For years people have reported mountain lion sightings in the Valley, but, according to local DWR officials, they've been extinct in our area since 1882. There is no way what they saw could have been a bobcat, which has a short, blunt tail. SCDNR said the prints were from a dog, but Im not sure I really agree with them.. Enter your email in the box below to get the most mind-blowing animal stories and videos delivered directly to your inbox every day. Mountain lions prefer rocky, cliff-filled areas or plenty of trees and bushes to hide behind. And sightings of wild cougars persist, especially in Western North Carolina. So as far as anyone knows, there are no mountain lions in . Biologists from the agency investigate these reports, but most do not pan out. Cougars are considered extinct in North Carolina, but a few dozen people came forward on Facebook over the weekend to say theyre still seeing them in North Carolina, no matter what the experts say. This venomous snake prefers its home to be in wooden areas surrounded by rocks or by a stream. The last recorded sightingsof Eastern cougars are believed to be from Maine in 1938and New Brunswick, Canada, in1932,according to the U.S. 'Sightings,' like pictured above are still reported. The coastal waters of North Carolina make up a popular, frequently used migration corridor for several ocean species. The majestic cat only lives in a small portion of the United States. As long as there is enough food for the large felines, they will gladly stay in an area. Federal biologists have reached the same conclusion, and in 2018the Eastern cougar wasremoved from the federal endangered species list after a detailed, multi-year analysishad found the animal to be extinct. Few large animals have generated more lore throughout North Carolina than the cougar. Florida is the only state on the east coast with a breeding population of mountain lions. The Midwest can offer two of the three, but the males dont have much luck repopulating the area on their own. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. It started Saturday, when a chef in Morganton sheepishly admitted on a Facebook page devoted to Bigfoot research that he believes he saw a cougar -- also known as a mountain lion -- near the incorporated community of Nebo in western North Carolina. The current estimate is 2,000 - 2,700 throughout Arizona. By the 1960s, mountain lions dwindled in the western states but managed to survive into the 21st century. Mountain lions are large, tan cats. In 2009, Jenkins responded to a call after several residents at Jasmine Cove apartment complex reported seeing a large cat in the surrounding woods. A rattlesnake will only strike in defense, with the 'young' being said to have more dangerous venom. They initially didnt want to admit that I saw one, and they were calling it a UFOan unidentified furry object. The Florida panther is an endemic subspecies of cougar that has lived in the everglades region for a very long time. It is important to keep your eye out for rattlesnakes when outside, especially when embarking on one of the many. These powerful, majestic creatures once lived across much of the country but have since been killed or pushed out of most of it. But they also need places to hide as they stalk their prey. Because of how they hunt, they need to basically be able to hide and creep up on their prey. Probably . They rarely come together outside of mating season. They are just incredibly elusive.. Marchibroda wasnt under any illusions that she could catch or in any way interact with the mountain lion she saw on her hike. Yet, it still doesn't disperse the 'big cat mystery' that has been witnessed, and photographed throughout the state. If you look closely enough, or have enough bright light, you can see spots amongst the dark fur. Male mountain lions, also known as toms, occasionally travel long distances and sometimes appear from South Carolina to New England, according to Perry. 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. But peoplecould also be mistaking black panthers for pet mountain lions escaped from captivity, according to Perry. These tendrils average around 30 feet, but can reach to 175 feet! All Rights Reserved. "There are no known cougars in North Carolina," Jodie Owens of the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission told the Observer. This isnt just hearsay.. Big cats, like other exotic animals, aren't regulated andallowed to be kept as pets in the state. In the subsequent photos weve gotten of cougars, there wasnt any evidence of any kind of wound or anything on it, Peterson said. Currently, mountain lions seem to be making a comeback in regard to their historic range. We Inspire. With healthy populations and strong conservation programs, however, they seem to be pushing back east. 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. Never turn your back or crouch down. "But until we see actual evidence, we justcan't believe.". LaRue, for instance, said people are probably seeing a house cat or black lab. However, its unclear how many there arebecause no one tracks it. LaRue is the first to admit that shed love to see a mountain lion in the wild, and she of all people understands the fascination with them. This story was originally published March 18, 2019, 2:33 PM. Heres What the Data Says. We Inform. After a gestation period of 90 days, female mountain lions will give birth to litters of about one to six cubs. We have 2-foot-long squirrels? But most of the purportedsightings turn out to be pictures of bobcats, house cats where gaugingthe size of the animal being photographed is difficult, or even hoaxes. Although these females and calf are smaller, adult bull elk can weigh 700 pounds. And in the United States, the population diminished rapidly during the mid to late 1800s and into the early 1900s. Where are wolves in Minnesota? For years