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Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Round Hill resident claims sighting of mountain lion
Posted by:
Loudoun County News
()
Date: August 04, 2011 10:18AM
Round Hill resident claims sighting of mountain lion
Sunday, Jul. 31 by Andrew Sharbel
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/round_hill_resident_claims_sighting_of_mountain_lion123/
With Leesburg battling black bears in its neighborhoods over the last week, Round Hill has also potentially run into an unlikely wildlife encounter of its own.
Resident Donna Mihalco woke up around 5:30 a.m. July 17 to her dog barking angrily and looking out the window.
To her amazement sitting on the hill behind her backyard was what she says was a mountain lion.
“It was just beginning to get light out and I could tell this was a very large cat with the body being all one color, a white face and short, perky ears,” Mihalco said. “The size of the animal was quite alarming and it looked to be close to 200 pounds and almost six feet long.”
To her surprise, the animal showed up again the next morning at the same time.
“I scrambled to take a photo the second day and was able to take a picture of it, but it did not come out too well and all you can see is its eyes, which are reflecting green,” Mihalco said. “The picture proves that this is a large animal because the head is pretty high off the ground.”
Following the encounter, Mihalco called the Sheriff’s office and Animal Control, who both told her they couldn’t do anything. Virginia’s Department of Game and Inland Fisheries told her that mountain lions don’t exist in Virginia.
“I told them not to tell me that because I was looking at one for about 20 minutes this morning and that this was no domestic cat,” Mihalco said. “Somebody needs to do something about this because this is a residential neighborhood with small children and dogs and this animal needs to be relocated.”
According to Mihalco, when she told her neighbors about the sighting, they had heard mysterious noises in the woods the night before.
“We had just returned home from out of town and we were unpacking and started to hear what sounded like screaming coming from the back yard,” Neighbor Lyrae Puckett said. “I imagined it was a fox or something like that killing a neighborhood cat or dog, so I ran out back with a flashlight and tried to scare off whatever it was and the noise stopped.
“Then, I heard something large rustling in the woods and it freaked me out and I went inside,” Puckett said. “The screaming started up again once I got back upstairs, but it seemed closer to Donna’s house this time.”
According to Mihalco and Puckett, parents in the neighborhood are more reluctant to let their children outside to play as much.
“Our kids used to always play in the woods back there, but because of problems with ticks we have been trying to avoid letting them or the dogs go back there,” Puckett said. “Now, we are avoiding it at all costs because we have also seen quite a few snakeskins back there as well.”
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries biologists have seen the photo Mihalco took and determined that they simply can’t make the distinction of whether or not it is in fact a mountain lion.
“The last time a mountain lion was positively identified in Virginia was back in the 1880’s,” Virginia DGIF spokeswoman Julia Dixon said. “The biologist noted that we simply can’t distinguish what the animal is by the photograph. He also noted that while cats eyes usually reflect green, other animals such as deer, dogs, coyotes, wild hogs and others can reflect that color as well.
“He also said that he has seen mountain lions reflect green as well as orange,” She said. “Usually, the eye color in a photograph is determined by the light intensity and type.”
According to an article published in Virginia Wildlife Magazine in February, studies have been conducted throughtout Virginia as to whether or not mountain lions exist in the state. The study consisted of posting trail cameras throughout the state, but no evidence was found.
VDIGF maintains they receive calls like this on average at least twice a month from residents, but they never have good evidence to back up their claims.
Sunday, Jul. 31 by Andrew Sharbel
http://www.loudountimes.com/index.php/news/article/round_hill_resident_claims_sighting_of_mountain_lion123/
With Leesburg battling black bears in its neighborhoods over the last week, Round Hill has also potentially run into an unlikely wildlife encounter of its own.
Resident Donna Mihalco woke up around 5:30 a.m. July 17 to her dog barking angrily and looking out the window.
To her amazement sitting on the hill behind her backyard was what she says was a mountain lion.
“It was just beginning to get light out and I could tell this was a very large cat with the body being all one color, a white face and short, perky ears,” Mihalco said. “The size of the animal was quite alarming and it looked to be close to 200 pounds and almost six feet long.”
