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Some Suspects in On-Going Catamount Investigation

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Illustration by Adelaide Tyrol

More than 70 years have passed since a mountain lion was hunted and killed in New England.  In 1938 a Quebec trapper caught the last one on record—in Maine.  New Hampshire’s last killing occurred in the White Mountains in 1885.  Alexander Cromwell shot the final and largest specimen ever recorded in Vermont in Barnard in 1881.  It weighed 182 pounds and measured seven feet.  A mount of this magnificent animal, with Cromwell’s rifle, is displayed at the Vermont Historical Society in Montpelier.

The mountain lion — a.k.a. cougar, puma, panther or catamount (cat of the mountain) — has long occupied a mythic role in the region.  In his 1853 book, “Natural History of Vermont,” renowned naturalist Zadock Thompson mentioned the strength and leaping ability of the mountain lion. “One of these animals took a large calf out of a pen in Bennington, where the fence was four feet high, and carried it off on his back,” he wrote.  “With this load, he ascended a ledge of rocks, where one of the leaps was 15 feet in height.”

In the mid 1800s, mountain lions were considered such a threat to human life and livestock that the Vermont Legislature issued a bounty of $20 for each pelt.  Adjusted for inflation, that would have equaled about $550 in today’s dollars.  The bounty and civilization have had an impact, for in the East the mountain lion as a species has virtually disappeared.

Nonetheless, residents of northern New England seem to be on the lookout for them. Wildlife biologists in the region get plenty of reports of sightings, but most reports are cases of mistaken identity —what people are seeing most likely are bobcats, lynx, coyotes, or domesticated mountain lion escapees.

Time and again, biologists play Sherlock Holmes, taking testimony from those reporting sightings and combing the outdoors for tracks, fur and scat.  They wield forensic tools worthy of a contemporary CSI crime drama—detailed lab exams of suspect droppings and DNA analysis of purported catamount fur. 

Mountain lions are noticeably larger than the other large mammals for which they are mistaken.  A mountain lion can weigh well over 150 pounds, while a bobcat might weigh up to 35 pounds and reach 45 inches (tip of nose to end of tail); a coyote 50 pounds and 53 inches; or a lynx 35 pounds and 40 inches. 

Wild populations of mountain lion survive in southern Florida and in mountains of the West.  They make dens in caves and crevices, amid boulder outcroppings, and in dense underbrush.  They range as far as 30 miles from their dens and eat as much as 12 pounds of prey per day — from rabbit to deer. 

With western populations increasing, wildlife biologists conjecture that individual lions may be dispersing eastward.  Catamounts have been spotted in New Brunswick, Ontario, Nova Scotia and in a few parts of New England, but a confirmed sighting does not necessarily mean that the animal has taken up residence. 

Douglas Blodgett, a wildlife biologist with the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, says “40 to 50 sightings” of catamounts are reported in Vermont each year. “But we still don’t have tangible, solid evidence, such as scat, prey caches or dead mountain lions.  There is no evidence of a viable catamount population in Vermont.”

Blodgett, however, keeps an open mind.  “On occasion, some of the sightings are very credible,” he says. “These sightings could be explained by the exotic pet trade, which is ubiquitous in the United States.  It’s not beyond belief that some of these animals could have been purchased and escaped.”

Still, a mature mountain lion and two cubs apparently were sighted in Craftsbury, Vt., during the winter of 1993-‘94.  Their scat contained fur that Fish & Wildlife officials determined, through microscopic analysis, to be that of a catamount.

“There is no definitive proof of mountain lions in New Hampshire (either), says Mark Ellingwood, a wildlife biologist with that state’s Fish and Game Department.  “DNA analysis of scat and hair samples have all been negative … mostly bobcats,” he says. 

Sounding like a detective, Ellingwood says: “We look for patterns in the evidence and look forward to receiving any evidence, particularly physical evidence.  I have spoken to some very knowledgeable and very competent people who say they’ve seen mountain lions.”

Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife reports tracks, droppings and fur from catamounts in that state and neighboring New Brunswick.  In 1997, Massachusetts biologists found scat near the Quabbin Reservoir.  DNA analysis proved it was from a mountain lion, but some officials suspect it was a domesticated animal that had escaped. 

