Black Panther

[turney31]

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Sorry, but thats an insult!

 

[Nambroth]

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The DEC reported that they were able to harvest DNA from fecal .. er, deposits, that were reported in areas where the cat was seen and left sign (such as tracks, photos on trailcams, etc). The fecal DNA matched the dead cat.

 

[geoff40]

I don't agree with the idea that cougars need deer sized game to survive. They used to tell us all that wolves needed the deer family too, but then they discovered that the mainstay food for the wolf is mice. Some timber wolves eat dozens of mice a day.
A cougar could easily behave the same way, eating all sorts of little bites. Might be a predator, but a successful predator is also very much an opportunist.

 

[AR]

Here are a couple of sites that give info on mountain lions. I pasted what the sites had for what they eat.

Mountain lions like to prey on deer, though they also eat smaller animals such as coyotes, porcupines, and raccoons.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/mountain-lion/

Mountain lions eat large mammals such as deer, and smaller mammals such as mice, squirrels, porcupines, raccoons, rabbits and beavers.
http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/mountain_lion.php

 

[geoff40]

When I looked through the mountain lion file at my State wildlife agency ( Fish & Game) about 30% of the reports were of black panthers. I then discovered similar percentages in Maine and Vermont.
Though it is stated as fact that melanistic cougars don't exist in North America, they apparently do exist in South America.
On utube, if you search for "black panther" you will see a video of one stalking a deer, I think the video was shot in South Carolina. As evidenced by the reaction and watchfulness of the buckinthe video, there can be no doubts the cat is a big one. Wild or escaped exotic, the video is proof that some of these sightings are the real thing.

 

[woodmort]

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African or Asian?

 

[dixiebeast]

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African or Asian?

Africans have the big ears...like the continent! LOL

 

[woodmort]

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The DEC reported that they were able to harvest DNA from fecal .. er, deposits, that were reported in areas where the cat was seen and left sign (such as tracks, photos on trailcams, etc). The fecal DNA matched the dead cat.

Yup and the DNA matched that of the strain found in the Dakota's. This cat had been sighted/DNA mapped in Minnesota and Wisconsin and Ohio as well as in Glens Falls NY.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

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The DEC reported that they were able to harvest DNA from fecal .. er, deposits, that were reported in areas where the cat was seen and left sign (such as tracks, photos on trailcams, etc). The fecal DNA matched the dead cat.

Yup and the DNA matched that of the strain found in the Dakota's. This cat had been sighted/DNA mapped in Minnesota and Wisconsin and Ohio as well as in Glens Falls NY.

Wow.....that is a fair jaunt looking for an open home.

I would know the elephant too........

 

[rufus]

Well, let's not take ourselves too seriously. If people want to believe in black cats, let then. If they don't, that is their right. Each monkey to their own peanut.

I do know that we have cougars here in Arizona, and now we have the jaguar. I can't help wondering just how they will fit into the same ecological niche. Will one replace the other?

Time will tell.

Rufus