Comments on: Clemson Panther Alerts

By: cryptidsrus

cryptidsrus — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:18:35 +0000

Weird!!!
And ironic…

Good insight, KITTENZ!!!

By: mystery_man

mystery_man — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:24:39 +0000

Kittenz, Alligator, I tend to agree with you two. I too think there very likely could have been small, isolated numbers of the cougar surviving out there in the wilds. In fact there have been a good many species that managed to defy their supposedly “extinct” status, so it would certainly not be the first time for such a thing to happen and cougars are capable of being quite elusive. I hope you are right, and that they make a recovery.

By: kittenz

kittenz — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 12:11:44 +0000

I don’t believe that the eastern puma ever actually went extinct. Though there’s no generally accepted proof, I believe that small numbers of eastern pumas have always remained in the wilder regions of the eastern US, such as the big southern swamps and the more remote, relatively inaccessible parts of the Appalachian mountains.

Now that the deer population has recovered, the recovery of the eastern puma is underway.

By: Alligator

Alligator — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 04:13:49 +0000

Its legitimate to raise the possibility that the eastern cougar never went totally extinct in some of the large swamps and forests of the southeast. Even though they were relentlessly persecuted, I think it could be possible for a remnant to have learned how to avoid humans and everything associated with them (e.g. if it looks, smells or sounds of humans or is close to where humans are, I’m dead). I think every scientific “fact” reported about cougars the last 150 years is skewed. We’ve been reporting behavior of an animal that suffered intense persecution from humans. That has changed over the past 50 years and we are seeing the re-expansion of the animals into former habitat. Furthermore, they aren’t always afraid of humans and wild cougars have been documented wandering around in suburban areas. Cougars that have been around in small numbers but “hiding” could be reemerging.

This doesn’t mean that there is actually a cougar stalking the campus, but the possibility is much more likely than it was some decades ago.

By: jodzilla

jodzilla — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 04:03:35 +0000

Thanks, Puny. I’m willing to believe just about anything. I hope you’re right.

By: punydevil

punydevil — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:54:13 +0000

Jod, remember there was a story posted here not long ago about a federal forestry agent being stalked by a big cat in Oconee County on the Georgia border. Clemson is one county over in Pickens. The campus sits in the Blue Ridge foothills and is very rural. The university is essentially the town. Campus also sits on the largest body of water in South Carolina. Very animal friendly.

By: punydevil

punydevil — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 19:51:10 +0000

My alma mater as well. Would not surprise me a bit. Also, my father was at Clemson in the late ’50’s. He used to tell me stories of a “wild man” who ran around the campus looking in windows and going through garbage cans. He said he was incredibly fast and would run off into he woods when detected.

By: jodzilla

jodzilla — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:49:48 +0000

With Clemson’s mascot being a tiger is there any chance this is a prank?

By: DARHOP

DARHOP — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:08:10 +0000

Well hopefully this animal isn’t killed because of being seen on campus. Hopefully it can be tranquilized and removed safely. It would be a shame to have to kill this animal, especially if they are making a come back.

By: dstageberg

dstageberg — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:52:28 +0000

I wonder if any pets have turned up missing in the area. That’s what happened in the neighborhood around the University of Wyoming prior to the Cougar being sighted and shot within two blocks of the University (about six years ago).