Types of Mountain Lion in Vermont

Yes. Mountain lions, also called cougars or panthers, ranged throughout the eastern United States before European settlement. They lived in Vermont's forests and mountains. Hunting, habitat loss, and deliberate extermination campaigns eliminated them from the East by the 1850s. The last documented mountain lion kill in Vermont was in the 1880s. They have not naturally returned to Vermont in over 150 years.

Vermont has one iNaturalist record of a mountain lion, documented in November. One observation in over a century is not evidence of a population or even a resident animal. A single report likely reflects an escaped captive animal, a misidentification, or confusion with another predator. Biologists and Vermont wildlife officials do not recognize mountain lions as part of the state's wildlife. If you encounter a report of a mountain lion sighting, ask for photographic evidence and check with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

Mountain lions and bobcats are both wild cats found across North America, but they are very different sizes. A mountain lion weighs 90 to 160 pounds and measures 6 to 8 feet from nose to tail tip. A bobcat weighs 20 to 30 pounds and measures 2 to 3 feet long. Mountain lions have a solid tawny or gray coat, while bobcats have a spotted or stippled coat and short tufted ears. Vermont has many bobcats; if you see a large cat-like predator, it is a bobcat. Mountain lions have a long rope-like tail with a dark tip; bobcats have a short tail with a dark top and white underside.

Large carnivores in Vermont include black bears, coyotes, and rare escaped or released exotic animals. A dark-furred predator at a distance is often a black bear. A tan or gray canine is usually a coyote, which can appear large in low light. Large feral dogs are also common. Coyotes often appear larger than their actual 30-pound average because of fluffy fur and erect posture. Misidentification happens, especially at night or when the animal is far away. If you want to report a predator, photograph it if safe and contact Vermont Fish and Wildlife.

European settlement reduced Vermont's forests by over 80 percent. Hunting and logging destroyed habitat and prey populations. Bounties and organized hunts killed mountain lions directly. By the 1850s, all eastern mountain lions were gone. The predators that survived in Vermont are bobcats, bears, and coyotes because they adapted to fragmented landscapes and food sources that mountain lions cannot use as efficiently. Mountain lions also have large territories and avoid humans, making recolonization unlikely without human reintroduction, which is not happening.

Extremely unlikely. Mountain lions in the western United States live in mountain ranges and remote areas from Canada to Mexico. A wild mountain lion would have to travel thousands of miles across developed land, highways, and human settlements to reach Vermont. The documented case of a mountain lion traveling east was in Connecticut in 2011: a young male born in South Dakota that covered over 1,500 miles before being struck by a car. Such crossings are rare and fatal. No breeding population of mountain lions has ever reestablished in the East, despite over 150 years of potential opportunity.

Vermont does not have any zoos that house mountain lions, but you can see them at several wildlife facilities in nearby states. Zoos and sanctuaries in New York, Massachusetts, and other New England states occasionally house mountain lions or cougars. Your best option for seeing a mountain lion in the wild is to travel to western states such as Colorado, California, or Utah, where populations remain healthy. If you want to see large predators that do live in Vermont, visit the Vermont Institute of Natural Science, which maintains birds of prey exhibits, or explore state forests where you may encounter black bears, bobcats, and coyotes.

First, do not approach it. If you are at a distance and safe, try to photograph it or note exact details: size, tail length, ear shape, coat color, and time of day. Take note of the location. Contact the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department immediately with your location and description. They have biologists and camera trap data to verify predator reports. Do not assume you saw a mountain lion; many reports turn out to be bobcats, bears, coyotes, or large dogs. Your report helps scientists understand wildlife distribution, even if it is not a new species for the state.

Black bears, bobcats, and coyotes are Vermont's native large predators. Black bears weigh 200 to 400 pounds, are dark-furred, and are generally shy and avoid humans. Bobcats are small, spotted, and rarely seen despite living throughout Vermont. Coyotes weigh 25 to 40 pounds, look like small wolves, and are increasingly common at forest edges and in suburban areas. All three species can be tracked, photographed with camera traps, or observed at dawn and dusk in suitable habitat. They are far more abundant in Vermont than mountain lions ever were.

Mountain lions are not endangered in the western United States, where populations are stable or growing in protected areas. They are listed as a species of special concern in some states but are not federally endangered. Eastern mountain lions are functionally extinct as a population. The species itself is not under threat of global extinction, but the eastern subspecies no longer exists. In western states, mountain lion populations are managed through controlled hunting to balance predator and human interests. Reintroduction to the East is not a current wildlife priority.