Georgia Cougar Killed
Posted by: Loren Coleman on November 21st, 2008
There was a puma shot last weekend near the Georgia/Alabama border, at West Point Lake, Georgia.
One of the primary articles notes that offiicials believe it was “an illegally held captive” puma.
The 140-pound, 88-inch cat was shot by deer hunter David Adams of Newnan on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land near the Georgia-Alabama border on November 16, 2008. He was perched in a tree stand on the government land near the community of Abbottsford, west of LaGrange, Georgia, on the Alabama border, the DNR said. He said that it came too close to him and he shot it in self-defense.
The officials think it was a feral captive cat because it had scuffed paw pads (often found in cats living on concrete), and few internal parasites. Kittenz, commenting on her shared story, says she thinks that is flimsy evidence to say conclusively “this was a captive and not a wild puma.”
Have any readers heard if any more has turned up in that area?
- Similar Phenomena:
Is there concrete near by that it could have frequented?
Loren
The DNR is doing DNA tests on the cat supposedly to find out if it was wild or not. Who knows?
Tim
I agree with titantim. DNA tests will show whether it is an Eastern Cougar or not. Also, concrete isn’t the only substance that will scuff up pads. If the area is near a quarry at all, or even an area with exposed rock surfaces you can get scuffing (depending on the type of exposed rock).
I was under the impression that the Eastern Cougar was extinct outside of Florida. Aren’t all of the ones being spotted in the east expansions of the Western Cougar or released ferals? I just can’t see the Florida Panther making its way north.
There are too many researchers watching too few critters. I imagine the hundred or so panthers each with about six or seven college students, biology researchers, state fish and game types, and amateur cryptologists following them around, collecting scat, and putting plaster in tracks, and generally making nuisances of themselves.
If there really are cats making their way south or east then are they protected if they are shown to be feral releases? Does it matter if the cat is from North America since the North American Cougar is now classified as one subspecies except for the Florida Panther?
And I am skeptical about the one that was just killed being a released pet. Declawed and defanged would be the only positive proof I would accept outside DNA.
I live in a remote area of the west and have seen cougar sign all my life including having cougars snatch cats off my front porch but I have only seen two or three cats in the wild. They are thick as fleas here but you don’t see them very often so I can easily see them hiding for decades in some remote corners of the east.
If officialdom does not recognize the sightings, most people won’t bother making the claim they saw the cat or it will not get recorded if it is seen.
Scuffed paws could indicate travel on a rocky surface, not necessarily concrete. I would agree, declawed -defanged would be much more conclusive. As for the lack of internal parasites, a young animal may not yet have developed as many in the gut as an older animal. Still it is to early to dismiss this as captive release or escapee.
A few cougars have been turning up in central Florida well north of the Glades. These are primarily young males seeking new territory. I think the jaunt on up to the Georgia border is not that difficult. The cougar shot in Chicago was found to have come from the Black Hills - almost 900 miles and one hit by a train Red Rock Oklahoma also came from the Black Hills, almost 600 miles.
Cougars, mountain lions, panthers whatever you want to call them, are much more mobile than we’ve given them credit for, especially the young males. I would be interested in watching for autopsy and DNA results on this specimen.
shumway10973 asks:”Is there concrete near by that it could have frequented?”
I live in this area and I can assure you, that if there’s no concrete nearby, there is certainly asphalt. There are a lot of dirt and gravel roads over in Alabama, but here in Georgia, you’re hard pressed to find a road that isn’t covered with black-top.
However, that’s not the only reason they think it was a captive animal. The other was that “State investigators also found the cat also had low parasite levels, which meant it wasn’t feeding on wild game. Cougars are no longer considered native to Georgia, though residents occasionally report seeing what they believe to be the large, long-tailed cats also known as panthers and mountain lions. The nearest breeding population is in southern Florida, where the animal is called the Florida panther.”
I live in the area there are without a doubt wild animals out of place, people always see them then always freak out but I think they forget 1 thing to factor in…Pine Mt wild animal safari park! 15 minutes away from west pt. Lake through nothing but woods and forest. Am I the only 1 who sees the connection here, true this could be a wandered off animal from Fla or wherever but if was a scientist the first place I’d check is the park..duh..! Also the concrete thing, there is plenty of concrete u got several half mile bridges crossing the lake at diff. Points, an old abandoned rock quarry AND..west point dam which by the way is constructed of concrete along with the surrounding roads and structures. Lagrange resident 31 years I know what I’m talkin bout.