on 2023年4月19日
Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. Many, many times, in many different ways along its travel up through Minnesota, Michigan and to Canada, down through New York, through hair samples, blood samples, trail camera photos. Dickson, however, said the agency is not aware of any such reports. You know, weve had so many home entries this year. As I said previously, Wright, however, didnt agree with his mentor and began writing publicly about mountain lions in the East. People often get very emotional about it, Hawley says. When we lived in Suffield, we had MANY Mountain Lion sightings.probably 4-5 sightings (which qualifies as many to me) and they were definitely not Bobcats, @Craig, what town is Wtn? 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. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. Dont Run. Many years ago there was a mountain lion that stayed in a wood pile in my mother's back yard. Email editor@connecticutmag.com. There are usually about 50-100 mountain lion sightings reported every year. One on Salem Rd and another in the area of Pease Rd in our town. We have plenty of suitable habitat, he says. Im confident that we get occasional outlier animals.. he recalls. They usually either don't disperse at all or they'll kind of overlap their mother's home range, or they'll disperse very short distances.. One has been spotted on our street for the last four or five years. It would come regularly during its yearly migration. 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. Give it space to turn around without feeling threatened to get away from you and your family. 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.. 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. We had a mountain lion go thru my property was about 125 lbs left his paw prints in the mug, which were a bigger than my hand and have pictures of it we also had bobcats come through. Working in the 1980s in southern California, where there are cougars, biologist Paul Beier said that 95 percent of cougar sightings they investigated turned out to be misidentifications. Copyright 2022 WFSB. And even the home entries are kind of changing. Police said these have been reported to DEEP, but have not been confirmed as true mountain lion sightings. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. That maybe, just maybe, what my wife and others saw wasnt a bobcat that seemed bigger in the thrill of the moment, but a real, honest-to-goodness mountain lion, a long-lost ghost of the forest. 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State lawmakers have entertained bills to establish a bear hunting season for years, but so far, none of those proposals has passed. But it also sort of instills that fear, a healthy fear of humans and bears. Bobcats, of course, can be found all over the state. Those are the two closest populations that we have here. 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. And he said, This is where the mountain lion crossed. We walked in and there were fresh bobcat tracks in there. 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Colin McEnroe is a radio host, newspaper columnist, magazine writer, author, playwright, lecturer, moderator, college instructor and occasional singer. I strongly suspect what was observed was a bobcat. said Jenny Dickson, director of DEEPs wildlife division. Hawley: Yeah. The big cat. 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. In Florida, where mountain lions are known as panthers, dozens are killed each year by cars. 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. And the last confirmed sighting prior to the 2011 instance would be a couple hundred years ago, according to Hawley. Throw rocks, sticks, etc to scare it off, police said in the post. Massachusetts and several other New England states have bear hunting, or harvest, seasons, which proponents say help control populations. Its documented through track surveys, aerial surveys, trapping and collaring surveys. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. That mountain lion was hit by a car and killed on the Merritt Parkway in Milford, CT. After the incident, Connecticut environmental officials were able to determine that the 140-pound cat had . Yet we see nothing about what is being planned except how to scare them away if one sees them. On the idea of bear hunting in Connecticut. He drove me out to the spot. In 2017, Ann Jarosiewicz and Liz Prete left their jobs as developers and started WasteNot, a building materials recycling company on Cape Cod. community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years. Not really, Rego says. So its this gathering storm. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. If a young male Cougar disperses East, instead of West, they're going to keep walking because they're going tokeep looking for an area where they can find a mate, he said. More recently, unexplained animal sightings in Connecticut and other states became more and more associated with mountain lions. 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. She was calling from a trail in Pootatuck State Forest, the 1,200-acre strip of nature occupying the hills above Squantz Pond in New Fairfield. (Throughout history, people have had a deep fear of these creatures, hounding and hunting them mercilessly.) Bobcats don't shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. Sometimes people feared fishers (erroneously attributing the blood-curdling screams of foxes to these hard-to-spot creatures), and in the late 1930s, after several animals were slain under strange circumstances in Glastonbury, the. From sightings of wolves and moose to brown recluses and mountain lions, people in CT have made some wild (pun intended) claims about what animals theyve spotted. She still produces shows with Colin and the team when her schedule allows. 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. Paul Rego, a wildlife biologist with the DEEP, told Connecticut . ago. Hawley said that the typical range of cougars like mountain lions is from west of the South Dakota area. Betsy started as an intern at WNPR in 2011 after earning a Master's Degree in American and Museum Studies from Trinity College. And were one of the most densely populated states as far as humans. Its definitely a problem thats only going to get worse. They also have facial ruffs and ear tufts on the tips of their ears, as well as shorter tails. People should also make noise and to make themselves as large as possible by raising their arms over their head with a jacket or sweatshirt. MoRRoW187 4 mo. 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. This was maybe a decade ago. It was a 140-pound male mountain lion, the first confirmed in Connecticut in more than 100 years. 