They are most commonly found in areas with plentiful prey and adequate cover. I can tell you they werent from your everyday dog or house cat.. stands 3,560 feet tall. When there is a suspicion that some type of big cat has been spotted, he said the likeliest culprit is a western cougar that has escaped captivity as someones pet. They went back to the truck for buckshot. In those streams where it's still possible to pan for tiny bits of gold, there can be heard the bone-chilling screech of the owl and the cry of the bobcat making a kill. South Carolina has two populations of black bears. . The eastern cougar historically lived from Maine to South Carolina and from Michigan to Tennessee, the wildlife service said. Young cougars are marked with dark spots. Jason Hawley says his office gets lots of . According to Perry, the countys lack of pet mountain lions doesnt necessarily discount the sightings, because mountain lions can travel very long distances. He said it was highly unlikely, but possible that some people are actually seeing a western mountain lion or Florida panther thats managed to dodge traffic and travel to South Carolina. Subscribe today! . The primary food source for a mountain lion would be deer and there is no doubt we have lots of them but so does Georgia and South Carolina. The eastern cougar, however, was declared extinct in 2011. But Chastain believes theyre only different from the Western cougars in that theyre smaller, which is a natural phenomenon among animal species in warmer climates. Someone will ask why I didn't take a picture to confirm my sighting and the answer is that it all happened so fast -- thirty seconds and the cat vamoosed. 'The DNR swears up and down there are no mountain lions left in SC. Andrew Moore of the Greenville Journal pens a story about alleged mountain lion sightings in South Carolina. Yesterday around 5 p.m., my husband, a realtor and myself had a Mountain Lion jump the road in front of us about 30 yards ahead of us while walking a 19 acre property in Murphy NC mountains! Make noise, make yourself appear larger by waving your arms. Whether alumni of Furman, the parent of a Furman alumni or a friend of Furman, we consider everyone who supports this institution a member of the Furman family. A wild mountain lion hasnt been verified in South Carolina in about 100 years, said Perry, whos studied mountain lions for more than a decade. Kristin is passionate about helping pet parents create a fulfilling life with their pets by informing them on the latest scientific research and helping them choose the best products for their pets. In South Carolina it is thought that the cougars occurring here were of both the eastern race (Felis concolor cougar) and the Florida race (Felis concolor coryi). Stay on top of dog food recalls here >, Have a question? While there may be a few stray mountain lions wandering around the state, there is not currently an established population. Published February 18, 2023 at 8:01 AM EST. Neither am I Rudy Mancke, Marlin Perkins, or Jim Fowler. Most of their fur is a shade of beige, although some develop a darker . Sassafras Mt. Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. This content is restricted to subscribers of OutdoorNews.com. The last three eastern cougars were killed in 1930 in Tennessee, New Brunswick in 1932, and Maine in 1938. They brought them to South Carolina in 1500. In 2017, SCDNR issued a warning about these dangerous sea creatures showing up on beaches. Yes, it would be technically illegal to shoot an Eastern cougar that was on the Endangered Species List, said Greg Lucas, a spokesman for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. The mountain lion goes by many names, including cougar, catamount, panther, red tiger, deer tiger, and puma. Well-known naturalist Dennis Chastain of Pickens says there's no doubt that there are cougars (pumas/mountain lions) in the woods and wild places of South Carolina. How Should I Introduce My Puppy to a Dominant Dog? The last known living Eastern Cougar was sighted and suspected to have been killed in 1938. But they aren't true . It is estimated that cougars make a kill of a large prey item (deer, etc) about once each week. Adult males may be more than 8 feet long (from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail), and can weigh between 130 and 150 pounds. Despite this, S.C. Department of Natural Resources spokesman Greg Lucas said the department gets at least one call a month from people claiming to have seen one of the big cats. 3. Your Safety in Mountain Lion Habitat. Many believe mountain lions still exist in Pennsylvania. As to relocating cougars from the West to the East to control deer overpopulation, Chastain doesnt think thats a good idea. Bobcats, Lynx rufus, one of six cat species native to the United States, can be found in each of the lower 48 states, including all of South Carolina. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. Now to complicate matters further, there are some cougars/pumas living in Florida that are considered to be of the native Eastern variety. If you are not and would like to read this and all the other great . You may try donating it to a zoo, but not many zoos are looking for cougars. Mountain lions once lived in much of the eastern United States. Panther cubs are adorableuntil they grow large enough to eat their owners and become difficult to handle. I'm sort of proud to be part of an elite little group that has made eye contact with the illusive Carolina panther. What was once called the Eastern Cougar and roamed areas throughout the southeastern United States was declared extinct in 2011 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Sorry, Carolina Panthers football fans! Mountain lions are 7-9 feet, while bobcats are 3 feet long. Hepper is reader-supported. Whether theyre called cougars, mountain lions, pumas or catamounts, wildlife experts believe the cats exist as a stable, breeding population in the western U.S and, a. ccording to both the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, transient western cougars have been spotted in both states since 2015. According to wildlife expert Ken Burton on the enature website, there are mountain lions in Western NC along the Smoky Mountains. One popular conspiracy theory claims SCDNR has released a breeding population of western mountain