One study found that grizzlies and American black bears visited 24% of cougar kills in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks, usurping 10% of carcasses. Several sports teams currently, or in the past, have used the cougar as the mascot or nickname for their team, although the name actually used has depended on the most popular regional name for the species. But something happened to us that night and I will never forget it. [20], A coprolite identified as from a cougar was excavated in Argentina's Catamarca Province and dated to 17,002–16,573 years old. Its wide distribution stems from its adaptability to virtually every habitat type; it lives in all forest types, in lowland and mountainous deserts, as well as in open areas with little vegetation. 'Indrid Cold' Contacts Witness of Recent Mothman E... British Columbia Cryptids & Unexplained Phenomena ... Did Sleep Paralysis Develop Into Higher Consciousn... Southern Appalachians High Strangeness Accounts. [35], In Patagonia's Monte León National Park, the local cougar population has specialized on hunting penguins. [101] Birds and small reptiles are sometimes preyed upon in the south, but this is rarely recorded in North America. I rushed in, went past the wood armchair, round the side of the bed. A few times the door moved ever so slightly but never opened. Small to mid-sized mammals are preferred, including large rodents such as the capybara. DNA tests were consistent with cougars from the Black Hills of South Dakota. North America was then repopulated by South American cougars. We needed fresh air. [107] Hunting or relocation of the cougar may increase aggressive encounters by disrupting territories and bringing young, transient animals into conflict with established individuals. Chronic stress can result in low reproductive rates in captivity as well as in the field. Coyotes also typically bite the throat, but the work of a cougar is generally clean, while bites inflicted by coyotes and dogs leave ragged edges. Whereas cougars tend to be larger as distance increases from the equator,[35] which crosses the northern portion of South America, jaguars are simply generally smaller north of the Amazon River in South America and larger south of it. Attacks on humans are very rare, as cougar prey recognition is a learned behavior and they do not generally recognize humans as prey. It takes about 30 or 40 minutes to drive from the main base up to North Fort Hood. It had gone. We were entirely alone if anything happened and of course we were not expecting anything to happen. At the far northern end of the base there is a small complex called "North Fort Hood." [32][31][33][34] Cougar size is smallest close to the equator and larger towards the poles. I drove down the road a ways and came to a stop at the main highway that we would take to get back down to Fort Hood. In this area the coatí is the puma's chief prey. This finding indicates that the cougar and the parasite existed in South America since at least the Late Pleistocene. We finally laid down about 10 PM and it was very quiet. I am certain my friend felt the same way. In March 2011, Steve Ward, a DCR forester in the state of Massachusetts, photographed tracks in the Quabbin Reservoir. I recently received a telephone call from an eyewitness named 'KS' in reference to a Bigfoot encounter. In fact, attacks on humans, although exceedingly rare, have occurred. Sitting in a fetal position was a small bipedal creature, like a small person with arms, legs, a skeletal rib cage and a stomach area that resembled ours when you suck your stomach up into your rib cage. Other species taken include bighorn and Dall's sheep, horses, fallow deer, caribou, mountain goats, coyotes, American badgers and pronghorns. That wilderness is training area for soldiers to go and train in and there is also a large impact area for the artillery units that have to train with their cannons. Those reported grew to only half the size of the parents. You are responsible for all Content that you post, email or otherwise make available via the Phantoms and Monsters Site. Because the shelter had no power running to it so there was no airflow going through it. [52] In 2009, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources confirmed a cougar sighting in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which may not be specifically authorized by the copyright owner. [84] Another study on winter kills (November–April) in Alberta showed that ungulates accounted for greater than 99% of the cougar diet. [131] Attacks on people, livestock, and pets may occur when a puma habituates to humans or is in a condition of severe starvation. Taxonomic research on felids remains partial, and much of what is known about their evolutionary history is based on mitochondrial DNA analysis. There have been unconfirmed sightings in Elliotsville Plantation, Maine (north of Monson) and as early as 1997 in New Hampshire. The Florida panther samples showed a low microsatellite variation, possibly due to inbreeding. [1] While specific state and provincial statistics are often available in North America, much less is known about the cat in its southern range. [23] For example, a study in British Columbia