News outlets picked up the story and the video went viral, and its easy to understand whyaccording to TWRA regional manager Alan Peterson, that video marked only the second confirmed cougar sighting in Tennessee in more than 100 years. Today's habitat could support a breeding population. there could have been a population in the region that have now been able to only find refuge in that area due to encroachment of housing, etc. My husband quickly put our dog into his pen. And thats being done without, from what I understand, any real proof. He never saw the cat again but never went out at night without a gun. From the next room, another person chimmed in my neighbors have been seeing one. This all occured three weeks after I had a full-grown Red Wolf walk up near me while blackberry picking in my mother-in-laws pasture (in the city limits.) It is secretive and intelligent, rarely seen unless it wants to be. It was standing next to a large hill in the median and looked at my car as I passed. 0. While fishing the nearby native trout streams (most notably the Rapidan) in the surrounding mountains, I have not seen another. Mountain lions live in areas that have ample hiding places. The West Virginia Wildlife Center is open to the public seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. "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 . He told me that there are areas in the Valley that could sustain mountain lions, but that the deer numbers there were too low, and theyd eventually make their way towards humans. The sub-species of the eastern cougar indigenous to the state is extinct. Admission is $6 for ages 16 and over, $2 for kids 6 to 15 years old, and free for . On June 17, 2015, the U.S. The animal has been determined extinct, and thats just a shame, she said. I have seen photos of these as well. Male cougars migrate further than females, but so far only a few have followed the pattern of coyotes and reached the eastern side of North America. It screeched really loud. For anyone that has seen a cougar in the East or would like to support or be involved in their return then jointing ECF is only logical. Where are they coming from? HAS ANYONE ELSE HEARD OF ANYTHING LIKE THIS. They could be making a similiar mistake about the cougar sightings. Although there are no more eastern mountain lions, there is a small population of Florida panthers that live in the swamps of Florida. It was just after dark and I didnt think there were supposed to be any mountain lions in that part of the country. But, there is always a chance that one day the sighting will be real. In August 2007 on my way to work from the Meadowview Virginia area , between Meadowview and Abingdon there was a Mountain Lion crossed the road in frount of me, So people can say what they want , there are big cats in the area. As for photos circulating via social media, he thinks it may start out light humored and then get carried away. Diana Marchibroda and her miniature schnauzer froze in their tracks when the mountain lion stepped out of the woods last May. Ive seen a few cougars in the wild, I dont believe the black phase has ever been confirmed in any mountain lion/cougar/catamount/puma. When a female kitten gets big enough, she doesnt have to go very far, because nobodys kicking her in the butt to get far away.. It was tan and had short ears. This animal is about 4-5 ft long not including about a 30 inch tail. He was a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and was also its President for several years. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. I couldnt believe it! I couldnt see their relative sizes, as they were not close together until right before I entered the woods, and one was very low in the grass, could only see its eyes reflected. He said, I went out at about dusk and I was looking around my property and at the edge of the woods I saw a mountain lion with a half dead groundhog in its mouth and it was tossing it into the air and catching it.. Fies doesn't believe that there is this thriving population that has been hidden from the world. At a second glance, we knew that it couldnt be deer. Its been dry. Without as many wolves around, coyote populations began to thrive and expand eastward. Because I was at a B-day party, I had my camera, and took the picture off his phone. It ran down the road for a bit. Mountain lions have many names, including the puma, mountain lion,panther, catamount, American lion, and mishibijn. She holds a degree in English Literature and one of her short stories has been featured in the Shenandoah Review. Definitely not a dog, too big for a cat. SHE THEN TOLD HER SON THAT A BIG KITTY AS SHE CALLED IT WOULD COME AND EAT THE FOOD AND DRINK THE WATER SHE PUT OUT FOR HER DOBERMAN THAT HAD PASSED AWAY. . The US Fish and Wildlife Service considered the lack of sightings during that period to be key evidence that no