You may have seen a cougar in the East, but it wasn't an eastern cougar.

Posted At : March 2, 2011 8:00 AM | Posted By : Meagan Racey
Related Categories: northeast_ecougar_blog, mountain lion, extinct, puma, cougar, endangered

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has concluded an extensive review of all available information about the eastern cougar, which is on the endangered species list. Though many people have reported seeing cougars in the East, Service biologists have found no scientific evidence of the eastern cougar subspecies since the late 1930s.

They have concluded that the subspecies known as eastern cougar is extinct. The cougars that many people have seen in the East from Maine to South Carolina originally may have been kept as pets or for exhibition and originated in the West or in South American.

Service biologists will prepare a proposal to remove the eastern cougar from the endangered species list.

Please share your cougar stories with us by e-mailing them to meagan_racey@fws.gov or leaving them as comments on blog entries.

Bruce Wright, New Brunswick wildlife biologist and author, with what is believed to be the last eastern puma.
Credit: USFWS

See more at http://www.fws.gov/northeast/ecougar, including:

* News release about the review

* Questions and answers about the review

* Fact sheet about eastern cougars

* Podcast of endangered species biologist Mark McCollough discussing his work on the review

* 2010 review of the status of eastern cougars

* 1982 recovery plan

* Anecdotal stories from people who have seen cougars

* Links to other cougar sites

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The Northeast Cougar just may be extinct but I spotted a brown-black cougar heading north down the center of Rattlesnake Gutter Road here in Leverett MA USA in the Spring of 2009.

The cougar was walking slowly with its head straight ahead and a bit down. I looked at the cougar and the cougar stopped and turned its head to the left and looked back at me and then continued on its way north. To date that has been my first sighting of a cougar here.
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# Posted By Lewis S. wrote | 3/2/11 11:41 AM

Ive been to several small general stores in the Berkshires while driving truck the last 20+ years. Ive seen pics caught on trail cams of eastern cougars mainly around great barrington to Canaan ct.

# Posted By rightforlife | 3/2/11 5:53 PM

We lived in Lincolnton, Ga in 1986 toward the bottom of the peninsula that runs south into their big lake. At the end was a big wild life reserve. a mountain lion, cougar, whatever you want to call it, was in our yard, jumped into a tree and then the dog barked it away. I was so surprised as I had no idea that they were in the east. It was the size of a medium, large dog and had the long tail. Definitely not a bobcat. About 3 times the size. I called the wildlife services there and they told us that, yes, there were mointain lions there.
N o one can tell me they're extinct!

# Posted By LindaH | 3/2/11 5:58 PM

My family were all born and raised in the Northwest; Washington and Oregon states. Dad grew up in the woods, right across from Snoqualmie Falls in Washington. As he grew up he became a renowned artist and a Forest Ranger, in the 40's before WWII. He and my Mother had four children, and raised us on stories of his adventures in the woods. He didn't embellish his stories; he was a purist, who lived his truth. He had stories of seeing Bobcats and cougars in the woods...and that they didn't show themselves very often. He more often heard them. He was a large man with a large voice, but when he spoke of his encounters with the beings of the forest it was with reverence always. And there is no doubt he did see a few in his lifetime.In the fifties, he moved to Northern California...and had a cabin in the "outback"...back in the 60's. He lived there until he passed in 1995...and there were stories passed around by the locals of bobcats, coyotes and one cougar!

# Posted By Susannah | 3/2/11 6:16 PM

Hampton, CT: I was talking to my sister on the phone and casually looking out the window when a brown-black (almost taupe colored) large cat with smooth, close fur walked alongside my driveway on edge of wooded area. It was definitely a cougar and did not have the stocky look or ears of the smaller bobcat. My housecats were outside, so I ran out the door making a noisy commotion and scared it off into the woods. This was in 2005.

# Posted By elaine | 3/2/11 7:13 PM

Bullpuckie, I've got a trail camera photo of a medium size cougar in the mtns of Webster County,WV. Now if it is eastern or migrated western I don't know but it is smaller and a little darker than the ones I've seen pictures of.

# Posted By Allen L Sutphin | 3/2/11 9:20 PM

we have them in mo but now our turkey and deer pop. are shrinking . bad idea to repopulate them

# Posted By jeff Mo | 3/2/11 9:36 PM

i think this is a bit crazy, where i'm from they are seen all the time, not just bob cats but mountain lions and although scientists say they arent real the black panthers/mountain lions have been spotted around here several times, my own fiance has seen two of them, and right around the ridge from where we live there have been quite a few sightings of them as well as the normal tan colored mt. lions.

