Well about 13 or 15 yrs ago. With the exception of Delaware, bobcats are found in every corner of the continental U.S. The map below includes both confirmed and unverified puma sightings in the larger San Francisco Bay region (and beyond) since 2004. You can review the latest newsletter here, and of course you'll be able to unsubscribe anytime. Get text updates from The Nature Conservancy: We have already protected nearly 1500 acres in this region, buthave thousands more acres to go to make a real difference for our iconic bobcats and for bears, foxes and other animals who need room to roam. No one would believe me, one of my friends actually said it was probably a young bobcat, bobcat aren't born with long tails and this was MUCH larger than a bobcat. Sigh. Bobcat Sightings On The Rise In The Suburbs; Experts Say Chances Of Attacks Are Low, But Residents Should Remain Vigilant February 7, 2022 / 6:47 PM / CBS New York RYE BROOK, N.Y.. Ah well. 37.34000 N, Saw a Mom and 2 Babies just 2 nights agoWe were exploring a trail in Sussex County at night.The Mom charged at us and we ran..She was super close..Probably 25 Ft or lessThe 2 Babies were in a tree..It was amazing! She was snarling and lunging at me. A nice post, report and a clear video of some bobcats sighted (a rare enough sight in NJ) whilehiking theCedar Swamp Trail in High Point State Parkby the folks at NJ Hiking. I wish it was on video but I was 10 and it was 1978. The scat will go in for testing that will inform them which individual cat lives in or visits the area. Frightening, but not hunting people here as there is plenty of game and deer to eat, unlike those cats in CA up by the Hollywood sign where they are starving and drag riders off dirt bikes. Not a secluded or woodsy-type area. It was about 8ft. The Marine Protected Wildlife Reporter application allows the public to report sightings of, and encounters with, federally listed Endangered or Threatened marine species including marine mammals, sea turtles, Atlantic sturgeon, as well as prohibited shark species in the waters off New Jersey. NEW JERSEY A 5-year-old Colorado girl had the staring contest of her life on April 10 after a bobcat jumped into her back yard and locked eyes with her; such encounters may become more common in New Jersey and elsewhere as bobcat populations rebound. Birds (or Bats) with Bands New Jerseys Natural Heritage record is also a powerful conservation tool for land-users and natural area managers. She suddenly turned back to the left and ran into the woods with a larger bobcat on her heels! There has been an increase in bobcat sightings throughout central Indiana, namely Hamilton County, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Passing through whiting and medium build spotted cat ram across the road. Lat / Lon: Visit Bobcat Alley. When I looked out the window I saw a cat that was larger than a yellow labrador retriever walking across the yard and silloeted against my neighbor's SUV. The cougar's size and long smooth tail alone should make that ID clear. Bethel Rd. Bobcats are shy and seldom seen. I saw one dead on the south side of 287 too! Twitter The rare speciessightingshelp us keep New Jerseys Natural Heritage/Biotics inventory robust and current. Bobcat restoration efforts began in the late 1970s, when state wildlife officials trapped cats in Maine and brought them to New Jersey. I just thought it was a "cool" sighting until I began reading about them tonight and where they generally live in NJ. Mountain lions, which once did live in this area, are believed to have been extirpated long ago. FOX 5 DC. We hike A LOT and weve only seen a bobcat once, in Yosemite National Park, way back in 2008. At five months old, kittens will begin learn to hunt. (was too large for that) had the same coloring and no markings on it's short fur. Clearly a mountain lion. Thankfully ours are the shy type. Please practice Safety First in every situation, especially along roadways. Youve already signed up with this email address. Facebook. One in Camden County near the Winslow Hammonton border by Route 73 was reported to be a mountain lion. It jumped over our fence and continued across the street. Roads and development seemed to have a major impact on prime areas of bobcat habitat: Kittatinny Ridge and a large tract around West Milford. I have an 80 lb dog and it was without a doubt much larger and agile. In the incident with the girl in Colorado, the bobcat was chasing a rabbit beforeits stare-down with the 5-year-old, according to KDVR-TV. 37.88239 N, Paw prints are double the size of my 120lb Rottweiler.Also worth noting I haven't picked up a single deer on camera since the sitting. The cat Mackenzie spotted was very likely a descendant of one of those bobcats. Rocky parts of northern New Jersey also provide caves in which they often raise their young. I have since emplaced several game cameras. 