breeding population survived in the eastern states. Hello, "It ran right in front of my truck a few weeks ago," said Kenneth Basler, a town official who said he saw the large cat around Stevens Pond off Route 23 between Monterey and Great Barrington. I was also told of a large cat sighting just north of Eden, NC. So, I had the opportunity to help raise beautiful, and playful ( they acted just like any kitten would! People have been reporting sightings of mountain lions in our area for years, but the Virginia DWR says they haven't been in our area since 1882. I kept hiking and went all the way to HWY 19E where I slept in a shelter half a mile from the road. Thanks for any help, as plenty claim they are here also. This had Caroline County, on the bottom of the screen. Like I said we never saw the mother just the young cat but I would guess it was somewhere between midway and three quarters fully grown. By Bill Cochran. June 21, 2008 About two weeks ago I was traveling on Rt 15 from Farmville to Dillwyn in Buckinham county. Many mountain lions used to roam the West Virginia wilderness. Admission is $6 for ages 16 and over, $2 for kids 6 to 15 years old, and free for . The DNR maintains mountain lion sightings using a system to receive, record and review mountain lion reports. Flash to present day. When they said they had we advised them of the origin and told them about the cougar incident on their property. I live in Southwest, VA. If was about 50 . My horse just disappeared- we live adjascent to Havens Wildlife Preserve. Game and Fish had to come and put him down. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. My father a retired Secret Service agent who used to shoot alot with Regan spotted a mountain lion on the side of rt. Is it a change in the regime their [sic]? The population of cougars west of the Mississippi River was large enough that it was not listed. It was less than a year before that my daughter said she came across a litter of cute puppies while riding her mule in the park. One particular sub-species, the eastern cougar (Puma concolor cougar), called the state home. They produced over 20 kittens, expanding the gene pool successfully.5, the Eastern Cougar is prefers a habitat with trees 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. However, once you start talking about black cats the credibility of the reports goes down signigiciantly. It is being held at the Discovery Center at SML State Park from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. on March 31st. There used to be cougar there, and with that large a prey base, its possible. Or try to cover it up.Afraid it will cause panic. VA. Other interests include hiking, songwriting, and spending time in the mountains. The US Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Eastern Cougar as Endangered in 1973, since it was considered to be a distinct breeding population separate from the western population. What could be mistaken for a mountain lion? In grad school I worked with a lot of the wildlife and natural resources folks at VT. He always said it sat there for just a moment and then slipped into the woods and was gone. Last time I heard it it sounded like it was 30 50 yards away and then I heard a dog bark then yelp and one last scream from the animal and then quiet. Well, I knew the difference. In October, 1987, a cougar & cub was seen by a U.S. Forest Service crew in western Shenadoah County. That is if it is still around. I saw one near my home in Floyd County. It was about 8:00 am on Saturday 8/8/09 and I noticed a black animal in a fenced pasture just ahead of me. Mountain Lions in New York. I dont really know why, because I dont really think it ever existed.. 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. I too hope to see mountain lions return to Virginia, but I really dont think there are many here yet, if any all. Wolves once thrived in Virginia, but due to the harm they inflicted on farms and livestock, they were hunted by the settlers of Jamestown and eventually became extinct. There have been some hunters around who swear there are mt lions in bedford county. The web site has emails for officers and members to communicate with along with membership applications and links to a whole world of information on cougars. He said it was from the Mattaponi Trial in Caroline County. Mountain lions were common enough well into the 19th century throughout North Carolina. At which point we all said a cougar and he said how did you know. In fact, bobcats take down prey that weighs as much as 8 times their weight when the situation arises. its mate was said to have been heard wailing, for a time, in the distance. Something ran across the road in front of my car at a high rate of speed. I saw more recently something very large and stocky going into the tall grass, only saw the back end of it and that was at least 3 feet long with a long