# Posted By easternkygirl | 3/2/11 9:38 PM

I have to disagree with the cougar being extinct. summer of 2009 in Hope Nj on a hill top area by the Land Of Makebelieve theme park my brother and I were driving up road on way the Landscaping site when we saw the cougar we stopped and admired its magnificence for at least 20 minutes until it got up and walked away, was the most beautful creature I have ever seen in the wild.

# Posted By Jacob Potts | 3/2/11 9:40 PM

I saw a cougar about 2 years ago on the Alford/Great Barrington line late at nite crossing the street. I have no doubt it was a cougar. I now live at the base of October Mtn. State Forest in Lee and there have been sitings of a cougar around the October Mtn. Village Condos last summer.

# Posted By Mary | 3/2/11 9:52 PM

so let me tell u. they are out there i have seen a couger 2 times. once when i was 9 and then just last spring. ya see i live on a small farm in ohio. last spring i was driving home it was late probably like 11 and i seen it jump across the road. then when i was 9 i remember sitting on the porch with my mom and dad having dinner. and we heard this noise. looked out in the cow field and there it was on top of a calf. the poor thing had to only be a few days old... now my dad can tell you a story about a cougar that killed his best rabbit dog he ever had. and also last year a man that lived down the road a few miles got a pic of one on a trail cam. the pic and a story about the cat was in our local paper. i know they are there because i have seen them and im lucky i have had the chance... one of the small things in life that ppl would pass up on a dime. nope not this man. ill never forget the sight of the cat take one leap across the road and that was it just like that it was gone.

# Posted By luke r. | 3/2/11 11:18 PM

My mom and I both saw one a couple years ago run across the road into the woods in the Goose Creek/Summerville area of South Carolina.

# Posted By Richard I. | 3/3/11 2:16 AM

Eastern cougar is not gone away. I caught a cougar a week before Christmas on my girlfriend's land in Cohocton, NY, and was released back into the wild this past 2010 trapping season. Been documented as well.

# Posted By WALLEYEJO | 3/3/11 5:40 AM

East of the Mississippi? Let's try East of the Missouri River. My ex-husband, long-time Hunter Safety Director and avid hunter, could tell you plenty of tales of sightings. He wasn't one to mince words and when he said he saw one, I believe him!

# Posted By | 3/3/11 6:08 AM

A few years back my dad passed away. However my parents lived in Fla. So my wife and myself planed to leave at 5 a.m. the next mourning. We live at the end of interstate 91 in Derby Line Vt. So that mourning I loaded my family in the car, Just before the first exit south standing on the roadside of the gaurdrail standing there was a cougar. Myself my wife and at least two of my children saw the cat it was maybe 10 feet from my car! But it was definetly a cougar.

# Posted By mark patenaude | 3/3/11 6:14 AM

A few years ago, my daughter and I were driving in Clarenden Vermont on route 133 and a Catamount crossed right in front of our car. It stopped at the top of the hill and watched us. We did stop for a moment to look at this beautiful creature. As a matter of fact about 14 years prior, a Catamount crossed in front of me on route 4 in Castleton Vermont near exit 5. I don't believe that they are extinct since I've seen 2 in Vermont.

# Posted By From Vermont | 3/3/11 6:44 AM

I live in Lyndeborough, NH a mountainous town in souther NH. No doubt about it there is a mountain lion locally. I've seen it on Wilton Rd. The removal of the cougar from the endangered species list concerns me. I don't want some hunter to find and kill it. I don't think a cougar migrated this far east from the west.

# Posted By Dan K | 3/3/11 7:01 AM

There was a mountain lion (cougar) in the woods behind my house in Cherokee County Georgia 10 years ago. several people saw it very clearly.

# Posted By Faye Moore | 3/3/11 7:40 AM

I guess that the Cougers that my friends and I have seen in PA are migrating western Couger. It is rare but thrilling.

# Posted By Bob Lawson | 3/3/11 8:01 AM

To whom it may concern:
I am sure there are people in the community of Whitetop, VA and surrounding areas that would beg to differ with Yahoo's most recent article "Federal researches declare eastern cougar extinct". I know of at least half a dozen people that within the last 2 years have seen them. You should pursue this.

Thank you for your time.

