Family Life

08.03.11 | Sarah Harnisch

  A well-known researcher says there are cougars in upstate New York.  A cougar killed in Connecticut is proof, Eastern Puma Researcher Nancy Dobson says, that big cats still roam the Southern Tier. She says she spotted a mountain lion in West Almond last year on Saint Patricks Day, and she and other researchers have gotten reports from hunters in the area who have found Puma tracks. She says in the last 3 months, there have been many reports of puma activity-- because the cats are coming in from the midwest and Canada. That cougar killed in Connecticut was hit by a driver June 11th. DNA tests showed he was descended from Pumas in South Dakota. They say his path may have taken him through upstate New york before he landed in Connecticut. If you think you've spotted a mountain lion, you can call Dobson at 607-276-6472. Some scientists believe there haven't been pumas in Upstate New York-- or Pennsylvania-- for over 100 years.