Above post by Rob about a Lion in Wise virginia is a hoax! Weve been searching the internet to identify it, but after reading these messages it sounds as though weve seen a cougar. It is being held at the Discovery Center at SML State Park from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. on March 31st. Today I found large cat hair ball with grass and guts and hair in the area of the cat scratchins. The best hidden gems and little known destinations - straight to your inbox. 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. Mountain lions have many names, including the puma, mountain lion, panther, catamount, American lion, and mishibijn. Now, after a reintroduction that began in 2012, these magical creatures have made their way back. It was great, probably one of the most exciting experiences of my life, and I feel very fortunate.. Mountain lions are known by many names, including cougar, catamount, painter, panther, and puma. 1:00. 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. 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. Just wondering if anyone has spotted any coyotes near us in Thaxton? Mountain lions go by many names, including puma, cougar, and panther. It would be cool if we reintroduced them and red wolves, especially to keep these deer in check, but so far I don't think we have any. Staunton entrepreneurs tackle urban farming. smokymtman, Hmmmm. The more details the better! It wasnt a very old cat, and Im pretty sure it wasnt fully grown. WATCH: Sharks biting alligators, the most epic lion battles, and MUCH more. Bull sharks are one of the few species that can tolerate fresh water, which allows them to flow from ocean to river relatively easily. that i recieved ,send me your request to Coolizm@gmail.com this area is located on the Scott and Wise county line in SW Virginia..I wonder if the VDGIF will continue to refuse the truth . Lystrosaurus was one of the few terrestial species that survived the permian extinction. It was about the size of a friends dog, which is about 15 tall and 2 1/2 feet long. "In others frankly (some people) just make up stories to get attention or to support their beliefs, so they'll come up with a photo from somewhere else to justify their beliefs," he continued. Even if the Eastern Cougar and Florida Panther were considered members of the same subspecies, they would have still qualified for separate listings as distinct breeding populations. This particular animal was chasing a dog across the road when hit. This time is was near 4 A.M. Species number one is the bobcat, and species number two is the Mountain lion. Given my report in spring of 07 of a lion sighting could this be a return of the catamount? Spotted a lion last night around 7:30 pm. He said he had called the county animal control and they told him he must have seen a bob cat as no mountain lions were still in our area. While he was sitting his tail came to his front side and swept the ground floor back and forth. 1001 Virginia St. East Charleston, WV 25301 Phone: 304-348-5140 If a mountain lion walks around an area enough, many different humans will notice. He would have doubled back to get a closer look but they were in a hurry to get to their destination and his brother nixed the idea. One glanced at us. Any information would be greatly appreciated. The DNR maintains mountain lion sightings using a system to receive, record and review mountain lion reports. Soon the large cat disappeared from sight, leaping up an 85 degree, 12-14, road-side ridge in two bounds, and with the very same physical pattern that is so common among all cats. It had a tail just about as large as the body. The fur was short and the common light red-brown hue of a cougar. It was on Rt. However, once you start talking about black cats the credibility of the reports goes down signigiciantly. Others have confused the Eastern mountain lion with coyotes, bobcats, or even deer. Lets explore: are there mountain lions in Virginia? I believe he sat to hear where that cry was coming frompossibly. Definitely not a dog, too big for a cat. About 5 miles before we got to the Hollow, a large blond cat crossed the parkway. The next day, my neighbor said that he and his fishing partner had seen a cat similar to the one I described as they were going fishing one morning around 3:00 a.m. Mountain Lions at the West Virginia Wildlife Center. The only confirmed mountain . Virginia is home to a bounty of beautiful wildlife, including some magical animals that any of us would be lucky to spot. Cougar, Mountain Lion, Catamount, Panther, and Puma, (Some of the names for this great cat) and is found principally in the mountains. Get real. I saw one questionable critter a few years ago but I cant say 100% it was a lion. Mountain Lions are back, maybe. Some of the Forest Service questioned whether or not it was just a wild cat. I too hope to see mountain lions return to Virginia, but