So so they're just a very resilient species and they're pretty they're pretty neat. Well Is DNA the most reliable means we have of identifying whether or not what we saw is actually a mountain lion. And I I have this great text history of New Hampshire game and fir bears and I think by Helen Silver who used to work for fish and game and she sort of I kind eyes this animal in one of the quotes from 1892 stating that the catamaran was the most ferocious of all the wild beasts of New Hampshire his great size strength and agility of movement together with his formidable weapons rendered him the terror both of man and beast. Which which I think Pat and I have both experienced. If it's someone that has an illegal captive animal that is accustomed to humans those leave a lot of evidence because they want to go around humans to find food meaning they're used to being fed by humans. Are these big cats back?Subscribe to WMUR on YouTube now for more: http://bit.ly/1lOjX9CGet more Manchester news: http://wmur.comLike us: http://facebook.com. Not one picture of him online while the person meet with us. Mountain Lions in NH. So so it is possible in Maine to still to to to have one but you have to be sort of professional handler as it were. They lived perhaps elsewhere in New England and they were just passing through and happened to have an encounter of some sort. Do cougars live in New England? They create these scrapes where theyre communicating with each other with scent. WMUR uLocal: On this trail cam video, an unidentified feline is spotted. Select image for larger view. We've met Fish and Game's BURDEN OF PROOF. So. For starters, part of the confusion might come from the fact that the eastern cougar was taken off the endangered species list earlier this year. These were normal everyday folks. I've collected scat samples I've got several in my collection. So maybe a good pet for you but not for your neighbor if you just stop by unannounced. Tonight, Sean McDonald investigates,. Reviewing the evidence, the U.S. About Us Media Kit Calendar of Events Volunteer Visit Learn Events Membership Support Your Visit BUY TICKETS Know Before You Go Directions and Information Our Animals Live Animal Exhibit Trail Hours and Admission Calendar of Events They sent it already. And I saw you cat about four feet long from nose to tail come across from the water across the road and just leap over a six foot perimeter fence in a single bound. People have asked me about the genetics of eastern mountain lion. Patrick Tate: So one thing I'd say is DNA would definitely identify an animal animal's Mark line or not. N.H. NHPR is nonprofit and independent. There was no sign of it. N.H.'s Fish and Game department says there's no proof mountain lions live in the state, yet residents from Bedford to Berlin have been reporting sightings for years. Well I can't tell you what you saw. But also I think it proves the opposite point which is that sometimes they're pretty secretive because all the way from Minnesota where the where was the first time was picked up on a game camera to New York. Peter Biello: The number is 1 800 8 9 2 6 4 7 7. Have you heard stories do you have questions about the mountain line. This is a machine-generated transcript, and may contain errors. I saw that had this giant the bobcat had this giant sweeping which is John Bobcat don't have big sweeping tails. We're gonna cue you up and bring into the program listeners in just a moment but I want to ask about the role that Mountain Lions play in the ecosystem we've been talking a lot about mountain lions traveling and being sort of hard to track as they move. All of that remains unanswered but it is an extremely interesting question. Listeners we'd love to hear some of your thoughts on this. That's why we always go back to the physical evidence to support what they're reporting. Thanks for a great thanks. BUT THAT SAID, Id love to be proven wrong. So I will just say this is a big reason why there have not been confirmed sightings I think is that the evidence required first. Mountain Lions in New Hampshire-Fact or Fiction. Peter Biello: Let's go to Mike in Epping. I would just suggest that in my experience as a reporter covering this covering this issue for a few years at least at what point do we reach a certain critical mass for lack of a better term of accounts where I'm not to suggest that you guys aren't taking this possibility seriously. I was a Bobcat we saw it and I have a picture of it. Were there any differences between these two that we could have noticed right off. So I would put this in the category of sort of like shark attacks right. Yeah I did. Patrick Tate: Exactly I was gonna bring that up juvenile male of. Like why would you want one wildlife. Wed love to be part of the first verified sighting. Any sense of of whether or not mountain lions are sort of wary of more population dense areas like like the one he was describing Rick. Peter Biello: But clearly you know you're saying like hoaxes people who claim to have seen a mountain lion but knowingly have not or are appropriating photos taken elsewhere of legit mountain lion say out West where they people acknowledge that they exist certainly knowingly or unknowingly in this case the person who sent it to me said hey a friend of mine sent me this photo and said he took it on his back porch also. Sam Evans-Brown: But I mean the video I had been sent was you know a recording of a animal growling but it was in slow motion and when I asked the person why is this in slow motion the denied that it was so there's a lot of weird stuff that happens in regards to people claiming they've seen they've seen these things. All they think it traveled north through Canada up you know crossed across the Great Lakes and then and then down again through New York State. He says when youve got a