Posted on 02/07/2008 9:29:48 AM PST by Renfield
Whether it was wild or a captive mountain lion remains to be seen.
The Department of Natural Resources confirmed Tuesday that DNA tests concluded that a large cat seen leaping from a hayloft on Jan. 18 in Rock County was a cougar.
If it is determined to be wild, it would be the first evidence that cougars had returned to Wisconsin since the early 1900s.
Additional testing from a U.S. Forest Service laboratory in Missoula, Mont., will determine the sex of the cat and the subspecies.
If testing shows that the cougar was from South America, for example, it would show that a captive cat had escaped. So far Doug Fendry, a biologist with the DNR, said that the agency has received no reports in Wisconsin or from northern Illinois of escaped cougars.
A veteran hunter and trapper from the Town of Milton saw the cougar and called the DNR.
The DNA sample came from blood while Fendry and another DNR employee tracked footprints in the snow.
Fendry said he has received about 40 calls and e-mails from people in Rock County claiming they have seen a cougar or saw one in the past.
of course, the Buffalo Commons is basically coming to fruition by default, as the depopulation of the northern plains continues apace, and Ted Turner is the only bid around for real estate.
“It’s “interesting” that the many state wildlife agencies seem to “consistently” deny, deny, deny cougar incidents in every one of their states (where the deadly cats were previously held to be extinct!) UNTIL they get a dead body brought in.”
I’ve had a biologist for Tennessee Wildlife argue with me that there were NO Cottenmouths in Tennessee. Go figure.
did you see the stories/rumors last year about the Caracal supposedly cruising around in Nashville?
“did you see the stories/rumors last year about the Caracal supposedly cruising around in Nashville?”
No, I am living in Colorado now but I sure do miss home.
me too, I thought he was talking about Stiflers mom
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