Center County, Lehigh Township in Northampton County, New Jersey, Delaware Water Gap and the slate quarry over the hill are locations where several people who attended the first of the Lehigh Gap Nature Center's 2012 speakers series have reportedly seen mountain lions.

Gene Odato, district forester for the Tuscarora State Forest District, was introduced by Ed Newcomb, a member of the nature center's board of directors.

Even if half the sightings of mountain lions were misidentified, there would still be a lot around, he explained.

The Eastern Puma Research Network has records dating back to the 1800s.

To report a sighting, call 304-749-7778 or write: HC 30 Box 2233, Maysville, WV 26833 or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Region blog.

Odato said trail cameras are the best way to obtain wildlife pictures.

In this area, the oak forest provides food for a lot of wildlife.

People say the Tuscarora mountains in south central Pennsylvania do not offer habitat for mountain lions but they are occasionally seen there and are found in mountainous areas from Maine to Florida.

There is no way to prove the Eastern sub-species exists, Odato said, so the USFWS said it listed the eastern sub-species as extinct.

One western mountain lion was tracked using DNA data coming in from South Dakota.

The cat was hit by a car in Connecticut and testing proved it was the one tracked from the west.

In the 19th century, deer and other wildlife were hunted for subsistence.

Drilling for oil and gas, timber harvesting, charcoal production and other overextractions damaged habitat.

This cut the mountain lion and other animal numbers almost to nothing.

"Now, Pennsylvania has many mammals," Odato said. "You name it, we have it."

As the habitat improved in the 20th century, the deer herd grew, and soon doe tags were being issued by the game commission to manage the herd. There were a couple bad years for acorns so there were few new trees growing for browsing.

"Plant eaters strained the habitat but it did improve and now we are seeing a resurgence of beaver, river otters, fishers and bobcats that were seldom seen in Pennsylvania," Odato said. "The bear population has doubled in size over the last 40 years. And Pennsylvania is home to 800 elk."

With the rebounding habitat, small mammals along with Eastern fence lizards and Eastern earth snakes are seen.

Odato showed a picture of a mountain lion and pointed to the identifying points: black around the nose and tip of the tail, rounded ears, white muzzle, a small head and a hump on the shoulders.

They are capable of picking up a full-sized deer and leaping five feet up to a shelf, he said. Because of plentiful food in the Mid-West and the East they do not range as far as in the West.

Sightings are most likely on rocky outcroppings. Cubs have spots but they disappear as the animal gets older.

Nearby states, after years of denial, are beginning to admit there are mountain lions living there.

Odato said the number of bobcats is rising and its range is broadening throughout parts of the state.

In the 1970s, residents were told there were no coyotes in Pennsylvania but by the '80s there were frequent sightings.

Now coyotes are seen all along the Eastern Seaboard.

"When there is food, animals will move in, Mother Nature abhors a vacuum," Odato said. "While the quality of the habitat is not stella, wildlife is finding it adequate for survival."

Some trappers in southern Pennsylvania are each trapping 1,500 red foxes annually. The red fox population is healthy in many areas.

Tuscarora State Forest and several other state forest districts are cooperating with West Virginia University on a golden eagle migration research project, Odato said.

To attract golden eagles in the winter, road-killed deer are put out and the eagles are then captured on trail cameras.

A wide variety of wildlife, bald eagles, vultures, ravens, bobcats, bears and coyotes, also come to the feast.

Odato brought along what may be the only video of two rattlesnakes fighting.

A logger captured the fight on his cell phone camera and shared it with the foresters.

The photo can be viewed on the Tuscarora State Forest Facebook page.

Porcupines that were a rare sight 30 years ago in southern Pennsylvania have now expanded their range southward.

Since they love salty food they can be destructive to communication equipment, electric lines, hydraulic hoses, outhouses and cabins.

Bears have followed the porcupines into southcentral Pennsylvania and have become well-established in the region.

"We have several great photos and videos of them enjoying the doughnuts and the vernal pools in summer," said Odato.

When going out into the wilderness, Odato recommends wearing snake chaps or boots.

He told of one man who did not and was bitten in the lower leg. His hospital bills were over $250,000.

"Go visit the Pennsylvania state forest," Odato said. "It is your land to enjoy and I work for you."