NHF&G News: Possible Mountain Lion Sighting in New Hampshire

News from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department September 18, 2009
Phone: (603) 271-3211
Email: [email protected]
For information and online licenses, visit http://www.wildnh.com

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CONTACT:
Mark Ellingwood: 603-271-2461
Jane Vachon: 603-271-3211
September 18, 2009


POSSIBLE MOUNTAIN LION SIGHTING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

CONCORD, N.H. -- The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department today reported that one of its staff members, following up on a routine report of a mountain lion sighting, saw what is believed to be a mountain lion in a rural area of Barnstead, N.H.

Mountain lions are known to exist in the wild in states no closer than Iowa and Florida, so it is not thought to be a dispersing wild animal, but rather is most likely an illegally released pet.

"Survival of this type of animal is typically extremely low as they normally do not have the developed abilities to catch prey on a consistent basis, and/or may have been de-clawed," said Fish and Game Wildlife Division Chief Steve Weber. "If the animal does survive, we would expect to collect hard evidence of its existence in the form of a picture, tracks, scat and/or DNA evidence."

Mountain lions were extirpated from their range in the Eastern United States by the late 1800s, with the exception of the endangered Florida panther. According to the nonprofit research organization cougarnet.org, there have been four confirmed reports of mountain lions in the Northeastern U.S. since 1938.

"The Fish and Game Department receives numerous reports of mountain lions every year," said Weber. "We still have no documentation to confirm their presence. While we do not believe this is a harbinger of a recovering population of mountain lions in New Hampshire, it does add one more credible report to several others we have received over the years."

So Fish&Game actually admitted there might be a mountain lion in the area!

Guess I should keep the young ones a bit closer while hiking...

Wow, Iowa or Floridia is such a long walk for a cat. They would not be from some where closer (like north of the border?) Must be a released animal. I feel better now.

taking down the sarcasm sign now.

I love the statement that "it may be declawed"...or, it MAY not! Whoes going to find out??

So, NH F&G does not believe the longstanding rumors?

http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?t=17683&highlight=mountain+lions

Laurie Maynard said:

I love the statement that "it may be declawed"...or, it MAY not! Whoes going to find out??

Click to expand...

Even if it's been declawed, has it been de-teethed?

I saw one at close-range in a car for about 30 seconds in Atlantic Canada last year. It was running alongside the car. They are hard to mistake. The size and long rope-like tail immediately rules out the smaller and tail-less bobcat, and the tail swinging back and forth rules out the coyote, which runs with tail, differently shaped, pointing down. Further, it was in an area with confirmed sightings even if not a confirmed resident population. It makes more sense to suspect this NH cougar came down from Canada rather than up from Florida!

A hungry declawed cat may be more dangerous then a fed clawed one.

I think it's great. Adds another dimension to the "Wilderness Experience".

Since mountain lions kill with their powerful jaws, I don't see their point!

Housecats are instictual hunters, I don't see why a released pet couldn't progress from scavenging to learning to hunt

I found it a bit strange last night to see "mountain lion sighting" on a local mt bike forum (GA/SC)

I have heard rummors of and on since I moved here 3 yrs ago but this was the first posting. I guess the FL population is traveling thru on their way to NH.

brianW said:

I guess the FL population is traveling thru on their way to NH.

Click to expand...

You mean both of them?

OK maybe not two, but last I heard there were only about 9 or 10 Florida panthers left in the wild...but that's been a few years. Hopefully they're recovering.

I agree with Chip - it's great...time for cat-dodging lessons.

I think the "may be declawed" statement was to add to the belief that the few cats that are correctly identified and seen here in New England are released "pets." How lame is that? Why can't they just admit that they are here and have traveled some distance to find their territory?