mountain lion in town, its kinda obvious. "Of those three to five reports,. And sometimes I've seen pictures of those where it's the question is What is that is that a bobcat. Really appreciate it. The panther, Fells concolor, is a beast of many names, most frequently referred to in New Hampshire history as catamount, but sometimes known locally as "Indian Devil" or "Carcajou", under which . You've got you've got biologists right who are trying to make their make their way in the world make a career if you are the biologists who confirmed a sighting of mountain lions in the state that would be very good for you like you would be all over the news. Since 1917, Lions clubs have offered people the opportunity to give something back to their communities. Join as a $8 per month sustainer and get our brand-new owl umbrella! Want to put this to to Patrick Tate who may have heard some some info or info from listeners like you about these these these cats. And why would they what. You know perhaps poke around where you saw it and see if you can find a track. I mean they're a survivor. As recently as 2011 there was one young male mountain lion that cruised all the way from the black hills of South Dakota, up over the Great Lakes, down through New Yorkgetting spotted all along the waykilled a beaver near the Quabbin Reservoir in Central Massachusetts, left behind prints and DNA at that site, and then was hit by a car in Connecticut. Rick shaking his head so Rick now correct me please. Thanks for taking my call. New Hampshire Fish and Game Department says there's no proof. So we're fixated on natural but there's other possibilities. Peter Biello: We got an e-mail question from Robert in Epsom who asks are sightings or encounters with these big cats less dangerous here where they're passing through than out west where those same mountain lines might be establishing territory Rick. It's good to talk to you. But the state always denies it, and none of us know why they deny it. In my New Hampshire career I have written several, and seen at least 20, stories along the lines of "local person thinks they saw a mountain lion but there's no actual evidence aside from. Peter Biello: This is the exchange on an HD PR fine Peter Biello and today we're talking with folks who can tell us about the mysterious elusive mountain line and whether or not it is actually here in New Hampshire. Patrick Tate: Yes. The current estimate is 2,000 - 2,700 throughout Arizona. So and so they so they do get pretty involved. This is where things start breaking down when you so I get pictures with this great description and one of my favorite stories is a great description what the witness and then so I called the witness and wanted information from them and the person says What are you talking about. By, March 2023 Fund Drive Rules and Regulations, Persons with disabilities who need assistance accessing NHPR's FCC public files, please contact us at publicfile@nhpr.org. So yeah as far as wildlife species that put deer and trees know there aren't any others that I know of that put deer in trees just just humans might be responsible for that. Rick van de Poll: 80 90. Can you look into this picture. Sam Evans Brown. Peter Biello: They make great mascots at least. Theyve always said when we have verifiable evidence to say a mountain lion has been, is, or was in the state that wed acknowledge that and give that information out, says Pat Tate, the furbearer biologist with New Hampshire Fish and Game, who insists theres no conspiracy. If you believe you have seen a mountain lion and want to report it to NH Fish and Game, please contact the Wildlife Division at (603) 271-2461 or wildlife@wildlife.nh.gov to request an observation report form. What's interesting about Bobcats is here in the Northeast we have some very large bobcats. Patrick Tate: Okay. Erler is a senior naturalist at the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness. You treat it as if it's a sincere situation. OK. Peter Biello: This is the exchange on an HP yard today we're talking about the mysterious elusive majestic Mystic Mountain Lion. Caller: It had just left that field and was out. The second story window through about 30 feet away from it. Rick van de Poll: Oh yeah absolutely. It's not an emerging endangered species no work no there are there are populations in specific states so the Florida panther is is an endangered species that sub population is in fact listed under the Endangered Species Act. I mean that so many of them are false sightings we. You know you have to have a license and it's hard to get that license a license to own a mountain lion. I have no doubt that there are mountain lion roaming New Hampshire. The second one was not only fresh but when I actually put my hand on it it was you know smelled like cat and I it's there's no denying a fresh mountain lions get if you can tell it every story that KOAT. Peter Biello: Thank you for sharing that. The American Lion The Saber tooth Tiger and this was the one that survived. And I think this is a really interesting story for a couple of reasons one is that it proves what Pat was saying which that basically from New York state where its traces was really picked up on a game camera around Lake George all the way down to Connecticut there was numerous. Well let me ask maybe Pat and Rick about this. So I learned about what Rick just reported through a heart of heart of New Hampshire a letter and. So give us a call now. There were several sightings in CT over the last few months. So I just throwing that out there it's interesting. Almost all species disperse greater distances than females. Mountain Lion report and as a biologist for the state that's a situation where if he said to me what did I see. So I hate the idea that there's some sort of upward you know downward pressure from the