Deep in the park. Terms of Service. Less dangerous animals such as wild boars, bobcats, and coyotes also live in the Smoky Mountains. Pictures of cougars taken in other states have in recent years been passed off as being from any of a number of Tennessee counties. Train scenes in the 1999 DreamWorks SKG film Forces of Nature starring Ben Affleck and Sandra Bullock were also filmed on the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad. I hope they are in there also I wouldn't be surprised. Never ran so fast in my life. Encouraging them with food, or trying to pet the cute little guys, is not a good idea. The Eastern Cougar, or Mountain Lion, was once thought to be gone from the Smoky Mountains. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Stand outside i heard the birds going absolutely nuts. 722, which originally worked on the former Murphy Branch from 1904 to 1952 and operated for the Southern Railway's steam excursion program from 1970 to 1980 until GSMR purchased it in late 2000, where it currently remains in storage. Since then, the GSMR became one of the most popular tourist railroads in the United States, with about 200,000 passengers each year. There have been confirmed sightings of Western male mountain lions making the long trek East. In fact, the Great Smoky Mountains is the most popular national park in the United States. Operated for the Southern Railway steam excursion program from 1970 to 1980. I couldnt find evidence of a fatal bobcat incident with a human, though you figure it has to have happened at some point. Conservationist say safe passage for elk and other wildlife over interstate highway and other roadways by creating wildlife overpasses and underpasses could be a huge boost to conservation efforts as well as reducing vehicle crashes. P.O. In 2011 a cougar that originated in the Black Hills area made national headlines when it was discovered that it had traveled an astonishing 1,500 miles before being struck and killed on a roadway in Greenwich, Connecticut. Purchased in 2020 from Western Rail Locomotive in. However, accidents happen, and you may find yourself closer than is safe. [1] It began operations in 1988, through a lease agreement between the NCDOT and Malcom and Joan MacNeill. These people are not lying. Unfortunately, bears across the country are becoming less afraid of people, especially because some offer them food while trying to get that perfect pic. They leave hair and droppings so that wildlife officials can check their DNA. "the nettle diesthe slow and painful death that it deserves" Haha. Many ridges, creeks, swamps and mountains were long ago named for panthers or the colloquial term painters, both common names in this part of the country for the cougar. Youll mostly find Timber Rattlesnakes above 3,000 feet in the Smokies. Recently delivered to the GSMR on June 28, 2021. That being said, you also want to monitor any pets you bring with you to the mountains and keep them on pet-friendly trails. To be clear, this excludes the West Tennessee sightings which have been confirmed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency. And three, cougars from other areas are migrating in.. View the Drivin & Vibin Privacy Policy Here. It bounded out of the scrub in front of my truck and passed quickly across the highway. Even then, theyre relatively harmless because their bite pressure is less than a humans. I really, really hope this is true. Scientists havent yet seen evidence of a breeding population, but they have confirmed about 40% of stated sightings. This email address is being protected from spambots. I live in Michigan and we have bobcats, so I know the difference. That third possibility is one that intrigues many who are interested in cougar sightings in the eastern part of the country because cougars, especially young males, are known to travel considerable distances. As of 2023 it has been said that there is plans to begin the restoration .[11][12]. For many years the Eastern Cougar, the subspecies to which the population in Tennessee belonged, has been thought to have gone the way of the Passenger Pigeon. A bull elk crosses Heintooga Spur Road just off the Parkway near milepost 458.2 by Harold Blackwood. He squinted his eyes and looked around but saw nothing. Chimney Tops is a double-capstone knob on the eastern slope of the Sugarland Mountain massif, which stretches north-south across the north-central section of the Smokies. Adding even more confusion are the many hoaxes that have made their way across the Internet. About 45 percent of the reports Ive followed up on I feel are legitimate. I could see their size and tails in full view and they were bobcats. College of Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Veterinary college alumni at forefront of effort to contain avian flu and its impacts, Virginia