It was about 11:30 PM and I was driving an Austin Healy Bugeyed Sprite. According to the Cat Specialist Group, Puma concolor cougar is in North and Central America and Puma concolor concolor ranges throughout South America.2. My mother lives in Orange, and has seen a mountain lion in the past couple of weeks, as well as several years ago. About 6 years ago my husband and I saw a mountain lion cross directly in front of us on Bobbletts Gap Rd, in Bedford County. who knows? Reading these stories and seeing a documentry (Monsterquest) only confirms that there is definitely something out there. In August 2004, a cougar was captured on film near Craigsville, Virginia and identified by professional wildlife biologists of the Eastern Puma Research Network. He got up and armed with only a flashlight he ventured outside to see why the horses were so restless and upset. Do you know what it is? HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - Its a simple question with very different answers depending on who you ask. One of her biggest concerns about the recent declaration of extinction is that any cats in the area (whether western migrants or otherwise) and their habitats wouldnt be protected. We are not stupid people with time on our hands, just a couple out for a drive. I believe that area was once habitat for the red wolf. If you have any copies of these Virginia cats, you should post them or at least the links. People have been reporting sightings of mountain lions in our area for years, but the Virginia DWR says they haven't been in our area since 1882. Beowolf the key to your sighting is the tail . I live in Southwest, VA. that is huge for a coyote and could easily be mistaken for a wolf. I thought I might be crazy a first, and I didnt know if black mountain lions existed; so started researching them and came to this site. 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. I was only able to see from just behind the shoulders down but it was about 16 20 inchs tall and I would guess that it weight a little over 120 pounds if not more. Virginia has two different native species of wild cats. Rabbits everywhere. George, A friend showed me a picture of a cougar, carrying a deer head. #1. Last year the U.S. Since 1970, 121 sightings have been identified as possible mountain lions, but have not been officially confirmed. My dad found tracks and no, not bear, but cat, on our farm in that area and residents have reported seening a pair crossing just a few miles from where dad saw tracks. For about 15 years there were handfuls of confirmations that showed up in the midwest. Native to most counties in Virginia, the bobcat is a . Everyone knows that the panthers that are seen in the East are former pets released. There are so many camera traps now for both research (academic inductions, VDWR and VDACS) and private hunters. I saw a large bobcat at around mile 205-203 heading south on I-81. In the case where two mountain lions had been found locally, it didn't take long for them to stir up trouble. AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) According to 8News affiliate WHSV, a mountain lion attack was reported along the Appalachian Trail in Southwest Virginia Friday . I am in the Linville, NC area and have had several people tell me that they have seen a mountain lion during the past three to four years. One large paw print about 3.5 to 4 inches wide, three distinct inch+ pads (no claw marks). It stood about 3 feet tall, and had a rounded face with low-set ears. I failed to mention the eyes looking at us! About a week later I seen a documentary on black mountian lions, and that is exactly what I had seen, same size and coloring. Well deal with a lot of the same stuff thats related to bears in Virginia. There are just too many of these stories for her to believe that the cats are extinct. Human expansion and economic progress have driven natural predators out of Virginia, giving the deer free rein. I couldnt find any paw prints. 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. It seems common knowledge of all the cats that roam the mountains along the Potomac River in West Virginia. Everyone we have spoken with today said it couldnt be true but my dad (a hunter all his life) and mom both saw its full near silhouette (nearing dusk) in the curve of a road just ahead of them before it disappeared and said it was the size, maybe just a tad bit smaller than my golden retriever (80 lbs) and its tail was as long as its body was and made a point to say it was a cats tail in shape, curving down at the base & up in a slope. These creatures dont call Virginia home, but have been known to stop by for an occasional visit. My husband and I just saw a cougar (mountain lion) while having coffee on our back deck. I saw a friend while out to dinner two weeks ago and he came up and said, You will never believe what I saw last evening at my place. I said, What did you see? The traffic was moving quickly but he had no doubt that it was a cougar. 