A totally unrelated annecdote...

I was working at an AFB on the gulf coast of Mississippi not long ago, and there was a radio report of some girls calling the police in the capital city about 200 miles to the north. Apparently they saw a rather large tiger going through a garbage dumpster behind a Wendy's fast food place.

The police came out and hunted for the tiger for a couple of days but they never found it - I understand they had multiple reports of missing dogs in that area over the next few days.

Pretty strange!~
I guess it was somebody's pet because none had escaped from zoos in the area...

[Edited on 28-1-2004 by intelgurl]

Strange. It makes you woner if the residents of that area are allowed to keep adult tigers as pets! If so, you'd figure they would keep a more watchful eye out on it. I know damn well I would.

I'm sorry WOS I was referring to Intelgurls post about the cat sighting here in the U.S.of A. I live in california.

Evidently while it may be illegal to own a big cat as a pet in NorAm, it isn't all that hard to obtain the permit for a private zoo, etc.

From a discussion with a gent who was in the process of setting one up in Montana, pretty much all it takes is A) Money, B) Demonstated room to maintain the animals and C) an insurance policy.

With that being the case, I am surprised there are not many more reports of odd big cat sightings.

Granted up in Montana you probably wouldn't hear many as they still regularly hold a Big Cat hunting season up there due to the overpopulation of Mountain Lions and the frequency of large cat attacks in that area.

Granted up in Montana you probably wouldn't hear many as they still regularly hold a Big Cat hunting season up there due to the overpopulation of Mountain Lions and the frequency of large cat attacks in that area.

I think thats true through much of North America. Mountain lions, cougars, isnt there a species of panther native to florida?

Originally posted by Genya


I've not knowingly seen one myself, but I do keep my eyes open!!

I do not blame you. But if one were hunting you, I would hazzard a guess you wouldnt know until its too late. However they are probably more frightened of us than we are of them. Probably from being captured and caged to begin with.