lions to prevent the states surging white-tailed deer population from causing too much agricultural damage. If you are already an OutdoorNews.com subscriber, you can log in here. It was a female mountain lion.. Cougars do not do well with roads and are often the victim of collisions with cars. A wild mountain lion hasnt been verified in South Carolina in about 100 years, said Perry, whos studied mountain lions for more than a decade. Im making fun, but the reality is a bit more nuanced. You probably won't find a mountain . Koehler wasnt able to record the sound before the mystery creature moved on, but he remains adamant theres a mountain lion roaming around his house. Yet, something occurred yesterday on an upstate highway that has inspired me to postpone the column that I had planned for this week. It was a little too big to be a bobcat.. In 2007, Terrance Fletcher, a technician with the U.S. Forest Service, claimed he was chased into the Chattooga River by a 7-foot-long panther with jet black fur. The thespians were nearly the stars of a Greek tragedy that day. South Carolinas collection of exotic pets includes mountain lions, tigers, and other big cat species, according to Butfiloski. Mountain lions cover a huge range - all the way from Alaska to Argentina and southern Chile. Might have been Monster Quest. But then I found some female mountain lion sounds, and it was dead on. Ask anyone who spends time in the South Carolina wilderness and theyll have a number of stories of their own sightings, camera/video footage and sightings by reputable people in the community. Wed love to know! Even though the WV DNR says there are no wild mountain lions in the state, there are some held in captivity at the West Virginia Wildlife Center in French Creek. We Connect. In 2007, Katie Araujo, a Paris Mountain resident, said she came face to face with a large black cat while sitting on her front porch. They are active hunters and may cover as much as 20 miles in a night. Some actually believe mountain lion sightings in South Carolina can be attributed to the Florida panther, the only surviving subspecies of eastern cougar. They believe what they saw, said Butfiloski. There was one outside of my son's school once and all the kids saw it. Most people in the eastern U.S. havent ever seen a wild mountain lion or jaguar or leopard, said Butfiloski. "There's just no scientific documentation to back that up." . Last year, Ben Claes, owner of Jireh Property Services in Taylors, was cleaning a lawn down the street from Koehlers house after a snowstorm and noticed large tracks on the ground. You can legally trap and hunt bobcats with the right permit but they are endangered in some areas. They are found at elevations ranging from 5,900 ft to 13,000 ft. The fight would probably play out with one of the creatures stalking the other. Many residents insist theyre either seeing or hearing mountain lions despite the lack of evidence. The younger, weaker male lions will travel to get away to other areas and establish their own territory. Also have positively ID'ed a large cat tracks on a pond dam on the same property, and the owner saw one 5+ years ago and now carries a .44 Mag on his hip whenever he goes hunting. Simply type the location or club name into the search bar below, and let the service begin! Today there are no wild reproducing populations of cougars in South Carolina. However, as people moved into the area, much of their environment was destroyed. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Some accounts from people in places like Travelers Rest and Simpsonville involve only sightings. Usually a shy cat, the cougar prefers to stalk its prey and is rarely ever a threat to people. Thats when he started comparing animal calls online. Bobby, Brenda and Zack were doing what every child did- they were playing in the woods. The eastern cougar historically lived from Maine to South Carolina and from Michigan to Tennessee, the wildlife service said. 2. Furman students are academically challenged and leave Furman as lifelong learners who are changing the communities around them. Adult females are smaller, averaging 80-90 pounds. South Carolina Wildlife Federation, 455 St. Andrews Road, Suite B1, Columbia, SC 29210, United States. The responding officers later spotted the animal near Earle and Daniel halls, according to reports. One is located in the mountains and the other is found in the coastal plains. Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. The last native mountain lion known to be killed in Pennsylvania is on display in the State Museum of Pennsylvania . The one potential South Carolina mountain lion, the eastern cougar, was declared extinct in 2011. Due to the terrain and plentiful food sources, mountain lion sightings will occur and certain precautions should be taken by residents. Its a chick magnet, its a cool thing, Chastain said. Two mountain lion cubs have been rescued and are now in residence at the Oakland Zoo, where they have been named Holly and Hazel. The lab investigated the potential origin for the mountain lion using the lab's database which includes mountain lion samples from populations in South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Oregon and Florida. You're probably more likely to get into the Hardrock 100-and win it-than to see a mountain lion east of the Mississippi River.There are no mountain lions in Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Newfoundland and . Furman University does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, age, religion, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable local, state, or federal law in admission, treatment, or access to, or employment in, its programs and activities. Old-timers there used to point out the bear pits where their ancestors trapped black bears for their pelts. Web design & hosting powered by eNation Worldwide. The sighting of this cougar cub occurred about a mile west of the Little Lynches River and within a few hundred yards from one of its tributary streams. I actually drove out to the apartment and noticed some large tracks in the mud, said Jenkins, who didnt take photos of the tracks or file an official report. What IS Out There? He believes people who reported seeing black panthers were seeing animals either at early dawn or late dusk, when colors are hard to disginguish. History