And so for years, Ive thought to myself, well, its possible. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Though there have been some elk sightings in Tennessee, the best place for viewing is in Cataloochee Valley and Oconaluftee Valley near Cherokee, North Carolina. 2021 The Smoky Mountain News. The operating hours, policies and procedures of other businesses may change at any time without notice. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The Great Smoky Mountains Railway (GSMR) owns 53 miles (85 kilometers) of the Murphy Branch, a former branch line of the Southern Railway between Dillsboro and Nantahala, North Carolina. In the park and most other areas, its illegal to get within 150 feet of an elk. People take in the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from atop Grandfather Mountain near Linville, N.C., Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, as autumn arrives in the highlands. Deep in the park. var addy_text96fa7cd342640a6f100bd7fba15504d5 = 'info' + '@' + 'georgeellison' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak96fa7cd342640a6f100bd7fba15504d5').innerHTML += ''+addy_text96fa7cd342640a6f100bd7fba15504d5+'<\/a>'; It was not a mountain lion or a cougar or a panther. I kept a close eye over my shoulder the rest of that day. Wild Boars are especially violent if you get near their children, using their tusks to stab violently. I stayed at an AirB&B in Rock Island, Tennessee right after Thanksgiving last month and saw a mountain lion run right in front of me in the pasture next to the house. Male Elk can be as heavy as 700 pounds with antlers up to five feet wide. In other words, the Eastern Cougar was erroneously labeled a subspecies to begin with and was never different from the cats that occur in the western part of the country. In 2011 a cougar that originated in the Black Hills area made national headlines when it was discovered that it had traveled an astonishing 1,500 miles before being struck and killed on a roadway in Greenwich, Connecticut. A bobcat weighs 13 to 40 pounds, on average. There are about eight to 10 reports of mountain lion sightings a year, some by tourists, some by veterinarians, and some by a wildlife photographer, Linzey said. The National Park Service reintroduced Elk to the Smoky Mountains in 2001, and theyre now thriving. Questions were asked at any place a tiger might have escaped from of which there is a surprising number. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. About 8 years ago I saw one in Big Copeland chasing a deer and it stopped and looked me dead in the eye from about 50 yards away. The third edition of his book Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, first published in 1971, will be published this year. document.getElementById('cloak96fa7cd342640a6f100bd7fba15504d5').innerHTML = ''; His speed was astonishing and its long tail was spining in a circle that drew my attention. At first, everyone took it fairly seriously. I told the story and it was put in the local paper. A Smokies panther would be either such an animal or the usual released pet theory. Good to see you on here Greg. Right beside Chattanooga. Its my supposition that any mountain lions living in this region today arent descendents of the genetic stock that were originally here. There are many stories about cougars that have made their way to the agency over the years. Let us know in the comments! I have concluded that approximately 40 percent of the reports are probably of a mountain lion, Linzey stated. The move was awkward but he felt the blade sink into the attackers body. [2] The GSMR would eventually become one of the most popular tourist railroads in the United States with about 200,000 passengers each year. You couldnt miss the facial markings and the stripes as it quickly turned away. Or at least they think thats what they saw. Discover Life in America which can be found on Youtube. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate and a partner of other affiliate programs including Booking.com, CJ and Tripster, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases via links found in this article. 1009, GP9 No. It is in fact well known that every year several young males from the Dakotas, West Texas, and in one case Florida go off on long wanderings in the East. Because of their population density, your chance of seeing a bear in the Smoky Mountains is relatively high. And, again, if one does bite you, seek proper medical attention. Mountain lions have been caught on camera in Indiana, and Tennessee wildlife officials maintain a map that shows confirmed cougar sightings, including at least As part of the areas 26th annual Wilderness Wildlife Week, Linzey will present a talk titled Evidence of Mountain Lions in Great Smoky Mountains National Park on Saturday, May 21, at 1:30 p.m. in Greenbrier Hall A at the LeConte Center in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. While I believe that many of the reports of lions