I was sitting in my tent in the darkness (no fires permitted in the back country of the park) when i heard a loud crashing sound coming towards my tent. We then came upon a very recent deer kill within 20 yards of the sighting. There are an estimated 3,000 - 7,000 Mountain lions in Colorado. They like rugged terrain with forest cover. 28-Aug-08. However, the nature center at Peaks of Otter did have a framed pic from a deer hunters trail camera just off the Parkway in Botetourt county last summer (dont know if it is still there). 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. To improve the genetics of the Florida Panther, eight Texas females were brought to South Florida. I was leaning against a tree w/my parka hood blocking the wind, when I saw a grown cougar walking straight toward me. Red wolves have been reintroduced into the state. The Roanoke Times. Since the photo was taken in early 2015 a number of people have made claims that they took the photo and the large animal is roaming the area. . I used to just worry about snakes while berry picking. 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 . Theres lots of legends around here, but I have heard from one very reputable source about a recent (within the last year) sighting in the vicinity of the Lovers Leap turnout on Route 58 about 6-7 miles east of Meadows of Dan. They can stand up to 35 in. This animal was a good thirty inches at the shoulder and must have weighted 150 pounds. All we get are hearsay stories and misidentified wildlife. My wife shot video of what we believe to be a panther or mountain lion. Cougars depended heavily upon the white-tailed deer for food. I have hiked almost all 850 miles of trails, stayed at most of the backcountry campsites, and have spent many nights wandering around those hills looking for nocturnal mammals. Good Cat food. In another leap, the cat was up the bank on the right hand side of the road and off into the woods. The cats do appear to be expanding their range eastward in recent decades, the DGIF said. A lifelong Virginia resident, Beth loves exploring different parts of the world and currently resides in Alexandria. The "coywolf" is an informal term for a unique hybrid of western coyotes and eastern timber wolves. . I would estimate that it must have been at least 60 pounds if not more. The summer before we had a big cat (bigger than a house cat, but smaller than a mountian lion) come in our back yard close to were our dog was. I can definetely say that there are mountain lions in Shenandoah National Park. They exclusively populated western states for decades, but according to LaRue, some shifts in hunting regulations began to change things about 50 years ago: lions were switched from the bounty hunter category to a game species managed by the states. 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. I now live on the Tennessee end of South Holston Lake and while driving near Friendship Boatdock near Rte. Male cougars have demonstrated their willingness to cross gaps in forested corridors as they search for new territory. It was early morning on the first occasion and nearing dusk on the second, but both times there was plenty of light and no doubt whatsoever that the long-tailed cat was a mountain lion. Well, I knew the difference. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries district wildlife biologist David Kocka is of the same mindset. My husband quickly put our dog into his pen. The populations are doing well enough in the west that when young males get old enough, they dont have anywhere to go, she said. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! If for some reason there were any cougars rediscovered in the east that werent migrants from the west, the protection status is up to the state in which it is found, LaRue said. So, I had the opportunity to help raise beautiful, and playful ( they acted just like any kitten would! And shes not alone in that belief. In August 2004, a cougar was captured on film near Craigsville, Virginia and identified by professional wildlife biologists of the Eastern Puma Research Network. My buddy who lives in Floyd heard one, and others I know around here and by bent mountain. They plan on going back to that area with their camera in hopes of spotting it again and taking pics. It took off as the car got closerI have never ever seen anything like that in my life! Given the great broad-side view, I couldnt help but notice its shear size the cat stood approximately 2.5-3 feet in height, and was approximately 4-5 feet in length. In 1994 a friend and I were driving up the Blue Ridge Parkway on our way to Panther Hollow. This. No good road kill presented to VDWR or local newspapers, none trapped by hunters or researchers, none seen by professional naturalists or captured by wildlife photographers. Neither Marchibroda nor her canine hiking companion made a peep, and as soon as the cat caught sight of its awe-struck onlookers, it scampered back into the woods, swift and silent. Edit: in an attempt to actually answer the question, Ive heard tons of reports of people seeing them in Floyd County. 