A lot of us remember the Mountain Lion hit by a car on the Merit Parkway in Milford back in June 2011. Speculating it was the same lion seen earlier in Greenwich, some thought the drama with these big cats may have been over. Some weren’t so sure. There was so many sightings up to this point, I for one am not convinced CT has no more lions. I don’t know.
Web sites devoted to Lion sightings in our state seem to have numerous sightings.
A popular site along these lines is,
http://ctmountainlion.org/
One thing is for sure, more and more trail cameras in the woods used by hunters and people wanting to observe wildlife will, over time, tell the extent of any population in CT. These cameras can take pictures and video not only during the day but at night as well. Lions will use the many deer trails that meander our woods right where these cameras tend to be.
Vehicle strikes like the one in Milford are also positive evidence and until the strike in June 2011, the lack of one was pointed out by those dismissing Mountain Lions in CT. Another vehicle strike would speak volumes.
When the state was deforested for farming the native lions here then left, along with deer,bears,turkeys,fishers and other species. As farms disappeared and the forest’s grew back, so did the game. Deer and other animals are plentiful now. Is the return of the Lion next? Time will tell.
