Sounds like the possibility of Eastern cougars is a real one. Cougars are not something one sees often in their natural habitat, they are extremely elusive. Some people obviously wouldn’t know a cougar from a bobcat or even cayote but that would not account for the majority of sightings.
If the USFWS is starting to take notice it’s a good bet that they do exist, IMO.
Since they are only looking for Eastern Cougars as far south as South Carolina, I guess that our Florida Cougars are a different species.