Mountain Lion in Loudoun County, Virginia?
August 1st, 2011
Credible 2006 Mountain Lion Sighting
February 23rd, 2010
I was organizing and going through some old magazines and came across this interesting item from the April 2006 Potomac Appalachian:
While on his way to remove a blowdown blocking the Big Run Loop North Trail in late January, Pete saw a big dark colored cougar cross Skyline Drive about 100 yards ahead of his car. It was about five feet long with a long tail and bounded across the drive in one jump…
The incident above is from page 21. The Potomac Appalachian is the newsletter of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, which maintains hundreds of miles of hiking trails in the mid-Atlantic region including many trails in Shenandoah National Park (Virginia).
Cougar on Virginia’s Eastern Shore?
February 19th, 2010
[Via Yahoo Eastern Mountain Lion Group]
Joanne Kimberlin of the Virginian-Pilot reports:
At least three people say they’ve spotted a mountain lion on the southern end of the Eastern Shore.
And no, they weren’t drunk.
Which leads to the next question: How could a mountain lion – a species long considered extinct in Virginia – wind up in a place as hard to reach as the Eastern Shore?
See Also: Mountains Lions in Virginia?
Mountain Lion Turns Out to be Toy Tiger
October 22nd, 2009
[Via EasternCougar.org]
The Washington Post reports:
A real estate agent reported that she saw an injured mountain lion…
When an animal control officer arrived, the animal was not moving. Upon closer inspection, the officer found that it was a large stuffed toy tiger.
The search for the elusive eastern mountain lion continues.
Mountains Lions in Virginia?
June 13th, 2009
Isle of Wight, VA
This picture was discussed on the Yahoo Eastern Mountain Lion Group and also at the PATC Trails Forum. Although I am a “believer,” I think this particular photograph is of a bobcat.
From some angles, bobcats may look a bit lion-ish. Here’s a photo I took a couple of years ago that is somewhat similar to the one in question. This second photo is of the same cat, obviously a bobcat in this shot.
Buffalo Creek, WV
Also on the Yahoo Eastern Mountain Lion Group, this Youtube video was posted. One theory is that the video is not of a mountain lion, but rather of a large house cat. The family that shot the video seem convinced it was quite large though.
Fresh Scat
January 7th, 2008
I noticed this scat on the Appalachian Trail. After consulting my Scats and Tracks field guide, identification cannot be absolute. On one hand, the constrictions seen are associated with mountain lion and bobcat scat. The diameter of the scat is too narrow for an adult mountain lion and is more consistent with bobcat scat size. On the other hand, the tapered end of the scat is consistent with dog scat. What animal do you think made this deposit?