observed that the population of mule deer, a favored cougar prey, was declining while the population of the less frequently preyed-upon white-tailed deer was increasing. [48] DNA evidence has suggested its presence in eastern North America,[49] while a consolidated map of cougar sightings shows numerous reports from the mid-western Great Plains through to eastern Canada. This falls under the first general order and anyone who has ever been in the Army knows what I mean. [114] When males encounter each other, they hiss, spit, and may engage in violent conflict if neither backs down. [99], In the Central and South American cougar range, the ratio of deer in the diet declines. We made no effort to call out to whomever or whatever it was. The Moche people represented the cougar often in their ceramics. [110], Young adults leave their mother to attempt to establish their own territories at around 2 years of age and sometimes earlier; males tend to leave sooner. Game animals and shooting in North America. In the early 1990s there was not much in the way of buildings or infrastructure at North Fort Hood. Until 2011, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) recognized both an eastern cougar (claimed to be a subspecies by some, denied by others)[118][119] and the Florida panther, affording protection under the Endangered Species Act. [139], Pumas in the southern cone of America – often called Argentine cougars by North Americans – are reputed to be extremely reluctant to attack man; in legend, they defended people against jaguars. [153] A cougar's killing bite is applied to the back of the neck, head, or throat and the cat inflicts puncture marks with its claws usually seen on the sides and underside of the prey, sometimes also shredding the prey as it holds on. [129], Due to the expanding human population, cougar ranges increasingly overlap with areas inhabited by humans. The Riley Crabb Revelations - Final - Part VI. Feline immunodeficiency virus, an endemic HIV-like virus in cats, is well-adapted to the cougar. I volunteered to take a Thursday night as my turn at guard duty. The tracks are believed to have been made by the same mountain lion that was seen in Minnesota, Michigan, upstate New York, and Connecticut, before later being struck by an SUV and killed in Connecticut on a highway that same year. Lon, Subscribe now! [70], With the increase of human development and infrastructure growth in California, the cougar populations in the state are becoming more isolated from one another. [103] A human carcass was also scavenged in California. [156][157], Predation by cougars on dogs "is widespread, but occurs at low frequencies". The paw print of an adult is approximately 10 cm (3.9 in) long. When I explained, my mum looked freaked out and my father didn’t believe me. [151][152] In Nevada in 1992, cougars were confirmed to have killed nine calves, one horse, four foals, five goats, 318 sheep, and 400 lambs. propose the original North American cougar population was extirpated during the Pleistocene extinctions some 10,000 years ago, when other large mammals, such as Smilodon, also disappeared. [130][25], When cougars do attack, they usually employ their characteristic neck bite, attempting to position their teeth between the vertebrae and into the spinal cord. [17] The second half of the name, "concolor" is Latin for "of uniform color". 'Beyond Explanation' is a collection of first-person encounters, directly from the pages of Phantoms & Monsters.Please SUBSCRIBE and recommend to your friends and enthusiasts. Genetic analysis of cougar mitochondrial DNA indicate that many of these are too similar to be recognized as distinct at a molecular level, but that only six phylogeographic groups exist. [64], The cougar's total breeding population is estimated at less than 50,000 by the IUCN, with a declining trend. [33] Cougars may live as long as 20 years in captivity. This was primal fear. [35] Its most important prey species are various deer species, particularly in North America; mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, and even bull moose are taken. I had been playing cricket with my Grandfather in the garden two days prior to the event and I’d hit a long drive over the wicket, smashing through a glass panel in the bay window of my parents bedroom. [31] Males generally weigh 53 to 100 kg (117 to 220 lb), averaging 68 kg (150 lb). [137][138], Research on new wildlife collars may be able to reduce human-animal conflicts by predicting when and where predatory animals hunt. So we secured ourselves in the shelter while the storm passes and it was a typical Texas frog strangler to be sure. Oregon's first fatal cougar attack in the wild claims hiker near Mount Hood, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cougar&oldid=1017773638, Fauna of the California chaparral and woodlands, Extant Middle Pleistocene first appearances, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Wikipedia pending changes protected pages, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2017, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Cougar range (without recent confirmations across northern Canadian territories, eastern U.S. states, and Alaska), This page