Mississippi man spots possible cougar across road from Wendy's

originally posted by: LadyGreenEyes

originally posted by: JoshuaCox
a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

There are definitely panthers/cougars in MS. I’m from there and my uncle was a game warden.

I heard about this case, but haven’t watched the video. I will now.

Just as a guess before I watch it, though cougars are definitely here, a black one would be SUPER rare. So that I doubted.

I hear that, but I know a guy, fro HS days, that claims to have seen a black cougar. Not a "panther", he stated, but a cat that looked like a cougar, save for being black. So, possible. Could be one of those other sorts of black cats, too! I suspect black jaguars, and far more common than is officially believed, and with a far greater range. They are elusive, after all!

As for cougars, oh, yeah, all over that state, and all the rest of them. They are starting to admit that they are in other states, these days, such as Tennessee, where they claim they have "returned". I don't believe they ever left. No reason they would have, and people all over have claimed they have seen them for many long years, even when they were officially "not there". What does your uncle say about those claims, out of curiosity?

A cougar, mountain lion, and panther are all the exact same cat, the only difference is what the locals of the area they are in call them.

F.Y.I.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes
dark contrasted objects tend to appear larger to the brain, its how we,ere wired.
have a look at this big cat for example

If this isn't just severe optical foreshortening showing a large house cat then
Someone is missing a leopard!
It's not a mountain lion for 3 reasons;
1)Tail is too short and not J-shaped enough
2)fur appears mottled, as if there were a pattern on it.
3)Back doesn't bow downward like mountain lion.

10 to 1 it's a Leopard.

Not a jaguar their heads are too large in proportion to their bodies.

a reply to: Asktheanimals

10 to 1 it's a Leopard.

Agreed. A Black Leopard and Waaay out of its jurisdiction.

originally posted by: SRPrime

originally posted by: LadyGreenEyes

originally posted by: JoshuaCox
a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

There are definitely panthers/cougars in MS. I’m from there and my uncle was a game warden.

I heard about this case, but haven’t watched the video. I will now.

Just as a guess before I watch it, though cougars are definitely here, a black one would be SUPER rare. So that I doubted.

I hear that, but I know a guy, fro HS days, that claims to have seen a black cougar. Not a "panther", he stated, but a cat that looked like a cougar, save for being black. So, possible. Could be one of those other sorts of black cats, too! I suspect black jaguars, and far more common than is officially believed, and with a far greater range. They are elusive, after all!

As for cougars, oh, yeah, all over that state, and all the rest of them. They are starting to admit that they are in other states, these days, such as Tennessee, where they claim they have "returned". I don't believe they ever left. No reason they would have, and people all over have claimed they have seen them for many long years, even when they were officially "not there". What does your uncle say about those claims, out of curiosity?

A cougar, mountain lion, and panther are all the exact same cat, the only difference is what the locals of the area they are in call them.

F.Y.I.

Yes, well aware. Panther, though, is also used to describe large black cats, so when hearing that particular name, it's not a bad idea to get a description, to be sure you know which cat is meant. Puma, for the record, also a cougar.

A few years back when I lived in Omaha, there were several cougar sightings and a couple were killed. Large mountain lions in the middle of the Midwest. They're out there, and they get displaced because of urban sprawl.

a reply to: suicideeddie

Doesn't look like a big cat, though.

This one, now....

originally posted by: Blue Shift
A few years back when I lived in Omaha, there were several cougar sightings and a couple were killed. Large mountain lions in the middle of the Midwest. They're out there, and they get displaced because of urban sprawl.

That sort of attack does happen. The cats are still around, and yeah, all over the Midwest, too! They don't always atatck people, of course, but they are quite capable.

a reply to: intrptr

Animals like that are often bought as 'pets' by some fool with more money than sense only to find there's a good reason they don't make good pets. Instead of facing any shame they just let them go run loose. Florida is now overrun by non-native constrictors thanks to those kind of pet owners and those who cater to them.

originally posted by: Asktheanimals
a reply to: intrptr

Animals like that are often bought as 'pets' by some fool with more money than sense only to find there's a good reason they don't make good pets. Instead of facing any shame they just let them go run loose. Florida is now overrun by non-native constrictors thanks to those kind of pet owners and those who cater to them.

