By
on August 26, 2014
CULLMAN COUNTY, Alabama -- A Cullman County couple cruising on their
motorcycle through the rolling hills of the Logan community saw a cougar
or panther cross the road in front of them, they say. "It was a big cat," Allen Goodwin said. "It was a solid color, dark
brown-reddish with a long tail. It was not an overgrown house cat."
Goodwin knows there are reportedly no big cats in Alabama, but he insists that he and his wife, Melony, spotted one cross County Road 831 on the clear morning three weeks ago. They said that it was just 50 feet away as they approached. They identified it as a likely cougar or Florida panther after looking at pictures of the species. Allen Goodwin said he'd been skeptical in the past when he read stories about purported big cat sightings. "I didn't believe it. This really shocked me," he said.
"I am a believer now," Goodwin added. "There is no denying it is a big cat."
No evidence of big cats
Keith Gauldin, assistant chief of wildlife for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said there's been no documented evidence of a big cat in the state since 1947, when a Florida panther was killed in Chilton County. According to an AL.com report from 2011, the last verified cougar in Alabama was killed in St. Clair County over 50 years ago. "It is not that we don't want to believe or refuse to believe," Gauldin said. "We just don't have documented evidence in the form of pictures or tracks." He added, "With all of the game cameras put out in the woods, we get pictures of bears but never cats."
Jud Easterwood, wildlife biologist and supervisor for Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources District Office in Tanner, said during the winter, researchers have staked down deer carcasses in hope of getting footage of golden eagles for a survey. Cameras have captured images of everything from coyotes and stray dogs to bobcats and foxes, but no big cats.
Still, Gauldin pointed out that wild animals don't adhere to state lines or scientific estimations of their range, so it is always possible that a large cat could have found itself deep in Alabama. He said that the Conservation Department gets several calls a year concerning big cats.
Sometimes, the callers send photos, but close examination shows that the big cats were overgrown housecats. Or, the picture turns out to be a Photoshopped image, or something snagged from the Internet. Gauldin speculated that some big cats might be exotic pets that had escaped from their enclosures, although he said that such situations would be rare.
Alabama residents often report seeing jaguarundis, but state wildlife
experts say they are only live in South American and southern Texas.
(Wikipedia)
Most "big cats" are actually coyotes or bobcats
According to The Cougar Network, which tracks sighting nationally, cougars are elusive and seldom seen in the wild. In Alabama, Gauldin said, most people who report a big cat in the wild actually saw bobcats, otters or black coyotes. He said bobcats, which have short tails, are common throughout the state. Their coats can range from pale brown to highly spotted, and they can be up to 2 feet tall and weigh up to 35 pounds.
Still, some central Alabama residents feared a jaguarundi could be responsible for killing household pets, according to an AL.com report from June. Wildlife experts at that time thought the likely culprit was a coyote, although Gauldin said that it could have been a bobcat.
Gauldin said a jaguarundi - a small cat present in Texas and South America - isn't likely to travel away from coastal areas. Both Allen and Melony Goodwin say the big cat they saw was about the size of a German shepherd. Normally, Allen said he would have had his helmet camera on, but he lost it earlier this summer while on vacation. Melony said that when the cat crossed the road in plain sight, she exclaimed to Allen through the intercom system, "Oh my gosh! I haven't ever seen anything like that, like we saw that day," she said. "It was strange."
Image of Florida panthers in the wild in southern Florida. (Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission)
Range of the Florida panther
Several decades ago, panthers ranged over seven Southern states. In the present day, the Cougar Network says that the Florida panther is the only officially recognized population of big cats in the Southeast.
The Florida panther was listed as an endangered species in 1973 largely due to hunting. Since then, the population has clawed back in numbers, rising to an estimated 100-180 adults, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Florida panthers are a tawny color, about 6 to 7 feet long, with a crooked tail and a patch of fur on their back that resembles a cowlick.
Georgia did have a confirmed panther sighting in 2008, but with fatal result. A hunter fatally shot a Florida panther in west-central Georgia's Troup County, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Cougar Network. His endangered trophy cat cost him two years of probation and $2,000 fine.
