One has been spotted on our street for the last four or five years. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. I frankly have lost faith in some government institutions for this very reason. Rego has many reasons why a conspiracy to conceal mountain lions by his colleagues at DEEP is impossible. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. Anyone can get fooled. Wright, however, didnt agree with his mentor and began writing publicly about mountain lions in the East. Im not an expert on human psychology, but if youre looking for something, you have a greater chance of actually seeing it. While recent mountain lion sightings in Connecticut have not been confirmed, if someone suspects they encountered a mountain lion, they should not run away, as it might spur a chase. They also generally have spots on their fur. 17), Police investigate death of New London High School student, Guide to Legal Cannabis Dispensaries in CT, recent mountain lion sightings in Connecticut have not been confirmed, CT pit bull that was almost euthanized goes viral, gets adopted. 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. Weve had coyotes misidentified. But that doesnt stop people from seeing them. These highlights have been edited and condensed for length and clarity. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. Connecticut Public Radio | Patrick Skahill is a reporter and digital editor at Connecticut Public. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. A harvest is kind of twofold. It went through my yard, went up behind, I have some property, past my barn, went into the woods, east, lots of woods back there, just disappeared.. 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. Hes even had his own false sighting. DEEP believes their numbers have increased in recent years. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. 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. It had rained previously. And Im assuming whatever were doing right now, its not working. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. A young male was hit and killed by a car several years ago, but. Speaker Bill Betty presented evidence and proposed theories that could prove that Connecticut, including , is home to a native population of Eastern mountain lions. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. Are there any mountain lions in CT? Here are some physical differences between mountain lions and bobcats: These 2 big cats also behave differently. We have plenty of suitable habitat, he says. It is also the most common wild cat found in North America. It used to be that a bear would go into a house when someone wasnt home. The gate of a bobcat can often make it look like it has a long tail. Hear the full interview: Megafauna mania: our obsession with mountain lions and other large predators, Connecticut Dept. 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. Im always amazed at the sheer volume of people who are interested in cougars, more even than wolves, she says. Despite frequent claims, there has only been one confirmed mountain lion sighting since the late 1800s here. And even the home entries are kind of changing. . He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. 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. Almost every state has some sort of legend of something thats hiding somewhere, he says. 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. Make yourself BIG. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. 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. Join as a sustainer and support independent local news for your community. 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. 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. 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? 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. However, the last confirmed mountain lion sighting in Connecticut was in 2011. The department has said it receives reports every year of. Woodbridge police provided this photo of a mountain lion, after several reported sightings in the area. A quick Google search reveals that the theory is not limited to Connecticut and similar tales are told throughout the Northeast. Hawley: Yeah. Hampden County District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said Massachusetts troopers used reasonable deadly force after Connecticut man shot at police in Springfield in February. Hawley: I feel strongly that we need a harvest here in Connecticut. ago. That means that the animal traveled more than 1,500 miles to Connecticut, more than twice as far as the longest dispersal pattern ever recorded for a mountain lion. How much wild life is out there? Mountain lions, however, arent seen much in the Nutmeg State, even though several have reportedly been spotted around the Woodbridge area this month. MoRRoW187 4 mo. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. Hi! Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. I feel a little bit like Roy Scheider in Jaws, you know, youve got to shut down the beaches, he said. of Energy & Environmental Protection. 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. All rights reserved. By, March 2023 Fund Drive Rules and Regulations, Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing NHPR's FCC public files, please contact us at publicfile@nhpr.org. Weve got a growing bear population. Beautiful clear day just like this, and there in my backyard I see this huge golden animal, walking through the yard, Bachelder said. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. Then in June 2011, there were reports of a mountain lion in Greenwich and, for the first time, a photo. Mountain Lions: They are officially extinct. A 140-pound male mountain lion was hit by a car and killed in 2011 in Milford, Connecticut. Typically, they will slink out of there as quickly as they can to get away from humans. 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Democracy is not a spectator activity. The last confirmed mountain lion sighting in Connecticut occurred in 2011. His mountain lion was over twice the size of the bobcat which the bobcat had killed half my flock of chickens. Bobcats: Though technically a type of lynx, they are distinct from other species of lynx such as the Canadian lynx. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. In Florida, where mountain lions are known as panthers, dozens are killed each year by cars. What we do not have is a secure predator corridor.. 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). Using DNA and physical evidence, state environmental officials said they determined that the animal . According to the Connecticut DEEP, the bobcat is the only wild cat found in Connecticut. The Damned Story: Eastern mountain lions, or pumas or cougars, were last officially seen in Connecticut near the end of the 19th century. When it comes to mountain lions, (also called cougars, pumas, or panthers) is there really a chance you will come across one in the wild, or will you need to visit a zoo to see one of these magnificent animals in real life? Copyright 2022 WFSB. So its this gathering storm. 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. 40K views 8 years ago Multiple people in North Stonington claim they've spotted a mountain lion roaming around. 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. My wife is not a wildlife expert, but is not prone to flights of fancy. The U.S. Department of Agricultures Forest Service reports that mountain lions typical habitat is steep, rocky canyons or mountainous terrain, but they generally can be found wherever deer are present. He was the only confirmed mountain lion in all of Connecticut but was seen several times right after he arrived in the state before being accidentally killed. 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. McEnroe: Scientifically, this is a case where absence of evidence is kind of evidence of absence, right? Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. 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. 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