Agreed. I read (somewhere) that pet shops (legitimate and otherwise), obliterated by hurricanes are sources of escaped exotic animals, too.

Edit: Btw, I remembered that black leopards have spots too. Approaching that close to confirm the cat in the OP video was a leopard would have a high pucker factor.

googl ed

I'm in Texas and spend a significant amount of time in the woods hunting and hiking. Mississippi, just like Texas, definitely has mountain lions and/or cougars in their woods. Mountain lions are very reclusive, and are most active early morning, evening, and at night. Although rare to see one in the middle of the day it can happen. Female home ranges can be 20-100 square miles, with a male's range doubling that at times, depending on overall lay of the land and abundance of prey.

If you ever hear one roar -- you will never forget it; especially if you hear it at night. It will curl your hair in places where you don't have hair.

I have heard reports of black lions; but have never seen one or know someone who has.

Interesting video...not sure what to make of it.

a reply to: Blue Shift

It happens quite often here in the PNW, especially around the Seattle suburbs, Portland, too, has had instances of close encounters of the puma kind.

As more and more people go higher and higher into puma territory, it's inevitable.

I was raised in south ms and lived near a black panther. Saw it many times and heard it often. Once chased it with a dirt bike into a hog wire fence, slowly approached and it was gone. Was not as big as the one in video but 2 or 3 times larger than a bobcat. The scream sounded like a wounded old lady. Everybody knew it, no big deal. I wasn't there but 1 night, friends were camping under a bridge, cat got close and screamed, scared them to death.

a reply to: LaitModelFan

I also knew of one on the east side of the county in South ms. I also know of them sighted in NE Florida/SE Georgia by friends and co-workers, one sighting in ga was a brown one early in the morning. The one I saw in ms was always at dusk or at night.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

Nice find, it is a panther, which in all actuality is a dark colored large cat, cougar, jaguar, etc. and most other large wild cats.

Identity is all in the tail- that very long rapidly moving tail. Compare it to videos of a house cat and you'll see the difference.

I have yet to figure out why folks think this is so strange, while rare they do occur in all large cats, and more frequently in cats who have a parent who is dark colored, or a grandparent who is dark colored, its a genetic mutation that occurs naturally.
The south has a long history of black panthers, its not surprising that they are seen, photographed, and videoed.
After a second look at the video, its nice to have the cars, to show size context and its obviously a big cat variety. Leopards, and Jaguars are out of the question unless its domesticated and now loose, and since Pumas, mountain lions, and cougars are all the same cat actually, I'd have to say that's what it is, and MS is prime territory for its habitat. But it does look very young though. I've spent some time in and around big cats-tigers, cougars, and lions, up close and personal, yep that would be my educated guess.

a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

Looks like a Jaguarundi, especially with that skinny head.

originally posted by: blkdog
a reply to: LadyGreenEyes

Nice find, it is a panther, which in all actuality is a dark colored large cat, cougar, jaguar, etc. and most other large wild cats.

Identity is all in the tail- that very long rapidly moving tail. Compare it to videos of a house cat and you'll see the difference.

I have yet to figure out why folks think this is so strange, while rare they do occur in all large cats, and more frequently in cats who have a parent who is dark colored, or a grandparent who is dark colored, its a genetic mutation that occurs naturally.
The south has a long history of black panthers, its not surprising that they are seen, photographed, and videoed.
After a second look at the video, its nice to have the cars, to show size context and its obviously a big cat variety. Leopards, and Jaguars are out of the question unless its domesticated and now loose, and since Pumas, mountain lions, and cougars are all the same cat actually, I'd have to say that's what it is, and MS is prime territory for its habitat. But it does look very young though. I've spent some time in and around big cats-tigers, cougars, and lions, up close and personal, yep that would be my educated guess.

Seems likely, and I have no idea why people can't believe there could be a big cat around!