Mountain Lions in Connecticut: Fact or Fiction?
After decades of reports, DEEP has only been able to confirm one mountain lion sighting in the state.
Photos
Pdfs
Mountain lions are large predators weighing anywhere from 80 to 180 pounds, the females being on the smaller side, the males considerably larger in size. The mountain lion has been called cougar, puma, catamount and sometimes panther. Along with animals like deer, coyotes and raccoons, mountain lions like to prey on small livestock such as chickens and goats, hunting at night or in the early hours of the morning.
Mountain lions are believed to have once roamed nearly all of the United States. By the early-20th century, however, mountain lions were thought to be nearly eliminated in the eastern half of the United States. To the contrary, there have lately been hundreds of recent reported sightings in the Northeast, including one confirmed sighting in Connecticut.
Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Wildlife Biologist Paul Rego said DEEP “regularly receives reports of mountain lion or cougar sightings and has for decades. We have, however, only been able to confirm one of those sightings (the one in Fairfield county earlier this year).”
Usually, it is another type of animal people have spotted and not an actual mountain lion, he says. Mountain lions have a rounded face, are tawney in color and have a distinguishable long, heavy tail.
The process for confirming a mountain lion sighting through DEEP includes positive identification such as photographic evidence or track identification. Little can be done to confirm sightings like the recent one in East Haddam as “tracking the animal after a sighting is like looking for a needle in a haystack,” since the animal will be on the move and the tracks will have more than likely been washed away. The winter months are easier for identifying tracks since they freeze in the snow.
If you find yourself in direct confrontation with a mountain lion, Rego warns, make loud noises and try to appear larger than the animal. Mountain lions, however, do not usually approach people.
Hunting mountain lions is also illegal, as the animal is on the endangered species list. People caught hunting mountain lions will be fined and potentially serve jail time.
Darrell Lucas
2:31 pm on Thursday, October 27, 2011
Let me quote:
"A mountain lion requires 8 to 10 pounds of meat per day to survive. Its diet consists of deer, elk, porcupines, small mammals, livestock, and pets. Generally a lion prefers deer. Experts tell us a lion kills one deer every 9 to 14 days. (Information compiled from U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, San Antonio, Texas, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Helena, Montana)"
So show me the evidence of a kill. Michael Olzacki is a witness that is credible... sure. But all that Michael Olzacki found was "partial footprints that are consistent with the size of a mountain lion". That's it?
We have hunters and motion sensing cameras all over CT. No evidence has popped up there. Also Deer kills would have been found that shows mountain lion attack evidence.
Michael Olzacki is the same guy who is suing East Hampton because they didn't want him as an animal control officer. In the Middletown Press "Michael Olzacki, who currently serves as the town’s animal control officer, is suing East Hampton for more that $15,000, alleging that his reputation has been wrongly compromised because of the alleged privacy breaches.".
Two big news stories in one week with this guy. Interesting.
If you want to prove that mountain lions are here in here in CT find a kill with mountain lion attack evidence. Shouldn't be hard to find if lions are here.
Gene Bartholomew
3:28 pm on Thursday, October 27, 2011
They are here, too many reports from credible witnesses, the one killed on the highway in Milford was just the one that DEEP could not deny.
The question is are they established, is there breeding? If there is it is just starting, once breeding starts I think we will see an uptick in sightings.
Olzacki saw it then found prints, as to the law suit I do not see a connection, if this was the only sighting in CT in decades I would say " yeah, he may be raising attention" but this is just one of many just in this area.
Darrell Lucas
4:37 pm on Thursday, October 27, 2011
"partial footprints that are consistent with the size of a mountain lion"
Basically this statement says that he didn't find anything. "partial footprints" Ok so the cat was tip toeing? Or they were damaged (the few he found). Where is a photo of these prints? No cell phone photo?
As for the connection he is the animal control guy. If he creates FEAR in his territory then that could incite support for his lawsuit. Perhaps if it gets really scary they may have to give his department a boost in funds to help protect the people from "The Ghost Cat" rated Pg-13.
Gene Bartholomew
2:04 pm on Friday, October 28, 2011
That's what DEEP says, consider the source, they have to save face because all of their BS about the one that was hit is spraying them, like diarrhea.
Gene Bartholomew
2:04 pm on Friday, October 28, 2011
And I'm loving every second of it.
Gordon Hard
5:48 pm on Monday, November 7, 2011
One of our guys (we being Consumer Reports) saw one crossing the road last summer )August 2011). He was driving west on Old Salem Road due south of Lake Haywood and this BIG cat loped across the road, tawny colored with a very long dark-tipped tail. This guy is one of our senior engineers and a very steady guy, not given to panic. This was not a cat or dog or wolf or coyote. Close to four feet long plus the tail, a very big animal. ---Gordon Hard
Gene Bartholomew
7:47 am on Tuesday, November 8, 2011
I believe you, there are too mnay credible people like this seeing them, its sad that as a society many of us don't believe someone unless they have some kind of respectable education or a political position. Funny how it was reported the day AFTER a cat was hit in Milford that a "credible" witness still saw one in Fairfield, credible being a "town employee" as opposed to a "town citizen".
Gene Bartholomew
7:48 am on Tuesday, November 8, 2011
http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/baby-bear-vs-mountain-lion/px650bk?q=Grizzly&rel=msn&from=en-us_msnhp&form=msnrll
This is odd, guess Mountain Lions ain't so tough after all.