To her surprise, the animal showed up again the next morning at the same time.
“I scrambled to take a photo the second day and was able to take a picture of it, but it did not come out too well and all you can see is its eyes, which are reflecting green,” Mihalco said. “The picture proves that this is a large animal because the head is pretty high off the ground.”
Following the encounter, Mihalco called the Sheriff’s office and Animal Control, who both told her they couldn’t do anything. Virginia’s Department of Game and Inland Fisheries told her that mountain lions don’t exist in Virginia.
“I told them not to tell me that because I was looking at one for about 20 minutes this morning and that this was no domestic cat,” Mihalco said. “Somebody needs to do something about this because this is a residential neighborhood with small children and dogs and this animal needs to be relocated.”
According to Mihalco, when she told her neighbors about the sighting, they had heard mysterious noises in the woods the night before.
“We had just returned home from out of town and we were unpacking and started to hear what sounded like screaming coming from the back yard,” Neighbor Lyrae Puckett said. “I imagined it was a fox or something like that killing a neighborhood cat or dog, so I ran out back with a flashlight and tried to scare off whatever it was and the noise stopped.
“Then, I heard something large rustling in the woods and it freaked me out and I went inside,” Puckett said. “The screaming started up again once I got back upstairs, but it seemed closer to Donna’s house this time.”
According to Mihalco and Puckett, parents in the neighborhood are more reluctant to let their children outside to play as much.
“Our kids used to always play in the woods back there, but because of problems with ticks we have been trying to avoid letting them or the dogs go back there,” Puckett said. “Now, we are avoiding it at all costs because we have also seen quite a few snakeskins back there as well.”
Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries biologists have seen the photo Mihalco took and determined that they simply can’t make the distinction of whether or not it is in fact a mountain lion.
“The last time a mountain lion was positively identified in Virginia was back in the 1880’s,” Virginia DGIF spokeswoman Julia Dixon said. “The biologist noted that we simply can’t distinguish what the animal is by the photograph. He also noted that while cats eyes usually reflect green, other animals such as deer, dogs, coyotes, wild hogs and others can reflect that color as well.
“He also said that he has seen mountain lions reflect green as well as orange,” She said. “Usually, the eye color in a photograph is determined by the light intensity and type.”
According to an article published in Virginia Wildlife Magazine in February, studies have been conducted throughtout Virginia as to whether or not mountain lions exist in the state. The study consisted of posting trail cameras throughout the state, but no evidence was found.
VDIGF maintains they receive calls like this on average at least twice a month from residents, but they never have good evidence to back up their claims.
Re: Round Hill resident claims sighting of mountain lion
Posted by:
Todd
()
Date: August 04, 2011 06:31PM
That would be a rare and fantastic sighting! If by chance there are numerous Mountain Lions in that area, there will an upswing of missing pets and livestock losses. Would be incredible if any Mountain Lions have been able to subside in Loudoun... possible and not out of the question.
Re: Round Hill resident claims sighting of mountain lion
Posted by:
Sirius B
()
Date: August 24, 2011 04:32PM
I am not surprised that mountain lions have arrived here. Since nothing is being done to sufficiently control the deer population around here, nature has finally taken control of the out-of-balance situation. Mountain lions are a main predator of deer, so deer crashes with autos may finally begin to lesson as the deer population thins out! Just keep an eye on the kids and dogs when out in the woods!
Re: Round Hill resident claims sighting of mountain lion
Posted by:
Johnlivatino
()
Date: October 22, 2011 03:53PM
I spotted a mountain lion last night with 100% certainty. Easily was 150lbs - 200lbs. The mountain lion crossed the road at the intersection of lime kiln and groveton rd in purcellville, northern virginia. Was no further than 10ft in front my car, then moved to the side of road where it perched on a beef farms rock wall, where it looked back at us, made eye contact, and waved its tail. Then it jumped into the field of beef cows. I have seen mountain lions in captivity before, and this mountain lion was in my cars headlights and under a streetlight. There is no question about the animals identity as I looked clearly at it, and it did not run away quickly, it was not scared.