37.52867 N, WEBINAR: Learn About Wills, Living Trusts and Nursing Home Asset Protection, Phone Scam Against Parsippany Resident Foiled By Police. 0:49. Evidence, please. I know I didn't see a dog. Mill Creek Marsh Nature Walk Sunday, March 5! "We need to keep that gene pool flowing," Mick adds. I got a good look at him from about 30 feet away. Is any exotic pet owners or nearby zoo's (great adventure) missing an animal? Sign up to best of business news, informed analysis and opinions on what matters in energy and the environment. Bobcats were locally extinct from New Jerseyby the 1970s. The biggest blow to their population, DEP notes, was massive deforestation. He assumed that it was some type of wild/non-domesticated cat, like a bobcat. Get global conservation stories, news and local opportunities near you. Yes, I'm pretty sure that they're here. There was alot of sitings. Janet TI totally agree. We couldn't get a good picture it was too far away, Lat / Lon: Adult mountain lions are a large cat and can weigh 80-200 pounds, have a long tail, no ear tufts and have solid tawny fur. Bobcats are larger than housecats and stand about 2-feet tall. But don't worry bobcats rarely cause conflict with humans. Bobcat Alley is a small but mighty component of this landscape. Funny how that works. After bobcats nearly went extinct locally in the 1970s, conservationists reintroduced 24 cats from Maine into New Jerseys northern forests to restore natures balance. While hiking the Cedar Swamp Trail in High Point State Park we rounded a bend and were stunned to see a young bobcat on the trail in front of us. They're here I know what I saw and was going slow in traffic. Heres a pic from a friends Motion activated camera that is Deerstand here in New Jersey. There is a large open field with 2 baseball diamonds on the opposite end of the street and adjacent to that is a small playground/tennis court behind a CVS which is on the main strip- Broadway, that turns into Rt 4 a few blocks down. She shows pictures of the shaggy black dog sitting by bobcat sign while Gretchen retrieves lumpy brown objects from the snow. The species was historically widespread in the Garden State. I report them as education. Lynx: Same as bobcat but tracks show a lot more hair. In North Carolina a rabid bobcat attacked a man and woman earlier this month after it had wandered into their neighborhood. The tracks on the field also show it following and possibly catching a deer (the hoof prints were obvious) any updates or comments folks? "We need to learn whether or not there is a breeding interaction between these two populations.". I have tried to see a bobcat in the trails behind pinecrest lake for decades and have never seen one. We need all sorts of skills: from tech savvy folks to those willing to hike. They're illusive and can spot us coming long before we would see them. Report an injured or dead bobcat via the DEP Hotline: 1-877-WARNDEP (1-877-927-6337). The sides and back are generally the same color with faint black spots; grayer in winter and tan in summer. The Dodge family in Clarks Summit, Lackawanna County, captured an image of a big cat strolling behind the fence enclosing their yard and pool. And we seldom lug our telephoto camera on hikes anymore. 122.27000 W, https://drive.google.com/file/d/14bjFjvtP3QrVLN_x6LiDJwBj_V4TIP-V/view?usp=drivesdk, Lat / Lon: Fragmentation, caused by development and traffic, seem to have constrained the local populations, particularly two in northern New Jersey. Then a young bobcat appeared again. The Wild Turkey Brood Sighting Survey runs from May 15th to September 15th, with the goal of measuring the productivity and success of wild turkey broods across New Jersey each year. It was so sad. State biologists are particularly interested in bands that are field-readable, such as those used on Bald eagles, Peregrine falcons, and some other species. A few are here but you won't see them. The bobcat, described by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection as a shy animal that's larger than a housecat but much smaller than a cougar or lion, prefers to prey on rabbits, mice, squirrels, turkeys and ground-nesting songbirds. And yes I do believe they are here in Jersey. This animal was large, smooth tan coat not fluffy, not spotted, it was not stocky or short. They began to repopulate Ohio in the Mid-1900s. "I've spent so much time out in the field, and I've never seen a bobcat in the wild.". June 27, 2022. 