Think You've Seen a Mountain Lion in Maine? No, You Didn't

With Maine being such a huge hiking state, I've heard people ask the question, "Are there mountain lions out here?" more than a few times lately.

I actually think a lot of people mix up coyotes (which Maine definitely breeds coyotes) with the image of a bigger animal in their head.

Do you?

So do mountain lions live in Maine?

The short answer is no.

According to a-z-animals.com, at one point, in history mountain lions did actually walk the ground in Maine. Luckily for our smaller pets, they no longer have a place here.

They are officially listed as extirpated from Maine, and the state's last known mountain lion died in 1932.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife says that there are no known breeding mountain lions living in the state currently", per a-z-animals.com.

My question is, now that we know we won't see one in Maine, are there any mountain lions in New England?

Well, according to mass.gov,

"The Connecticut mountain lion is the best documented wild Mountain Lion in New England. The young adult male was killed by an SUV on the Wilbur Cross Parkway in Milford, Connecticut on June 11, 2011. Someone photographed the animal at the Brunswick School on Greenwich, Connecticut about 40 miles away on June 5th".

You can rest easy now when you're hiking with your pup in the woods, so that you won't run into any mountain lions on your way to the top of the mountain.

Right?

Here Are 17 Things In Maine That Will Bite You

Here in Maine, there are plenty of critters that can take a bite out of you if they do desire.

Gallery Credit: Fred Miller

25 Endangered Animals in Maine

Here is a list of the 25 animals that are classified as endangered in Maine. These, along with species that are "threatened" in Maine can be found on the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife website.