# Posted By Terri | 3/3/11 8:26 AM

Reading article on Eastern Mountain Lion extinct time line , in 1998 Southport Elmira, NY I lived in a small apartment owned by family named Goff area was named Cherrywood, I had an upstair apt for about ten years and my mother now deceased had an apt. on lower level.When my mother became ill I moved into her lower floor apt.While upstairs I frequently saw deer at dusk or dawn and when it became darker many deer. My work shift was 8pm to 2am. In April of 1998 I saw what I first believed to be a golden retriever from up the road private house, I had just come in from work and did not turn the lights on as it would disturb my mother so I sat by the window and observed the animal walking toward the back of the apt. house. When it became so close if the window was open I could have pet it. It was then I realized it was a mountain lion golden in color long long tail,smooth head, it pounced on something like a frog or mouse or rabbit and then leaped about 14 feet into a tree. Since I was a city girl and frequently visited the Bronx Zoo where I had previously lived. I am positive I had observed a mountain lion in what was called the twin tiers at approximately 2am est. I was so amazed and because it was late, I didn't call anyone, I did relay the sighting to several friends who had a camper in the Watkins Glen campground a few days after, A gentleman who was a hunter asked me to repeat the story and I told him where I saw it. Since he didn't understand me about the location , my friend who worked in the phone company with me said Southtown behind Woodbrook nursing home in Elmira NY The animal was most certainly wild and absolutely beautiful , I will never forget coming so close to something so raw and beautiful, they are out there, I saw a magnificient beautiful long tail mountain lion .

# Posted By Helen | 3/3/11 8:27 AM

Have seen NOT one but a couple of sightings in the past 5 years. The first was on the road from V.C. Summer Nuclear Plant near Winnsboro, SC. I was coming up to the Broad River Bridge, they had done some cutting of trees to the right side of the road ahead of me. I saw a cougar slowly cross the road. I slowed up were the trees had just been cut on my right. I saw him up on the small rise going down towards the river. (45 yards away from my car in full daylight at 5:45pm summer time)

# Posted By Rory | 3/3/11 8:30 AM

Second sighting- In North Carolina--The second sighting I saw the same cat over a 8 DAY PERIOD IN THE SAME LOCATION in Lincolnton, NC. He had rolled in some black grease on his left side/shoulder. (Saw this cat from 30 yards away at 12:30 pm summer time)) I saw him in the pasture under some trees. I saw him again in the same pasture a few days later. Then seven days later I saw him cross the road near my home. A neighbor said he had a few chickens missing also. This was off Will Schornce Road in Licolnton, NC. I'm not the only one who saw this same cat. Another neighbor saw the same cat because of this cat had a black stain on his Left Shoulder. I never said anything to anyone about the sighting much less the stain on the left side of the animal. He said he was in a clearing across the street from his house walking on the edge of the woods.

# Posted By Rory | 3/3/11 8:31 AM

Tonight, I read an online article which stated that the US Fish and Wildlife Service had declared the Eastern Cougar to be extinct...possibly since 1973. I was unaware about the endangered status of the Eastern Cougar. However, I am quite certain that my sister and I saw an Eastern Cougar in 1990.

My grandmother lived in a secluded and mountainous village in Eastern Pennsylvania. I spent most of my childhood summers in Andreas, Pennsylvania. My grandmother's home was located at the base of a small mountain next to an wide inlet to the Lizard Creek. She had a long yard with a large garden. Because of the abundance of deer, groundhogs and other wildlife, my grandmother had a chain link fence and gate installed between the base of the mountain and her garden.

During those summers, my cousins, siblings and I spent plenty of time fishing off of the edge of the creek. One day, my older sister and I decided to take a lemonade break. So, we left our gear next to the creek with our cousins and walked to the back kitchen door of my grandmother's house.

As I walked into the back yard, I happened to look at the fence at the back of the yard and garden. I immediately saw an extremely large cat. This cat was larger than I had ever expected a mountain lion to be. Petrified, I called out my sister's name (because she was behind me). She immediately said, "I see it too!"

We realized how large the cat was, because the gate was four feet wide -- and the cat's length appeared to be about twice the width of the gate. As the cat slowly walked by, it turned its head and looked right at us. This frightened me, so I ran up to the porch and screamed, "LION!" (because it was the only thing that I could think of -- and it reminded me of what I thought a lioness looked like). As I ran, I saw the cat walking in the direction of going up the mountain.

Because of the fear in my voice (and knowing that I never was one to cry "wolf"), my dad and uncles immediately bolted out of the house and grabbed some makeshift clubs from the pile of firewood. They assumed that I had seen a bobcat (or something like it), and they were worried about my younger cousins at the creek.

