Subject: Cougar near Jeanerette, LA



Here is a photo of a cougar killed In Adline La

The guy who shot it is 6/2" tall and weighs about 300 lbs. He was in a deer stand and saw the cat pass him downwind. He then saw it pass him upwind. When the cat passed him again (closer this time) downwind, he knew that it was hunting him. So…. boom..

After viewing this do you feel safe in the woods?



As the crow flies - this is about 5 miles from downtown Jeanerette. LA.

Don't know if it's true or not but that is one big pussy!!!!!

I got the same email a few weeks ago but with a different location.

NO! its not true that picture has been floating around the www for a long while now, with a similar story sayin it was shot anywhere from florida to washington state. im not even sure that pic hadnt been doctor'd up, that thing is the size of an african lion.

im callin BS on this one! that man would have a HELLUVA time standin that SOB up by himself and holdin it ... there are panthers and cougars around but theres somethin not right bout this one...just my .02...

didn't think it was true but maybe someone would know although about 20 years ago I was frogging off of the Delcambre canal and me and a buddy saw a Black panther and it was about half that size and it scared the shit out me cause we were stuck on a mudflat with my 40 yamaha trying to get a frog along the bank.

yeah thats the same one that was killed in leonville where i live, in pecan island where we hunt, and abou 50 other places. i got that in an email about 20 times so far. you can tell that pic has been docotored up

Real picture, wrong place.

http://www.snopes.com/photos/hunting/mountainlion.asp

in the south, a game warden friend of mine said there almost always pets someone has turned loose cause they cant care for them anymore. but he did say that thoes cats have huge ranges and a young cat will roam till they find there own range. in other words it aint out of the range of possibility that there a few wild ones around......... so keep yo' glock cocked

Black Panther - If you shoot one with 4 legs you go into
the record books - cause none has ever been documented
that was found dead in the wild or shot - in North America - ever !!!

Although sighting are commonplace - maybe he was muddy
or the lighting was bad....

i looked this photo up in a true or not website and sorry to say but its fake.

BULLSH*T It's Illegal to kill a cougar in the state of LA!!!

But there have been sightings of cougars in Louisiana..... around central La.
they have even had them down by Lake Fausse Point State Park.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has received photographic evidence of the second and third documented cougar occurrences in the state in recent history. Photos viewable at: http://www.wlf.state.la.us/news/?id=1130 .

Private citizens sent trail camera pictures from two different sites to the department in September. LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager Maria Davidson and LDWF Natural Heritage Zoologist Beau Gregory then conducted site investigations that confirmed the authenticity of the photographs.

"The department interviewed the photo providers and investigated the sites and photographs. After inspecting all of the evidence, we have concluded with the best of our abilities that the photos are in fact real and of a cougar," Davidson said.

The first photograph was taken in Natchitoches parish on Sept. 4, and the second was taken in Allen parish on Sept. 29. The sites are approximately 100 miles apart, leading to speculation that the same cougar could be in both photos.

"Given the time lapse between the two pictures it is certainly possible for a cougar to have traveled that distance," Davidson said. "Both animals have the same general appearance of a young cougar, but it is impossible to determine conclusively if the animals are one and the same. It is also impossible to determine if the animals in the photographs are wild free-ranging mountain lions, or escaped captives."

Although it is illegal to own a cougar in Louisiana, it is possible that there are some illegally held "pets" in the state. Anyone holding a captive cougar in Louisiana must have a permit issued by LDWF, as captive cougars may compromise public safety. LDWF may issue permits to existing owners in the state in order to reduce difficulties associated with determining the validity of reported cougar sightings.

The mountain lion, cougar, panther or puma are names that all refer to the same animal. Their color ranges from lighter tan to brownish grey.

The only species of big cats that occur as black are the jaguar and leopard. Jaguars are native to South America and leopards are native to Africa. Both species can occur as spotted or black, although in both cases the spotted variety is much more common. Although the department receives numerous calls about "black panthers", there has never been a documented case of a black cougar anywhere in North America.

The first recently documented cougar sighting was in 2002 by LDWF Program Manager Michael Carloss on Lake Fausse Point State Park. That sighting was later confirmed with DNA analysis from scat found at the site.

The department receives many calls reporting sightings of cougars throughout Louisiana. The vast majority of these reports cannot be verified due to the very nature of a sighting. These animals can move through an area and leave little or no evidence to be found. Many of the calls are found to be cases of mistaken identity. Dog tracks make up the majority of the evidence submitted by those reporting cougar sightings. Other animals commonly mistaken for cougars are bobcats and house cats, usually seen from a distance or in varying shades of light.

The significant lack of physical evidence leads the department to conclude that Louisiana does not have an established, breeding population of cougars. In states that have verified small populations of cougars, physical evidence can readily be found in the form of tracks, cached deer kills, scat and road kills. The recent occurrences of cougars in Louisiana may be young animals dispersing from existing populations in west Texas. An expanding population in west Texas can produce dispersing individual cougars that move into suitable habitat in Louisiana. Young males are known to disperse from their birthplace and travel hundreds of miles seeking their own territories.

