Have You Seen Wisconsin's Ghost Cat?

[CarolsCritterCare]

Originally Posted by dash

.....dash

HI DASH!! Nice to see you here......I belong to your yahoo groups cougars_mtlions

Carol

[AJE]

Originally Posted by AJE

A family who lives just east of St. Nazianz on Hwy C within Manitowoc County has now seen the cougar. The family watched the huge feline right from their own porch. Actually, mistaken it for a large brown rock until it moved. A binocular confirmed the cat, features distinct to that of a cougar.

More Information will come soon...

FYI:
DNR-wants to be notified immediately when a sighting occurs.

SORRY BUT THIS ARTICLE CAN'T BE FOUND ONLINE, ITS JUST A SMALL COMMUNITY WHICH SENDS OUT A JOURNAL ONCE BI-WEEKLY.

LARGE CAT SIGTING HAS PEOPLE THINKING COUGAR LIVES IN AREA
The Valders Journal
Thursday, April 19, 2007


By Jake Phillips
Reports of a cougar or mountain lion in the area are popping up again, as some area residents said they got a look at such an animal last week along County Highway C east of S. Nazianz.

The state Department of Natural Resources has received reports within the last year of a cougar being in the country, but hasn't found any evidence to confirm such an animal is present.

Kyle Christianson, wildlife technician for the county, said he last received a call reporting a cougar between six and eight months ago and encourages people to let the DNR know if they see something out of the ordinary. In these cases, Chrtianson said it has mainly been common house cats that were mistaken for larger animals.

While it isn't impossible, Christianson said the DNR has no reason to believe there is a cougar or a mountain lion in Manitowoc County.

"If somebody calls, I'll run out there to take a look around," he said.

But Margit Sandor said she saw the animal just before 8AM on Friday, as she was enjoying the peace and quiet outside her home along Highway C. She said she noticed what she thought was a large rock on a ridge across from her house, but knew that there had never been a rock there before.

Sandor said she decided to keep an eye on it and her husband, Al Zahn, went into the house to grab a pair of binoculars so they could have a better view of the ridge. Another person at the residence also saw the animal.

"We saw that this wasn't a rock, it was a very, very large cat," Sandor said.

The animal had stripes across its face and a darkened tip to the end of its long tail, she said.

She said the cat then began to move around a bit, turning its head and taking in the morning's sunshine. Sandor said it then walked around across the ridge and stretched out, showing how large it was.

"You could definitely tell that it was a cougar or a mountain lion," Sandor said, "It was real interesting to watch."

She said there was a tree near the cougar that was about 15inches in diameter and the cougar was at least as wide as that.

Sandor said the animal lumbered off after they had been watching for about a half an hour, but this isn't the first time she's seen one. She said a similar animal had run down the hill near her home and across County Highway C.

Sandor and her husband won't be caught off guard in case the animal shows up again, she said. This time, they have a camera set up to snap some pictures.

She said that while common cats may have been mistaken for larger cats in other instances, this animal was large enough that the two couldn't be confused.

"We have a yellow tomcat and after seeing this, there's no comparison," Sandor said.

[CarolsCritterCare]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing this.

Carol

[AJE]

Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter,
December 27, 2007

Escaped cougars caputured


MANITOWOC — Two cougars that escaped from their habitat at Manitowoc’s Lincoln Park Zoo and later captured Thursday were deliberately released, according to authorities.

The chain-linked fence keeping the cougars secure was cut, opening the pen, according to Mayor Kevin Crawford. Acting Police Chief Tony Dick said at least two vandals are being sought in connection with the incident.


Anyone with information about the crime, is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (920) 683-4466. Callers can remain anonymous and could be eligible for the $350 reward.

For the complete article please go...



Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter - Escaped cougars caputured

[CarolsCritterCare]

What is wrong here.....why would someone deliberatly cut into the fence and release these cats?

I hope they catch who ever did this

[AJE]

Originally Posted by AJE

Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter,
December 27, 2007

Escaped cougars caputured


MANITOWOC — Two cougars that escaped from their habitat at Manitowoc’s Lincoln Park Zoo and later captured Thursday were deliberately released, according to authorities.

The chain-linked fence keeping the cougars secure was cut, opening the pen, according to Mayor Kevin Crawford. Acting Police Chief Tony Dick said at least two vandals are being sought in connection with the incident.


Anyone with information about the crime, is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (920) 683-4466. Callers can remain anonymous and could be eligible for the $350 reward.

For the complete article please go...



Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter - Escaped cougars caputured

Updated: Manitowoc Police Alert Others After Zoo Vandalism
Fox 11 News
Dec 29th

He said the officers also checked a second scene outside the Lincoln Park Zoo where someone wrote in the snow, with a message along the lines of "free the animals."

Evidence gathered by investigators could be sent to state crime labs to locate DNA or fingerprints, he said.

MyFox N.E. Wisconsin | Manitowoc Police Alert Others After Zoo Vandalism

Originally Posted by CarolsCritterCare

What is wrong here.....why would someone deliberatly cut into the fence and release these cats?

I hope they catch who ever did this

I hope the individual is caught! The cats escape could have been serious maybe even fatal, especially since their used to human contact.

[AJE]

Cougar Presence has DNR Fighting Cougar Hoaxes
March 20, 2008


For the first time in roughly 100 years, the DNR says it has proof there is a cougar in the state -- maybe more than one.