80 runs through the water gap area. Here's her FB post about it: Now I know many will scoff at this post and really try to down play it but Im just letting everyone know that yesterday at approx 1:30pm on Mt. if i get the video from him what shud i do with it? If you want to be part of change, volunteer today! They did not appreciate being cornered, so angry bobcats required sedation via spring-loaded syringes at the end of jab poles. Most sightings occur in Warren, Sussex, Passaic and Morris counties, however, bobcats have been reported recently in Bergen, Hunterdon, Ocean, Cape May and Cumberland counties. The Ohio Division of Wildlife reports that the sightings of a bobcat are the first within Cuyahoga County since the species was eliminated from Ohio in 1850. . From 1978 to 1982, the NJ Department of Environmental Programs brought in twenty-four bobcats from Maine and Massachusetts. If the bobcats can be encouraged to travel, the gene pool will disperse and strengthen. It was a tan color and definitely was a feline with no spots. A North Carolina family had a more frightening encounter with a bobcat that later tested positive rabies, and had to take the rabies vaccine. NJ used to have a lot of wild life that it has successfully bumped off due to human encroachment and lack of understanding the value of wildlife diversity. Officers will respond when there is a threat to public safety. Wildlife cameras inside Cleveland Metroparks captured a historic bobcat sighting. Bats are also routinely banded during studies. A bobcats lifespan is 12-13 years. Almost three feet long and twenty inches high at the shoulder, in good years she might weigh as much as twenty-five pounds. Anonymous: I believe the claims are misidentification (as I have always stated) but the belief in them and other rare species for our state are real. I heard a loud crash and look to my right. I was in East Windsor 2/13/20 Etra Park newer walking path side and a large tan animal about waist high took off very fast stride into the brush. Heel points in slightly different direction than toes. We hike A LOT and weve only seen a bobcat once, in Yosemite National Park, way back in 2008. I would love to know for certain, as I've seen bobcats several times and I can't imagine confusing one with a mountain lion. Cleveland Metroparks captured two photographs of bobcats earlier this year, marking Cuyahoga County's first bobcat sighting since 1850, Metroparks told Cleveland News 5. -Read Full Disclaimer. You dont just look outside and see them. couple days ago my boyfriend got a video of a mountain lion! Did you mean to type Saw a mountain lion standing next to a sign in the town on the NJ side of the Delaware Memorial Bridge,right near the super waw . I dont know if it was a bobcat or a mountain lion. The bobcat or Lynx rufus is about two feet tall, larger than a house cat but much smaller than a cougar or lion. Last fall October 2021 I was driving on Clove Road in Montague headed towards High Point Country Club - just before dusk enough to see what I was looking at and clear as day I saw a mountain lion run across the road right in front of me, It might be shy but when it's hungry it's not going to be shy anymore. Solid tan smooth coated large Cat. With support of wildlife lovers like you, we have made great progress in establishing "Bobcat Alley," a 400,000 acre corridor spanning New Jerseys two great mountain ranges: the Appalachians and the Highlands. Bobcat sightings, while becoming more common, are still rare in . When I saw her I felt complete and utter amazement. Wish i had snapped a photo! By the 1970s, bobcats were extremely rare. Black bears have actually been a part of the ecological landscape in Massachusetts for years. Good luck with that. Black bears. Bobcats are twice the size of an average housecat. Two were in my yard. Montgomery Cougars is an apt name. I actually have a video of its tail and it growling. Also sightings are rarely posted with a name and email or way to contact the person. With land at a premium in our densely populated state, bobcats need as many engaged advocates as they can get to make sure they have a place to live here. | Of 22 species foun Eastern coyotes (coywolf) differ from their western counterparts with a larger average size and various color phases, including blonde and A nice post, report and a clear video of some bobcats sighted (a rare enough sight in NJ) while, Cedar Swamp Trail in High Point State Park. We are still waiting for good video footage, physical evidence and confirmation from NJ Fish & Wildlife. 2022 Updated: 7:59 PM EST December . I don't think it's a conspiracy so much they don't want to scare the public. No mistaken what I saw. Mick Valente explains. 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