Once again the talk is next to feverish about someone having seen a mountain lion in Maine and they have produced a photo as evidence.
An anonymous person gave this photo to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife claiming to have seen a mountain lion in the Sydney, Maine area. According to an article in the Sun Journal, Mark Latti of MDIFW says the photo is authentic but cannot confirm the animal in it is a mountain lion.
Officials are investigating the scene to measure the rocks and surrounding objects to help better put to scale the size of the animal in the photo. As is usual with lions, experts use the tail as the first positive indicator of a lion. A puma’s tale is long and a pretty definitive trait. None can be seen is this photo. Officials hope to also be able to find tracks and scat.
I certainly am no expert on identifying animals but I question that the animal is a mountain lion. Here are two photos. One is of a mountain lion, the other a Canada lynx. Granted the photos are a considerably different setting but it should give you an indication of some of the key features of each of the animals.
Mountain lion, cougar, puma, catamount – these are name common to the lion.
Markings and colorings on the Sydney photo don’t seem to match those of a mountain lion. It is difficult to say as some of the color variations could be caused by shadows, etc.
Either way, these sightings have gone on for decades and MDIFW officials still report that there are no wild mountain lions in Maine. Until it is easily proven that Maine has a breeding pair of lions, that status will remain.
Tom Remington