My dad and uncles walked to the back of the yard and looked for the cat as my mother, grandmother and aunts gathered all of the children into the house. My dad and uncles returned a few minutes later and said that they didn't see anything. When my sister and I told them what we saw, they said that we probably saw a bobcat. I knew what a bobcat looked like, so I explained that this cat was much larger, had a long and thick tail and was tan with some gray and slight red coloration in its coat.

This experience was extremely frightening for me (and my sister). For the rest of our stay in Pennsylvania, I never went out into the yard by myself. Several years later, we visited my grandmother just before my senior year in high school. My grandmother had the same gate and fence, so my sister and I used it to approximate the length of the cat. We both agreed that it was approximately 7.5 feet in length.

In short, my sister and I saw what appeared to be an Eastern Cougar during the late summer of 1990. This sighting was in the rural village of Andreas, Pennsylvania. There were no reports of an escaped cougar from captivity. There were no stray domesticated cats in the village either.

While I was in grad school, I described what I saw to a wildlife biologist working with the the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute's Feline Research Center. From the description, I was told that this was probably some type of large cougar. The research scientist assumed that I was describing something from Northern California (where I now reside). I never explained that this was in Pennsylvania.

Perhaps researchers with the US Fish & Wildlife Service should look in that area? I don't know if I may have seen the last (or one of the last) Eastern Cougars. However, this was definitely a large wild cat.

# Posted By Chris | 3/3/11 8:35 AM

I saw a mountain lion up close on Weaverton Cliffs just outside of Harpers Ferry W.V. on the Appalachian trail in 1991. I assure you there was no mistake. I am not sure why I am telling you this....critters have a way of coming back...like turkeys, moose and such. It is my hope this is the case with the cat.

# Posted By Steve | 3/3/11 8:38 AM

My name is Michael Arnold. I live in the town of Ledyard, Ct. where I have resided since graduating from high school in 1980. My family has coon hunted since I was a boy and our dogs were walker hounds.
I don't know if this will make any difference to anyone but I have seen a mountain lion. I don't know if it was an eastern or western mountain lion but I can tell you it stood as tall at the shoulder as the dog and was the same color as swamp grass. Unfortunately it has been many years now since the sighting and the fact that no one believed me didn't help. I not only saw the big cat, but the day after I saw it, I found a print which I got the opportunity to show to my now ex brother in law.
My step father had gotten a walker hound from a friend of his from Maine. In Maine, they hunted bobcats as well as raccoons which is illegal in Connecticut. He had gone out coon hunting with our dogs and the new one earlier in the week and had ended up traveling miles away from where he started because every time the new dog tree barked and my step father went to the tree, the animal would jump out of the tree and the run would start again. Our dogs weren't interested in this quarry so my step father put them up in the truck and spent the rest of the night chasing the new dog "Joe". He figured it must be a bobcat and when it got light out, he finally got the dog. His chase ended almost ten miles away from where we hunt. a large area for a bobcat.
So when the weekend came and I called my step father about coon hunting he told me about the previous hunt and we decided that if Joe started treeing first, instead of our dogs, I would sneak to the tree and hopefully leash him before the bobcat saw me. I can see well in the dark so I wouldn't need the light. The bad news was that Joe started tree barking fifteen minutes after we let the dogs loose. The good news was he wasn't too far away. We drove the truck to another parking area closer to where Joe was and leaving the gun behind as well as the light, I traveled back up the road until I was about even with Joe. Quietly I climbed over the guardrail and down the embankment into what turned out to be a swamp with very little tree growth but alot of deadwood and clumps of swamp grass. I slowly got closer to where Joe was barking up a storm stepping quietly from one grassy clump to the next. When I caught sight of Joe he was standing in front of a large strip of swamp grass looking straight ahead. No tree or even large stump or dead fall for an animal to hide in. I continued forward until he was within my grasp thinking the dog was just insane.
That's when I saw what he was barking at. Just on the other side of that long strip of swamp grass, pacing back and forth was a big tan-ish brown (swamp grass) colored cat with lighter hair under its chin and a tail as long as its body darker at the tip. He was as tall as the dog at his shoulder but his head was down even with them. about the time I saw him, he also saw me and without a sound, he ran to my left around me and after just a swift glance of a stretched out "liquid" cat, he was gone. I luckily remembered to grab the dog collar before he got away because he was planing on chasing this thing forever. I don't understand why the cat stopped where he did or why he didn't attack the dog but it seemed that he was just waiting. Not afraid or threatened by the dog, just "inconvenienced". He sure moved fast though.
I got back to the truck with Joe who was still trying to get to the other side of the road to follow that big cat and relayed what I've written here to my step father. He seemed to believe me.
The next day I was telling my brother in law about the ordeal while walking down the path on the other end of the same woods we had hunted the previous night. it had gotten above freezing with the sun up and while making it pretty clear that he didn't believe me, he noticed a print in the mud. His exact words were " I'd hate to be the one to have to feed that!" I looked at what he was pointing at and there in the mud was a paw print with no claws showing and a large center pad as big as my fist. My brother in law looked more closely and agreed that it looked like a giant cat print. The pad was oval shaped with a slight point on the front end with four round toes evenly spaced across the front. There was only one. what ever made the print had crossed the muddy path while only touching it once.
This all took place at Rose Hill Wildlife Management area in Preston/ Ledyard, Ct. around December of 1990.
As I have said, I wouldn't know the difference between an eastern or western mountain lion but I do know the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion.