bosses saying Don't you know don't tell about the mountain lions because it'll scare away the tourists. Mountain lions don't usually travel more than 100 miles from where they are born. Some of the reports that I looked into that were actually on file at the local fish and game office were even from people who did not live locally. On a dirt road. Patrick Tate: Nice talk to you too. So try to take photographs if you see something like this. Sam Evans-Brown: Well first I want to sort of explain why what the theory is but then also throw a bit of cold water on it because I don't think there's much much logic behind it but essentially is that if fish and game were to acknowledge that there was a population of Mount lions in the state there's a chance that something like a listing under the federal Endangered Species Act might happen and then there'd be you know some they'd have to put a plan in place to protect the species there'd be you know restrictions put on development. Do we have native species that could have exhibited this type of behavior leaving leaving a deer carcass up in a tree. The term is because mascots notwithstanding right that they're referred to with a lot of different terms and sometimes they can be confused with a lot of different terms. Peter Biello: Well Karl Jarvis a former reporter for The King's son Nile thank you very much for for calling in and sharing your perspective and to his point Patrick T. I mean yes we haven't met the scientific burden of proof here in New Hampshire as far as physical evidence is is concerned but is there room at Fish and Game For A kind of an informal nod to all of the people who have somehow convinced themselves and possibly some others that yeah there may be occasional sightings here. How to Report a Possible Mountain Lion Sighting. And so I just wanted to share my share my experience with you guys and it was pretty awesome to see if you get to see one albeit it was in the brush. I tracked cats and all the western states. It's got a a smudge of black and bobcats and links just don't have that we don't have any other cards. Does not test random Scouts. I'm sorry go ahead you're on the air. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. The trouble with accepting every reported sighting as a confirmed mountain lion is that there are so many mistaken identifications. And the second question is this a behavior mountain lions exhibit. Anytime at any HP broad dot org or subscribe to our podcast search Apple podcasts Google Play or stitcher for an HP bar exchange. Or years or so. Patrick Tate: I would say well when social media first started they picked up the hoaxes became much more prevalent in the last four or five years hoaxes have died down completely. Despite numerous reports, the NH Fish and Game Department continues to have no physical evidence of mountain lion presence in the state. And the cougar embodies that. Course like Sue said you have to see it and it's not always that visible. Sam Evans-Brown has been working for New Hampshire Public Radio since 2010, when he began as a freelancer. It is also known as cougar, panther, mountain lion, and puma, though catamount is the preferred regional vernacular. So Michael follows with the question. Thanks for your call. You know interactions are pretty unusual. There's no logic for why they'd be listed as an endangered species. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference. When they were landing or taking off and it seems like it's been there for like. nh.gov | privacy policy | accessibility policy Just. We we hear that there is allegedly a government conspiracy to deny the existence of mountain lions here in New Hampshire so I guess a local government conspiracy. 1,470 likes. The big cat has been extinct at least the eastern mountain lion has been extinct here since the mid 80s hundreds. Caller: Well I think Patrick I recognized your name. Peter Biello: And then it ran away okay. But you won't find evidence of their existence in paw prints in the snow or a deer carcass in a tree. We'll push great photos to the front page. Caller: Absolutely. Let's talk to Mike in Webster. Sam Evans-Brown: So I just had two thoughts which is that we hear a lot of these stories and all of us here have heard these stories. This is the exchange. Just one quick point I think I think when we we talk about these conspiracy theories the real story is that fish and game is an agency that that is short on budget and staff. Do you want to see real, living mountain lions that do exist in New Hampshire. If you missed part of today's program listen to the exchange. Patrick Tate: No downward pressure at all I think actually Sean turned up and we found the evidence there a number of people would finally say finally we can put this debate to bed. 8 9 2 6 4 7 7. Because I mean as we've heard in the past 10 minutes like there's there's some disagreement or at least some some vagueness about what an actual mountain lion should appear like in the wild assuming we can even get close enough. Numerous scat and fur specimens have been turned in as part of mountain lion report investigations; DNA identification has shown these submitted samples to be from domestic dog, coyote, bobcat andraccoon. Are there other powers that be worried that scary mountain lions will scare off people from camping in New Hampshire. NH Fish and Game relies on physical evidence to answer questions about the presence or absence of mountain lion in the state. Gotcha, so the Deep State is suppressing mountain lion news in order to prop up New Hampshire tourism? Is there something particularly hospitable about New Hampshire Forests that make them want to come here. But no proof was offered. And I can recall its information but I can't confirm or verify anything.
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