New Mountain Lion Sighting

[Al Agnew]

I agree it's hard to tell from the picture. Tail doesn't look too much like a house cat, but the body doesn't really read mountain lion to me. Proportions seem a bit off.

Mountain lions actually vary quite a bit in color, from grayish brown to fairly bright tan to reddish brown. It's believed that those who formerly lived in the Ozarks tended more toward grayish brown--probably because that color would have blended in well with the habitat.

The whole black panther thing always interested me. I've heard reports of black panthers ever since I was a kid, some of them from people who I wouldn't have expected to be making it up. Yet as Tim said, the chances of a melanistic (genetically black) mountain lion are astronomically small. The woo-woo type people believe that black panthers exist, but are coming from another dimension and popping into our version of the Ozarks every now and then, and soon popping back into their own dimension. Works for me.

[Justin Spencer]

I know the picture is bad, could be a bull with something behind it that looks like a tail. What would have killed a llama, eaten half and then buried it?

[Al Agnew]

Mountain lion or bear. Either animal buries its kills. But that sounds like a mountain lion, definitely.

Actually, for some reason I prefer using the word "cougar" instead of mountain lion, but that word has been appropriated these days. Try googling "cougar images" and see what comes up!

[lee G.]

Thanks for the tip AL!!

[Justin Spencer]

When I was in college on family day seems like I ran across a few of those cougars. Those were the days!

[flytyer57]

I know the picture is bad, could be a bull with something behind it that looks like a tail. What would have killed a llama, eaten half and then buried it?

I don't think a lion would bury it's prey. Instead, they would drag it up a tree.

[Outside Bend]

I'm not sure a bear could or would take down a llama. From my experience llamas can be pretty ornery critters, and I would imagine there's plenty of other, easier to acquire food sources around for bears to take advantage of.

[Al Agnew]

I don't think a lion would bury it's prey. Instead, they would drag it up a tree.

Leopards do that, but I don't think mountain lions do.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I know the picture is bad, could be a bull with something behind it that looks like a tail. What would have killed a llama, eaten half and then buried it?

I can't really say positivly what is in the photo, but it does appear to be some type of feline. But in my opinion it is way to fat to wild.

As for the buried llama, what type of burial was it?? Was hole dug or was it just covered in brush?? I would highly doubt a cougar would did a hole. Their claws are for catching and hanging on for the kill. They need to be kept as sharp as can be like talons. But they will cover prey with brush.

[eric1978]

I can't really say positivly what is in the photo, but it does appear to be some type of feline. But in my opinion it is way to fat to wild.

As for the buried llama, what type of burial was it?? Was hole dug or was it just covered in brush?? I would highly doubt a cougar would did a hole. Their claws are for catching and hanging on for the kill. They need to be kept as sharp as can be like talons. But they will cover prey with brush.

My cat buries his poop.