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 An animal identification specialist believes this photo, taken by a Dyer County resident, is of a canine track rather than a cougar. [Click to enlarge] |
A photo of the track was sent to a professional animal identification specialist with the Eastern Puma Wildlife Research Network headquartered in Grant County, West Virginia.
The EPWRN has gathered over 12,000 sightings from the general public and trained observers with wildlife and forestry management backgrounds since 1965.
Over the years, the organization has positively identified wild native cougars, by tracks and video footage, in 17 Eastern and Midwestern states.
They have been featured on the History Channel's "Monster Quest" series, Animal Planet, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox TV networks.
The final verdict on the track is that it is not a cougar track. It is actually that of a canine or a dog track.
"A cougar's track is oval in shape and gets larger in size from left to right," said Eastern Puma Research Network Director and Founder John A. Lutz. "Whereas, dog and coyote tracks are elongated, larger from top to bottom and narrow from left to right."
However, the disproval of the track does not disprove the existence of cougars in Tennessee.
As state wildlife officials discount rumors of the cougar's existence in Tennessee, the Eastern Puma Research Network has confirmed the existence of cougars in the state.
"There is a population of wild cougars in the Smokey Mountain National Park," said Lutz. "It was confirmed in 1976 that there were between 50 and 70 in East Tennessee and western North Carolina."
But, a closer locale to Dyer County, where a positive identification has been made is at Land Between the Lakes.
The positive identification was made through video and tracks of the animal.
The same man who studied the track from the Cloverdale area made the confirmation.
He is biologist John Vinroot, a graduate of Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracking, Nature and Wilderness Survival School in New Jersey.
Vinroot is a professional and certified tracker as well as an animal identification specialist.
Along with Vinroot, Lutz has two other professionals working Tennessee sightings.
"Seventy percent of sightings turn out to be cats, wolves or coyotes," said Lutz. "However, 30 percent are positive IDs of pumas."
The Eastern Puma Research Network is asking that anyone with a recent or past sighting, as far back as the 1950s, to contact them at 304-749-7778 or by e-mail at epuma@hardynet.com or visit their Web site at www.easternpumaresearch. com
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I believe that it is a cougar or panther or it is the same size and appearance - or at least I've seen one on several occasions - twice around the Lenox Hills, and once in between Jenkinsville and Lakewood.
And in reference to the jonboon comment: if the cats claws are long enough they will be sticking out anyway - my cats' do!
I would believe Dyerfeet before a bear. I mean really...look up bear tracks it looks nothing like it..lol
NO NO NO!!!! It's ManBearPig! Jeez, people.
You are so, so wrong!
Anyone can tell this is the track of Dyerfeet, who is related to Bigfoot, only smaller. Also, the reason there is only one track is indication of a special trait of the Dyerfeet, he is known to hop on ony one foot at a time. Sort of like skipping.
He came by this habit when listening to his iPod he found in the woods many years ago and the only song available was Skip to My Lou.
So, there you have the complete truth. . . as I know it!
learn something all the time
It's a bear track, good grief. The crescent shape of the claw print should tell anyone that. Cats claws are retracted when walking. They extend them when hunting or protecting themselves. Canines leave very small toenail marks, regardless of size. Had a hybrid wolf that weighed 163 pounds, and he left no tracks like that. Bear! It is so obvious. Bears are sighted all over southeastern Missouri, and have been sighted here. It's a bear track.
of course it isnt a cat track, CATS DO NOT WALK OR RUN WITH THEIR CLAWS OUT.