was last edited on 14 April 2021, at 14:51. Needless to say, neither of us had a cell phone. [71], Aside from humans, no species preys upon mature cougars in the wild, although conflicts with other predators or scavengers occur. [81] Wolves more broadly affect cougar population dynamics and distribution by dominating territory and prey opportunities, and disrupting the feline's behavior. [136] Exaggerating the threat to the animal through intense eye contact, loud shouting, and any other action to appear larger and more menacing, may make the animal retreat. [89] The jaguar tends to take the larger prey where ranges overlap, reducing both the cougar's potential size and the likelihood of direct competition between the two cats. [67] The Bay Area Puma Project aims to obtain information on cougar populations in the San Francisco Bay area and the animals' interactions with habitat, prey, humans, and residential communities. Of the large predators in Yellowstone National Park – the grizzly bear, the black bear, the gray wolf, and the cougar – the massive grizzly bear appears dominant, often (but not always) able to drive a gray wolf pack, an American black bear, and a cougar off their kills. I'm not going to get into the details about this equipment and it's not vital to the story anyway. The coat is typically tawny like that of the lion (the etymology for the common name "mountain lion"[33]), but it otherwise ranges from silvery-grey or reddish with lighter patches on the underbody, including the jaws, chin, and throat. Forensic analysis found specimens of the child's hair and clothing fibers in the animal's stomach. However, there are documented cases of adult American alligators preying on cougars in Florida. I leaned out the window and looked up and then I looked back at my friend who was in the back of the truck and he said something I'll never forget. The term puma is also used in the United States. It is on the south end of the overall land that comprises Fort Hood and just outside it's gates is the town of Killeen. Where a juvenile fails to leave his maternal range, for example, he may be killed by his father. Pale Crawler Humanoid Encountered in Suburban NYC. [122] In March 2011, the USFWS declared the eastern cougar extinct. [107] Copulation is brief but frequent. He laughingly remarked that we seemed really ready to go. As they grow, they begin to go out on forays with their mother, first visiting kill sites, and after six months beginning to hunt small prey on their own. [36] On average, adult male cougars in British Columbia weigh 56.7 kg (125 lb) and adult females 45.4 kg (100 lb), though several male cougars in British Columbia weighed between 86.4 and 95.5 kg (190 and 211 lb). "[125][126][127], Regulated cougar hunting is still common in the United States and Canada. There were scratching sounds on the shelter. The cougar (Puma concolor) is a large cat of the subfamily Felinae.Native to the Americas, its range spans from the Canadian Yukon to the southern Andes in South America and is the most widespread of any large wild terrestrial mammal in the Western Hemisphere.It is an adaptable, generalist species, occurring in most American habitat types. However, adult specimens of the reptiles are big enough to prey on cougars in return if they have the chance, which occurs only on rare occasions, as the cougars tend to avoid bodies of water where crocodilians are present. At any rate, we had left the door on the shelter just slightly open for two reasons. My first thought was that he had dozed off and had a nightmare. [93][94], In the southern part of South America, the cougar is a top-level predator that has controlled the population of guanacoes and other species since prehistoric times. It is reclusive and mostly avoids people. Detailed research into attacks prior to 1991 showed that 64% of all victims – and almost all fatalities – were children. For those that don't know a deuce and a half is a large 6 wheel drive truck and if you want to get an idea what they look like you can Google M35A2 truck. [29][30] Of this length, the tail typically accounts for 63 to 95 cm (25 to 37 in). Phantoms and Monsters Despite prohibitory signs, coatis are hand-fed by tourists in the park, causing unnatural approximation between cougars and humans. The animal is believed to have originated from the Black Hills of South Dakota. Culver et al. Ungulates accounted for only 35% of prey items in one survey, about half that of North America. Fish and Wildlife Service, Committee on Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, "Texas Mountain Lion Conservation Project", "Cougar Attacks on Humans: A Case Report", 10.1580/1080-6032(2003)14[169:CAOHAC]2.0.CO;2, 10.2193/0091-7648(2005)33[905:PRTCAB]2.0.CO;2, "Cougar attacks on humans in United States and Canada", "Confirmed mountain lion attacks in the United States and Canada 1890 – present", "Victim In Deadly Washington State Cougar Attack Had Boston Ties", Search continues for mountain lion that killed Pinos Altos man, Wounded mountain lion captured, killed near Pinos Altos, Second mountain lion captured near Pinos Altos, "Should You Run or Freeze When You See a Mountain Lion? [112], Like almost all cats, the cougar is a