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I attached a picture from a deer camera in Bullock Co. Alabama. This is my Wifes cousin's camera and the picture before showed nothing then this attached photo. My understanding is this is home made feed trough has 2X10 sides to give you a size reference. Can any one tell me what it is?


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I'm no expert but that looks like a black panther to me. Or, a very large black cat crossing your path.


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Not sure without seeing the head but I wouldnt want to run into it on a dark night...

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Domestic cat.


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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Dj with a private zoo being less than 10 miles from this Photo anything is possible.

NC I wish I could see the head also.

Sprkplug I was just told Frank Allen (biologist for Martin-Skyline WMA in northeast Alabama) says it is most likely to be an escaped domestic puma.

Thanks to all
What bothers me the most is this photo was within a mile where my toddler plays in her grandmothers yard when we visit.

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Either a very rare black puma, or a black panther...

I am usually wrong about stuff like this, but I would have a hard time believing that is a housecat.

Last edited by Gflo; 11/21/12 10:31 AM.

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From what I understand, black panthers in the south have been rumored to exist for some time. I don't know if there's any solid proof of this, not like resounding evidence of bigfoot's existence anyway, but I believe it's been a common belief for some time.

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Well, a 2x10 is 9.5" tall. And in the photo it appears the trough is approx 2.5" off the ground. So, that would make the height to the top of the trough at about 12" The animal is above the top another 4-5". so that comes to 16-17" to it's back. My housecat is almost 16".

And....if it were a non-domestic cat, it would probably need to be a jaguar, not a puma or cougar....wrong color.


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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They make black pumas now?

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There are only two species of large cats that can be black...Jaguars, and Leopards. Contrary to popular folk tales, there has never been a documented case of a "Panther" (mountain lion) that was black. And yes, I have heard all the stories, including those right here in Indiana. But, if it's black, it's a leopard, or a Jaguar.

Here's what Alabama has to say about it:
http://outdooralabama.com/hunting/hunterresources/articles/truth.cfm


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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Looks like a kitty to me...


Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau

[Linked Image from i1261.photobucket.com]


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I think it's an escapee from the zoo. If the sides are 2x10, then it's safe to assume that the bottom is also made from 2x something. Blowing up the picture, and taking a tape measure to the monitor gives me a measurement of almost 55" from tip of tail to where the nose would be if it was fully broadside. Going by the height of the side of the trough, and measuring the tail, the tail alone would be about 23" long. Because of depth perception fooling the eye with a camera (look at the how Bruce holds fish - not picking on Bruce) it's hard to measure the length of the whole cat because it's not in the same plane as the trough (parallel to the trough). Is the trough setting on bricks laying sideways?

I'm not 100% sure that it's a fully mature melanistic "puma", but I am pretty sure that it's bigger than any house cat that I've seen.

I believe that it's bigger than the cat that Todd saw.


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Doggone it Scott you're right about the bottom! I didn't allow for it, OR the fact that rough sawn lumber is full dimensional in many instances, in my calculations. Good call!

Someone needs to measure the height of the trough sides, just to the right of that brick, or board that it's setting on.... then we'll have a pretty good idea just how big the critter is.

I'm not sure how forthcoming the local "zoo" would be about admitting an escape, but I think I would run the photo by them. My local big cat sanctuary lost one a couple years ago....they don't like talking about it either... less than 25 miles from me.

http://www.exoticfelinerescuecenter.org/home.html


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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I was figuring on just the side, minus the bottom and using regular dimensional lumber measurements (2x10 = 9.5" tall).

Home made trough might not mean rough sawn, just built the trough at home using dimensional lumber.

I agree 100% about getting a good measurement on the trough height, even height from top of trough to the ground where the cat was standing.

BTW Sprkplug, I received a box today - didn't open it yet tho....


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The lumber on the trough looks rough sawn...at least the grain shows up real plain.

You better open it soon....I stuffed all the muskrats I've been trapping in there also........


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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The side of the trough at that exact spot the rear legs are located in the photo dips down and was measured at 13.5" to the top side of the trough at that point. The animal height was estimated to be between 22" to 23" tall. My judging by the photo makes the animal between 4' to 5' long and bigger than any house cat that I know of.