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. 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. Weve got a growing bear population. My heart was saying, Maybe this is it, he recalls. Connecticut Public Radio | On June 11, 2011, in Milford, CT, a mountain lion was killed by a motor vehicle. I believe that was about 10 years ago. 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. Rego has many reasons why a conspiracy to conceal mountain lions by his colleagues at DEEP is impossible. 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. 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. The one confirmed case, sometimes referred to as the " Connecticut Mountain Lion " happened in June 2011 when an SUV struck and killed a cougar in Milford. He has also reported for the Marketplace Morning Report. The next week, on June 11, the cat was hit and killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford. Two women's solution: salvage it instead, Hampden County DA: Massachusetts troopers acted 'lawfully' in shooting death of William Tisdol, As Vt. The last confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in CT was in 2011 when a driver struck and killed one on the Merrit Parkway. NHPR is nonprofit and independent. While he might feel like that well known movie character who was doubted at first, Bachelder is confident it was a cougar. We even had a sighting someone here at DEEP, in my office, was convinced they saw a mountain lion. Bobcats dont shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas. So theres fresh mud. It lowers the population in a way thats not going to affect the long-term population. Anyone can get fooled. The sightings increased in 2011, after a driver hit and killed a mountain lion who was trying to cross the Merritt Parkway in Milford. After traveling more than 1,500 miles, the lean, male cat met an untimely end in a collision with an SUV. Sometimes in our shock and excitement at seeing wildlife we see what we want to see. 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. Here are some physical differences between mountain lions and bobcats: These 2 big cats also behave differently. 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.. Its a cool story with how far that animal walked. He can be reached by phone at 860-275-7297 or by email: pskahill@ctpublic.org. 2. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference. In yet another variant, DEEP is said to be helicoptering mountain lions in to help control the deer population. Woodbridge police provided this photo of a mountain lion, after several reported sightings in the area. It had rained previously. As a carnivore biologist, Hawley says he would love it if mountain lions were here. But what might be his most compelling argument is that since this is Connecticut, the budget is too limited. Bobcats typically have brown fur with a reddish tinge that is marked with black or brown spots or stripes, according to the National Zoo. Peter Yankowski is a breaking news reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group. 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Democracy is not a spectator activity. 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. His mountain lion was over twice the size of the bobcat which the bobcat had killed half my flock of chickens. Patrick's reporting has appeared on NPR's Morning Edition, Here & Now, and All Things Considered. 17), Police investigate death of New London High School student, Long Wharf Theatre to present Live from the Edge in Hamden, Torrington students to stage 'The Sponge Bob Musical' in May, 'American Idol' alums Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken to perform in CT, Talcott Mountain Music Festival starts June 30. However, the National Wildlife Federation notes that the mountain lions range spreads all across the Americas, from the Canadian Yukon to The Strait of Magellan, making it the greatest range of any living mammal in the Americas.. 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. Not long after, what was believed to be the same mountain lion was struck and killed on Route 15 in Milford. 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.. I would not have it any other way. Now the bears, they dont even care if people are home, theyll go right in the house. A lifelong Connecticut resident, Nicole has a degree in Communications from Fairfield University. 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. A harvest is kind of twofold. "The state [Connecticut] explains any cougar evidence, such as the recent mountain lion killed in Milford, as an escaped pet [or one that came from the Mid-West]," Mr. Betty said in an e-mail. In the decades that followed, many cougar enthusiasts came to share Wrights conclusions, at least at first. This is a carousel. DEEP believes their numbers have increased in recent years. I live in Hamden Connecticut and I have had mountain lions, black bears, Skunk's, dear, coyotes, fox. People have been known to submit photos of real mountain lions taken in other states and claim they were taken in Connecticut. I feel a little bit like Roy Scheider in Jaws, you know, youve got to shut down the beaches, he said. Hawley:Were sort of stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. The only types of lynx that are indigenous to New England are the Canada Lynx and the Lynx rufus (bobcat). But Bachelder stresses he knows what he saw. 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). We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Ive lived here 23 years, Ive seen coyotes, Ive seen bobcats, Ive seen foxes, everything else, never seen anything like this before, said Bachelder. Your support makes this news available to everyone. 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. Tim Abbott, the regional land conservation and greenprint director for the Housatonic Valley Association, says that during a lecture on mountain lions last winter at Housatonic Valley Regional High School in Falls Village, when the speaker asked if anyone had seen a mountain lion, half of the roughly 400 people in attendance raised their hands. Police provided this photo of a mountain lion was over twice the of... Bobcat which the bobcat which the bobcat had killed half my flock of chickens is... | on June 11, 2011, in Milford the local, national, and All Things.... Peter Yankowski is a breaking news reporter for Hearst Connecticut media Group control populations monthly. And excitement at seeing wildlife we see nothing about what is being planned except to. 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