This bobcat was spotted in the Gulf State Park on Friday, February 19,
2010. According to National Geographic, the bobcat population in North
America may be as high as one million. They have adapted to just about
every environment, even suburban areas. Bobcats are successful hunters
and rabbits are their favorite prey. They are solitary animals and
usually are most active around dusk and dawn. (File photo)
Bobcats are common through the state of Alabama. This bobcat was spotted
about a block from the Intracoastal Waterway between Gulf Shores and
Orange Beach, AL. in this file photo. (Photo by Paul H. Franklin)
source
Goodwin knows there are reportedly no big cats in Alabama, but he insists that he and his wife, Melony, spotted one cross County Road 831 on the clear morning three weeks ago. They said that it was just 50 feet away as they approached. They identified it as a likely cougar or Florida panther after looking at pictures of the species. Allen Goodwin said he'd been skeptical in the past when he read stories about purported big cat sightings. "I didn't believe it. This really shocked me," he said.
"I am a believer now," Goodwin added. "There is no denying it is a big cat."
Alabama residents often report seeing jaguarundis, but state wildlife
experts say they are only live in South American and southern Texas.
(Wikipedia)
No evidence of big cats
Keith Gauldin, assistant chief of wildlife for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said there's been no documented evidence of a big cat in the state since 1947, when a Florida panther was killed in Chilton County. According to an AL.com report from 2011, the last verified cougar in Alabama was killed in St. Clair County over 50 years ago. "It is not that we don't want to believe or refuse to believe," Gauldin said. "We just don't have documented evidence in the form of pictures or tracks." He added, "With all of the game cameras put out in the woods, we get pictures of bears but never cats."
Jud Easterwood, wildlife biologist and supervisor for Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources District Office in Tanner, said during the winter, researchers have staked down deer carcasses in hope of getting footage of golden eagles for a survey. Cameras have captured images of everything from coyotes and stray dogs to bobcats and foxes, but no big cats.
Still, Gauldin pointed out that wild animals don't adhere to state lines or scientific estimations of their range, so it is always possible that a large cat could have found itself deep in Alabama. He said that the Conservation Department gets several calls a year concerning big cats.
Sometimes, the callers send photos, but close examination shows that the big cats were overgrown housecats. Or, the picture turns out to be a Photoshopped image, or something snagged from the Internet. Gauldin speculated that some big cats might be exotic pets that had escaped from their enclosures, although he said that such situations would be rare.
Most "big cats" are actually coyotes or bobcats
According to The Cougar Network, which tracks sighting nationally, cougars are elusive and seldom seen in the wild. In Alabama, Gauldin said, most people who report a big cat in the wild actually saw bobcats, otters or black coyotes. He said bobcats, which have short tails, are common throughout the state. Their coats can range from pale brown to highly spotted, and they can be up to 2 feet tall and weigh up to 35 pounds.
Still, some central Alabama residents feared a jaguarundi could be responsible for killing household pets, according to an AL.com report from June. Wildlife experts at that time thought the likely culprit was a coyote, although Gauldin said that it could have been a bobcat.
Gauldin said a jaguarundi - a small cat present in Texas and South America - isn't likely to travel away from coastal areas. Both Allen and Melony Goodwin say the big cat they saw was about the size of a German shepherd. Normally, Allen said he would have had his helmet camera on, but he lost it earlier this summer while on vacation. Melony said that when the cat crossed the road in plain sight, she exclaimed to Allen through the intercom system, "Oh my gosh! I haven't ever seen anything like that, like we saw that day," she said. "It was strange."
Range of the Florida panther
Several decades ago, panthers ranged over seven Southern states. In the present day, the Cougar Network says that the Florida panther is the only officially recognized population of big cats in the Southeast.
The Florida panther was listed as an endangered species in 1973 largely due to hunting. Since then, the population has clawed back in numbers, rising to an estimated 100-180 adults, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Florida panthers are a tawny color, about 6 to 7 feet long, with a crooked tail and a patch of fur on their back that resembles a cowlick.
Georgia did have a confirmed panther sighting in 2008, but with fatal result. A hunter fatally shot a Florida panther in west-central Georgia's Troup County, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Cougar Network. His endangered trophy cat cost him two years of probation and $2,000 fine.
source
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