I was driving down Valley View lane around 4pm at the end of August 2013 and a large animal, rust color, walked across the road. Curious, I drove closer and slowed down. The animal had stopped among the grass near a small pond and turned its head towards us. It had a long J like tail, short fur coat, cat like head with black on the tips of the ears. It was beautiful. The other members in the car and I realized it was a mountain lion. Before we could get our phone out to take a picture it walked off into the woods. I called DEEP and reported the sighting. I was not taken seriously and told it was a Bobcat. It was NOT a bobcat. After looking at pictures online I am convinced we saw a mountain lion. Submitted by: Rachel
Don’t be surprised, we have idiots working?????at DEP.
Yes but what you describe is a bob cat exactly. I think you were mistaken?
Its not exactly a bobcat, but its not definitely a cougar either. Insufficient info.
Since then I have seen several Bobcats in the area and foxes. What I saw that day was definitely a mountain lion / cougar.
Could there be any possible way a cougar could produce offspring with a bobcat/lynx and create some sort of hybrid? Im wondering if the way ”Eastern Coyotes” came to be (Canadian wolves breeding with Western coyotes as they migrated east) is the same as what we see in some of these creatures in new England pics? Legs longer than regular bobcats,spots but the head is a little bigger,tail longer than bobcats but not ”bobbed”? Ive seen 1 cougar in Waterford CT in 09.NO mistaking what I saw. I didnt think twice about what it was and ive been accused of being obsessed ever since,,lol. Ive also seen bobcats a few times. But some of these pics are a little strange looking,or is it just me? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
The other states where this is happening are gradually getting better evidence, and they have been cougars. Michigan is a good example. In 1997, it was considered by the DNR there to be “impossible” for there to be cougars in Michigan. “Misidentifications”, then the ole “escaped pet” story came out. But the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy stood fast, and requested via Freedom of Information Act any permits for cougar pets in the state. There was one. They contacted that person, and he/she still had the cougar, insulted someone would even mention releasing it to the wild. In the meantime, like here, they started an investigation campaign. This finally in 2012 resulted in a high quality game cam photo, after many of the poor quality ones like we are seeing now here. Keep in mind they had no road kills showing up, and really not a lot of sightings. (Claim is if they were here we would be seeing more of that). This last year, a major search went on in the field in Michigan, and scat from up to 20 sdifferent cats was found. You can get a feel for how elusive these animals are. The experts that have worked with them in the wild have told us this, and this is a great example. In several areas where they were found, credible reports go back decades. So this claim that they wandered in there from South Dakota (Sound familiar?) isn’t holding up well. Populations have also been found in Quebec and New Brunswick, Canada. And gee, their DNA also is similar to the South Dakota population. And think now, isn’t that a far closer walk to Connecticut than South Dakota??
I saw a mountain lion cross rt.4 right by upson rd.im 100 percent positive.and I saw a bobcat inthat area.also I saw a bobcat that looked like a lynx over in plainville ct.so what? Why do we have to report it? Im happy to know that their out there not being killed off we all have to libe in peace!
I live in East Haddam. Last fall an animal control officer sited one crossing rt 149 by the CT river boat launch north of the East Haddam Bridge. Since then there have been three sittings of a mountain lion crossing Smith Rd by the private rd Wildwood. All three incidences are in the same area by three different people. The last was on 8/14/14or 8/15/14 by a contractor who was on his way to a job in the area. He stopped my husband while he was walking our 80 lb lab on Smith Rd. He just wanted my husband to be aware of the mountain lion he saw. The man said it was bigger than our dog. I remember seeing one twice in the early 60’s behind my. Mothers house in Westfield Ma. And both my siste r and her daughter saw a mountain lion on two different occasions within the past year in Munson Ma. Again told it wasn’t a mountain lion by DEP. They are here no doubt about it. I am just waiting to hear it as I had as a child which made be look out a window to our back yard.