So the search continues.  If Sherlock Holmes were sleuthing the mountain lion today, he might doggedly turn to his sidekick and say, “Come Watson, come!  The game is a … paw.”

Discussion *

Aug 02, 2020

About 3 years ago, I had just backed out of a driveway on Spear St in East Charlotte,  close to the south end of Spear St. A very large cat, the size of the biggest Labrador retriever, was slowly crossing the road just in front of me. I stopped the car. He/she didn’t seem interested in me at all. He/she was all one color, the color of a yellow lab or female lion. He/she had a distinctly cat face with round cat ears, not bobcat ears. His tail was long. His body was longer than a dog’s body. He/she was muscular and moved gracefully in a loping manner. I have since been on safari in Botswana, Africa where I saw lionesses. He/she looked a lot like a lioness. At the time, I was so astounded that I immediately looked up “mountain lion” on my phone and what I saw was exactly the same. I have also seen bobcats in my yard. They look very different from what I saw. This cat was MUCH larger, totally different ears, all one color, long tail.

Deborah Lamden
Jan 15, 2019

I saw one in Potsdam NY..Oct 2009. I was going slow over railroad tracks and had to brake as this big mnt lion crossed three feet in front of my car it paused looked at my daughter on the passenger side and continued into the reeds..in VT my same daughter and I saw a smaller mnt lion cross the road in Eden on RT.109, December 2017

kr
Dec 13, 2017

I saw a catamount on Route 21 between Route 22A & Route 4, It ran across the road, about 20 ft ahead of me, chasing a deer around 11 pm on 6/16/17.

E. C.
Nov 12, 2016

My husband just saw a mountain lion run across our road a few days ago. When reading the comments, I found it interesting that someone saw them on I-91 around here a couple years ago. That’s just 2 minutes from my house.

Amanda Addeo
Jul 19, 2016

I saw what was either a very large brownish bobcat, or else it was a catamount.  It was around dusk and I was driving on the west side of Hogback Mountain, just past Monkton Boro.  The cat came part way out of the woods, saw me, and darted back into the woods.  It looked like it was about 100 pounds.

Jeff Rusik
Jan 03, 2016

Everyone seems to see mountain lions in Vermont, so where are all the photos? Everyone has a cell phone today that you can video with. Lets see the proof.

Gary E. Greene
Nov 16, 2015

I saw a catamount in the Town of Woodbury in the summer of 2011.  (I remember the year because this was when the mountain lion was spotted and hit in Connecticut.) 

I was driving south on the County Road from Woodbury toward Calais and was climbing the last hill before the Calais town line, when, about 100 feet north of Log Town Road, I saw a large cat leap in two bounds from the west side of the road to the east side and then bound up the steep bank to my left.  I would estimate that the cat’s torso was at least 4 feet long, with an equally long tail.  It was tawny-colored with a slightly darker dorsal stripe.  I was impressed by its highly muscular hind legs which enabled it to leap 12 or more feet at a time. 

The area where I spotted it is quite remote, and full of ledges, with the West Woodbury mountains on the immediate right (heading south), a small stream and string of linear wetlands in the narrow valley, and steep forested hills on the left.  This area is perfect habitat for a variety of game - I see moose, bear, and deer there frequently as well as mink, fishers, porcupines, and other small furbearers.  There’s a good mix of hardwood species as well as spruce, fir, and hemlock.

Kristina Bielenberg
Aug 22, 2015

My friend saw one recently while mowing a field abutting a large wooded area.  It stopped, stared at her, then disappeared swiftly into the woods.  Appeared to have a limp and hurt back foot or leg. She was sure it was not a bobcat, lynx, fox or anything other than a large catamount.

Kate
Nov 15, 2014

Back in the late 90’s, a buddy of mine dropped me off at my house. When he was going down the driveway he said a large cat crossed in front of him. I told him it was probably a Bobcat, but he said there was no way it was a Bobcat -  the tail was just as long as the body on the cat.

About six months later I was down at my neighbors doing some maintenance on his heavy equipment. We started talking about it my neighbor said it triggered on his motion lights; he saw the same cat.

I think the State is reluctant to acknowledge them because the fact that they would have to be protected.