Hey all I am as big a skeptic as anybody and that is why I brought it here (knowing we all generally have alot to do with wild life). This is what I was told that the tracks where still there,but had been rained on. With a private zoo that houses alot of big exotic cats nearby I have to wonder if something got out and was not reported.. I thought the same thing as some of you do about it being Pumas and said no way. Then I was told Puma Concolor has nearly 40 subspecies and some are known to come in blackish. (BTw I still do not think it is a Puma either.)

Really I just want to settle my mind on what it is being a skeptic myself.
I cant help but think of safety for my 19 month child that plays less than a 1000 yds from where this photo was taken from time to time.

BTW the State of Alabama says the Florida Panther does not exist here even though one was killed in 2008 about 50 miles northeast of where this photo was taken. It was a rouge same as the black bear that was run over in May by a coworkers family memeber. The state could not deny the police photo of the bear or the prosecution of the hunter just across the GA state line in Troop County that shot the Panther. LOL




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The term panther is just applied to big cats that are black or melanistic. Those are typically jaguars or leopards that are "panthers".

A black puma would be rare, because although genetically it is possible, it has never been observed (offically documented) and probably never will be. Sorry if I created some confusion.

Last edited by Gflo; 11/21/12 01:18 PM.

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When it comes to big cats and the DNR, I've noticed that a lot of states can split hairs readily....as in saying that there is no native population, BUT, whenever a photo appears they then claim that the animal had wandered in from another state, and was not part of a resident, breeding population...... And I suppose they're right, although the origin of the animal might be of secondary concern to someone impacted directly, possibly unfortunately, by the cat itself.

There were a few sightings of that escaped mountain lion in my neck of the woods, but it was never recaptured. Who knows where it went, or where it's at right now? Causing unconfirmed sightings in another state? Quite possibly.


"Forget pounds and ounces, I'm figuring displacement!"

If we accept that: MBG(+)FGSF(=)HBG(F1)
And we surmise that: BG(>)HBG(F1) while GSF(<)HBG(F1)
Would it hold true that: HBG(F1)(+)AM500(x)q.d.(=)1.5lbGRWT?
PB answer: It depends.
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Not sure the cat is black. Blown-up pic shows some light fur/hair. Plus the cat is in its own shadows so color is hard to determine.

Not sure what it is but it is not IMO an adult mt lion/big cat. Go look for tracks and measure them + pic. I estimate the cat to be 20 in tall and 32 in long which is very big for a domestic cat but not near the 25-30 inch height and 7 ft length of a big cat.

This will help with id and location

http://cougarnet.org/bigpicture.html


Last edited by ewest; 11/21/12 01:51 PM.















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Originally Posted By: ewest
Go look for tracks and measure them + pic.

Not sure how good condition the tracks they are now. This Photo was recovered Sunday and the tracks had already been rained on then. It rained again yesterday and not to mention there are plenty of traffic in the area. IE people coming to look for themselves and other animals. I will see if I can find if anybody has any of that info when I see alot of them tommorrow evening. I wish I would have thought of that yesterday when I was over there. Well Atleast I did think enough to ask them to measure the trough height when I first seen the photo.

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Originally Posted By: sprkplug

You better open it soon....I stuffed all the muskrats I've been trapping in there also........



Just in time for Thanksgiving Day dinner??? shocked

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Originally Posted By: sprkplug

There were a few sightings of that escaped mountain lion in my neck of the woods, but it was never recaptured. Who knows where it went, or where it's at right now? Causing unconfirmed sightings in another state? Quite possibly.


The neigbor got a picture of a mountain lion (aka cougar) on his game camera back in July. We are in NE Ohio.

Also, in the spring of this year we had a black panther stalking farm animals. Everyone said the farmer was spreading rumors. The DNR came in and confirmed it. Tried to catch it, but after a few months it dissappeared with sightings of it going back south.

This link confirms what I have learned over the years as an artist. Cougars, mountain lions, panthers, pumas are really all the same. With the size of the trough versus the cat, at most it would be a half grown "Big Cat". Possibly moving thru the area looking for a new home, kicked out by the parents?

Last edited by fish n chips; 11/21/12 05:42 PM.
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Originally Posted By: esshup
I Is the trough setting on bricks laying sideways?

No that is ruff cut lumber from a sawmill.

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We're thinking alike in the length, I thought about 55".


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