mostly solitary animal. It also hunts insects and rodents. [72] In Colorado and California, American black bears were found to visit 48% and 77% of kills, respectively. In general, cougars are subordinate to American black bears when it comes to kills and when bears are most active, the cats take prey more frequently and spend less time feeding on each kill. [159] The sky and thunder god of the Inca, Viracocha, has been associated with the animal. Nope, it’s still there. Was it a Wendigo ... Little Red Humanoid Under the Wooden Chair, Woman Says She Knows Where Last Body She Inhabited Is Buried, Scientists create human monkey embryo and now Planet of the Apes is haunting us all, 17-foot shark leaves Outer Banks, shows up 2,000 miles east on other side of Atlantic, Large, venomous snake emerges from sea in ‘surreal’ encounter, Russia Looking To Clone And Resurrect 3,000-Year-Old Ancient Siberian Warriors, Six Tales of the Fae - Terrifying and Uplifting Reports - First Person Encounters | BXP A166, David Eckhart Explains an Alien Entities Encounter in Frame by Frame Video | BXP, David Eckhart's Encounter Alien Portal Sound Recording; Alarming, strange and frightening! A high level of genetic similarity has been found among North American cougar populations, suggesting they are all fairly recent descendants of a small ancestral group. Not sure what these guys witnessed. Intensive hunting following European colonization of the Americas, as well as ongoing human development into cougar habitat, has caused the cougar populations to drop in most parts of its historical range. As I turned to go and retrieve it I had a look to see which cat it was under the chair. It didn’t answer. Secretive and largely solitary by nature, the cougar is properly considered both nocturnal and crepuscular, although daytime sightings do occur. We probably should have but I think we were afraid we would be laughed at. [45], The cougar has large paws and proportionally the largest hind legs in the Felidae,[33] allowing for its great leaping and short-sprint ability. I had considered capturing it and thought that might not be wise. [62], In Tennessee, no confirmed sightings had been made since the early 1900s. [115], Home range sizes and overall cougar abundance depend on terrain, vegetation, and prey abundance. [1] U.S. state-level statistics are often more optimistic, suggesting cougar populations have rebounded. In Oregon, a healthy population of 5,000 was reported in 2006, exceeding a target of 3,000. Its powerful forequarters, neck, and jaw serve to grasp and hold large prey. [65] California has actively sought to protect the cat and has an estimated population of 4,000 to 6,000. The first use of puma in English dates to 1777, introduced from Spanish, and prior from the Quechua language in the 16th century, where it means "powerful". This particular puma had been raised in captivity and released into the wild. B, NOTE: I don't know if this is relevant, but there have been several odd reports from Fort Hood in the past, including a upright canine encounter. I couldn’t see it, so went I back into my room next door and then back again to my parent's room. The period shrinks for females raising young, and may be as short as one kill every three days when cubs are nearly mature around 15 months. It was myself and another young soldier who was a friend of mine. 2021 Observations A trail camera captured a video of a cougar on February 1, 2021 west of Park Falls in Price County. Like other cats, it is an obligate carnivore, meaning it must feed on meat to survive. [26] Kills are generally estimated around one large ungulate every two weeks. [14][15] Early Spanish explorers of the Americas called it gato montés (meaning "cat of the mountain"), and león (meaning "lion"). A pumapard is a hybrid animal resulting from a union between a puma and a leopard. [1] In the Santa Ana Mountains, it prefers steep canyons, escarpments, rim rocks, and dense brush. [85], Although it is less specialized than other big cats in predation of crocodilians, a case in Florida was documented in 2008 where a cougar hunted a sub-adult specimen of an American alligator 2.69 meters long[86] (the largest registered crocodilian taken by a cougar), which suggests the ability of large cougars to prey on similar sized specimens of the remaining big crocodilian species with which they share habitat in different parts of the Americas (American crocodile, black caiman and Orinoco crocodile). It was still there. We were sitting in the tent when the first winds started to kick up and I noticed some storm clouds moving in from the west. [155] This effect is attributed to the removal of older cougars that have learned to avoid people and their replacement by younger males that react differently to humans. [105] One female adjacent to the San Andres Mountains was found with a large range of 215 km2 (83 sq mi), necessitated by poor prey abundance. In fact we never said anything to anyone in our unit about what happened. [39], The cougar is, on average, larger than all other extant felid species, aside from the lion, tiger, and jaguar. Phantoms and Monsters does not control, and is not responsible for Content made available through the Phantoms and Monsters Site. Whether born to a female puma mated to a male leopard or to a male puma mated to a female leopard, pumapards inherit a form of dwarfism. It just stared at me with those big black eyes. [53] Typically, extreme-range sightings of cougars involve young males, which can travel great distances to establish ranges away from established males. The cougar is capable of breaking the neck of some of its smaller prey with a strong bite and momentum bearing the animal to the ground. Due to its wide range, it has many names, including mountain lion, puma, catamount, panther and painter. [92] Nevertheless, there is a measurable effect on the quality of deer populations by cougar predation. