Kentucky is known for its Wildcats, but predominately those on the basketball court. Some think a new form of cat is moving into the area and the hysteria surrounding sightings of mountain lions has intensified in western Kentucky.The recent photographs circulated around via email among many local residents were not taken in Crittenden County, according to a person as close to the original source as I can get. The photos were of a mountain lion in another state. Fish and wildlife folks have looked at the photos, too. They say it's a cub and therefore the photos had to have been taken in the fall, in a place were early snowfall is common. Cougars have their young in the spring and the one in the photo appears to be about 5-6 months old.
With that hoax cleared up, here's some cat food for thought. Cougars are indeed leaving their normal ranges out West and moving in this direction. The migration is well documented. USA Today recently published an article regarding mountain lions moving into the Midwest and South.
The real test locally will be when someone brings in a carcass in the bed of a pickup truck. Up to now, we don't have that. One Crittenden County resident has been proven to have a cougar hide which he says came from a cat harvested near Dycusburg several years ago. My attempts to interview the man in regard to the matter have been unsuccessful. Authorities say the cougar hide is authentic, but they are not sure of where it was killed, or purchased.
For now, Kentuckians are going to have to stick with Billy Clyde's 'Cats.
The inset photo is one of the pictures circulating across the Internet. I cannot tell you its origin, but I can, with a great deal of certainty, tell you that this cat was not in the commonwealth when it smiled for the camera. My apologies to the originator of this photo for not providing correct attribution. When I know who took it, I will share that with our readers.
