It would come regularly during its yearly migration. Many years ago there was a mountain lion that stayed in a wood pile in my mother's back yard. It certainly would be a spectacular sight to witness a cat as large as a mountain lion out in the wild, but, for now, in Connecticut, it’s not in the cards. Sometimes in our shock and excitement at seeing wildlife we see what we want to see. So, there you have it – an answer to the question of whether or not there are mountain lions in CT. The Canada Lynx’s geographic territory in New England only extends as far south as northern New Hampshire and parts of Maine, though.īobcats, of course, can be found all over the state.Īs far as the claim that mountain lions live in CT, as we address in the previous section, that has been debunked.Īccording to DEEP the bobcat is the only confirmed species of wild cat in CT as of 2022. The only types of lynx that are indigenous to New England are the Canada Lynx and the Lynx rufus ( bobcat). So, now that you’ve got the answer on whether or not mountain lions can be found in CT, let’s talk about which wild cats are more likely to be seen here.Īccording to one internet source, there are 3 types of wild cats that can be found in Connecticut – mountain lions, bobcats, and lynxes. It was found, though, that this particular big cat had traveled all the way from South Dakota – a distance of 1,500 miles. This might serve as proof to some that there, in fact, might still be mountain lions in CT. The last confirmed sighting of a mountain lion in CT was in 2011 when a driver struck and killed one on the Merrit Parkway. Hawley says that they would be finding carcasses of mountain lion prey and mountain lion tracks if these animals had recolonized the state, and this simply isn’t happening. So, now we know what DEEP says about mountain lions in the state and we know that many people mistakenly believe they’ve sighted one – but it’s still possible there are some in CT, right? Where is the proof that there are no mountain lions in CT?Īccording to wildlife biologist Jason Hawley, the lack of evidence of mountain lions in Connecticut is the evidence.Īccording to Hawley, if mountain lions were present in the state, there would be evidence and not just unconfirmed sightings. In cities, smaller towns, and even sparsely inhabited areas, there is simply not enough large prey for mountain lions to survive on. Due to mountain lions’ large size, they require larger meals. Bobcats don’t shy away from human habitats, while mountain lions tend to only be found in very isolated areas.īobcats, also, only hunt small prey. These 2 big cats also behave differently. Here are some physical differences between mountain lions and bobcats: Mountain lion Seeing a wild cat can be both frightening and exciting, and it’s common for people to make mistakes in identification, as all most people are used to seeing is the common housecat.Ĭertainly, bobcats are much larger than housecats, but they are not nearly the size of cougars. Why is this? Mountain lions vs bobcats: a case of mistaken identityīooth DEEP and local authorities around Connecticut have confirmed that the majority of mountain lion sightings in the state turn out to be sightings of bobcats. Mountain lions were hunted to extinction near the end of the 19th century.Īlmost daily, there are claims of mountain lion sightings in CT, though. No, there are no mountain lions in CT, and there haven’t been for quite some time.
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