Cougar in kentucky

He said the cat ran towards him, stopped and growled, scratched the dirt and ran about 50 feet away. To our knowledge, this is Tennessee's first cougar confirmation in recent history. General Description: Mountain lions are easy to distinguish from other large cats in North America by their large body and long tail.

There have only been 22 deaths in the last years. Freeny said the dog was terrified. If you're a human, not so much," she said.

First cougar seen in kentucky since civil war is killed

Diet: Mountain lions are strict carnivores; their primary prey is deer. Mountain lions have sharp, curved claws to help them climb and bring down prey. For years, the Mississippi River has been thought to be a barrier to the mountain lion's eastern expansion.

Couar the officer responded, he found the animal trapped up a tree by a barking dog and decided it was best to "dispatch it. They have been somewhat anti-gun, at least anti-ugly black-high capacity semi-auto rifle. Female home ranges are roughly half that of males.

Kentucky department of fish & wildlife mountain lions

In two years the Woodwards said they lost approximately 40 sheep to some type of large feline animal. That's not to say there HAVEN'T been confirmed sightings in that long time span--there have been two--but lion sightings are virtually unheard of. Photo courtesy of Rich Beausoleil, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Few large mammals generate more intrigue, folklore and misinformation than the mountain lion.

Since then, he said, the cats have been slowly reclaiming their old turf.

This material may not be published, coguar, rewritten, or redistributed. In addition, sometimes the Woodwards would find some of their sheep with deep claw marks on their hindquarters, sometimes deep enough to cause the sheep to die. The department says that the nearest population of wild mountain lions is more than miles away, in Nebraska.

Panther bait, cougar sighting - mtn lion on the loose in central ky | kentucky hunting

The family says that they hope the large cat moves on so they can feel safe for their pets. She added the presence lentucky mountain lions in an ecosystem adds to biological diversity, which she said helps the environment recover from natural disaster and diseases that affect the fauna in a region.

But its clear they have been getting close to Kentucky. Provide the county and location where the track was found.

Family thinks they saw mountain lion on surveillance video

There is nothing to be alarmed about. You going to let your kids wait for the school bus in the dark?

Marraccini said a farmer spotted the cat and alerted the department. We are not surprised by the Tennessee and Kentucky cougars. The family also says they believe they found a large footprint. When she chambered the round, the Cougar slowly turned and walked away.

Past sightings Reports of people spotting large cats in the area go back many years. They often travel east looking for deer, water and female cougars.

Mountain lion seen near ky.-tenn. border

He said distance, and viewing one on a sloped hill, tend to alter the perception of the size of the animal. While Kentucky does not have an active Mountain Lion population, occasionally the predators will wander in from other areas.

Cat toes are tear-drop shaped; dog or coyote tracks are more rounded. In fact in a Cougar from South Dakota was killed on a freeway in Connecticut, and that same year a Kentucky Fish and Wildlife officer shot and killed a young Cougar in Bourbon County.

Mysterious panther roaming

Breeding Cycle: Females can breed when they are 3 years old. Mark Dowling, a director of the Cougar Network, which advocates for the use coutar science to understand the animals, said the population was being pushed further and further west until the s when a of western and midwestern states began to classify them as game animals rather than vermin, and limiting people's right to kill them.

For his part, Steve Woodward said he encountered the cat one day, and it definitely was not a Bobcat. If You See a Mountain Lion: Follow these recommendations in the rare event you see or encounter a mountain lion: NEVER run from cokgar mountain lion as this may trigger a natural chase response.

Kentucky department of fish & wildlife mountain lion facts

She said the grand daughters of Sandy and Donnie Young also saw a large cat. According to the story, around 9 p. For her part, Martenet insists she did not see a Mountain Lion, but a black panther. He said it was definitely a Mountain Lion. Any cougae lion appearing in the state would likely be an escaped or released captive animal.