Cougars that occur in Louisiana are protected under state and federal law. Penalties for taking a cougar in Louisiana may include up to one year in jail and/or a $100,000 fine. Anyone with any information regarding the taking of a cougar should call LA Operation Game Thief, inc. at 1-800-442-2511. Callers may remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward.

To report verifiable sightings of cougars containing physical evidence such as photos, tracks and/or scat please call Maria Davidson at 337-948-0255 or your nearest LDWF Region office at: Minden 318-371-3050 Monroe 318-343-4044 Pineville 318-487-5885 Ferriday 318-757-4571 Lake Charles 337-491-2575 Opelousas 337-948-0255 Baton Rouge 225-765-2360.

For more information, please contact Maria Davidson at 337-948-0255. 2008-291


NEWS RELEASES

News releases are posted every Tuesday by close of business. Actions taken at the monthly Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meeting are posted within 24 hours of the meeting. The Wildlife and Fisheries Commission meets on the first Thursday of each month. (Check our calendar for the next meeting). Other timely issues (i.e. season openings and closures) are posted as needed regardless of the regular schedule.

L.D.W.F. VERIFIES TWO COUGAR SIGHTINGS

Release Date: 10/10/2008




Photo taken on Sept. 4 in Natchitoches Parish.

Photo taken on Sept. 29 in Allen Parish.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has received photographic evidence of the second and third documented cougar occurrences in the state in recent history.

Private citizens sent trail camera pictures from two different sites to the department in September. LDWF Large Carnivore Program Manager Maria Davidson and LDWF Natural Heritage Zoologist Beau Gregory then conducted site investigations that confirmed the authenticity of the photographs.

"The department interviewed the photo providers and investigated the sites and photographs. After inspecting all of the evidence, we have concluded with the best of our abilities that the photos are in fact real and of a cougar," Davidson said.

The first photograph was taken in Natchitoches parish on Sept. 4, and the second was taken in Allen parish on Sept. 29. The sites are approximately 100 miles apart, leading to speculation that the same cougar could be in both photos.

"Given the time lapse between the two pictures it is certainly possible for a cougar to have traveled that distance," Davidson said. "Both animals have the same general appearance of a young cougar, but it is impossible to determine conclusively if the animals are one and the same. It is also impossible to determine if the animals in the photographs are wild free-ranging mountain lions, or escaped captives."

Although it is illegal to own a cougar in Louisiana, it is possible that there are some illegally held "pets" in the state. Anyone holding a captive cougar in Louisiana must have a permit issued by LDWF, as captive cougars may compromise public safety. LDWF may issue permits to existing owners in the state in order to reduce difficulties associated with determining the validity of reported cougar sightings.

The mountain lion, cougar, panther or puma are names that all refer to the same animal. Their color ranges from lighter tan to brownish grey.

The only species of big cats that occur as black are the jaguar and leopard. Jaguars are native to South America and leopards are native to Africa. Both species can occur as spotted or black, although in both cases the spotted variety is much more common. Although the department receives numerous calls about "black panthers", there has never been a documented case of a black cougar anywhere in North America.

The first recently documented cougar sighting was in 2002 by LDWF Program Manager Michael Carloss on Lake Fausse Point State Park. That sighting was later confirmed with DNA analysis from scat found at the site.

The department receives many calls reporting sightings of cougars throughout Louisiana. The vast majority of these reports cannot be verified due to the very nature of a sighting. These animals can move through an area and leave little or no evidence to be found. Many of the calls are found to be cases of mistaken identity. Dog tracks make up the majority of the evidence submitted by those reporting cougar sightings. Other animals commonly mistaken for cougars are bobcats and house cats, usually seen from a distance or in varying shades of light.

The significant lack of physical evidence leads the department to conclude that Louisiana does not have an established, breeding population of cougars. In states that have verified small populations of cougars, physical evidence can readily be found in the form of tracks, cached deer kills, scat and road kills. The recent occurrences of cougars in Louisiana may be young animals dispersing from existing populations in west Texas. An expanding population in west Texas can produce dispersing individual cougars that move into suitable habitat in Louisiana. Young males are known to disperse from their birthplace and travel hundreds of miles seeking their own territories.

Cougars that occur in Louisiana are protected under state and federal law. Penalties for taking a cougar in Louisiana may include up to one year in jail and/or a $100,000 fine. Anyone with any information regarding the taking of a cougar should call LA Operation Game Thief, inc. at 1-800-442-2511. Callers may remain anonymous and may receive a cash reward.

To report verifiable sightings of cougars containing physical evidence such as photos, tracks and/or scat please call Maria Davidson at 337-948-0255 or your nearest LDWF Region office at: Minden 318-371-3050 Monroe 318-343-4044 Pineville 318-487-5885 Ferriday 318-757-4571 Lake Charles 337-491-2575 Opelousas 337-948-0255 Baton Rouge 225-765-2360.

For more information, please contact Maria Davidson at 337-948-0255. 2008-291

I was showed the photo a month or so ago and told it was killed here in NW LA. I called BS then cause it would have been on the news. But there was one killed here in town last year. Was up a tree in a backyard in a subdivision along the Red River. Same place where bears have been removed from yards over the years. They must be traveling along the river till they hit the neighborhoods. Either way it proved once and for all that Cougars are here in LA with the cat killed last year.