D Fuller
Mar 04, 2014

March 4th, I saw a catamount today. It was about 30 to 40 lbs I would guess,completely black and the tail was almost as long as the cat. I have seen them a number of times before, but never black and in the winter, it was a joyful sight.

Phil Daniels
Feb 27, 2014

I have a nice picture of a paw print that is close to the size of my hand. I followed the tracks and I have pics of how far apart they are from the ones before. At least 6 foot distance strides. I am on the border near Bennington near the Hoosick River.

Paul S
Nov 29, 2013

In the summer of 2005 we were living in Fairfax, VT The back acreage of our property and the neighbors on both sides of us was all wooded for at least 35 plus acres which also bordered on forest.

For a series of nights over about a 2 week period in the middle of the night we heard blood curdling screams that ranged from sounding like an extremely loud terrified screams of a woman to almost a maniacal loud almost human like laughing sound.

There were many reports both official and non official of catamount sightings in Franklin county VT.

A friend of mine has a relative who lives on French Hill overlooking the City of St.Albans and Lake Champlain. He and his wife say they have seen a catamount on their property over the years. I do not know what these animals sound like and would welcome any feedback. Some people say we heard a fisher cat but the sounds sure sounded like something much larger than a fisher cat. I was familiar with the sounds of foxes and coyotes or coydogs. It did not sound like them either. Does anyone out there have any idea what catamounts sound like?

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Rose St.Hilaire
Sep 18, 2013

We’d love to see the picture.

Dave
Sep 17, 2013

My neighbor had a catamount in his yard about two weeks ago.  He has a picture of same.  I saw the picture and it definitely was a tawny colored, large cat, with long tail.  How exciting!

Babara Sawyer
Apr 24, 2013

I saw a catamount (mountain lion) yesterday, April 23, 2013 at about 3:15pm when I was going southbound on Interstate 91 and was halfway between Lyndonville and St. Johnsbury, Vermont. This beautiful, very large animal, tawny in color with a long, rope-like tail, was crossing the highway from east to west and as I got closer, I saw it run up a meadow. Upon looking at a picture of a catamount later on, this majestic cat that I saw was definitely a catamount. I noted the mileage marker number and will look at this area again when I am on the highway today to get the exact spot. I have reported my siting to the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

 

Deborah
Mar 23, 2013

In 2004 I saw a Catamount cross the road in Charlotte, VT. The Cat was approx. 6 feet long from nose to tail. My father also had a sighting in Middlebury. It is difficult to say if these big cats are truly indigenous or released by individuals who cage or have these animals as “pets”. The negative impact to tourism would be sever if indeed big cats do exist in VT. And this is why I think many folks try to debunk claims.

David Driscoll
Jan 21, 2013

I have seen a large cat out in our woods before but never thought about it much until neighbors started talking about seeing a catamount. This was about 11 years ago however there is still reports at the local store and school of siting off and on. 

My husband just called me from the road and told me that someone just hit a catamount on Route 4 near the Castleton exit. This was this morning at 7:30 on Jan 21, 2013.  He said that it was no house cat or dog or any other excuse people come up with to hide the fact that there are large cats here, it was a catamount. I hope to see it on the news later today.

Char Wessing
Jan 18, 2013

Today, January 18, 2013, I was driving east on Rte 105 about a mile outside of the village of Enosburg Falls.  A large cat ran across the road in front of my car.  It ran across the meadow towards the Missisquoi River.  The cat had a smooth reddish brown coat, no spots; a round face, small ears for the head size, and a large, long round tail.  It was about 30 to 36 inches high and about 6 to 7 feet long from head to tail tip with the tail almost the same length as the body.  I would say it weighed more then 80 pounds.  I call the Game warden who said they would take a look at tracks but reminded me that “officially” Catamount are extinct in this state.  I can’t say it was a Catamount, but I will say it was definitely more cougar then anything.  Definitely not Bobcat.  What I saw had no spots, a long tail, shorter ears then a bobcats.

Sarah Cushing
Dec 01, 2012

1st December 2012: Coming home from Dorset at 10:30 pm we saw a large catamount run very fast across Route 30.

