Yes there are cougars in Connecticut
Do, I hear snickering? Yes, Connecticut has the two-legged variety. And yes, at times, they are fur bearing, and may bite. But this post is strictly about the four-legged kind.
For years, some folks, including myself, have been fairly certain that cougars were occasionally visiting our state. There were simply too many reports. Bantam Lake area, Talcott Ridge, Nepaug Reservoir, Berlin. And why not lions? Cougar scat and DNA had showed up at Quabbin Reservoir back in 1997 – only 20 mile north of the Connecticut line. But the skeptics were very vocal. Hell, you’d think we were suggesting Sasquatch lived in Simsbury.
Ok, the doubters now have to eat crow. Back in June a young, male, mountain lion was killed by a car in Milford. Turns out our peripatetic puma had wandered all the way from the Black Hills of South Dakota. Sorry about that lad.
This wild cat has created a ton of interest. So I’ve been working to arrange a lecture on mountain lions. The speaker will be Chris Spatz, president of the Cougar Rewilding Foundation. Date: Wednesday, October 26, 6:30-8 PM at North Cove Outfitters on Main Street in Old Saybrook. Free admission, although a 5 buck donation to the Foundation is suggested. Contact me for more information, or call North Cove at 860-388-6585