In January, DNA testing confirmed a cougar in Rock County. Just last week, the Department of Natural Resources confirmed cougar tracks in neighboring Walworth County.

But the cougar presence here is sparking a flurry of Internet hoaxes which the DNR is trying to put to rest.

The pictures in an email of a cougar looking through a window are chilling, and so is the story behind them. According to the email circulating, a man in Spooner, in western Wisconsin, took the pictures of a mountain lion watching his children playing in the house.

But according to DNR wildlife biologist Jeff Pritzl, the story isn't true. "This one made a lot of mileage," he said.

The pictures were taken by a dentist... in Wyoming.

"The reality is, some people have fun with putting something together and see if people will bite on it, and then everybody gets it, and all of a sudden it becomes, 'Well, it must be true,'" Pritzl said.

He said for some, these urban legends are hard to deal with, especially since a cougar presence is now confirmed in Wisconsin.

"That is one unfortunate side effect is that people get an unnecessary fear of being able to go outside, have their kids outside."

To combat those fears, the DNR has added a cougar section to its Web site Cougars in Wisconsin - WDNR
"Within our cougar pages there's examples of the four most common hoax stories," Pritzl said.

That includes a picture of a cougar being hit be a car near Eagle River (it was actually hit by a car in Arizona).

"It just helps keep it in a healthy perspective. The reality of someone coming across a mountain lion in Wisconsin is incredibly small right now," Pritzl said.

The DNR says the closest-known breeding population of mountain lions is in the Black Hills of South Dakota, but individual animals will travel more than 600 miles, which is why Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and now Wisconsin all have confirmed sightings.



WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News: Cougar Presence has DNR Fighting Cougar Hoaxes

[catwhisperer3000]

Hello,
I am from Rusk county Area Near the Blue Hills Lots of Deep Woods Great for Cougar Homes . Yes I grew up knowing they were always around. I never Seen one But I know there out there somewhere they dont like people same as Wolves, links and bob cats they would rather be in the deep woods where no man hardly go. But now a days people Go everywhere. And Fewer places for them to hide to, thanks to Clear Cuting and New big houses being built for new people moving in to Wisconsin. we as people need to find A safe But yet No kill happy way of dealing with these new Big wonderful Cats Cougars,mountain Lions,Pumas what ever you want to call them, ya they eat a cow or a sheep But They where Put here first before we were here to keep the Deer, rabbit, bobcats,wolves,coyotes and bear down too. They hunt for the weak.Yes people should always be on gaurd when walking in the woods be armed with at least a walking stick or something and keep a ear and eye open at all times(check behind you too now and then).Yes, dogs do help tell you theres something there too. good Alarms they are ! people are affraid and when people are affraid they want to kill it , get rid of it so we dont have to worry about it any longer. I dont mean to sound like we should Invite them in for a cup of Tea and a Plate of T-Bones to share for a family dinner but I Think people shouldnt Jump to all Bad ideas with out thinking of the good that they provide too. We all should beable to share this Huge Planet I would think !

[agin]

[i]Oh Thank the Lord for you Cat Whisperer. I have watched this thread and was waiting for someone to say what you said. Do you feel the way I do? I"m practically on the "I give up" sidewalk....Seems like natural beauty and the respect for it, is a thing of the past...........As a matter of fact I had a friend SEVERAL years ago that shared with me his family SECRET. A pair of cougars that had resided and raised families on their land. My friend and his family had lived on this property for decades and their greatest fear was...what would happen if the cats were found out. Well..shorter story...my friend died and his wife was selling the land the last I heard and I suspect this is why the big cats are on the outer edges...now seeking a new center. It breaks my heart. They are spirits that just want to be LEFT ALONE to survive but unfortunately Wisconsins face is changing..we are no longer a people that strives to preserve...we are a people that strive to serve out-of-staters that come in and want a piece of the natural beauty. Developers fail to realize...pretty soon the natural beauty will be gone............Am I wrong??? We're no longer considered the dairy state...We were a state of small communities and left the larger towns to develope as they saw fit. Now EVERYBODY wants a share of the pot...which is just human nature...but at what cost???? The cats don't want to be around people..they don't want to see people..they don't like people even....but as they say unfortunately..."Curiosity kills the Cat." and I do suspect that what it is, are the young looking for their own domain and mates. God love them and help and protect them.

[fifthmoon]

We live near Eagle River. Last year we saw a cougar in our meadow chasing a deer.
We use to live on Fifth Lake there was a cougar there that we had seen many times. Last year my sister-in-law and brother saw it right on N. Pelican Lake Rd.
The DNR will never believe there are cougars or admit to any being around. We never told them about the cougar because we knew it would do no good.
They use to say there were no wolfs around here when people would say they had spotted one. Why bother with telling them.

[agin]

I understand that Fifthmoon. Are you upset the cats are around or does the fact frighten you? It would be interesting to see how people feel and try to sidetrack misconceptions that many may have of the cats nature.

[fifthmoon]

We want the cats to be safe and not to be shot. But when I walk down in our meadow I always think about them. I believe someday one may hurt someone out taking a walk.
My husband had one track him early in the morning when he was out snowblowing on a long road at our house. It was dark but when he turned and came back up the road he saw the cat tracks from the light of the snowblower. As soon as the morning came and we could get a good look at the tracks we checked them out. That's what they were they were big and to big for bobcat. That cat had a habit of hanging around on this road. We had seen him there before.
We have bears and wolfs too and I'm also worry about them.