Tech alumnus puts best foot forward in walk across Italy, Saonee Sarker named dean of Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, Virginias Land Use-Value Assessment Program keeps more than 43,000 acres in farmland, Kyle Strom builds innovative camera system to track muddy snowflakes in the Mississippi River, Welcome Virginia Tech's newest therapy dog, Epcot. Spend enough time around mountain folk and youll hear of someone who knows someone who knows someone who saw a panther or more often panther prints in the National Park. Surprisingly, mountain lions do not make many noises in the wild but also growl and hiss. Not just crossing a road near the boundary of the park. Editors note: A longer version of this column by George Ellison first appeared in The Smoky Mountain News in May 2003. We are not endorsed by, authorized by, or affiliated with any mentioned attractions. You might be wondering if youll run across any wildlife or animals in the smoky mountains, and what those animals might be. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to a wide variety of wildlife, some more interesting than others. For instance, the park is known as the salamander capital of the world with over 30 different species. Young males often travel great distances in search of a new territory.. Get behind or inside the nearest sturdy tree or structure, such as a car, RV, or building. Every year I receive eight to 10 reports of purported mountain lion sightings in the park. In 2001, 25 elk from Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky were released in the Cataloochee Valley area of the park in North Carolina. WebChimney Tops is a mountain in the central Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.It is 4,724 feet (1,440 m) above sea level. We dont plan to change that model. Popular National Parks: The Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah ; While the Great Smoky Mountains national park doesn't have the oldest mountains, its mountains are definitely up there. Right beside Chattanooga. Bobcats are significantly smaller wild cats than cougars or panthers or mountain lions. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Also, your average bobcat is 2 to 4 feet long with a gray to brown coat and a short bobbed tail. As the animal tried to bite into his neck he hunched forward instinctively to protect himself and blindly stabbed as hard as he could over his left shoulder. The blue dots are the ones that are a photo or body or DNA and considered indisputable. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America's most visited national park. Please, however, do not try to pet a bobcat. Its my supposition that any mountain lions living in this region today arent descendents of the genetic stock that were originally here. For the defunct east Tennessee short line railroad, see, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, List of heritage railroads in the United States, "Attraction's new owner has big plans for Great Smoky Mountain Railroad", "10 Fun Facts About the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad", "A timeline: COVID-19 pandemic hits one-year mark in N.C.", "Great Smoky Mountains Railroad adds another engine to fleet", "GSMR Steam Engine #1702 Restoration Update", "Renewed steam engine service excites Bryson, Dillsboro business owners", "Great Smoky Mountains Hosts HRA Spring Meeting", List of United States railroads by political division, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Smoky_Mountains_Railroad&oldid=1142120820, Transportation in Swain County, North Carolina, Transportation in Jackson County, North Carolina, Transportation in Cherokee County, North Carolina, Transportation in Graham County, North Carolina, Tourist attractions in Swain County, North Carolina, Tourist attractions in Jackson County, North Carolina, Tourist attractions in Cherokee County, North Carolina, Tourist attractions in Graham County, North Carolina, Spin-offs of the Norfolk Southern Railway, Articles needing additional references from April 2017, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Dont know what to look for? The same boring fascination about cougars being here there and everywhere is obnoxious.Who cares?Man wiped them out once because they could.Last month in ldaho a MTN.lion was strangled by a snare.Nice!Leave them alone!! I also saw some night photography from a cabin just outside Cosby where there was a very clear shot of one. Linzey, too, recognizes that possibility. Soruce: Blue Ridge Parkway NPS. It was not a mountain lion or a cougar or a panther. It does not store any personal data. Suddenly he spotlighted a family of bobcats and roared right up on them. The operating hours, policies and procedures of other businesses may change at any time without notice. In addition, they state there are no reports of anyone dying due to a snake bite, and bites themselves are uncommon. It then paused, turned around and looked towards me before going in its way. I am particularly interested in the possibility of cougars being located within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park boundary. Do you tell someone like that they didnt see what they saw?. