Way back in 1977 I was firebossing a mine in McDowell Co WVa. Has anyone else seen a large cat in the Campbell County area? I initially thought it was a bear, until it ran, jumped a 5 foot pasture fence with ease, and landed about 4 feet from the fence. One reason is that admitting to their return would require counting/protection as they are an endangered species. It was a brownish tan in color and was at least as large as my yellow lab. 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. Not much rain in these parts since early August. All these so-called sightings yet no evidence of a breeding population, despite all the research done by biologists and the states? No, its one persons opinion of the world around them as they exist in it. I, on more than one occassion heard the screams of what sounded like a woman who needed help. Due to an abuse of hunting privileges, the species was completely wiped out. I called the game warden, but they told me they didnt exist in this area. Could it be? We got a clear enough look at it to even distinguish what appeared to be some some kind of scarring, or maybe it was just dirt streaks, on its upper right hind leg. We have seen a 50 pound bobcat at our pond. We got a phone call last night that one of our neighbors (in Midlothian, VA) saw a lion in the back yard. soon after, a report appeared in the wash. post about a squirrel-hunting ranger/game warden who spotted 2 pumas. I have a 2 year old grandson and a small dog and cat. Mountain Lions and Their Historic Range in West Virginia. I grew up in NW Virginia near the Shenandoahs and have heard folks mention seeing mt. There is no reported melanistic phase of cougars or pumas in the literature. Ok, me again. The Concord Mountain Lions are the athletic teams that represent Concord University, located in Athens, West Virginia, in NCAA Division II intercollegiate sports. Definitely not a dog, too big for a cat. While it's highly unlikely that you should happen upon one, keep in mind that they can spook easily and charge. Now, the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission estimates that the population has reached at least a couple dozen. We know theres at least one there, and if we get reports of a cougar causing damage then theres a possibility well need to investigate that. This was kind of cool to me so I was on the lookout for any other animals, also keeping in mind that they might run onto the road. 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. The cat was totally black with a long tail. It sure sounds like the same picture. The Florida Panther was also listed as a separate subspecies, Puma concolor coryi. Do you think what I heard may have been a cougar or a mountain lion? At a second glance, we knew that it couldnt be deer. Many years ago when my dad was just a kid, he was walking home after dark and a large black cat was walking off the dirt road along with him. Plenty of squirrel and turkey too. Finetune Your Skills in Patrick County, Va. Not many I bet, and there are thousands of those out there. In October, 1987, a cougar & cub was seen by a U.S. Forest Service crew in western Shenadoah County. It was moving through the woods twards a water source but not in the open. I have photos of the kill. 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. In Sept 2007 while on my job I was driving in Page County in a rural area just west of Stanley and I saw a large cat and its cub on a dirt road just west of Stanley. I called my neighbor as soon as we got home and told her the tale and she responded Yeah, I have heard several people say they have seen them up here. Which shocked me even more that she wasnt surprised! Virginia has two different native species of wild cats. I thought that cougars were hunted to the point of extermination in Virginia, I was wondering if anyone could confirm or deny my sighting with what little information I had I just think in would be really cool if they were moving back into these mountains. Dec 27, 2022. 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. I believe he sat to hear where that cry was coming frompossibly. "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 West Virginia Wildlife Center . It screeched two more times then seemed to move off. In Nebraska, the mountain lion is the largest carnivore. For information call SML State Park, 540-297-6066. Its actually kind of scary if you think about it. Admission is $6 for ages 16 and over, $2 for kids 6 to 15 years old, and free for . Instead, these sightings are likely captive cats that were intentionally or accidentally released or traveling cats from a state out west. Holly Kuchera/Shutterstock.com. He envisions calls from parents, too afraid to send their kids out to the bus stop knowing theres a mountain lion within miles of the area. The mountain lion was lying down in the snow. Im just waiting for ANY government agency to admit there are mountain lions in the state before someone shoots one and says Ooops I didnt know they were endagered. In reality, the mountain lion had escaped from a nearby property, where it was being held captive along with three other mountain lions. It saw my movement, froze and growled. Officially, mountain lions have not been seen in Virginia since 1970. Mountain lions are known by many names, including cougar, catamount, painter, panther, and puma. Mountain Lion. Ihad only one game warden to believe me. They plan on going back to that area with their camera in hopes of spotting it again and taking pics. Wonder why so many big black cats ae spotted all over the country then?? This could cause an issue because they could go after livestock and cause problems for humans. Fish & Wildlife Resource declared the eastern cougar extinct, LaRue said. NEW VIRGINIA, Iowa (KCRG) - Law enforcement have confirmed mountain lion sightings in central Iowa. 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. 