in western North Carolina can be shown to be something else I also believe that there continues to be a remnant population in the area. Our site produces editorial content for the purpose of entertainment. I couldn't talk him out of it. The policemans claim was placed under a little more scrutiny. Not just crossing a road near the boundary of the park. TN Several miles of the line between the far western end of the Nantahala Gorge and Andrews are out of service. One of us is wrong but neither is lying. Last year, the great grandson of the man who was attacked by the last verified mountain lion in the park was in attendance.. MySpace Facebook I mean an 8 hour view is not just adrenaline. With luck, youll get a couple of kicks before they walk away. Road Closures Due to Weather Yet cougar sightings in Tennessee and throughout the Southeast have persisted over the years with many reports occurring in and around the Smokies. Dr. Donald Linzey, a biology professor at Wytheville Community College in Virginia who also teaches at Virginia Tech, has been following up on cougar sightings in the region for several decades. The thing is panthers may be elusive, but they are not ghostly and no one is hiding anything about them. So how does Linzey, author of several guidebooks including Mammals of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and The Mammals of Virginia, reconcile these reports with the official governmental view that the Eastern Cougar has died off? He squinted his eyes and looked around but saw nothing. Illustrating the species capacity for long-distance travel, the Missouri Department of Conservation reported in a May 2012 press release that DNA analysis showed that four cougars found in the state the previous year came from three Western states, South Dakota, Montana and Colorado. Besides reviewing the sighting reports, Linzey seeks other evidence of mountain lions. Linzey, who has been teaching for more than 50 years, was an early advocate for endangered species. This, dear reader, is a stark reality to be faced with. Even then, theyre relatively harmless because their bite pressure is less than a humans. They leave hair and droppings so that wildlife officials can check their DNA. Sure, a skunk can spray you or your dog or your camping gear, but there are ways to get the smell out eventually. [3] In addition to operating tourists trains, the railroad has transported freight via an interchange with the Blue Ridge Southern Railroad in Sylva near Jackson Paper Manufacturing.[4]. My own opinion is that cougars occur in the park. The horse subsequently died from the damage while in the care of the Veterinarian. In 1991, it was purchased by the GSMR until 2005, when it was taken out of service due to firebox issues. Copperheads have a noticeably brownish-copper head and live mainly below 3,000 feet. They dont usually attack humans unless they feel threatened or if youve come too close to their babies. Drop the food, and back away slowly with your arms raised until youre safe inside a building or your RV. I spoke to a Biologist who was working with the ATBI last spring and she says she saw one near Sugarlands very early one morning. Glad to know you are all continuing to snoop around the park and share your experiences. The Family Felidae contains a number of species, including jaguars, ocelots, mountain lions, bobcats, lynxes, and domestic cats. James N. Watson, Jr. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. However, rare sightings have become more prevalent in recent years. [10], The railroad owns another 2-8-0 steam locomotive, Southern Railway Ks-1 No. This small part of Smoky Mountain Light is dedicated to the effort to confirm effort to record the continuing existence of mountain lions in Western North Carolina in general. According to Donald W. Linzeys notes in Mammals of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (1995), the last mountain lion killed in the Great Smokies was back in the early winter of 1920: Tom Sparks was said to have been attacked by a panther while herding sheep on Spence Field. He managed to inflict a deep wound in its left shoulder. Read Also: Secrets in the Smokies: 5 little known facts and stories. (LogOut/ 10 seconds later they Sprinted by me (40 feet) and up the mountain. lion(s) [I'm not clear on whether it is singular or plural] in the park. Change). Powered by, Badges | Atagahi: The Secret Lake Hidden in the Smoky Mountains, Where Is the Noah Bud Ogle Cabin? In 2001, 25 elk from Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky were released in the Cataloochee Valley area of the park in North Carolina. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Exploration brought unsustainable hunting practices, new diseases and competition with domestic livestock for food resources. I'm not quite ready to die yet, but when the time comes, I'd love to be the first person killed and eaten by a mt lion in GSMNP. 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