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. He was licking his coat. When rounding the corner in the driveway, my headlights illuminated a light reddish brown cat in a sitting position looking toward my house. I kept hiking and went all the way to HWY 19E where I slept in a shelter half a mile from the road. Sometimes you may hear it end in an agonizing high pitche scream. I see cats and cat signs pretty regularly where I live now, but have never heard this sound again. Does anyone want to speculate about the Appalachians being populated by African Lions? It was shocking to see something so unexpected! Ive seen plenty of foxes in the woods around here and I thought maybe it was a fox in pain. The cougar has not been confirmed in Virginia since 1882, but there are increasing signs they have returned to the state. 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 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. I would like to add it to my collection if possible. The eastern cougar, which occurred in West Virginia, is one of 15 subspecies . Thanks. In 1979, The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries cited the mountain lion, or puma or cougar, to be an endangered or threatened animal in Virginia. Interesting enough on October 28 just over two weeks later it was reported on the local news that two women had seen a mountain lion in Bon Air. 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 . Upon seeing the lights, he turned around and ran into the woods. When my lights shined in its eyes I was pretty sure that what I saw was a mountain lion, but then again I only got a short glimpse of it. As a result, multiple sightings across different time ranges could be attributed to the same cat. Virginia's mountain lions were once on the endangered species list and in 2011, they were declared extinct. The Mountain Lions compete as members of the Mountain East Conference in all fifteen sports. Originally, mountain lions lived across the entire continent of North America. 100% sure? I aimed my light in the direction and it was a huge cat halfway up the tree staring at me. 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. Their conclusion: "Sir, you don't have a mountain lion.". No other vehicles were immediately around me. My husband saw it too. It had a tail just about as large as the body. Three months later a mountain lion was wiped out by an SUV on a highway in Connecticut. "At some point we must draw a line across the ground of our home and our being, drive a spear into the land and say to the bulldozers, earthmovers, government and corporations, thus far and no further. If we do not, we shall later feel, instead of pride, the regret of Thoreau, that good but overly-bookish man, who wrote, near the end of his life, If I repent of anything it is likely to be my good behaviour. Eastern cougars (mountain lions) do not have a native, self sustaining population in New York State. Until recently, Los Angeles' most famous lion, P-022, lived in Griffith Park, just north of Hollywood. Theres just too few of them. They were last seen in 1882 and have since been killed off. Did hear some weird crying up in the hills yesterday though, kind of a cross between a calf and a human baby. In November of last year, a giant cat with a long tail wandered in front of Tennessee resident Austin Burtons deer camera on his familys farm in Humphreys County. A few minutes later another hunter came down from his stand on the same mountain and said, hey youll never guess what I saw this morning. 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. October 2007, Patrick County, VA. It was approximately 5 ft. long & 2 ft. high. Not much evidence but plenty of stories. OUR DEER POPULATION IS SO RIDICULOUS THAT A COUGARE WOULD HAVE PLENTY TO FEED ON-JUST WONDERING WITH THE LAKE AND HIGH POPULATION OF DEER, IS THIS POSSIBLE. Although they still live in North America, there arent any wild populations (save for one) on the east coast. I was only about 50 feet away. It was slinking off up a hill after crossing the road, he said it was 100 + lbs. I stress that this is not a joke so please write it anyone knows how to reduce the distortion of the photos. When very quietly without any noise I saw movement coming out of a clearing. For the first time in years, these cats are on the rebound and extending their range further into their historic regions. Has anyone else seen a large cat in the Campbell County area? Misidentification is typically caused by poor lighting conditions at the time of the sighting. Unless of course you already know this and are relieved to know that it is not that of the great puma . As my friends wife was leaving, she looked out the window and said that saw what she thought to be dear. And yet, there have been more than a few bizarre sightings over the past few decades that have us scratching our heads. I keep a compost heap in the edge of the woods which attracts possums and other small critters. Because of how they hunt, they need to basically be able to hide and creep up on their prey. any sightings in Roanoke Co.? The Mountain Lion will return to feed on the prey for up to 10 days. We camp along the Potomac on float trips and always see and especially hear them at night. 