Mountain Lion Sightings Reported in New Hampshire Despite Said Extinction

Photo byPriscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦onUnsplash

CONCORD, NH - Despite numerous reports from residents, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department maintains that there is no physical evidence of mountain lions in the state.

According to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, the eastern mountain lion, once native to the Northeast, is considered extinct.

According to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, however, sightings of dispersing western mountain lions have been recorded as close as Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York, sparking continued speculation about their presence in New Hampshire.

To date, the NH Fish and Game Department has not received any verifiable evidence, such as photographs, DNA, or scat samples, to confirm the presence of mountain lions in New Hampshire.

Reports accompanied by photographs have often been identified as misidentified bobcats, housecats, or even pictures taken from the internet. Scat and fur samples submitted for analysis have typically been identified as belonging to domestic dogs, coyotes, bobcats, or raccoons, according to the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.

While the department does not dismiss reports without physical evidence, they emphasize that sightings cannot be confirmed without it.

Residents who believe they have seen a mountain lion are encouraged to contact the Wildlife Division and submit an observation report.

As the debate continues, New Hampshire remains a state where mountain lion sightings are reported but not yet verified.