Trevor J. Tebbs
Nov 14, 2012

I just saw a catamount outside my home in Granville! We’re located way out in the boonies on a back road kind of behind Rochester near the Green Mountain National Forest. My German Shepherd, who normally never barks or growls at anything, has been going nuts in the mornings for a few weeks now. I know that we have a lot of bear and moose out here so I usually just yell at her from the other room to stop barking. This morning however she was going exceptionally crazy so I went to the window she was barking out and there it was! It was about 6:20 am and the sun had come up just enough that I could clearly see a HUGE cat. It was moving at a pretty good clip at first but slowed for a moment and looked towards the window the dog and I were looking out before taking off again and darting into the woods across the road. Can’t find any tracks but I’m going to keep looking.

Skye Lilley
Sep 21, 2012

Well, I am definitely sure that I saw a catamount the beginning of this week. To be exact, it was on Monday,Sept.17,2012 at 11:30 am. I was sweeping leaves on my back deck which overlooks a meadow and brook which flows thru my back yard. The phone rang and I stopped raking to answer. My daughter from San Fran was calling. I was literally leaning on the deck railing and speaking to her. All of a sudden, I heard a movement in the woods and looked over to see this catamount walk gingerly from the meadow across my bottom lawn that parallels the brook. I told my daughter what I was seeing. The catamount was about 3feet long,perfect girth size,head and face and ears I was totally able to idenify this catamount. My daughter said for me to make a noise to see what he would do. I made a sound and he stopped, looked up the hill at me, then immediately jumped the brook without touching the water and walked up from the water bank into the woods. I was thrilled to see this and called my neighbors and farmers on my road to let them know. Quite an experience! Next time I will have the camera ready.

GINGER ARCHER
Sep 10, 2012

Are you 100% sure it wasn’t a bobcat, Kara? The size sounds bobcatty, as does the hair color. Many eastern bobcats are very tawny colored; if the belly fur is obscured, they may not appear spotted at all.

Check out the photo gallery at the end of this article:

http://northernwoodlands.org/articles/article/woods-ghost-bobcats-on-a-comeback1/

At a quick glance, the 4th pic from the end looks just like a lion on the plains of africa (or a catamount in someone’s backyard) to me.

dave
Sep 06, 2012

I was just driving home from work w/my 2 year old son.  About an 1/8th of a mile from my house I saw what looked like a Mountain Lion or Catamount.  After looking online I see that it is said that Catamounts are extinct in Vermont.  What I saw looked like it was the size of a medium dog.  It had flat fur, like a boxer dog and it was tan.  The head looked like a female lion.  I live in a very rural area surrounded by corn and soy bean fields.  The cat walked across the road from a corn field and stopped in the road when I slowed down.  It jumped into a ditch and into another corn field.  It was only a few feet in front of me and I know it wasn’t a bobcat.  Could it have been a Catamount?

Kara Bradford
Aug 30, 2012

Have to retract my earlier comment!  Sorry to report that what I saw Tues morning was not a catamount cub, but a fox suffering from mange.  The practically hairless fox had been terrorizing local chicken coops and was caught in a local barn.

Chess Brownell
Aug 28, 2012

This morning around 11:30, I spotted what looked like a catamount cub run across my field.  It was an interesting tawny color with a very long tail and a lopey run that was definitely not that of a house cat.  I’m located near some state land and Cottonbrook Reservoir.

Chess Brownell
Jul 03, 2012

Never would I have thought that a walk on my lunch break at work would bring me to this - spotted a catamount for certain. Of all places in Littleton NH. Right near Remick Park in the woods out back at the end of Pine Hill Road. Reported this to FIsh & Game.

Katelyn
Apr 14, 2012

Looking out about 75 - 100 yards from our deck, we saw a tawny coloured cat with quite heavy fur about the size of a small German Shepherd. He had pointed upright ears and was just lying in among the trees at the edge of the forest. We watched him for about 15 minutes (sadly we had no camera). He got up and turned around and lay down again a few times and then slowly meandered back into the woods.

The photos I see of Catamounts seem sleeker. Are there other mountain cats that have tawny colored fur which are not quite so sleek?