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?. According to the Cat Specialist Group, Puma concolor cougar is in North and Central America and Puma concolor concolor ranges throughout South America.2. A huge buck jumo out in front of us right then so we assumed it had smelled cat or that the cubs mother was hunting. I looked outside & about 300 ft. behind my house was a panther. i have heard of several sightings in buckingham co. and our local sporting goods shop (bass, bucks,and more) has a game camera photo displayed with a mt lion on it that the owner said it was taken in martinsville va. From: Big J. I walked to my car and turned my lights on. me and a budy were spotlitting for deer [no guns i might add we were coming down off cold mountin fields saw two solid black cats run up some rocks both were about 60 to 70 pounds aim sure it was cougars i hut these mountains all of my life bear hunt coon hunt deer and evret thing eles but i thing its a small population and they move around travling from parts of amherst nelson trew shandoua park and west va beleive me or not i also told peple thre were coyotes in these mountain 26 year ago and peple thout i was crazy. Once they described an animal that was nearly the same color as a deer but knew it couldnt be because it had a long tail. 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. This seems strange for late in the summer. My friend and I couldnt believe what we had just witnessed. If a mountain lion walks around an area enough, many different humans will notice. A little more certain, I took a kodak camera along and started taking pictures. Police say man who pointed gun at officers in area of Route 250 Bypass is dead, ACSO looking for suspicious man in the Weyers Cave area, Wreck cleared after crash shut down Woodrow Wilson Pkwy near Staunton, Waynesboro man arrested after eluding police, WPD says, Autopsy shows man in Jefferson Co., Ala was attacked by pack of dogs, Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction resigns, Bond denied for owner of dogs accused of dogs deaths, Pilot identified in fatal plane crash near Hillsville, Charlie Obaugh RV & Outdoor Student Athlete of the Week. It was about 100 pounds with a tail about 3 feet long. I recently sent a comment asking if anyone has seen a wolf in Virginia. We finally got her settled down, put Andy back in the pasture and went back to bed. Why? The numerous Panther Knobs and Panther Runs found across the state provide evidence of this animal's wide presence and its influence on the minds of early Mountaineers. 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. I live in Montgomery Co, and was wondering if you could tell me where exactly you saw the cougar in 2002 in Floyd county. Others, including the park ranger she met that day and wildlife experts shes reached out to since the sighting, are skeptical. In a Facebook post, the Madison County and Warren . When I told another fellow that lives near there, he said he had seen tracks. And my car lights revealed a 3-year-old or so male Mountain Lion. 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 in Virginia: How Theyre Here and Why Its Denied. In the subsequent photos weve gotten of cougars, there wasnt any evidence of any kind of wound or anything on it, Peterson said. I would like to add it to my collection if possible. They prefer deer.. It was not afraid of the dog at all, it walked back up in the woods and paced back in forth on a log. It was a state car. I truly look forward to a repeat performance, but highly doubt I will happen upon such a circumstance of chance with the enigmatic creature. We do have pictures of that! Speculating that they were mountain lions, we drove to a distance of about 250 yards away to take a second glace. While this may be incredible, it is still ways off. 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. The agency noted that the initial listing was an error, and the species had been extinct long before the 1973 listing:4. In fact, bobcats take down prey that weighs as much as 8 times their weight when the situation arises. My first thought was, I gotta chase this thing, Marchibroda said. of Wildlife. Whether its via Appalachian Trail or some random place in the woods near my home, I almost always encounter some sort of larger mammal. They called the police and were told that they had many reports in the last couple of days about what seemed to be the same animal. A litter of bobcat kittens even started living in my friends open barn because they were obviously abandoned. It's nearly impossible to imagine, but elk once roamed freely here in Virginia. He slowly began walking backwards toward to the house and luckily got inside without incident. From a Biologists point of view, of COURSE cougars inhabit the Eastern United States..with all the sightings over the last 20 years, thats a given. He charged at the Fish and Game guy in the process. The species can adjust to different habitats anywhere from mountains to forests to swamps. The folks living in those areas, at least in WV, mostly keep to themselves and most of those folks do not have computers. I hope that maybe I can find a place I can place a trail camera nearby to search for it. 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. Cat scratching (claw marks) in a 60 deg arc, drawing back to a point about 2.5 3 feet from the edge of the 4 foot arc. When I was young they killed a cougar at Stone Mountain. According to the rangers, there was an ongoing debate as to whether or not it was an authentic photo. He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News. I suppose it could have been a super-sized coyote or an interbred coyote. Hellol. I also know numerous credible people that have seen them in the Blackstone, VA area over the past 10 years. It had been sent to him on his cell phone. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. It's not the first time the same photo has been used to make claims of local sightings. This normal school was founded by veterans of both the Union and the Confederacy, Concord is named for the ideal of "harmony and sweet . 