People report large black cat sightings on peninsula

[Peter Emberley]

Port au choix - Marina Ploughman knows what she saw - people can say what they want.

"Well my dear, I definitely saw one," said the Port au Choix senior. "It was all black, jet, jet black. My first instinct was it's a domestic cat gone wild."

But it was too big - the animal she remembers seeing near Whaleback Pond on the road behind Hawkes Bay last July had a body (from neck to rear) 3.5 feet long with a 4.5 foot tail. She estimates it crossed 50 feet in front of her on the road she's been driving to her cabin for 30 years.

"It just strutted right across the road in front of me - its paws were just awesome to see spread out on the road. And its teeth, big fangs," she said.

Ploughman thinks she saw a black panther - the same animal Springdale area residents reported seeing last fall. Black panthers can be any one of a number of subspecies, but in North American it's mainly used in reference to cougars. While the species was never native to Newfoundland, genetic work has proven some may still survive in New Brunswick, Ontario and Quebec.

"The description you have is not bad," said Dr. Alistair Bath of Memorial University's geology department. "They're about waist height and the long tail is usually a giveaway.

However, due to there not having been a known introduction of cougars to Newfoundland or a native population, he finds their existence on the island "near impossible.

"It would have to be from Quebec where we're only saying there may be a couple," said Bath. "Whether anyone had pets that have been released would be the only possibility. Maybe the story here is to keep your eyes open and an open mind to looking for further evidence. As a scientist, I'm always interested in what is out there."

Some investigation, however, revealed Ploughman isn't the only person between Rocky Harbour and St. John Bay to believe they've spotted a black panther. Parsons Pond trapper Earl Keough can quickly list off three people who have told him they've spotted one. As well, he believes he's heard one.

"It sounded as though some woman was getting pulled by her hair," said Keough of the call he heard one evening as he was sat down with fellow hunters in the woods. "All the hair stood up on my head and the fellow that was with us said, 'I didn't know you have cats - that's a cougar'."

Bath confirmed that a cougar's call is most often compared to a woman screaming.

 

Courtsey of

Published on January 27, 2009

Aaron Beswick

The Western Star

[Chris]

Bath is from the geography department, not the geology department...

I'm in one of his courses this semester.

Large cats are also being spotted around corner brook. COUGH-LOGGING INDUSTRY-COUGH

[Chris]

I'd like to add that the behavior of this animal would make proving it's existence on the island difficult. Look at Lynx. I've spent roughly 15 years of my life in the woods and only seen one or two. These animals are masters of stealth. Tracking or trying to observe one in the wild would be difficult.

[mac]

There was sightings of a huge cat in the Central area too couple years ago seen by at least 3 different people at different times in the span of a month and was reported to wildlife.  One was seen while the calling coyote!

[Stephen Whelan]

I have heard stories about sightings near Springdale as well. A co-worker told me the story, it was some years ago. Like otehrs have said, these animals are stealth like and your very unlikly to see them! Take a read of this

 

http://www.gov.ns.ca/natr/wildlife/conserva/eastern-cougar.asp

 

[Stephen Whelan]

http://new-brunswick.net/Saint_John/stories/bigcats.html

[kenneth Griffiths]

When i done my trapping course Clarence told us that there was siting of a large black cat. They went to some areas to where the cat was sited to but could not get a hair sample. They spent a few days there but no luck.

[justin croft]

i know when i was comming home from school no evening back before xmas when i was dark at like 5 i saw what looked like a large cat near la maunch park. Two large sliver eyes and a dark shape like a large cat.When i looked again it was gone and this was on the side of the road.

[Michael Antle]

I was told by a friend of mine that he believes there are cougars in NL. He is an outdoorsmen, hunted all his life, and swears he saw a cougar cross the road in front of him driving home one night. He's lived and hunted in Alberta as well, knows what a cougar is. For some reason he thinks the government brought them in a few yrs ago, keeping it from the public.

[william taylor]

This is probaly true because 2 years ago when they said they were spotted here me and my pop saw one while out grouse hunting and that was even before it was brought to the public

[Stoweway]

On Feb 12th 2016 my 28 year old nephew, as avid outdoorsman, dropped by our cabin near Long Harbour around 6;30am in the morning to pick up some belongings he had left there previously. When he stepped onto the patio, he saw what he described as a very large black cat (about 3-4 ft high with a long tail) come out from under the patio and run across our property. He said it was sleek and lightning fast. It was in plain site for approx. 50ft before entering the tree line so I doubt his interpretation is inaccurate. It was much too large to be a fox or a coyote and a black bear would not have a tail. I travelled out there this past weekend but did not see any sign. With the snow completely gone there was no evidence of tracks to be found. I did a walk through the adjacent woods for over an hour in hopes of finding some trace, but with no luck. Sharing this story to get into the discussion, or to get others involved who may have seen some evidence of activity in the same area.

[Peter Emberley]

Seems like there is something around.

[Tina Brace]

On Feb 25/17 a large coal black cat came face to face with a few of my friends at Brigus Junction Heights. We had just came back from a walk and was sitting outside enjoying the fresh air when it appeared, it came up the driveway,  as my friend came around the side of the car it looked straight at her. She quickly ran to the cabin in fear and it circled around and left. It had a very long tail big ears. I didn't see it but was amazed at the size of its paw prints. This was not a lynx nor a coyote. After doing a search for large cats I was amazed to know that they are in our province. I would not want to come face to face with this animal alone. Its tracks are probably still visible in the snow behind the cabin.