# Posted By Michael A. | 3/3/11 8:40 AM

I read the US Fish and Wildlife Service's declaration that the eastern cougar is extinct and I have to disagree. I am from Western North Carolina and know my WNC large animal species pretty well, particularly big cats. I definitely spotted an eastern cougar back in 2003 in the woods near my house. At the time, we lived on the side of a mountain outside of Asheville and I saw everything from the elusive bobcat to black bears and one morning, I spotted an eastern cougar crossing the street and heading into the forest. It was only about 100 feet away from me, so I am sure of what I saw. In addition, my mother, brother, and sister all spotted an eastern cougar cub in our front yard in our next neighborhood in Asheville back in 2007. This one was even closer than the first one I spotted and my family members are sure of what they saw. I thought this information might be of interest to your researchers. Again, I am very certain of what I saw and I know my big cat species.

# Posted By Alecia | 3/3/11 8:42 AM

In May 2010 we saw what we felt could only be a cougar/mountain lion cross the road some 100 ft. from us in Albion ME. It may have moved quickly but we got a good look at the head which defined it and it was at least 4X the size of a bobcat, with long legs.

# Posted By LM | 3/3/11 8:42 AM

I saw the article on the Eastern Cougar being extinct and began looking around the FWS website. I'm not sure if this is helpful in anyway but about 8 years ago I was mountain biking in Wompatuk State Park in Hingham, Massachusetts. As I was coming down a trail with thick brush on both sides I looked to my left when I heard a loud rustle. I saw what could only be described as a cougar running away to my left, approx 30 feet away, but in the same forward direction I was going. Instead of continuing in the same direction I hit the brakes and turned around, pedaling quickly in the opposite direction. About an 1/8 of a mile away I came to a small clearing in the woods surrounded by large boulders. Suddenly a cougar, possibly the same I'm not sure, climbed over one of the boulders and stood on top if it look at me barely 10 feet from me. Turned again and rode as fast as possible down the trail and did not stop for the couple of miles back to the main road.I called the parks department but they insisted nothing like that lived in the park. I had two clear looks at the big cat and it was definitely a cougar. Hopefully it's an eastern cougar but based on what I read I understand that's not likely. Thanks!

# Posted By Greg | 3/3/11 8:51 AM

I lived in Northwest Alabama (Moulton, AL). Upon ready an article tonight, I saw where we could email you with "sightings" of mountain lions, cougars, etc.

It is my believe that my son and I saw a mountain lion about a month ago in our pasture. I noticed it and thought it to be a coyote because we see them all the time. After I looked at it closer, I realized it wasn't. Thought it might have been a big house cat but when it got closer I knew that it wasn't a regular cat. It noticed me by then and started running. That's when i saw the long tail and the graceful way it ran.

I looked on the internet and saw the pictures of the mountain lions. This is what we saw.

If I can help out anymore, please let me know. Thank you.