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. When Dr. Michelle LaRue began her graduate studies in 2005, the state of Nebraska had virtually no mountain lions. Although they still live in North America, there arent any wild populations (save for one) on the east coast. Make noise by speaking loudly and firmly at the lion, slapping a stick, or clapping slowly and loudly. Yes, most sightings, if not all of them have to be taken on 100% trust in the person who has it. Can they fix it so it looks like it was from Caroline. As for photos circulating via social media, he thinks it may start out light humored and then get carried away. (Shooting a mountain lion is illegal in Tennessee, given that theres no hunting or trapping season for the animal, but Alan Peterson said the hunter didnt believe hed mortally wounded the animal, and the case has been turned over to a District Attorneys office to determine whether or not the hunter will be charged.). The other ignored us. Today, there are less than 200 Florida panthers remaining. The road in paved, but long(14 miles+) winding and has very few streets that are off it back here. On June 17, 2015, the U.S. 0. Source: Wikipedia, Cougar. By Bill Cochran. Also one of my buddies friends that owns a house in remote Forest took a picture of a mountain . There is wide open space there, high cliffs, and an abundance of deer. To learn more about "lion country" in Colorado check here. A MOUNTAIN LION did in fact attack one of our horses early this morning, just before daylight. The graceful animal was golden brown in color. They're nocturnal and notoriously sneaky, so seeing one in the wild is a truly unique experience. (we have more of both in these parts of Virginia, lots more sheep and lots more coyotes.) Officials explained the deceased animal must have wandered from the Black Hills of South Dakota. But even when a new population does begin to grow, LaRue said the likelihood of crossing paths with them will still be miniscule. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Virginia Taylor Painting on Porcelain Mountain Lion Puma at the best online prices at eBay! Most sightings occur in Shenandoah National Park and in Bedford, Amherst and Nelson County region. Published: Oct. 12, 2022 at 9:17 AM PDT. Despite repeated claims on Facebook and other social media outlets, it's highly unlikely wild mountain lions live in Virginia. As I slowed the cat took notice and turned. I remember it freaked my dad out a lot because he had several small children. The fur was short and the common light red-brown hue of a cougar. Thanks for any help, as plenty claim they are here also. He got up and armed with only a flashlight he ventured outside to see why the horses were so restless and upset. It moved with grace and without sound. But recent expert-confirmed sightingswhich have involved photographs, videos, and DNAin Tennessee support a theory that mountain lions, whose populations out west have continued to expand, are slowly making their way back to this side of the country. Source: Public Domain Pictures, Ancestors of the cougar (also known as catamount, mountain lion, bobcat, puma, panther, painter, wildcat, and ghost cat) crossed into North America roughly 8 million years ago, and the species Puma concolor evolved around 400,000 years ago.1. 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. Its a gradual process, and especially in the early years of a repopulation, any sightings are most likely of males. The young cougars stay with mom for 1-2 years and slows down all migration to the east. We know they were two different animals because the tail-tips were different. The next morning I found a large track in soft dirt. Staunton entrepreneurs tackle urban farming. This animal is about 4-5 ft long not including about a 30 inch tail. Jaguars can be black with black spots, so if indeed you saw a large cat, someone let loose a black jaguar. Whatever it was was big and right under my window. My father owns property in Floyd, VA in an area where many of the land owners are not activly using their large acreage properties. Contact the AZ Animals editorial team. In grad school I worked with a lot of the wildlife and natural resources folks at VT. Experience Shenandoah: Make Memories That Will Last a Lifetime. My uncle always swore he saw a mtn lion on the family farm in Montvale in the early 1990s sitting at the treeline across a field watching him as he worked with his pigs. The mountain lion (Puma concolor) is sometimes called cougar, puma, catamount, and panther. Tried to track it with the game warden but never found it. It glanced in my direction but the headlights seemed to blind it and it proceeded to cross the road and enter the grass on the other side. It almost took the tail of the cat as long to pass from my view and did the body. I saw one questionable critter a few years ago but I cant say 100% it was a lion. I think the nuts are attracting game, and a lion is preying. One particular sub-species, the eastern cougar (Puma concolor cougar), called the state home. When the game wardens in this area are called they often do not investigate b/c the sightings have become so frequent. Today, we are going to be learning about where they live. Harsh winters can[], Thanks for dropping by! She has really bad gashes on her front leg, shes lame. In that area the roads have never been paved. On another ride our oldest daughter described a cat that was smaller but she said the color was different it had spots. Secondly, the sightings of mountain lions are likely the result of escaped or released animals that were once captive. Male cougar territories are pretty big, and thats why they have to disperse farther than females, LaRue said. I dont really know why, because I dont really think it ever existed.. 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