Mountain Lions became scarce in the East after a bounty system wiped out most predatory animals. NEXT. There are many locations on the west coast that have heavier traffic and the mountain lions are never hit. There are many images of mountain lions circulating on the internet with false claim they were taken in New York. Nevertheless, people frequently report sightings of the big cats. They appear to be spreading back east. But they still have probably 1,000 miles to go before they're here in the Adirondacks in any quantity. You can take look at these false images below, which are provided for public awareness only. This morning on national fox news the are introducing a story of black mountain lions in upstate NY. Eastern cougars, or mountain lions, are wild felines that resemble the common bobcat, but cougars are larger in size and stature. Cougar Watch project follows the work by a PROTECT Board member Peter O’Shea, who for many years recorded sightings of mountain lions in the Adirondacks. Many of these photographs were copied from previous news reports or articles from western states where native populations of cougars exist. The Southern zone is much more populated and has much higher deer densities that the Adirondacks proper. Mountain Lions became scarce in the East after a bounty system wiped out most predatory animals. ADK, Keene ask out-of-town hikers to stay away The town of Keene and the Adirondack Mountain Club issued… Coronavirus prohibitions reach into the Adirondacks While there have been no known cases of coronavirus in… State to New Yorkers: Get fresh air, cautiously "Traveling six hours to hike defeats the purposes of defeating… If you’re still curious, read on to brush up on your Mountain Lion knowledge. A Long History of Cougar Sightings in the Adirondacks. Cougars (also known as mountain lions or panthers) once roamed the Adirondacks, but most biologists say they vanished in the nineteenth century, due to overhunting and loss of habitat. Cougars should be reintroduced to the wild in New York and other Eastern states, advocates say. When we have a place called Panther Mountain, which overlooks Panther Pond and Panther Marsh, it is a sign that there probably used to be panthers here. Experts say if there is a population of eastern cougars in the Adirondacks, then it is likely a very small one. Not yet, the state says. There is no evidence of a reproducing Mountain Lion population in Massachusetts. In fact, the cougar was the most widely distributed land mammal in the Western Hemisphere. This needs two answers. Protect the Adirondacks has launched a new project Cougar Watch to record public sightings of cougars (Puma concolor) in and around the Adirondack Park.There are regular reports of cougar sightings throughout the Adirondacks, but there has not been a publicly available repository to record these sightings. Original Article Predicting Support for Recolonization of Mountain Lions (Puma concolor) in the Adirondack Park ELIZABETH B. McGOVERN,1,3 Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, New Haven, CT 06511, USA HEIDI E. KRETSER, Wildlife Conservation Society North America Program, Saranac Lake, NY 12983, USA NO 2. Many of us gaze into the woods and wonder if anything is staring back. Cougars in the wild in New York? Are there cougars in the Adirondacks? I am not in favor of reintroducing mountain lions. Hello . Future for the Mountain Lion in the Adirondacks. Researchers view these traveling mountain lions as the oddball young males, hunting for a partner, rather than any type of major easterly migration. Tweet. “I know of two credible sightings of mountain lions in the 30 years that I have been in New York. Fish and Wildlife Service. The article goes on to say that the Adirondacks have heavy automoble traffic, so mountain lions could not survive there. PUBLISHED: SATURDAY, JUNE 15, 2019 AT 5:15 AM. Right now as a permanently residing and breeding population ? There is even talk now & then of wolf reintroduction. If you’re still curious, read on to brush up on your Mountain Lion knowledge. We found this statement not believable. 1. DEC contends that most sightings are cases of mistaken identity. Before the 19th century, cougars were abundant across the American continent. Newcomb mountain lion update ... has long been a controversial subject in the Adirondacks. In fact, the cougar was the most widely distributed land mammal in the Western Hemisphere. I have heard stories of people seeing them in the ADK, but some locals told me that DEC might be hesitant to declare that there are indeed mountain lions in the Daks because it mean they would have to devote a large amount of funding towards tagging, research, etc. There is no evidence of a reproducing Mountain Lion population in Massachusetts. Interesting stuff! Also known as mountain lion, puma, cougar, or catamount, they were once common in the Adirondacks. O’Shea is a well known naturalist and author. PREV. Today may be the day of reckoning for all of us who have seen mountain lions in upstate NY. There is a loot of room for conflict with both rural & urban folks with lions or wolves.