Jersey Devil in the Pine Barrens :)
Posted on 08/17/2006 5:02:01 AM PDT by Marius3188
UPPER TOWNSHIP — The Township Committee is trying to determine whether mountain-lion sightings in the area are fact or phantom.
Mayor Richard Palombo this week publicly urged residents who have seen a large cat — maybe a mountain lion or a big bobcat — to notify the township's animal-control officer.
“At this point, we're making everyone alert about it. The animal-control officer is looking at it if anyone sees an animal,” the mayor said.
Liam Hughes, who handles animal control in parts of Atlantic and Cape May counties, said there are no confirmed lion sightings. Nor could anyone find scat or tracks, called pug marks.
But the lion stories persist.
“There are reports of it. Nothing positive,” Hughes said. “Did you see this? Did you hear this? There are credible people who believe they saw something.”
State Police in Woodbine and the Cape May County Park & Zoo are aware of the rumored sightings. The zoo is home to the county's one and only known mountain lion.
Hughes said a cougar could make a tidy living in Upper Township, home to the Great Cedar Swamp and its countless muskrats, rabbits, turkey and deer — all cougar favorites.
But could a large cat remain undetected in a suburban township such as Upper?
“Mountain lions are reclusive animals in general. They won't come out in daylight. They generally will stay away from people,” Hughes said.
The state Department of Environmental Protection fielded unsubstantiated reports of a mountain lion roaming Monmouth County this year, spokeswoman Darlene Youhas said. But there have been no confirmed sightings in New Jersey in more than a century, she said.
The big cats are known by many names, including panther, catamount, puma and cougar.
A state biologist who looked at photos of Woodbine horses that suffered scratches said the marks likely were made by a post, tree or other inanimate object, not a set of panther claws.
Hughes has handled his share of wildlife calls as Upper Township's animal-control officer. Most complaints concern thieving raccoons or skunks. But he has chased a peacock down Route 9 and secured a herd of peripatetic cows.
The idea of a large cat wandering northern Cape May County seems to have fired people's imaginations, Hughes said.
“There is an element of mystery to the animal. People are enthralled by large cats. There's definitely one part mystery, one part fear,” he said.
See a lion?
Upper Township's animal control officer can be reached at 609-399-0199.
To e-mail Michael Miller at The Press:
MMiller@pressofac.com
I work only seven miles from Trenton. There are farms around my office complex.
Jersey Devil in the Pine Barrens :)
I've been to Tindall Farm (near your office).
Humor me... describe the tail.
It depends on what you call South Jersey. To me, anything below Trenton, is South Jersey. To somebody in Bergen County, South Jersey is anything south of Bergen County. Hunterdon county is neither North or South. It's in the sticks. Damn near part of Appalachian Mountains as far as I'm concerned.
It's got more tractors than cars, near as I can tell. There is one thing about Hunterdon County that impresses me though. Democrats are clearly an endangered species there.
First that pig/dog/chupa thing in Maine; now this in New Jersey!
The Township's name is Upper? Seriously?
I've been four wheeling through many areas of the Pine Barrens for 25 years. You have to stick to the trails, and can't worry about getting your paint scratched. But if you walked 50 feet off of some of those trails, you wouldn't even have to bury a body. It would never be found.
Some areas of the Pines contain Peat Bogs, and we all know what happens to bodies that get tossed in those. Jimmy Hoffa may yet rise again, 10,000 years from now.
Years ago I saw a big cat and I dont mean a house cat walking on RT 9 in north Jersey. It was black and it was dragging a huge chain behind it. I thought maybe it was a panther but I didnt stop to find out. I wasnt the only one who saw it either. How it got on rt 9 I dont know and I wasnt going to stop to catch it. Maybe somebody had a pet and just let it go. Stupid people get animals they should never try to make into pets and when they aren't cute and become too big they let them go. I camp in Bass River all summer and I see tracks of all kinds. Nothing would surprise me.
Cougar
.
Bobcat
I really dont care to run into that cat lol. I will be keeping my dogs in the rv from now on too.Thanks for the pic, beautiful looking animal. My neighbors keep telling me that Big Foot is in Bass River state park. I think I will limit my hiking from now on.
His kidnappers were neighbors and their kids or one son (can't remember) attended the local high school.
Catamounts were once so prominent here that the university sports teams are named after the animal. Despite many, many reported sitings of catamounts over the years I am not aware of any confirmed sitings, ie with scat or prints present.
Many of the reported animals turn out to be bobcats which are still around.
"Upper", NJ? Never heard of it, I assumed they meant NW NJ.
!!!!! This PC nonsense is getting a bit out of hand these days.
Bass River is my favorite camping spot.
http://www.nj1015.com/absolutenm/templates/?a=3988&z=1
Cape May County Residents Think There Is A Big Cat In Their Woods
Joe Cutter
In Cape May County, some locals think they have a big cat on their hands. Officials are trying to keep an open mind.
Residents in Upper Township and Dennis Township have reported what they think might be a Mountain lion or a Cougar. Upper Township Mayor Richard Palumbo says there have been no actual clear sightings of such a carnivore...nevertheless they are just taking the precautionary side to make sure that in the event there is one of these animals out there, people are aware of it.
(snip)
Mountain lions have been confirmed in Iowa and Nebraska so the most certainly don't need rocks.
...and the ones that stay away from people only do so because they aren't recent arrivals from California who have discovered that joggers are tasty.
Mine too, but now I rent a year round site in one of the local campgrounds in New Gretna. I love the slow pace and the woods, sure beats Brick! Have a great weekend.
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