I really dont think there are many here yet, if any all. Thankfully we were vindicated by a clear trail cam sighting a couple years later. For information call SML State Park, 540-297-6066. who knows? We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Thanks. I think we have coywolves. Im not sure if they really believed us but a few years ago the lady and her friend rode their horses off into the battlefield trails which begin in a field directly across from our front door. My son and I definitely saw a mountain lion today while I was taking him back to college this morning on I-81 near Buckhannon in Virginia near the Blue Ridge Parkway exit; unfortunately, it had been killed by a car before we saw it. The other ignored us. We live in Oak Hill, Virginia, in a neighborhood. If any would like to see the pictures that was with this E-mail. Tracks found near the sighting was confirmed by a retired wildlife biologist with the Smithsonian. 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. I think there is a reason for that, and the most likely reason IMO is that the animals people are seeing are not mountain lions. But anyways, I just completely got off of the Mountain Lion subject. I knew not to run, so I just stood there and waited. Several times theyd reported seeing strange animals crossing their path in the woods. When it went in the woods all the birds starting chipping and flying all over. More than 300 cougar sightings have been reported in West Virginia since 1975, according to the Eastern Puma Research Network. "On average, DGIF has received approximately three to foursightings of large cats a month in recent years," the blog post stated. Fish & Wildlife Resources recent decision to declare eastern cougars extinct, and she knew unless she was able to produce some sort of physical evidence like a photo, shed be hard pressed to convince any wildlife expert of what she saw. The animal has been determined extinct, and thats just a shame, she said. Purposeful reintroduction, bringing breeding-age females to a suitable area in the Appalachians, could speed the process dramatically. There was another report of someone (much less credible) who spotted one near Midway (outside Gate City) about 5 years ago. Most of the time we can find the original photo on the internet where it was taken out west or wherever. Mountain lions are definitely coming to Virginia. THanks CArole. Thats not to say they are made up. Not much rain in these parts since early August. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Association (TWRA) confirmed that the cat, which sniffed around on the ground and in a low-hanging tree branch before looking square into the camera with its mouth wide open, was in fact a mountain lion. The closest confirmed wild cougars, except for the Florida Panther,appear to bein Michigan, Wisconsin, Arkansas and western Louisiana, according to the blog post. cat with a !very long! Yes, most sightings, if not all of them have to be taken on 100% trust in the person who has it. If anyone is interested, you may write me at thatwhitekid247@aol.com. We got a phone call last night that one of our neighbors (in Midlothian, VA) saw a lion in the back yard. No one has since today, reported seeing one. I saw the cats long tail as he ran into the woods. Mountain lions are now fairly common in suburban areas of California and have recently been sighted as far east as urban Kansas City, Missouri, where several have been hit by cars. Most of the cougars around Los Angeles live in the Santa Monica Mountains northwest of the city. A couple of sightings involved captive . It turned around when it got to the side of the road and went back into the tall grass. For a long time he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. Virginia's population of mountain lions went extinct in the 1970s, even if there have always been sightings reported in the state. I tried taking a picture of it with my phone but it jolted away. All rights reserved. Mountain Lions at the West Virginia Wildlife Center. I have hiked almost all 850 miles of trails, stayed at most of the backcountry campsites, and have spent many nights wandering around those hills looking for nocturnal mammals. It is interesting how many sitings there in the area. The last one seen was last summer. Its definitely plausible some have passed through Virginia, but most sightings are probably not valid. We still hear these screams from time to time but most recently (Dec 26, 2006) our grand daughter spotted a coyote digging in our manure pile for varmits! There are so many camera traps now for both research (academic inductions, VDWR and VDACS) and private hunters. I never had heard anything like it before. Holly Kuchera/Shutterstock.com. Since 1970, 121 sightings have been identified as possible mountain lions, but have not been officially confirmed. 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