# Posted By Beth | 3/3/11 8:53 AM

I live on the Buffalo Mountain just outside of Floyd Va. between a 1500acre nature preserve and a 3000 acre land trust. In May 2009, beautiful summer night, sleeping with my window open, I heard a woman screaming. It woke me from my sleep. She screamed about 3 or 4 times. I thought maybe a bobcat, but then a bobcat doesn't make that kind of sound. It wasn't for 2 weeks, I was driving home and 1/4 mile from my house a gorgeous creature jumped from one side of the road to the other, without touching the road at all. She was a golden brown, with black tip ears and a black tip tail. Her body, not including the long tail, stretched the length of the front of my Mitsubishi Endeavor. I tried to watch her run off, but she just disappeared in an instant.It had recently rained so I went back with some plaster of paris, looked for prints for over an hour and found nothing. Like she just floated over the ground. In 4 years I haven't seen a bear, but, I saw this amazing creature.

# Posted By Marcie | 3/3/11 8:58 AM

In reference to the Eastern Mountain lion article about them being extinct. There have been numerous sightings of one in Southern Campbell County in Kentucky. I have seen a game cam with one on it from a reliable source from Campbell County.

# Posted By Megyn | 3/3/11 10:06 AM

i read the article about cougars being extinct in the notheast. in july of 2002, i saw a cougar cross the adirondack northway ( I 87 ), in schroon lake n.y.. was intrigued me was how it crossed the highway in three leaps.

# Posted By John | 3/3/11 10:06 AM

This is regarding the article I just read that mountain lions and how its being claimed that they have been extinct on the east coast since the 1930’s (which is not true). Just wanted to ad a surprise sighting of a mountain lion I saw in Vermont only 10 years ago. About 10pm just 10 minutes from the Mount Snow ski resort, a full grown mountain lion jumped across the dirt road I was driving on. It jumped from the left snowbank to the right snowbank in one bound and it was such a fright for me to see. It was so long from its back paw to its front paw (longer outstretched than the width of my Jeep SUV and its tail was thin strong and really long. I bet if you asked the residents in that area, you will see be able to track the cats down to prove they certainly do exist.

# Posted By FPolli | 3/3/11 10:07 AM

I’ve seen two – one in Vermont – the other in Tucson, Arizona. I’ve never talked about it to the press because they are so precious I didn’t want publicity incite to the Fruitcakes who would go out to hunt them. I live in Cornwall, Vt. In 2003 I was at my neighbors a mile south of my house standing on a hill behind his house – construction of another house was in progress perhaps 400 yards away below in the woods. The lion ambled out of those woods, stomach swinging like an African lion’s, long tail, tawny coat (a very fit animal) front paws articulating as he stepped forward - did not look up to see us – we stood there incredulous. My friends’ wife rushed in to get her camera – no film – brought field glasses. We had a full ten minutes of observation before he walked off. At different times two other neighbors of mine in Cornwall have seen the animal. In 2009 I was a houseguest at a home in Tucson, Az. that lays against the National Forest at the north end of the city up on the Catalinas. An early riser, I looked out on the terrace between my bedroom window and a lap pool – no more than two feet from me stood a lion. I awakened my hosts who grabbed a camera, took photos and for nearly fifteen minutes he made himself at home. He walked to the end of the patio and saw himself reflected in a glass patio door, stopped, studied and then let out the most astonishing ROAR, switched his tail and got down on his haunches to study his “adversary”. Not getting any response he walked to where the patio had gated stairs going down to the desert floor. Without any visible preparation he just launched into the air over the gate landing on a boulder fifteen feet below, and walked off. We called neighbors to tell them to get their dogs in the house. That evening my hosts had a party for some Raytheon engineers – I was standing with one of the engineers at a window describing the morning events when he said, “look down”. Fifteen feet below us laying against the foundation of the house was our friend. Obviously, these beasts are not extinct either in the west or in the east but it is probably best that it not be publicized. With their rarity I feel blessed that I’ve seen two over a relatively short period of time. Frank

# Posted By Frank | 3/3/11 10:08 AM

I saw one (mountain lion) on Gameland Road, in Little Meadows, (Susquehanna County) PA in May 2004 while I was going to our cabin. It was walking across the dirt road that led up from Rt. 858.