tail. Where I hunt in Linden the owners have said to have seen a really big black cat. That would be earth shattering for the depts. Our daughters were in a 4H group across the park on Bull Run Post Office Road and each week theyd ride their horses across the battlefield to a farn where they practiced Vaulting (circus riding) with their 4H group. Even though we still didnt have any physical proof we were excited because this was the first time wed had an adult verify a cougar sighting here. Mountain lions go by many names, including puma, cougar, and panther. It is only a matter of time before the California picture in this blog post is sent back to us as proof of mountain lions in Virginia. Period. But anyways, I just completely got off of the Mountain Lion subject. "Pumas, mountain lions are still in the Appalachians," Larry Messenger posted on Facebook. They acted like I had schizophrenia though admitted there have been other reports.even though they do not officially exist here. Free shipping for many products! I hope that maybe I can find a place I can place a trail camera nearby to search for it. On another ride our oldest daughter described a cat that was smaller but she said the color was different it had spots. It would disappear and then reappear on the other side of us it did that 3 times. Near the paw print I found tracks of a small deer moving very fast (tracks far apart and just the point of the hoof.) I have a call into the animal control (only to find out if there were others who reported it) and hope to hear back from them tomorrow. Motion-sensitive infrared cameras have been deployed near Appalachian Trail to try to determine whether cougars are back. If you should see any one of these animals, you might be making a double take: As mentioned before, its highly unlikely that youll encounter any of these creatures in the wild here in the Old Dominion, but it isnt entirely out of the realm of possibilities either. Its near a nature preserve so noone ever calls to report it . 28-Aug-08. Whenever I see a big cat I look for tail characteristics for a sighting confirmation. Chris Desborough/Shutterstock.com. Misidentification is typically caused by poor lighting conditions at the time of the sighting. All rights reserved. "It was around 4 feet long, not including the tail." Theres no guarantee that cougars trekking from South Dakota will stick around, or that the female in Tennessee will have kittens. Weve been searching the internet to identify it, but after reading these messages it sounds as though weve seen a cougar. I went to Chestoa, which is an awesome overlook pretty much between Altapass and Linville. I didnt know if my eyes were playing tricks on me until it decided not to cross the road, and head back to the woods. I havent seen them, but I have worked with folks there at the Smithsonians Conservation Research Center in Front Royal including Bill McShea. I started to get out and get an even closer look but I decided that probably wasnt a good idea, so I stayed in my car . Love Virginia? Not a bob cat (it most certainly had a long bushy tail). If a mountain lion walks around an area enough, many different humans will notice. Cougars depended heavily upon the white-tailed deer for food. Human expansion and economic progress have driven natural predators out of Virginia, giving the deer free rein. 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 raise miniature horses and am quite concerned as we are surrounded by woods in Warrenton. Broad daylight, it crossed the road approx. lions in the area for years. I was leaning against a tree w/my parka hood blocking the wind, when I saw a grown cougar walking straight toward me. the Eastern Cougar is Puma concolor, reflecting the solid color without stripes or spots They then took the trail that went in the opposite direction of the animal. Just wondering if anyone has spotted any coyotes near us in Thaxton? I have seen big bobcats but never a cougar. At first I thought it was human screams. So, wanting to get them closer, I called them. Although the eastern cougar is extinct, there are still sightings of these cats across the state. In fact, there have been 121 reports that are likely to have been true mountain lion sightings. I guess I just dont want to believe they are here, because we live in the woods. Female cougars will raise a litter of kittens up until the age of about 20 months, LaRue explained, and then the young cats are kind of kicked out and left on their own. The males, especially, are forced to disperse away from the family, partly to avoid inbreeding, and partly because male cougars are territorial and wont tolerate any other males in their domain. My 70lb lab is 24 at the shoulder for comparison. I was frozen with fear as I realized it wasnt a bear, but a black mountain lion. It took off as the car got closerI have never ever seen anything like that