The New Huntmastersbbs!: Cougar!

This is topic Cougar! in forum Cat forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.

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Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on October 07, 2003, 06:47 PM:

In what appears to be the first verifiable evidence of cougars returning to Kansas, a staff member with the University of Kansas was able to capture photos, using motion detecting cameras, of what is believed to very likely be a cougar that has been reported numerous times on the west campus of the University of Kansas. Here's alink to the story and picture, which can be enlarged with a click. http://www.ljworld.com/section/kunews/story/147841

I'd very much like to hear comments from you guys that hunt and see these cats regularly since they hold more water with me than those of a mere biologist. Whaddya think?

Posted by LionHo (Member # 233) on October 07, 2003, 08:52 PM:

Personally I'd really like to see mountain lions reestablish themselves everywhere they've been extirpated. But sorry, I just don't find this photo to be very good supporting evidence, much less visual proof.

Why? For starters, the scale of the animal in relation to the long grass stalks is weird. Keep in mind, full-grown mountain lions/cougars are between seven and nine feet from nose-to-tail-tip. Those stalks in the foreground would have to be the size of trees. Just looks funny to my eye (Might mention here that I'm a professional wildlife photographer). Appears to be a very small lion indeed.

Second, a lion this miniscule would probably have juvie spots yet.

Third, if lions are coming back to Kansas, and this being among the first, what are the odds that one would actually trip a camera set specifically to catch it? About a gazillion-to-one? (reminds me of a Jim Carey line from Dumb and Dumber: "So you're sayin I have a chance?" No, actually, I am not.)

Finally, consider the locale. University pranksterism, possibly?

I'll happily eat my words and buy into the story if they collect scat, DNA sample it and it comes back F. concolor. (What'd be more typical, is that there'd lion sign all around versus very few sightings. NOT the other way 'round.

My money is on F. catus, Abyssinian breed. But I'd be delighted to be proven wrong.

LionHo

Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on October 08, 2003, 06:48 PM:

Hey, we can send you guys some of our lions, we got a bunch. [Smile]

To be honest, I'd like to see the California Grizzly reestablislt in Los Angeles lol [Big Grin]

Posted by Bryan J (Member # 106) on October 09, 2003, 09:15 PM:

I finally took the time to read the article. I was hoping that they would tell the size of the bait bucket that cat has his head in. All it says is the grass is 20-30 cm high I guess that is about 10 inches. Either way if that thing is responding to my calls and I see it I’m acting and sounding human NOW. [Big Grin]

Posted by Bob Mc (Member # 237) on October 11, 2003, 09:32 AM:

I've looked at this picture off and on in the last couple of days. Started to post a reply a couple of times, then thought better of it. But what the heck; here's my take.

Sure looks like a lion to me. The color is right. Tawny back and legs, black tip of tail, near white under belly. The body is definitely feline. As Ivan hints, the same description might also fit a Siamese cat, and we can't see the head.

Unfortunately I have to put this in the same category as some photos I have seen recently that were supposedly taken of big cats roaming free in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales, ect). There have been all kinds of reports coming from over there about cougars, leopards, and black panthers being sighted; but no one has ever produced a body. Most of the photos I have seen are really much worse that this one. Just a blur, that could have been just about anything.

This photo is not clear enough for a positive identification, and there is nothing in the photo to verify that it was taken where it is claimed to be. I realize that getting a photo with the University buildings in the background would be near impossible (without a doctored photograph), but there is not enough here for me to go out on a limb and state for sure that this is a mountain lion, and that the photo was taken on the grounds of the University of Kansas.

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 11, 2003, 11:30 AM:

Hard to decide, might as well be one of those blurry UFO snapshots.

But. The way the rear leg is shaped, looks like a dog, to me. Same with the arch of the back. I would think a lion would not have a camel hump, but rather, a dip in the conformation of the back. Also, the tail flair, at the tip doesn't seem right?

This is not convincing proof, to me. Asks more questions than it answers.

Just my take, I could easily be way offbase?

Good hunting. LB

edit: one other thing. Although it takes a bit of imagination, you can almost see a head with a long muzzle in the dark area where you would expect the head to be.

[ October 11, 2003, 11:44 AM: Message edited by: Leonard ]

Posted by Purple220 (Member # 173) on October 12, 2003, 08:53 AM:

Which part of Kansas are they being seen in. Where my uncles ranch is near Guymon Oklahoma, lions are being seen in that area. My cousin's daughter spotted a young lion run across a farm road while out on her morning run. Luckily the ranch dog was with her and chased the lion.

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on October 12, 2003, 10:39 AM:

Hey Purp~

You bring up a point that has concern for me, as well.

You know, the two humans that were killed and eaten, here is CA, were both females, and rumored that both were on their period, and both were jogging in the woods, all alone. Attacked from behind, didn't have a chance.

I think it is very poor judgement for women to run in a country setting, or wilderness, or even a remote park; ie: Chandra Levy. If you remember that one, from Washington D.C.?

We are told that we need to accept a certain amount of predation; after all, it's their woods.

But, they have lost their fear of man, and it's because of the moratorium in California. (perhaps other states will follow)

With the huge population of lions in this state, it is completely bonehead to protect them, thereby forcing them to push eastward, and eventually, possibly into Kansas?

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

Good hunting. LB

PS remember, one of the lions that killed the woman up north was nursing two cubs. Last I hear, the donations for support of the cubs went over $30,000? The woman also left two children, and I heard a rumor that the family had received in the neighborhood of $3,000 for support of the children. Something wrong with this picture?

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