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. twice in the last 6 months. There are a lot of feral escaped farm animals* and pets roaming around parts of the United States, so theres a chance that this is what people see. Wed love to hear about it! I saw what I thought was a mountain lion today in Fairfax County off of Bull Run Post Office Rd and Glory Creek Trail near the Loudoun County line. 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. I don't think we're real close to that.". But anyways, I just completely got off of the Mountain Lion subject. Me and a friend saw one dead on the side of RT 460 West in Ford, VA a few years ago. There's a whole world to learn about and Colby is content to spend his life learning as much as he can about it! I got into the bald on Big Hump and I heard an odd noise, like a quick screaching bird and something ran off. Her views represent another twist in the ecological controversy. We have heard them up near the edge of the mountains but never this close. Only the cubs have spots and stripes, though adults can have bold black accents on the face/ears. More than 300 cougar sightings have been reported in West Virginia since 1975, according to the Eastern Puma Research Network. Our sleep was disturbed any more that night. Hickories and pecans seem sparse this year. My first thought was, I gotta chase this thing, Marchibroda said. They could be making a similiar mistake about the cougar sightings. The eastern cougar, which occurred in West Virginia, is one of 15 subspecies . Each year, deer-car collisions kill approximately 200 people.7, the Eastern Cougar was extirpated by excessive hunting pressure, as well as severe reduction in their prime food source of white-tailed deer It isnt certain, but some researchers claim that there could be native cougar populations across the Blue Ridge in as little as 25-30 years. Virginia Dept. But she was familiar with (and disturbed by) the U.S. It was just too big to be a bobcat nor did it have bobcat coloring. I recently sent a comment asking if anyone has seen a wolf in Virginia. I live in historic Jonesborough, TN. Due to an abuse of hunting privileges, the species was completely wiped out. Plenty of squirrel and turkey too. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." Chronic Wasting Disease positive results in Virginia, 2009-19. I know for a fact that Mountain Lions inhabit my area! few turkeys this spring and summer. There are no mountain lions in Virginia. It was about 18+ inches tall at shoulder, about 24 inches from hip to neck. At least, that was the case until recently, when a moose was spotted near Lake Frederick in northern Virginia. Whats exciting is the fact that it came up from the deep in the valley, and obviously followed my scent and sounds. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Where are mountain lions in Virginia? Motion-sensitive infrared cameras have been deployed near Appalachian Trail to try to determine whether cougars are back. When I told another fellow that lives near there, he said he had seen tracks. Is a mountain lion like a bear? Its actually kind of scary if you think about it. Various wolf packs took up residence in the nearly 900-square-mile area over the years, and this pack settled atop a massive, rocky cliffside. She was never spotted, but that sound is something that you never can forget or confuse for anything else. We guessed it could have been but have no proof. He then went to our pond & disappeared into the woods. 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. Yet within the last decade, bull sharks have been known to swim all the way to the Potomac River. Remember this post from February 28, 2005. I am concerned since that pond is a source of water for my horse. Sarah, Sissy, Yes George, it is an eight pointer, & the neck of the deer is dragging between the cougars two front legs. I looked out the passenger side window just as my mom noticed it out her window. Whenever I see a big cat I look for tail characteristics for a sighting confirmation. 29 and crossed the highway. kind of beige, dark grey at tip of tail, white underbelly. However, once you start talking about black cats the credibility of the reports goes down signigiciantly. Nobody even thinks anything of it because of its regularity. For decades, the chances of coming across one of these big cats in an eastern state were slim to none, and much to the chagrin of residents like Marchibroda who have reported sightings, the U.S. The DGIF is adamant though that the species is not found in the Commonwealth, although it is possible the western subspecies could be moving east. THANK YOU KATHY, I KNOW THEY HAVE LET SOME COYETTES(SPELLIN) LOOSE AND THERE ARE FOX HERE. He got up and armed with only a flashlight he ventured outside to see why the horses were so restless and upset. I went out to get something from my car, and about five to ten yards away I see a huge black cat slowly cross the street, pause, look around and go into the surrounding woods. I am not sure we should base the existence of mountain lions in VA. and TN on the opinions of a few biologists. I came out of the pasture and one was less than 20 feet. I quit taking my solo walks in the woods after that!!!!!Leen. Further north, you can find mountain lions in . 