areas that have ample hiding places. We quickly pulled the mantrip away from the cliff face and searched the cliff with our lights without seeing anything. Cougars used to roam the entirety of North America, making the mountain ranges, woodland forests, and river corridors from coast to coast their homes. I saw one questionable critter a few years ago but I cant say 100% it was a lion. He told me stories of escaped mountain lions that hes seen, but noted that they typically stayed close to people, or near areas where they were kept. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. "To have this thriving population just doesn't make sense,they don't exist like ghosts in the wilderness.". By 1900, hunting in North America had limited pumas to their present range of southwestern Canada, western U.S. wilderness areas, southern Florida, and isolated areas in Mexico. They were all shiny black with long tails. I opened the door and told my husband to hurry up and come outside. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. Have some feedback for us? While it's highly unlikely that you should happen upon one, keep in mind that they can spook easily and charge. So many, in fact, that they've been listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the mammal with the most names. Since there are no breeding populations in Virginia, the likelihood of a secretive population that has existed since 1880 is very unlikely. Is it safe to go out there and will it come back. Is a mountain lion like a bear? June 21, 2008 About two weeks ago I was traveling on Rt 15 from Farmville to Dillwyn in Buckinham county. Dec 27, 2022. However, my husband couldnt contain his excitement and called me immediately to tell me he had his own personal proof of the existance of cougars in Virginia! It really burns me up to hear so called experts say that there are no mountain lions or even wolves for that matter in VA. About 10-12 years ago, there was a pretty severe drought, and I know I saw a wolf in the Woodlake area of Midlothian, but everyone said are you sure it wasnt a big dog? If you see a wolf, you know its not a dog. Rabbits everywhere. "At some point we must draw a line across the ground of our home and our being, drive a spear into the land and say to the bulldozers, earthmovers, government and corporations, thus far and no further. If we do not, we shall later feel, instead of pride, the regret of Thoreau, that good but overly-bookish man, who wrote, near the end of his life, If I repent of anything it is likely to be my good behaviour. They are dark reddish-or yellowish-brown dorsally, lighter ventrally, the tail tip is dark, and the fur is short, soft and unspotted. Places that will never see any kind of development. I was looking out our 2nd story window yesterday evening when a very large cat looking animal came out of a thicket behind the house to get a drink in the pond. I put on the speed and got within about 30 years before it jumped off into the brush. Source: US Fish and Wildlife Service, Eastern Cougar Recovery Plan, morphological differences identified from museum specimens was used to classify over 30 subspecies of the Eastern Cougar, before DNA analysis was available We slowed down the cat looked back and a little cub came running after its mother. Could it be? So they say Mt. I had the windows open because it was a cool night. It has to be a good, clear photo, and we get all kinds of fuzzy stuff that could be a bobcat, could be a yellow lab, but its so far away or so fuzzy we cant tell.. Her views represent another twist in the ecological controversy. hunterb8s@yahoo.com. Fish and Wildlife Service removed the eastern puma from their endangered species list, declaring that the species is now extinct. It took off as the car got closerI have never ever seen anything like that in my life! It was about 18+ inches tall at shoulder, about 24 inches from hip to neck. 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