Mountain lion was wild!

[First-light]

It traveled from South Dakota, go figure. Had to pass through NYS so they do exist in the wild.

http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/07/27/officials-mountain-lion-traveled-from-south-dakota-to-connecticut/?&hpt=hp_c2

[steve863]

Man, this is so hard to believe!  If I walked from NY to South Dakota, I could crap, pee, spit, and deposit some other even nastier stuff along the way every mile, I bet they wouldn't be able to figure out where I was originally from without ID on me if I got run over by a truck!! LOL  I just can't believe they have so much evidence on a freakin cat to come to such a conclusion.

[Geno C]

This doesnt make much sense... How would they know exactly unless they tagged it or something back in SD???? Seems far fetched if you ask me...

[G-Man]

Hmmm....animal lover on vacation in south dakota finds cute cuddly kitten..brings it home to conneticut.where it grows up gets let go because its to big...gets hit dna test shows genitc match to group in south dakota...so it must of walked..just like the pythons swam to floridia....

[First-light]

Tough to disprove DNA, why not? Just goes to show even when they have proof some still won't believe.

[Water Rat]

Burt...........Some people just can't admit when their wrong .

[WNYBuckHunter]

Even if it traveled by its self to CT, its a very rare occurrence. Nobody is saying that there arent MLs in the wild, there are none native to the Northeast.

[growalot]

So they wrapped it up by saying all sightings in several states were just this one single cat....well what a pretty pink ribbon that package has on it...lol....for the sake of an argument ;D ...if there are more sightings or even "evidence" ...does that mean this cat carried kittens on it's back like a possum...lol

[Geno C]

Hmmm....animal lover on vacation in south dakota finds cute cuddly kitten..brings it home to conneticut.where it grows up gets let go because its to big...gets hit dna test shows genitc match to group in south dakota...so it must of walked..just like the pythons swam to floridia....

Lol!!!!!

[Mr VJP]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/27/mountain-lion-travels-cross-country_n_910907.html

[DIAMOND D]

Yeah, definitely interesting. I read that they (don't know who "they" are) had some scat from this kitty in Minnesota as well from a few years back. Don't know who the governing body is that is studying these cats and linking all this data but it may be interesting to find out.

[wdswtr]

Okay so read this quote and please tell me how this animal came from south dakota. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service Wildlife Genetic Laboratory in Missoula, Montana, matched DNA taken from droppings, blood and hair found at the location of mountain lion sightings in Minnesota and Wisconsin in 2009 and 2010 with DNA taken from the Milford animal, Connecticut authorities reported. Other mountain lion sightings in Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as Michigan are believed to be of the same animal, authorities said.

So yeah that makes sense now it must have been from South Dakota lol.  Heck even the OTHER sightings in minnesota, wisconsin and michigan makes me believe it was the same animal.  Give it a day or so and you guys will hear about a mountain lion escaping from the local zoo. 

[G-Man]

it doesnt say what dna tests were done or if it was an exact match. they can do a dna test on a human that shows that your of scandanivian decent, or french and even narrow it down to a specfic area of a country. so the cat was genetically related to cats from from south dakota. doesn't mean it walked... the generalization on dna test makes it sound all scientific and beyond doubt  but the evidence isnt complete...... just like they can test a lion in a zoo and say it originally came from a part of africa even though its been born raised and will die in the zoo.

[steve863]

Tough to disprove DNA, why not? Just goes to show even when they have proof some still won't believe.

Burt, I am not one of those who think that there is no way that the cougar could again re-establish themselves in the northeast.  I am just very suspect of them being so sure that this cougar came all the way from South Dakota. 

Apparently there have been some confirmed sightings in Quebec over recent years.  In fact I visited Mt. Tremblant National park in Quebec a few years back and the park brochure even stated that sightings have occurred.  So if they are in Quebec, why should we think they couldn't make it down to NY, VT, MA, CT, ME??  Quebec I would believe, South Dakota I wouldn't.

I just happen to still have a download of the park brochure from when I planned my visit there.  I am posting the cover and the page where they talk about cougars.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I doubt there are many people that think cougars COULDNT re-establish a population here, at least thats not what I think. I just have not seen any proof to confirm the rumors that there are currently cougars living in NY on a regular, wild basis. Sure they could re-establish themselves, after all, there are elk in PA which are being spotted in NY on occasion, wild hogs moving in, moose, and look at the bear population. Would I want to see MLs become established here? Not really.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

To be honest ...there is something about being on the top of the food chain that makes me sleep very soundly at night. I have no interest in seeing them re-established here.

[upstaterifle]

DNA is definitely something that is hard to discount. However, what made them think, "Hey, let's check this DNA against those ones out in South Dakota." I know there is no established population around here but they are other places.  How did they know to cross check against lions from South Dakota?

[First-light]

I like the story and the work by the biologists that solved this mystery. I like to give a bit of credit to these guys, DNA is very hard to disprove. Think about it, there aren't many of these cats around so when they do find evidence they take dna samples and have a data base. Very easy for them to take samples from this cat and match it up. I believe the story and I believe that there are some cats in the east, cats that roam around not establishing a population.

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I would be curious how many markers they matched. the more they match the more specific the results. With sightings in Quebec  some of those could have come form the Dakotas as well 20 years ago. this one could have come down from there....or up from the confirmed sightings in WV. I would be curious how defined the link is.

[Geno C]

do i think there are ML's roaming in the NE? i would say yes... Do i think they have this particular cat pinpoint 100% from South Dakota? No...

heres a vid, im still not buying it...

[wztirem]

DNA is definitely something that is hard to discount. However, what made them think, "Hey, let's check this DNA against those ones out in South Dakota." I know there is no established population around here but they are other places.  How did they know to cross check against lions from South Dakota?

Perhaps this report is merely a ruse.

Some still believe that the lion was not wild and either escaped from captivity or was intentionally released into the wild.

[Doewhacker]

What I get out of the DNA reports is this, it links it to the South Dakotas, that does not mean it came all the way from there. That could simply mean it is related to those from that area, seeing how the farthest one ever traveled before was 640 miles I would think that this one came from the Minnesota/Wisconsin area which is about 1000 miles.

[SteveB]

So if they are in Quebec, why should we think they couldn't make it down to NY,

VT, MA, CT, ME??

The Great Lakes and the St Lawrence Seaway come to mind - unless they have ezy pass to cross the 1000 Islands Bridge.  

[Culvercreek hunt club]

I thought  remember reading they were pretty good swimmers

[steve863]

So if they are in Quebec, why should we think they couldn't make it down to NY,

VT, MA, CT, ME??

The Great Lakes and the St Lawrence Seaway come to mind - unless they have ezy pass to cross the 1000 Islands Bridge.

Well, if he came the southern route thru states like Illinois, Ohio, there would have been plenty of obstacles for him also, including the Hudson river before he reached CT.  Moose came back into the Dacks thru Vermont and had to go around the Lake Champlain and Lake George areas.  Most have settled deep inside the Dacks a good distance away from either area.  I couldn't begin to guess where this cat came from, but I would guess Quebec sooner than I would S. Dakota if he came from anywhere at all.