Are there any mountain lions in Virginia?

According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, there are no mountain lions (or cougars or Pumas) in Virginia. They say the last mountain lion in Virginia was killed in 1882. However, according to growing reports, they are here.

Are there any big cats in Virginia?

One of the more secretive and fascinating mammals found in Virginia is the bobcat (Lynx rufus). Bobcats are adaptable, predatory members of the North American cat family. The only wild feline still found in the state, they are common in the Dismal Swamp and the mountains of Virginia and are rarely seen in other areas.

Are there mountain lions in Front Royal VA?

We don’t have cougars here.” Bill McShea, Senior Wildlife Ecologist for the Smithsonian Institution’s Conservation Biology Institute at Front Royal, has has come to the same conclusion. A long-held view of the cougar is that of menace to the economic interests of man.

Can you shoot a mountain lion in Virginia?

While some people swear they have seen mountain lions in Virginia, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries says it has no evidence that the exist in the state. Therefore, according to Michael Fies, DGIF furbearer project leader, lacking a hunting season means mountain lions are protected by default.

Do black panthers live in VA?

Black panthers are already back in Virginia and West Virginia. Whether black panthers are a different species than cougars or just a rare melanistic version of the American cougar is a moot point. Both are big cats and the black ones as well as the brown ones are back in Virginia.

What to do if a cougar is on your trail?

If you do come across a cougar in the wild, stay calm. Make sure that the cougar isn’t backed into a corner: give it a chance to escape. Ensure that kids are protected, and back up slowly, keeping your eye on the wildcat. You want to make yourself look as large as possible.

Do black panthers live in Virginia?

Are there mountain lions on the Appalachian Trail?

Mountain lions are the largest native feline species in North America. They are also known as cougars, panthers, pumas, and catamounts. In contrast, you’re virtually guaranteed not to encounter a mountain lion on or near the Appalachian Trail because humans have eradicated them in the eastern United States.

Are there mountain lions in Shenandoah National Park?

Since 1970, 121 sightings have been identified as possible mountain lions, but have not been officially confirmed. Most sightings occur in Shenandoah National Park and in Bedford, Amherst and Nelson County region. There is no fixed breeding season with one litter per 2-3 years with an average of 2-4 kittens being born.

Are there any mountain lions left in Virginia?

State game officials have said they don’t believe there are any mountain lions – also called cougars or Eastern pumas — left in Virginia. Virginia’s mountain lions were once on the endangered species list and in 2011, they were declared extinct.

Are there Mountain Lions in the Blue Ridge Mountains?

Like a number of other people in her community—a hunter who caught the tail end of a cat on his deer cam and a Presbyterian minister in Batesville whose neighbor saw one drinking out of a pond, to name a couple—Marchibroda knows that she saw a mountain lion, and she wants state and national wildlife agencies to take these sightings seriously.

Where did mountain lions roam in North America?

Cougars used to roam the entirety of North America, making the mountain ranges, woodland forests, and river corridors from coast to coast their homes.

Is the mountain lion extinct in the United States?

By 2011, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the eastern subspecies extinct. Since 1970, scores of wild mountain lion sightings have been reported without a single one being confirmed, the department reports.