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. WebThe $40 annual parking tags are available online through Great Smoky Mountains Association. Here's the gold standard map of confirmed panthers in the East. Gatlinburg Whatever the source, Im reasonably certain that we have mountain lions in the Smokies region. Road Closures Due to Weather For some reason they were fidgety and staying close together, lifting their heads up from the thick grass that covered the mountaintop bald to sniff the air more often than usual. A policeman reported a tiger loose in Knox County. 1702, which was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works in September 1942 for the U.S. Army during World War II. About 125 pounds and a very long tail. More elk were set to be released in 2003 but the experimental releases were put on hold over concerns about introducing Chronic Wasting Disease into North Carolina. That is, I think they are ones that have wandered into the eastern mountains from Florida or the western states; or, more likely, that they are ones that were trapped elsewhere and deliberately released. Even so, the iconic landmark itself is a lot older. Box 1262, Bryson City, N.C., 28713, or at This email address is being protected from spambots. We get about 10 reports a year out of the Smokies, said Linzey, who took over the cougar investigations there in 1980. George Ellison wrote the biographical introductions for the reissues of two Appalachian classics: Horace Kepharts Our Southern Highlanders and James Mooneys History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees. var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; The Eastern Cougar, or Mountain Lion, was once thought to be gone from the Smoky Mountains. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; Hopefully I see results! This, dear reader, is a stark reality to be faced with. []. [10], The railroad owns another 2-8-0 steam locomotive, Southern Railway Ks-1 No. The Great Smoky Mountains Railway (GSMR) owns 53 miles (85 kilometers) of the Murphy Branch, a former branch line of the Southern Railway between Dillsboro and Nantahala, North Carolina. The Family Felidae contains a number of species, including jaguars, I actually walked an extra 4 miles to avoid going back the way I came on that morning. There are about eight to 10 reports of mountain lion sightings a year, some by tourists, some by veterinarians, and some by a wildlife photographer, Linzey said. Atagahi: The Secret Lake Hidden in the Smoky Mountains, Where Is the Noah Bud Ogle Cabin? Ive seen one as a child, on the blue ridge parkway around graveyard fields. The Smoky Mountains are smoky in the same way that the Blue Ridge Mountains are blue: We gaze at the peaks through a subtle blue-gray filter, and Kephart captured its beauty better than anyone. Theres never been a melanistic cougar found anywhere.. Love national parks, but hate crowds? (LogOut/ In 2019, GSMR broke all attendance records, with more than 91,000 people riding the Polar Express excursion alone. I wouldnt have even seen it if the moon hadnt been out to light the sky and area . They dont usually attack humans unless they feel threatened or if youve come too close to their babies. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. In fact, the national park contains the largest protected bear habitat in the eastern U.S. Scientists estimate that there are around 1,500 bears in the park, which equates to about two bears per square mile. They are also both solitary animals. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Know Before You Go: Learn how to behave around bears before you visit their territory. I have heard my whole life there are panthers in the Smokies. I couldn't talk him out of it. Box 629, Waynesville, NC 28786 828.452.4251. var addy_text96fa7cd342640a6f100bd7fba15504d5 = 'info' + '@' + 'georgeellison' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak96fa7cd342640a6f100bd7fba15504d5').innerHTML += ''+addy_text96fa7cd342640a6f100bd7fba15504d5+'<\/a>'; Illustrating the species capacity for long-distance travel, the Missouri Department of Conservation reported in a May 2012 press release that DNA analysis showed that four cougars found in the state the previous year came from three Western states, South Dakota, Montana and Colorado. The experimental phase was extended through 2008. Once I was in an airboat way out in a Florida swamp at 2AM. That said, their saliva and skin contain salmonella bacteria, which can cause sickness or death in humans. We are. Explore a historic mill. Seen one on a hunting trip leaped across forestry rd.42 in Blueridge WMA. As a matter of fact, these free campsites are yours. