Mountain lion new york

Cougar Mountain Lion. Mountain Lions were common in the Catskill Mountains in the 's and 's. They were hunted to extinction in mountain lion new york 's and early 's. Aroundall of them were hunted to extinction.

Complete forecast. Those of us who enjoy getting off of Long Island and enjoying the beautiful nature upstate are going to have to wait a little bit longer before we can potentially see a wild cougar. Cougars, also known as pumas, panthers, mountain lions, and catamounts, are — or, were — native to New York. They were once native to the entire continent, but deforestation and hunting reduced their numbers significantly. In the Northeast especially, bounties were put on them due to the threat they posed to livestock. Because of all this, cougars have likely been absent from New York since the 19th century.

Mountain lion new york

Eastern cougars, or mountain lions, are wild felines that resemble the common bobcat, but cougars are larger in size and stature. Their most distinguishing features are their slender bodies, their small, broad, round heads, and most importantly, their long tail, which measures inches. They have short fur that is tan in the summer and gray in the winter. Recognizable markings on cougars include a creamy white color on their muzzle, chin, and belly, and black markings under their whiskers, behind the ears, and on the tip of the tail. The adult cougar is usually feet long, and it weighs between pounds, with an average of pounds. Similar to other species, cougar males are generally larger than females. Cougars are powerful predators, and they prey on a variety of animals. While deer are their preferred prey, they are also known to eat smaller animals as well, such as domestic animals and livestock. Back in the s, European settlers were unaware of the presence of the cougar species in eastern North America, and they confused them with the more well known lions and leopards. Due to their size and predatory habits, settlers soon viewed them as a danger to both themselves and their livestock, so their extirpation from the region began. A combination of mass cougar huntings, deforestation, and market deer hunting contributed to the decline of the eastern cougar population and their near extinction by

In the mids, cougar sightings were rare but still occurred in remote areas, mountain lion new york. The article doesn't mention that some people know exactly what a mountain lion looks like. It should also be noted that none of the Mountain Lions on this page were taken in New York.

New York State officials released in-depth details about an impressive investigation following reports of a mountain lion in New York. Next to the jaguar, a cougar which is also known by common names including puma, mountain lion, catamount, and panther, is the largest North American cat, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. According to the DEC, mountain lions aren't typically seen in New York but there have been a few isolated sightings. Over the years, Hudson Valley Post has reported on alleged mounting lion sightings in or near the region. In June , the Town of Halfmoon warned residents that other residents reported " sightings of a mountain lion. Halfmoon Supervisor Kevin Tollisen later confirmed he told his staff to post the notice on Facebook after a number of residents reported seeing a large animal in their neighborhood.

A rumor has been going around that you can find many mountain lions in the New York area. As of right now, there is a 0 recorded population of mountain lions living in New York. The main reason people believe that there is a mountain lion population is that there have been some reported sightings. However, these are far-off occasions and are a rare sight in the more rural areas of New York state. First, we need to clear up what a mountain lion is. Sure, people use the term mountain lion , but they refer to a specific species living in the area. These are all large cat species that are native to the Americas. What keeps them in the same term is that all of these large cats are covered in tawny-beige fur and are large in stature.

Mountain lion new york

And indeed, when looking at this still shot from a trail cam, this feline does appear to have mountain lion-esque characteristics. The color scheme is on brand, and its musculature is pretty impressive. Here is their official stance on it from their website:. They have been absent from this state since the late s; however, there have been a few isolated sightings. Each sighting involved cougars that are not native to New York. A couple of sightings involved captive mountain lions that escaped from licensed facilities in New York State. In order to prove their conviction, they went out to the exact spot captured on the cam and placed a cutout of an average-sized mountain lion where the creature was. As you can see, if the creature were indeed a mountain lion, it would've appeared much larger on the cam. The DEC claims this was a case of mistaken identity based on an object in the environment taken out of scale. They measured the length of the corn and the width of the trail to further prove their point.

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They can leap horizontally from to feet. Then in February , a Facebook user said a mountain lion was caught on camera in the west park area in the Town of Esopus on Floyd Ackert Road. Male mountain lions average around pounds with ranges of to pounds. They were once native to the entire continent, but deforestation and hunting reduced their numbers significantly. Although cougar spottings are reported every year, the ones in the Adirondacks and eastern forests are currently regarded as an unsustainable breeding population. We found most of our sources refused to contact the DEC with sighting or physical evidence. Mountain Lions - The Daily Star. The adult cougar is usually feet long, and it weighs between pounds, with an average of pounds. However, the DEC could not confirm the animal seen in the photo was really spotted in the region because the person who took the photo didn't contact the DEC so they couldn't investigate. Another resident reported large paw prints. While deer are their preferred prey, they are also known to eat smaller animals as well, such as domestic animals and livestock. A lot of these sightings are cases of mistaken identity because of their similarities to other wild and domestic animals.

Their range extends further south through Mexico , where they are found in nearly every state, to the Amazon Rainforest and the southern Andes Mountains in Patagonia.

Glen Head. You can look at both of the pictures below:. You can read that page here. At the turn of the century, there were a number of eastern states that considered a repopulation of Cougers. The tail does not answer the question. A lot of these sightings are cases of mistaken identity because of their similarities to other wild and domestic animals. This attitude continues with some of his 44 reporting of mountain lions turning out the be domestic kitty cats. Valley Stream. We had no problem finding more then 44 people who have alleged to have seen a mountain lion in New York. The exception is the blurry picture that appears to be a Mountain Lion. Some of the facts on the page are incorrect, but the point is that none of the photos were taken in New York. Hoaxes and photos of the eastern cougar outnumber the credible encounters. However, population range expansion is influenced by mortality levels and public tolerance on the leading edge of that range, and there are a lot of roads —vehicle strike risk — and a lot of humans between New York and existing cougar populations, more so than between western states and the midwestern states where cougars are now seen more regularly. This is the most compelling evidence that it is a Bobcat. Animal Diversity.