everybody in every state wildlife agency has gotten reports of sightings, but we had never had anything in Tennessee that we could really verify as a cougar, Peterson said. Jennifer is a writer, Nutritionist, and Herbalist, and hobby gardener. In 2007, Terrance Fletcher, a technician with the U.S. Forest Service, claimed he was chased into the Chattooga River by a 7-foot-long panther with jet black fur. Whether they're called cougars, mountain lions, pumas or catamounts, wildlife experts believe the cats exist as a stable, breeding population in the western U.S and, a ccording to both the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, transient western cougars have been spotted in both states since 2015. (Anyone remember a certain cobra on the loose in Raleigh this summer?) Eerie nighttime photos from trail cameras and tales of mountain lions attacking hikers flood social media and news channels. Photos are difficult to confirm, Peterson saidthe process involves sending wildlife experts to the exact spot where the cat was allegedly seen to take another photo in order to compare it to the original and verify the location. When did North Carolina lose its mountain lion population? Even thought they're on the endangered species list. They once inhabited the entire United States, but were killed off and pushed west. Thank you for reading! There isnt an official estimate on mountain lions in the state. Fish and Wildlife Service removed eastern subspecies of cougars from the endangered species list last year and declared them extinct. A lot of people dont know theyre around until they show up and start feeding on their bird feeders, and then all of a sudden its What are you gonna do about these bears?. The state is home to several attractions that allow you to get close-up views of wildlife in North Carolina. Arkansas isnt somewhere that we would generally think of when looking for mountain lions, but they are on the rebound! After reading this, are you wondering, Are there any other deadly animals in North Carolina? The answer is YES! Luckily, the big cats probably wont pose a serious threat to public safety when they do appear in South Carolina, according to Butfiloski. After settler expansion that resulted in habitat destruction, and hunting practices, the elusive animals were extirpated in the late 1800s. "I never tell people that they didn't see what they think they saw," Stiversaid, noting that he's dealt with some crazy critters during his 30 years at the national park, including servals (a wild African cat), peacocks, emus, longhorn steers and even capuchin monkeys. Cougars, also known as mountain lions, were once common here and they have left a legacy of place names throughout the state indeed, the entire Southeast. But really, itll change peoples viewpoints at some point., Experts in Tennessee dont know exactly how many mountain lions are roaming the area, but they do know one thing for sure: at least one of them is a female. So other recent sightings may also be due to mountain lions escaping captivity. But the reportalso notes that 12 cougar sightings were reported in the national park between 1908-65, and another 31 between 1966-76. The states diverse landscape, which boasts both mountains and coastlines, combined with a varying climate, means there is an array of wildlife in North Carolina some more dangerous than others. removed from the federal endangered species list, Mammals of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park -- 1995 Update, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Leopards, however, live in Africa and Asia. An increasing number of North Carolina residents believe the Eastern Cougar has returned. There is a small breeding population in the state, despite being killed off in the 1920s. "We get lots of reports every year from folks who think they've seen a. But the Eastern mountain lion, the official name of the species that once and some believestill does lived in North Carolina continues to capturethe imagination of many. Last year, Ben Claes, owner of Jireh Property Services in Taylors, was cleaning a lawn down the street from Koehlers house after a snowstorm and noticed large tracks on the ground. Oh maybe some of the lazy hacks have finally retired., Another commenter speculated that the agency may have intentionally downplayed past sightings as they result in new study and staffing expenses.. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Association (TWRA) confirmed that the cat, which sniffed around on the ground and in a low-hanging tree branch before looking square into the camera with its mouth wide open, was in fact a mountain lion. But the large cat is officially considered endangered up north. Its happening all across the state.. The cougar (Puma concolor), also known as mountain lion, panther, painter, puma, and catamount, is the largest feline animal in North America. Scientists believe that the Eastern Cougar was extirpated from North Carolina during the late 1800s, or 1900 at the latest. There haven't been any cougars in Tennessee since the early 1900s. Im not a mammalogist, so Im not going to try to play their role, but I think theyre all the same, Kocka said, adding that differentiating between subspecies may not always be a worthwhile effort. Running may stimulate a mountain lion's instinct to chase. That might depend on who you ask, but LaRue, whos been studying mountain lions for more than a decade, isnt convinced that eastern cougars were ever any different from the western subspecies. These cubs are born blind and helpless. However, only 15 other states have residential mountain lion populations. It was a little too big to be a bobcat.. Today a small population, estimated at around 200, of Florida panthers still reside in the state. 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.. 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