Mountain lions, also known as cougars or pumas, are the subject of persistent public curiosity, especially in states like New Jersey, which combines dense human population with significant wilderness areas. This large, solitary predator once occupied a vast range across the continent, and the idea of it roaming New Jersey’s forests generates widespread interest. Determining the actual presence of this powerful carnivore requires separating verifiable scientific evidence from anecdotal public sightings and historical accounts.
Current Status in New Jersey
There are no established, breeding, or wild populations of mountain lions currently residing in New Jersey. The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) maintains that the state does not host a resident cougar population, a conclusion supported by decades of wildlife monitoring and investigation. Any confirmed presence of a mountain lion would therefore be classified as an extremely rare, transient event. Such individuals are almost always dispersing young males traveling vast distances or, less commonly, animals that have escaped from private ownership. The largest wild feline species currently inhabiting New Jersey is the bobcat.
Historical Presence in the Eastern US
The question of mountain lions in the East stems from their historical native range, which once covered nearly all of the contiguous United States, including New Jersey. The subspecies historically found in the region, often referred to as the Eastern Cougar (Puma concolor couguar), was systematically extirpated from the East Coast. This local extinction occurred primarily due to extensive habitat destruction and organized eradication efforts by European settlers throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. By the 1840s, the last of these cats were disappearing from New Jersey. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially declared the Eastern cougar extinct in 2018, noting that there has been no verifiable evidence of an extant, reproducing population since the 1930s.
Explaining Modern Sightings
The rare instances where a mountain lion is scientifically confirmed in the Eastern U.S. can be traced to two specific sources, neither of which indicates a resident population. The most remarkable source is the transient, dispersing young male cougars traveling from established Western populations, primarily originating in states like South Dakota’s Black Hills.
One famous example is the male cougar that traveled over 1,500 miles to Connecticut in 2011, a distance nearly double the previously recorded dispersal range for the species. This incredible journey, confirmed using DNA analysis, demonstrates the potential for a wild cougar to reach New Jersey, though it remains an exceptional occurrence. DNA evidence is crucial, as large mammals do not traverse the landscape without leaving verifiable biological samples.
The other source for confirmed sightings involves escaped or illegally released captive mountain lions, which are sometimes kept as exotic pets. While the wild cougar that reached Connecticut was confirmed to be a wild Western disperser, the possibility of an escaped animal is often the most likely explanation for an otherwise unexplainable sighting. This means that any confirmed animal is an isolated individual rather than a sign of recolonization.
Animals Commonly Mistaken for Cougars
The vast majority of reported mountain lion sightings in New Jersey are the result of misidentification of local wildlife. The state’s largest native cat, the bobcat, is frequently mistaken for a cougar, especially by observers who may underestimate its size. Adult male bobcats in New Jersey can weigh up to 35 pounds, and their muscular build can appear much larger when glimpsed briefly or without a frame of reference.
The most reliable distinguishing feature between the two animals is the tail. Bobcats are easily identified by their short, stubby, or “bobbed” tail, which contrasts sharply with the mountain lion’s long, thick, rope-like tail that can account for up to a third of its total body length. Other animals, including large coyotes or even unusually large feral house cats, are also occasionally misidentified as mountain lions.