(Reuters) - A mountain lion was killed just 70 miles from New York City in June and officials were trying to determine if it was the same big cat spotted earlier roaming the posh New York City suburb of Greenwich, Connecticut.
The big cat was struck and killed by a vehicle on a Connecticut highway.
As a result of DNA testing, biologists have determined that the 140 lb male cougar originated in the Black Hills of South Dakota. DNA samples collected in Minnesota and Wisconsin in late 2009 and early 2010 proved an exact match, and document part of his 1,500 to 1,800 mile journey.
Ironically, the US government officially declared the "Eastern Cougar" extinct earlier this year.
Here's one of the many online articles on this story:
http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/newshound/2011/07/connecticut-mountain-lion-was-wild-cat
Many of the articles I've read about this cougar being killed noted that the cat was hit by a Hyundai Tucson, a 2006 model no less! What relevance such information has, is still lost on me. I can't figure out why they neglected to tell us the color of the vehicle.
This comes on the heels of a female cougar being captured in Tulsa, Oklahoma in April. DNA testing showed that she too was from the Black Hills.
These occurrences should get an objective person thinking about whether a distinct eastern subspecies could have ever existed. The amount of genetic exchange would have ensured that cougars west to east, were and are, essentially the same animal.
Occasional Musings, Rants and Observations on Whatever