# Posted By Barbara | 3/3/11 10:11 AM

Back in '04-'05, not exactly sure which one, myself and 2 buddies were driving to Laurel, Indiana for a day of four wheeler riding. My 2 buddies are brothers, the older was driving, the younger was in the back seat leaned forward somewhat in between us just talking. We were driving on US 52 in southeastern Indiana, east of Rushville on a Saturday morning, if my memory serves me correct probably somewhere between 7-9 am. I was startled cuz I saw an animal I had never seen before walking back into the woods on the right side of the road. We were driving east-southeast bound. As soon as it went out of sight, I looked over at my buddies like did you see that?!?! The driver didnt catch it, but by the look on his younger brother's face, I can tell that he saw what I had seen. It startled both of us cuz you dont see things like that in Indiana. I wrote it off as a being a bobcat and we were all like, cool we saw a wild bobcat for the first time. I was wrong. I did research on bobcats and bobcats dont have long tails. I really didnt find much on what fit our description of what we saw. This morning, I saw this picture on yahoo of the eastern cougar. This fits our description EXACTLY, TO A T, of what him and I saw. Here's the thing though, by the time we caught a glimpse of it, only the hind quarters, probably the back half of the animal, was visible. But it has the same tail, its the same color, same big paws, and has the same odd bend to its back legs just above the paw area. What we saw in person wasnt quite as big as the one in the picture, but doesnt miss it by much. Maybe it wasnt full grown, I dont know. I even put my hand over the front half of the animal to see how it compares to what I recall. IDENTICAL. We were driving in Franklin county when we seen this. Near the towns of Midway, Metamora, going towards Brookville. This area is the beginning of the Ohio Valley and is VERY "woodsy," hilly-some would even say mountainous, has numerous creeks and waterways, and scarce population. Like I said, I have looked at numerous pics before and nothing really stood out until I saw the pic on yahoo and then your blog. This is absolutely the closest thing I have EVER seen to what we saw that day. If it could have been anything else, I would love to know what it was. That was one of those moments in life that you get so caught off guard, that you never forget it. Thanks for reading.

# Posted By Rick | 3/3/11 10:16 AM

My name is Rose and I'm from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. About a couple of months ago my dad called me at 1:30am stating that he saw something that appeared to be a cougar walking across the street on N. Craig St. in the central area of the city of Pittsburgh. I told him that he must been mistaken it was a dog or something. He gave me the description and told me how the animal moved. I said yeah and went back to sleep. Then in January 2011 my boyfriend and I was in Wexford, Pa a area outside of Pittsburgh coming from a car dealership and as we're driving down the road something that I know was a cougar ran across the road in front of our car and others cars. Some people stopped or put on their brakes, the animal continue to run across this parking lot into the woods. By viewing these photos and reading how the cougar moves, I know for a fact what I seen was definably a cougar. I think y'all need to check the forests of Pennsylvania and surrounding cities to make sure.

# Posted By Rose | 3/3/11 10:44 AM

you guys need to look for that cougar at prestons ferry arkansas!!!!

# Posted By Vedgar | 3/3/11 12:01 PM

I watched a Cougar in my backyard October of 2009 Rockland County , NY. for a good 20 seconds.At first i though it was a bobcat /pointy ears is all i saw untill he/ she climbed up out of the brush for me to see the beautiful brown almost burnt orange and dark brownback markings the long tail gave it away.Guess my chances of winning lotto are shot:)They .. the Cougars are in my area. Ramapo Mountains, New York ( approx 25 miles NW of NYC)As i share my experience with people over the last 2 + years i have come across several people have seen them alive (i don't share this with just anyone) and unfortunately 2 reported hit on the road.I feel it is best for the officals NOT to bring this to public attention, for the fear of plan old public pannic,un professional hunters and trappers.Unless they become harmfull to us or themselves, then to ask for professional assistance.BTW: i do know the difference between a bob cat, a coyote,( we have 3-4in our neighborhood) a deer( 6-8 ) or a dog.LOL

# Posted By Loretta | 3/3/11 5:49 PM

you know, wish there was a way to post photos on here that way if anyone had any photos they could share them on here, maybe get the people who say they have info that the cat's are no longer in the eastern US, to take a second look, maybe they would have a better idea of where to take surveys or something b/c they've been seen alot around here

# Posted By kychick | 3/4/11 12:18 AM

Too bad, given the abundance of white-tailed deer and all the edge habitat that's out there now.

# Posted By Alan C. Gregory | 3/6/11 10:09 AM

I am an avid hunter in NJ specifically in the Bridgewater, Liberty Corner, Baskingridge area (Mountainous area). I was squirrel hunting with my father (flintlock smoothbore muzzleloaders) in the mid 90's after Shlay Mnt. was destroyed to add the Hills community (very sad).

In the evening we sat down to call in some squirrels and thats when the MOUNTAIN LION walked right out infront of us about 50 yards on a logging road. Distinct long tail lion looking cat, very easy to see very easy to tell it was a Mnt. Lion. Luckily it had rain earlier in the week.