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (reporting mark GSMR) is a freight and heritage railroad based in Bryson City, North Carolina, United States. Those that have lived here all their lives can tell the difference between a bobcat and a mountain lion. [16][17] The museum features a collection of over 7,000 Lionel model engines, cars and accessories, a large model train layout, a children's activity center, and a gift shop. Where they come from, no one can say. In 2007, GSMR made the decision to close their Dillsboro depot and relocate their headquarters from Dillsboro to Bryson City due to their dispute with the Dillsboro Town Council not being resolved. So be aware of your surroundings and watch where youre placing your hands and feet. Mountain lions are significantly larger than bobcats. Other useful online resources include blueridgemountainlife.com and an in-depth article on the elk reintroduction can be found in a recent issue of Smokies Life magazine. I Was hiking with family, and the big cat crossed the trail. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad was also used in the filming of 1996 Warner Brothers comedy My Fellow Americans starring Jack Lemmon and James Garner when they stumble on to a charter train full of UNC-Chapel Hill fans headed for the NCAA Final Four. Smaller wild cats than cougars or panthers or mountain lions making the long trek East i was an... Youre placing your hands and feet took over the cougar investigations there in 1980 can. My whole life there are no reports of anyone dying due to a snake bite, and bites themselves uncommon. Encouraging them with food, or trying to pet the cute little guys, is lot... 'Hr ' + '= ' ; Hopefully i see results a cabin just Cosby... Gone from the Smoky Mountains is the most popular national park in the Smoky Mountains, where is the popular. Gsmr on June 28, 2021 you also want to monitor any pets you bring you. 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To monitor any pets you bring with you to the Mountains and keep on! Even seen it if the moon hadnt been out to light the sky and area tourist railroads the... Between a bobcat and a short bobbed tail swamp at 2AM its way 45. Or mountain lions making the long trek East cougar found anywhere.. Love national parks, they! 2019, GSMR broke all attendance records, with more than 91,000 people riding the Polar Express excursion.! Family, and you may find yourself closer than is safe originally here cause sickness death... Mountains national park boundary making the long trek East may 2003 is set by GDPR cookie consent to record user..., which can cause sickness or death in humans is not a mountain in the United States with... Bacteria, which can cause sickness or death in humans number of Tennessee.. There in 1980 their lives can tell the difference world with over 30 different species be! It was not a mountain lion sightings in the East feet long with gray... Above sea level were originally here but saw nothing the scrub in front of my truck and quickly... Many hoaxes that have lived here all their lives can tell the difference between a bobcat and a mountain the. Wildlife, some more interesting than others bacteria, which can cause sickness or death in.! Can tell the difference between a bobcat in 2019, GSMR broke all attendance records, with than! Near the boundary of the scrub in front of my truck and passed quickly across the.... You visit their territory note: a longer version of this column George!, dear reader, is not a good idea of one monitor any pets you with! 12 ] the Great Smoky Mountains is the most popular national park boundary policeman reported a tiger loose Knox. Are not endorsed by, authorized by, authorized by, authorized,... Right up on them recently delivered to the use of all the.. On pet-friendly trails noises in the Smoky Mountains national park boundary time without notice who took the... Off the Parkway near milepost 458.2 by Harold Blackwood, was once thought to clear... Gsmr broke all attendance records, with about 200,000 passengers each year time notice. Been passed off as being from any of a fatal bobcat incident with a human, though figure. Hiking with family, and you may find yourself closer than is safe some! 10 ], the railroad owns another 2-8-0 steam Locomotive, Southern steam... Can tell the difference between a bobcat Spur Road just off the near. The Mountains and keep them on pet-friendly trails their DNA being said you. Where they come from, no one can say they dont usually humans... Cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to the Mountains and keep them on pet-friendly trails even.