Karin Marks
Feb 05, 2012

My husband just called me from work (in Putney, VT) awhile ago and told me that a big huge headed tan cat just walked in front of him (outside) about 6 feet away from him. This was about midnight. I asked him if it was a house cat and he said, “No. It was about 4 to 5 times bigger than any house cat he had ever seen.” I asked him if it was over 50 pounds and he said, “Well over that.” I asked him if it had stripes or a long tail or pointy ears? He said, “I don’t know I was more worried about it attacking me than whether or not it had pointy ears and a long tail, But it did not have stripes.” I said do you think it was a mountain lion? He said, “I don’t know. But what it wasn’t was a tame domestic cat. It looked wild! But it just walked past me and down by the woods.” He then told me that they just had a new early calf born in the barn that night and that they have chickens all around up there. I told him to be careful and to watch his back cause that is how they attack. He said he was staying inside now for the rest of the night and would be very careful if he goes outside.  So then I took a photo of a mountain lion online and sent it to him on his cell phone. He said that is exactly what it looked like. He said that he is sooo glad the moon is out and so bright tonight.  So I guess no matter what the fish and game dept says, there are mountain lions in VT. I also saw one when I was a child in Marlboro, VT but my Dad said I was seeing things. The one I saw was all black. And it was at least 2 ft tall, I could see his back well over the uncut hay in the field. It walked along the edge of the woods and then into the woods across the road from my house. I know what house cats look like and this was huge and muscular. Like a panther. This was 40 years ago and I still have never forgotten even when I have been out in the woods hunting I always look for tracks. And have seen many small bobcat tracks but no big cat tracks yet. Weird. It is like they are a ghost. Tonight there was no tracks because there is no snow and the ground is frozen. So no evidence this time either. I would love to see photo’s of any that anyone has taken of them in VT. Send them to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Thanks…

Wendi Leiby
Nov 25, 2011

Driving home a couple weeks ago, just as light was fading into dusk, we saw an unusual wild creature flash across the road and into the woods toward the ravine on one side of our street.  It was tawny yellowish, long and thin, perhaps ‘ropey’ is the best word to describe it, with a long rope-like tail.  Just before it reached the woods, it swiveled its head to look directly at us—a cat-like but almost human looking face.  Very startling. 
  Having spent much time as a kid and young adult in the then undeveloped central Adirondacks, I know this was no bobcat! A neighbor has spoken about a fisher cat that has frequented our area, but no—this was not that.  We have wildlife corridors in our area connecting to some larger tracts—I’m thinking this youngish animal was passing through (and very quickly, at that!).

Leslie Bashaw
Oct 31, 2011

Hi Christine. If you’re able to get a photo of what you are seeing, email it to me and I’ll see if we can get an ID for you. .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Thanks.

Meghan
Oct 30, 2011

This morning at 11:00, I noticed something sitting out in the yard bordering the woods on the property. I grabbed my binoculars and saw what looked like a big brown cat. I had seen the same animal earlier this week around 1p.m. walking across our driveway, which is 3/10 of a mile back into the woods. This same animal was spotted in the woods near our house in August around 6:30 p.m. 
Today I was able to see the face in the binoculars and saw white around the chin, and as it walked away saw the long tail. It was brown/tan in color and definitely over 100 lbs.
Catamount???

Christine Usack
Oct 24, 2011

I just heard from a neighbor who recently had a Catamount in his yard (He has a plaster cast of the paw print) that a Catamount was hit and killed on the Warren Mtn road. Not sure if on the Warren or Roxbury side. The largest one (7 feet) taken in the state was killed in Roxbury in 1821. ANR doesn’t want to admit there are cats out there, but I’ve had too many sightings around my house in Roxbury to ignore. 4 neighbors so far have seen them over the past 20 years.

Steve Board
Aug 31, 2011

i saw a catamount right outside my front door two days ago. the beast crouched low and rumbled at me a few times before letting out a blood curdling scream.

Geoff
Aug 01, 2011

This past week While trying to ascertain what animal was in our back yard creating havoc. Using a hunting camera that flashes when motion is detected, we got a beautiful picture of a catamount. Not very large, but clearly a beautiful animal checking out our yard.

Sal Bianco Jr
Jul 27, 2011

By the way, the staff of the Memory Clinic in Bennington, Vermont reportedly got a very good look at a Catamount lion recently. He was standing there for a while by all reports, so they got a good look and apparently it looked just like the pics and statues of the catamount.

Sarah
Jun 25, 2011

did anyone get back to Bill Smith re: question on the Barnard, Vt. catamount?

