No established, breeding populations of the large cat reside within the state. The mountain lion, also known by its other common names, cougar or puma, is the second-largest cat in the Americas, recognizable by its uniform tawny coat and long, thick tail. While historical records confirm their presence centuries ago, a combination of habitat loss and hunting pressure removed them from the eastern landscape. For a population to be considered established, there must be evidence of reproducing females, which has not been found in New Jersey.
The Official Status: Extirpation and Non-Resident Presence
The mountain lion is officially considered extirpated from New Jersey. State wildlife authorities, such as the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP), consistently confirm that no resident mountain lions exist within their management area. This determination is based on the absence of verifiable evidence, such as consistent breeding patterns, scat, or roadkill.
Any confirmed mountain lion presence in the eastern United States, including instances near New Jersey, has involved transient animals. These are typically young male cougars dispersing from established Western populations, traveling vast distances in search of new territory. One documented case involved a male mountain lion that traveled from South Dakota to Connecticut before being struck by a vehicle.
A small number of confirmed individuals have been identified as escaped or released exotic pets. These non-resident animals often perish or are captured soon after arriving, failing to establish themselves or find a mate. Any verifiable mountain lion in New Jersey is an isolated anomaly, not a sign of a returning or re-established population.
The Source of Sightings and Misidentification
Public reports of mountain lion sightings in New Jersey persist, often fueled by misidentification of other local animals. The most frequent source of confusion is the bobcat, the only wild cat species in the state. Bobcats are smaller than a cougar, typically weighing between 15 and 35 pounds, but they are often perceived as much larger when viewed in the wild.
A key distinguishing feature between the two species is the tail; bobcats possess a short, “bobbed” tail, while the mountain lion has a long, rope-like tail that can measure nearly three feet in length. Other common misidentifications involve large domestic cats, especially those seen from a distance or in grainy photos, or even large dog breeds.
Wildlife agencies rely on physical evidence like tracks, scat, and genetic material for confirmation, finding that anecdotal reports and unclear photographs are rarely verifiable. A mountain lion track, for example, is large, typically over four inches wide, and lacks claw marks because the animal’s claws are retractable.
The Eastern Cougar and Current Geographic Range
The mountain lions historically found in New Jersey belonged to the subspecies known as the Eastern Cougar. This population once ranged across every state east of the Mississippi River until colonization led to its widespread extirpation by the early 1900s. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service formally declared the Eastern Cougar extinct in 2018, concluding that no reproducing population had existed since the last confirmed sighting in 1938.
Today, the only established, breeding population of mountain lions east of the Mississippi River is the distinct Florida Panther population in the Everglades. The nearest self-sustaining, widespread populations are found hundreds of miles away in the Western United States, including states like Colorado, Utah, and South Dakota. Any mountain lion that reaches New Jersey must have dispersed from these distant Western territories or the Midwest, a journey that spans over 1,000 miles.
The confirmed presence of a mountain lion in the East is a rare, isolated event involving a single, typically young, male animal. The lack of a contiguous habitat corridor and the barrier of high human population density make it extremely unlikely for females to follow or for a breeding pair to establish a permanent presence in the Garden State.