Reader Linda Kornguth was hiking the Lafayette Reservoir recently when she came across this critter, capturing a few short frames before it loped off into the underbrush.
As amateur critter-watchers and this being Friday the 13th and all, we’re going with a cat of some type – but possibly a big cat. Distance and sunlight make him look black, which is in keeping with the day, but confusing as it doesn’t register with us as “mountain lion.”
Any informed input appreciated.
Mountain lion….sixty percent.
Cat of some kind.
Mountain lion. Pretty sure.
Russian sable…just here for the inauguration. Make nice hats if you can catch them but they are inwisible at night.
Okay, putting that one down for comment of the week status…
Big Foot!
Naw, he hangs out at Chows!
I have seen Bob Cats at the Reservoir (Rim Trail). Very stocky, kind of low to the ground, and huge paws.
Right, Pat, and very cool to have seen them, too. What do you think of the tail profiles between the bobtails and this critter – which we took to be longish and slung low.
The tail is too long to be a bob cat. It doesn’t look like a mountain lion either. When I enlarged the picture and watched the kitty run a few times, it runs like a domestic cat. I think it’s a large domestic cat – maybe a Maine Coon.
Several people opting for the Maine Coon! No definitive answer on this one, unfortunately…
I predict there will be a lot more odd sightings now that Ringling Bros. has closed. You don’t really think they have a retirement home for all of those elephants, do you…
I seen this thing yesterday at the resevoir. I caught it on video. I wasn’t sure what it was but I was scared. It did seem like a young cat. But it definitely didn’t look like a house cat. It did appear to have a stub tail from what I can see. How do I submit my video??
Morning, Mariko… you can send your clip to us in an attachment via our TIP LINE… or directly, to jd@news24-680.com
The cat in this video (from Linda) doesn’t have a stub tail. There can be more than one cat at the Lafayette Reservoir. I hike there myself, and have seen a cat or two.
Looks like a dog to me. Big cats, or any cat for that matter, have a ckean profile which is very distinctive. This aninal isnt even close to resembling. y’all need to get ur eyes checked