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. You'll receive your first newsletter soon! As we came to a stop, it calmly walked away crossing a short grass field, into the woods. It finally took off on the other side of the road into the woods, and I made a U-turn to the nearest farmhouse! The last cougar in Virginia was killed in Washington County in 1882. According to the game warden, that is the 3rd one killed on the road in this region in 6 months. Have you spotted any shocking creatures in Virginia? Its not really realistic to think that they have a chance to survive very well in Virginia currently. Michael said. " If it hadnt been the last day of our trip, I would have gone back to look for tracks to possibly photograph! Mountain lions go by many names, including puma, cougar, and panther. Its been dry. And yet there are numerous reports of hikers and residents spotting these creatures, especially in the mountains. I know another person in Albemarle Co. who sees them sunning regularly there and has for years. He was a beauty! If they are in Virginia, shouldnt there be a photo by now from a camera trap? This isnt just hearsay.. If a mountain lion walks around an area enough, many different humans will notice. Tracks found near Holy Cross Monestery in Clarke Co, Va have been identified as a cougar by a USDA zoologist. It was such a chilling sound at 1:30 in the morning. Virginia is home to a bounty of beautiful wildlife, including some magical animals that any of us would be lucky to spot. I saw them 11 times within 3 weeks. On Saturday, Sept 28, 2008, at 7:20am, I was on my way to Warrenton from Midland (7 miles southeast of Warrenton). The boys and dogs went back to the old beaver pond. As we were approaching the Mabry Mill area, my daughter said excitedly hey dad, look, a bullmastiff (we bred them in Ct, and still have 2 adult males as pets). Though they are pushing steadily eastward from the Rockies. A French naturalist created the name "cougar" by combining "puma" with "jaguar." For an "In the Valley" episode, I investigated . The Roanoke Times. For those who dont believe in the sightings or tales of the eastern cougar, it is a misjudgment to criticize others for their experiences. Pretty much the same thing as we read here. (we have more of both in these parts of Virginia, lots more sheep and lots more coyotes.) She believes that North American mountain lionsincluding the Florida panther, which she said is protected because they are considered a distinct population segment via the Endangered Species Actare essentially all the same, without enough genetic distinctions to justify differentiating the western and eastern subspecies. It was a juvenile mountain lion. Where are mountain lions in Virginia? Mountain Lions in New York. There have been sightings of mountain lions in Virginia since the late 1800s, and its tough to imagine that every single one of them is misidentifying or lying about their experience, but it doesnt help that there hasnt been any physical evidence of mountain lions found either. Long may they thrive. ", "These cats are moving east looking for new territory," Renee O'brien posted on Facebook. This picture seemed to have been at night. You can also count Randolph, Upshur, and Webster countys in W.VA. My dad, his dad, and myself can vouch for those three. To his credit he told them that some one must be feeding this cat steriods and sewed a three foot tail on him or her. We saw the first one on route 610 (Busted Rock Road) just southeast of Vesta. Speculating that they were mountain lions, we drove to a distance of about 250 yards away to take a second glace. Sometimes relatively together and sometimes on opposite sides of the trail. He was concerned that the animal was, not only not affraid of him, but watched him for some time before running off. They dont know that, theyre not genetically testing these animals.. I live in Spout Spring. It was light brown and was definitely a cat, and it had a long tail. Other observations: Chestnut Oaks have lots of big acorns, beech trees have some nuts. I live past the end of the road in the Blue Ridge. Then what? Motion-sensitive infrared cameras have been deployed near Appalachian Trail to try to determine whether cougars are back. A litter of bobcat kittens even started living in my friends open barn because they were obviously abandoned. This is between Fairfax and Reston. The subspecies would no longer be considered "threatened" once three populations were found or established, with each containing more than 50 breeding adults. 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