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. The cougar is an ambush predator that pursues a wide variety of prey. Freaks Out... 'Men in Black' Visited Family After Reporting UFOs... Bigfoot Attacks Couple on South Williamsport, PA M... Photo: Bizarre Cryptid Killed in Cerro Azul, Panama, 'Little Yellow Humanoid' in Thai Rice Field. [19][20], Following Linnaeus' first scientific description of the cougar, 32 cougar zoological specimens were described and proposed as subspecies until the late 1980s. Thanks again for your loyalty and continued support. [98], In Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, scat samples showed raccoons to make up 28% of the cougar's diet, harbor seals and black-tailed deer 24% each, North American river otters 10%, California sea lion 7%, and American mink 4%; the remaining 3% were unidentified. [14], The cougar holds the Guinness record for the animal with the greatest number of names, with over 40 in English alone. Marcgrave's rendering was reproduced in 1648 by his associate Willem Piso. The scratching on the exterior of the shelter continued intermittently throughout the night. I did this a couple of times. The scat was tested positive as being from a mountain lion. [8][9][10][11] Soldiers who stayed the night to guard the equipment got the next day off. My friend was on the cot by the door of the shelter and I was on the floor at the other end. [3] In the 17th century, Georg Marcgrave named it cuguacu ara. He refused to stay by the door if it was going to be open even a little bit so I agreed to switch places with him. Eventually it began to get light outside and as the sky began to get light the scratching stopped. I moved to the other side of the chair, a little nearer the door. Once abundant over much of North America and Eurasia, the grey wolf inhabits a smaller portion of its former range because of widespread human encroachment and destruction of its habitat, and the resulting human-wolf encounters that sparked broad extirpation. Basically we would just sit in the tent, play cards or some other game and just keep an eye on things. [51] The only unequivocally known eastern population is the critically endangered Florida panther. One report describes a large pack of seven to 11 wolves killing a female cougar and her kittens,[75] while in nearby Sun Valley, Idaho, a 2-year-old male cougar was found dead, apparently killed by a wolf pack. Highways are a major barrier for dispersal of cougars. [37], Depending on the locality, cougars can be smaller or bigger than jaguars, but are less muscular and not as powerfully built, so their weight is, on average, less. [33] Females are in estrus for about 8 days of a 23-day cycle; the gestation period is approximately 91 days. Although cougars are protected from all hunting in the Yukon; hunting is permitted in every U.S. state except California from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. ", If you wish to comment on this Phantoms & Monsters post, please go to Phantoms & Monsters Post Comments, Please Consider a Donation to 'Phantoms & Monsters'. It was my friend and as I sat up he was pulling the door to the shelter closed and trying to put a lock on it by using the light from his wrist watch. I kept asking him what was wrong and he finally managed to tell me that something had grabbed him by the foot and tried to pull him from the shelter. Crater Lake, Oregon Bigfoot / Unexplained Activity... 1897 UFO Landing Incident Near Danville, Pennsylvania. The size of the tooth puncture marks also helps distinguish kills made by cougars from those made by smaller predators. [35] The largest recorded cougar, shot in 1901, weighed 105.2 kg (232 lb); claims of 125.2 kg (276 lb) and 118 kg (260 lb) have been reported, though they were most likely exaggerated. I think a lot of this paranormal stuff is just active imaginations or people making it up. Front paw print of a cougar. [149], Fatal attacks by other carnivores such as feral dogs can be misattributed to cougars without appropriate forensic knowledge. There are no jaguars in the area; other felids were too small to kill humans. Attacks are most frequent during late spring and summer, when juvenile cougars leave their mothers and search for new territory. The coat is variously described as sandy, tawny or greyish with brown, chestnut or "faded" rosettes. Watch the equipment, play some cards, eat some chow, no problem. An English child encounters a small red-colored humanoid in a fetal position under a wooden chair at home.