Fish and Wildlife Service removed eastern subspecies of cougars from the endangered species list last year and declared them extinct.īut recent expert-confirmed sightings-which have involved photographs, videos, and DNA-in Tennessee support a theory that mountain lions, whose populations out west have continued to expand, are slowly making their way back to this side of the country. But European colonization essentially extirpated the cats from about two thirds of their habitat in the U.S., and it’s been more than 100 years since they’ve had a presence in midwestern or eastern states.įor decades, the chances of coming across one of these big cats in an eastern state were slim to none, and much to the chagrin of residents like Marchibroda who have reported sightings, the U.S. I really took offense to that.”Ĭougars used to roam the entirety of North America, making the mountain ranges, woodland forests, and river corridors from coast to coast their homes. “They initially didn’t want to admit that I saw one, and they were calling it a UFO-an unidentified furry object. Even with all these numerous sightings they still dug their heels in, and that was pretty frustrating,” she said of the officials at agencies like the U.S. “They had their minds set and there was nothing that was going to change their minds. Others, including the park ranger she met that day and wildlife experts she’s reached out to since the sighting, are skeptical. A seasoned hiker who’s lived in Virginia since the 1970s and is deeply familiar with the area’s wildlife, she’s confident in what she saw. Heart still pounding, Marchibroda tracked down a ranger near Mathews Arm Campground to report what she had just witnessed. “It was great, probably one of the most exciting experiences of my life, and I feel very fortunate.” “I saw a mountain lion, and that’s just the way it is,” said Marchibroda, a dentist in her 60s living in Afton, Virginia. Neither Marchibroda nor her canine hiking companion made a peep, and as soon as the cat caught sight of its awe-struck onlookers, it scampered back into the woods, swift and silent. For a solid four seconds, Marchibroda watched as a large, sleek cat standing about three feet tall with a long, curled tail crossed Skyline Drive near Gavel Springs Gap less than 100 feet in front of them. Diana Marchibroda and her miniature schnauzer froze in their tracks when the mountain lion stepped out of the woods last May.