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. After speaking with several people who claimed to see one, I made a trip to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) office in Verona. And add to that the fact that someone may have actually been wrong. 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 . #1. It stoped for a moment and watched us and then moved on through the woods. Hmmm, but then we have pictures of bear in the local paper sometimes. But European colonization essentially extirpated the cats from about two thirds of their habitat in the U.S., and its been more than 100 years since theyve had a presence in midwestern or eastern states. Tickets are $8.00 and parking fee is included. According to the Cat Specialist Group, Puma concolor cougar is in North and Central America and Puma concolor concolor ranges throughout South America.2. HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Its a simple question with very different answers depending on who you ask. Or the actual carcass of one. It was about 11:30 PM and I was driving an Austin Healy Bugeyed Sprite. Currently, there is only one species of wild cat that lives in Virginia. 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. I kept hiking and went all the way to HWY 19E where I slept in a shelter half a mile from the road. I also had NO idea they lived in that area, so close to my home :). Are Mountain Lions Back in the Blue Ridge? I live in Spout Spring. This particular animal was chasing a dog across the road when hit. They then have to ensure that the picture hasnt been tampered with in any way, because Peterson said an astounding number of peopleboth misinformed wildlife enthusiasts and tricksters with too much time on their hands and access to Photoshopsend him shots of mountain lions that were clearly either edited or taken in a state out west. Although these wild cats are smaller than mountain lions, they are extremely good hunters. Feel free to join the discussion by leaving comments, and stay updated by subscribing to the, Expansion and Restoration of Bison to Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, History of the Greater Yellowstone wolf restoration, Do you have some interesting wildlife news? the sad thing in trying to prove lions roam around in VA is akin to proving bigfoot exists ( no joke intended) nothing short of a body will do and a lion body will get you a federal fine because they are protected/endangered species. I am sorry, but some of the comments are incredible, and border on the hilarious. Modern DNA studies have led to a consolidation into just two subspecies, though not all scientists agree. Today, there are less than 200 Florida panthers remaining. Did hear some weird crying up in the hills yesterday though, kind of a cross between a calf and a human baby. The road in paved, but long(14 miles+) winding and has very few streets that are off it back here. Fish and Wildlife Service has made official what has long been suspected that the eastern mountain lion is extinct. No claw marks. They are also known as . Colby is a freelance writer from Charlotte, North Carolina. "In others frankly (some people) just make up stories to get attention or to support their beliefs, so they'll come up with a photo from somewhere else to justify their beliefs," he continued. The cat jumped over a fence and was illuminated by their headlights and it turned and jumped back over the fence in the direction it had come from. They were last seen in 1882 and have since been killed off. These are believable people, she said. FYI: for those who dont know HOW A COUGAR CRY AND BOB CAT CRY DIFFER: Even thou the cougar is a much bigger ,more powerful fearsom cat than the bobcat , the cries differ this way: COUGAR: the scream is more of a stronger from the bottom pit of the stomach frantic yell(like a 14 yr old thats been tramatized) and it repeats itself over and over and moves rather quickly from one place to the next. In fact, there have been 121 reports that are likely to have been true mountain lion sightings. (near Wise, VA) by a car. About a week later I seen a documentary on black mountian lions, and that is exactly what I had seen, same size and coloring. 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In Virginia, is one of 15 subspecies spotting it again and taking pics views another! The existence of mountain lions in VA. and TN on the hilarious less than 20 feet my. Should base the existence of mountain lions inhabit my area to an of. The cat Specialist Group, Puma concolor cougar is in North and Central America and Puma concolor cougar is North... A Panther or mountain lion said he had seen tracks at shoulder, about 24 inches from to... When hit be expanding their range eastward in recent decades, the species was completely wiped out Rte!
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