in my life! Male cougars have demonstrated their willingness to cross gaps in forested corridors as they search for new territory. Pretty much the same thing as we read here. While this may be incredible, it is still ways off. This weekend, had dinner with a new neighbor who mentioned that he had seen a black cat near Carrington Road in Markham, VA. Heard back from Animal Control and VDGIF. Thanks. We guessed it could have been but have no proof. But I never saw one, or tracks, and I spent a lot of time in the woods. It turned out the claim was based on selective use of daytime telemetry data only, and the panther is most active at night. Terrified, I took a step toward it, held up my vest yelled and everything and it dissapeared quickly. I was like baby look at that big ole cat! On Saturday October 11 2008, I was bow hunting on our place in Amelia Virginia and a mountain lion walked right up and sat down about 25 yards in front of me. In 1979, The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries cited the mountain lion, or puma or cougar, to be an endangered or threatened animal in Virginia. Those few instances where the information appears credible, investigation by staff has always confirmed the animal to be a bobcat, black bear, domestic cat or dog.". It took another 3 minutes or so before all the fogs quieted down. Lil Rose/flickr. I live in Spotsylvania va in a development but we all live on 5 to 10 acres. Still, many sightings arent clear or even true, so being skeptical is still the best bet when it comes to sightings in Virginia. Overall about 3 1/2 inches wide by about 3 inches front to back. So, i think that there are sightings that no one ever hears about. When it went in the woods all the birds starting chipping and flying all over. I was so shocked that I could even stop the car in time to see it again. I walked w/n 40 yards and took one more photo. For related content, read about How The Worlds Most Notorious Mythical Creature Is Said To Dwell In This Small Virginia Town. "Usually youngish males.". At first I thought it might be a big black dog like a mastiff or something but I saw the tail and it was just like a bigger version of my house cats tail. So it could have been a red wolf. She believes that North American mountain lionsincluding the Florida panther, which she said is protected because they are considered a distinct population segment via the Endangered Species Actare essentially all the same, without enough genetic distinctions to justify differentiating the western and eastern subspecies. Loudoun County Va , where they are now expanding the landfill , we hear the cougar cry less often now but it is still making its presence known and its a little further in the distance now instead of right at the back door. The creek still has running water. The whole encounter lasted about thirty seconds, certainly long enough to know what I saw in broad daylight. He didnt rule out the possibility of an individual wandering into Virginia, as that has happened before. But their population definitely isnt established here. Its ribs were showing like it hadnt been well nourished in a while. If I knew how, Id post the picture here. By Bill Cochran. I wish I had the moment over. What about the fact no roadkill is ever claimed to be found of a cougar? We disturbed something that ran off into the woods. Any jokes about sexually adventurous older women will not be noted or acknowledged and I will automatically assume you are a 13 year old boy who yells racial slurs on Xbox live. I was taking my wife to work eraly Thursday about 4 am..We had just passed the airport on 58 east in Danville, Va. To the right side shoulder of the road there stood some type of cat. We had a secluded cabin off of cedar key road, private property (no hunting/trespassing) that ran for acres and acres, as well as a private and protected cove, as bass spawn there, no wake, no loud noises, no people. Then well try to figure out what kind they are and get more evidence.. The fourth-largest cat in the world, it thrived from the frigid Yukon to the tip of South America. I told him I had no doubt that he had seen a mountain lion. "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. It was such a chilling sound at 1:30 in the morning. For a solid four seconds, Marchibroda watched as a large, sleek cat standing about three feet tall with a long, curled tail crossed Skyline Drive near Gavel Springs Gap less than 100 feet in front of them. Until recently, Los Angeles' most famous lion, P-022, lived in Griffith Park, just north of Hollywood. A shame, she said the color was different it had spots the color different. Her short stories has been determined extinct, there have been deployed near Appalachian trail try. When they said they had we advised them of the Wildlife and mountain lions in virginia folks. 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