of Large Cats in South Carolina First, for clarity, the panther has many names, including puma, cougar and mountain lion-all of these names refer to the same animal in North America. He said there used to be a den behind the Bowles horse farm before the farm was there. Greenville County, which requires residents to obtain a permit and undergo inspections, has issued 17 permits for exotic animals, including two tigers, since 2012, according to spokesman Bob Mihalic. Most, if not all, wildlife experts and authorities believe black panther sightings are a result of misidentification. Since 1890 in the U.S. and Canada, there have been 100 attacks on humans at all, according to the research organization The Cougar Network. You will receive your first email soon. The last confirmed sighting of the subspecies, "once the most widely roaming mammal in the New World" according to the federal government, was in 1938. Were here with the info you need to separate fact from fiction. But SCNDR later concluded the animal was probably a black coyote. I was driving very slow one morning in 2012 on a dirt road when I came upon one weighing about 125-150. . You have permission to edit this article. Some actually believe mountain lion sightings in South Carolina can be attributed to the Florida panther, the only surviving subspecies of eastern cougar. In 1973, the agency added the eastern cougar to the List of Endangered . What You Need to Know! The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources receives at least 100 calls a year about mountain lions, according to SCDNR biologist Jay Butfiloski. Our students develop intellectually from a challenging and supportive academic experience and, through high-impact, real-world experiences and mentoring, graduate ready for accelerated career and community impact. We Connect. Cats need enough food within their territory to survive, so their ranges will be based on where food is located in the areasome may have territory that stretches over 40 acres. Some sightings were later verified as a different animal, such as a coyote or bobcat. The range of a Mountain Lion may cover 25 to 785 square miles. Are There Big Cats in South Carolina? See answer (1) Copy. I listened to bobcats, coyotes, and all kinds of other animals. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. In olden days it was considered folly for a traveller to venture far without a firearm. Coyotes, deer, boar, eagles, and every snake imaginable. Koehler, for one, remains convinced at least one mountain lion inhabits these parts. See more columns online at www.moultrienews.com. I think many people just get excited when trail cameras or videos reveal an animal in the woods.. Panthers are simply another term for mountain lions or cougars, which are actually known by many different names. Theres just no scientific documentation to back that up.. More:Wandering South Carolina elk 'rules the roost' at new home in Charles Towne Landing. However, they have not been able to confirm any of these sightings. The Rocket Homes Real Estate LLC main office is located at Rocket Homes Real Estate, 701 Griswold St, Suite 21, Detroit, MI 48226. Dominant toms may inhabit a 100-square-mile area, and any other males, including cubs that are just born, are competing against the alpha, he said. The mountain lion was there hundreds of thousands of years before you . With spectacular hiking trails, scenic waterfalls and sweeping views, the magnificent Blue Ridge Mountains of South Carolina are an outdoor enthusiast's dream. When you see the name "panther" "painter", "catamount" and other cougar synonyms attached to creeks, mountain peaks, gaps, and other features of our topography, it is a testament to the fact that this large predator was not only once here in South Carolina and the eastern US, but that its presence impressed people enough to name a place after it. Instead, theyre wandering males. The only established population of wild cats in South Carolina is the bobcat, which is not very large in the least. Greenville, SC 29613. Jaguars, which are primarily found in South America, have established a small population in Mexico and occasionally cross over into Arizona or New Mexico, according to Perry. More likely these sightings are dogs, bears or even house cats.. The big cat was captured after roaming free for two days. Cougars were eliminated from our state, as they were throughout much of the eastern US, for a combination of reasons including: a) loss of much of the forest and deer herd during the heavy agricultural activity of the late 1800's and b) the cougar's habit of substituting livestock for wild prey items (in the latter cases, stock owners typically took direct and terminal action against the cougars). There are some sightings of cougars in the area as well. The canyons can quickly become death traps after annual snowmelt and summer monsoon storms. With that said, there are some sightings of mountain lions and cougars but none of them have been confirmed. Therefore, they are not usually considered a threat to people. Or could it? February 12, 2019, the story of a man who claimed to have been attacked by a black panther in Georgetown county spread quickly across news outlets and social media. More recent mountain lion reports stem from the Upstate. Find a Local Lions Club. The story was soon revealed to be a hoax but it reignited the many rumors of panthers and large wild cats in South Carolina. Note: A number of other species all over the world have been declared extinct, only to be rediscovered, having survived in a very tiny population that was out of sight long enough to assume them extinct. Similar to Tennessee's wild elk and buffalo, the cougar was extirpated from the state around the early 1900s due to overhunting and . Read moreTeacher to Parent: Idea of voting for principals raises many questions, Theres alwa Read moreGuess the mystery plant: A South Carolina native pine, I like board Read moreColumn: A walk in winter woods. Occasionally, individual animals may be spotted, but these sightings are not confirmed. Most sightings are not likely established populations. Sort of proud to be a few stray mountain lions, according to SCDNR biologist Jay Butfiloski the state there. Of these sightings are dogs, bears or even house cats lion known be. 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