My father and I ran home grabbed some shotguns, my mother with a camera, plaster of paris, and flashlights.Came back to the farm and took a cast of a great footprint (framed and hung up), took pictures of its perch with our deer guts dragged around tree he was eating, trees that he clawed (soft cedar trees), and a perfect intact scat with deer hair and other animal hair mixed in.

As we all left he let out a growl that made our hair. stand.

# Posted By Steve | 3/22/11 10:20 AM

Me and my brothers were in the Canaan Valley in Tucker County, West Virginia on November 3, 2010 hunting Grouse & Woodcock and we were driving the Canaan Loop Road when we saw a Black Mountain Lion/Panther cross the road in front of us.

At first we thought it was a Black Bear until we saw the long tail, then we thought it has to be mountain lion or panther. We guessed that somebody released it from a zoo or an animal farm. We talked to the WV DNR and they laughed and asked if we were drinking or dreaming.

Has anybody else reported seeing a black mountain lion in Tucker County?

# Posted By | 4/5/11 12:08 PM

WIFE AND I SPOTTED A HALF GROWN COUGAR CROSSING HIGHWAY 219 IN 2008 IN JUNE,NO MISTAKING THE DARK GRAY COLOR AND LONG TAIL,THIS HAPPENED NEAR ST. MARYS PENNA.

WIFE,S SISTER SPOTTED FULL GROWN COUGAR NEAR HER BARN NEAR MARTINSBURG IN 2006,CALLED GAME COMM;THEY IN TURN TOLD HER SHE WAS MISTAKEN,THAT THERE AREN;T MOUNTAIN LIONS IN PA'
63

# Posted By CLAIR B. GLASS | 6/11/11 4:44 PM

So whom are we to believe? Biologists who prior to necropsy say the lean and fit dead CT cougar is probably an escaped pet? Or scores of East Coast citizen cougar reports spanning decades? Which observation is more of a stretch?

# Posted By Fred | 7/6/11 1:27 AM

I saw a black cougar in Richland Township, PA around 3:15 on July 9 2011. I got a great look at it, for a long time, and there is no doubt that is what it was. I called PA Game Commission to report the sighting and was told I was mistaken - no cougars in PA. I told the old coot on the phone that I have a BS in Wildlife Biology and a Ph.D. in Forest Biology and I know what I saw. He said it was a labrador retriever. Since then I have seen so many similar reports about this reaction by PGC - why are they allowed to do this?

# Posted By Marianne B. | 7/11/11 5:29 PM

A mountain lion(s) has been be sighted by three individuals near my home in NW NJ three times in the last six months. I am assuming it has been the same cat, however the possibility remains that different animals were seen. I reported the July 14 sighting NJ Fish and Wildlife's Endangered & Nongame Species Program Northern Office. The agent who fielded my call reacted with bureaucratic hubris and flatly informed me there are no mountain lions in New Jersey. This would appear to be a common policy in Pennsy as well. I will write to my state and federal representatives asking that this policy be changed.

# Posted By alex cornella | 9/30/11 2:28 PM

I let my dogs out at 2:30AM on 2/6/12 and luckily I was outside with them when I heard the growling of what was either a bobcat or a cougar. It was so dark that I couldn't see anything, but it kept growling and I wasn't going to wait till it pounced down from a tree or over the fence. I grabbed my dogs and hauled ass back inside as fast as I could. I tried to reach the Bucks County Animal control to report this but was only able to leave a message. When I got a phone message a day later I was told that this would only have been a fox. No way- I know what I heard and it was no fox! The local Animal Control Officer won't persue it. I recently saw a deer carcass that had been stripped clean to the ribs right out on this same road. And I had found a few headless rabbits in and around my yard (not done by my dogs who are 15 lb.miniature schnauzers). I guess someone needs to be attacked before we will get their attention. Warminster (Bucks County) PA.

# Posted By jean | 2/9/12 4:02 PM

I saw a large black cat on route 12 which traverses the thin strip of sand that makes up the outer banks a couple months back. It was a late afternoon sighting, the cat was a dull black with a mottled pattern on the head, It was only 70 lbs but I got to study it good enough for me to claim he was a South American Jaguar which is what I now believe is behind the black cat sightings in the US. The Jaguar was in the Pa and Ohio valleys in the 1500s and may have been in remote areas all the time. They are seen often on the Mexico border even now.

I have no reservations about what this cat was after considerable study. The black color means he was in the melanistic phase

Yes, I know, they don't exist!

# Posted By Randy | 7/6/12 10:38 PM

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