Mysterious creature baffles officials

I will keep a close eye on this one. Especially looking to find a copy of the video.

"What I saw in the video did not look that dangerous to me," he said, "but I don't know what it is. ... I just don't think we're dealing with a leopard or a jaguar. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's a cross of something that we've never seen."

At first, she thought it was a big dog with short black hair, though she'd never seen such a dog in the neighborhood. She described the animal as taller, but leaner, than a 60-pound chow the family once owned. But the animal did not move like a dog.

"It walked like a big cat," Williams said.

Full Story: www.courier-tribune.com...

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.

It is illegal in this country to keep a big cat as a pet. However many people do it anyhow. If the cat escapes, the people are not going to report it, as they would get into trouble with the law. And the cats are such cunning and stealthy creatures, they are very hard to catch. However they are reported. The problem is especially rampant in the UK, where reports of big cat sightings have taken on an almost mythological quality, and are the source of intent debate.

In my opinion though, there is no question that there are large, predatory cats roaming the fields in Britain, as there is so much eyewitness testimony and pictures of the elusive beasts.

Here is another article, from the UK, where again a new species of "cat" is being speculated about: Increased sightings of big cats.

And another report from yesterday of a big cat:

"I know what I saw was not a dog," she added, "it was jet black - like a panther, had a long body and long thin tail which was turned up at the end. I'm just sorry I didn't have my camera with me."

Despite being disappointed at not capturing the animal on film, she noticed the big cat had left several paw prints in the muddy path.

She immediately went home and then on to a DIY store where she bought some plaster.

FACE TO FACE WITH A WOODLAND BIG CAT.

The cats though are speculated in a cryptozoological fashion as they are very elusive, and there is no evidence yet that they are breeding.

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.

Originally posted by William One Sac
The problem is especially rampant in the UK, where reports of big cat sightings have taken on an almost mythological quality, and are the source of intent debate....

I live in the East Midlands, William, and there are quite frequent stories of ABC's (Alien Big Cats) in the media here (especially in the Summer months, when people tend to go out in the countryside more - and for longer periods - in the dayight.

A typical link here

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

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?