David Sementilli
Mar 13, 2011

March 1, 2011- My husband and son were driving north on Rte. 100 just after midnight.  As they were approaching the Penny Ave. intersection, they both saw about 100 feet in front of them, a tan colored, very, very, large muscular cat, with a long tail run from Penny Ave. across Rte. 100, then bounding up and over the snowbank, into the forest.  Once they arrived home, they researched all different types of cats in this region.  The only one matching the cat they saw was the Catamount.
My husband has always been skeptical of the reported sightings.  He now knows catamounts exist in Vermont. But, he has no desire to report the sighting.  I, on the other hand believe it is a duty to report the rare sighting of catamounts.

Betty Sue
Mar 12, 2011

I saw a catamount in the field near Molly’s pond on the left side.  1:00 PM on 3/12/2011

Jason Croteau
Mar 04, 2011

I live on Hawks Mountain in Baltimore.Last year after losing a fair number of chickens, I noticed a large cat lumber over a nearby wall. I grew up in Northern Vt where I had seen bob cats.  This was not.  It was larger, hunger closer to the ground and was tawny colored not speckled on the legs. I called FWS, and was told it most be a bob cat.  No. The cat took more than 5-6 chickens and left carcasses nearby, picked clean.  What I saw certainly resembled what I thought was a catamount until I was told they no longer exist.  Carol

Carol L.
Mar 03, 2011

does anyone have more information on exactly where Alexander Cromwell shot the Catamount in Barnard?

Bill T Smith
Jan 21, 2011

While at the Sportsman Show in Essex this past week, having a
conversation with a game biologist, we were approached by a friend
carrying a folder. He was excited to open it up to show us an amazingly clear photo of a catamount taken by his wife from their camp window in Belvedere. There is no mistake, it is the real deal, a picture of a young catamount, perhaps a female, as it stopped along the wood line. I’m not sure what the next step will be. The Vermont
Fish and Wildlife are on board and it is just a matter of time before
the photo is released and made public.

William Mayo
Jan 07, 2011

I would be interested in any photos or recent stories.  I have grown up in Southern Vermont and have heard three credible stories of either catamount sightings or prey cache in the last 5 years.  I now live in Northern Vermont and being an avid woodsman and hunter I hope to see there return soon.

Jon Wright
Jan 06, 2011

I saw what I think was a mountain lion today in the deep woods of Extreme Northern Maine.  I have pictures of its paw prints and picked up a frozen scat which could possibly prove what it was.  i will attempt to get the scat to someone who knows how to identify this amazing creature.

Mike Cyr - Surveyor
Nov 22, 2010

I hunt up in Walden ,Near Coles Pond up on Stannard Mountain and one of the residents there, an accomplished woodsman,hunter and logger has sighted them several times in the area.  He stated that he was with his mother and saw one in a field on Noyestar road.  He was in a clearcut with his machine in a very remote area and has seen one.

jack
Oct 24, 2010

Today in Passumpsic, Vermont I saw a catamount!!! It was about 7.30 am. My dog has been going wild sniffling and growling for days. I took some pics, but they are not too good.

Ewa M. Seiler
Jun 06, 2010

We were on our way home from Manchester to West Rutland, closer to Danby than Dorset on route 7 when a large animal ran across the road in front of us.  I had quite long legs, a long tail and its head looked like a cat.  In doing an internet search, the closest thing I could find was a catamount.

Deanna McLellan
May 18, 2010

Hi Jay,
I am interested in your story about the cougar(s). I am doing an independent study of alleged sightings of which many are from your general area. Please email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) so I can get additional info for my database.
I saw a cougar cub in Belvidere, Vt in April 2005 and have been interested in them ever since. 
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Teri

T
Jan 04, 2010

I had a catamount on my property in 2004. It was during daylight hours and I watched it from inside my house for about 5 minutes until it returned to the forest. I’m in the woods a lot as a fishing guide…etc. Definitely a catamount. I compare its size to larger than my border collie but smaller than my St. Bernard, probably 110 lbs. I recently (12/18/09) came home to find fresh prints of this animal. I have pictures of the print. When I make a fist, that is the size of this print. Please contact me for the picture or any info about this amazing creature.

Jay Harris

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