I must say, we didn’t have to wait long for some interesting new Mystery Cat reports, did we?

On Thursday, April 27, 2006, FoxNews began reporting that two “wild cats” have been spotted at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland (home to Air Force One), according to media watchdog Bufo Calvin. One of the “wild cats” was later reported to be brown, and the other one, black, according to the media.

Calvin mentioned that this was “somewhat reminiscent of a search on a military base that happened in my area (the Mt. Diablo region of the San Francisco East Bay) that Loren Coleman” once discussed in his writings. Yes, and Mark A. Hall’s and my Panthera atrox thoughts go hand-in-paw with these multicolored cryptid felids, of course.

Cryptozoology author Matt Bille mentioned the news over at today’s earlier “Increase in Mystery Cat Encounters?” entry on this blog, and wrote this in his comment: “Loren’s timing in posting this is almost Fortean.”

Yes, sometimes it does happen.

News reports are being filed and filling in the picture of what’s happening.

One Maryland reporter, Guy Leonard, detailed the latest in his article, “Search still on for elusive ‘large cats’ near Camp Springs,” moments ago:

Air Force security personnel and Prince George’s animal control officers continued to search for two large cats, possibly mountain lions, near Andrews Air Force Base in Camp Springs Thursday evening.

Initial reports claimed that one or two mountain lions were on the loose in the area, causing three elementary schools to be locked down. But the Air Force would only say the animals had been identified as large cats and could provide no more detail.

The reports started at 10:30 a.m. when a large brown cat scaled the fence of the base and dropped onto Allentown Road. The second animal, reported as black, is believed to be still on the base.

Reports continued late into the day with confusion as to the number nature and size of the animals.

After the usual background info, other specific details emerged:

Princeton, Skyline and Francis T. Evans elementary schools went into lock down because of the reported sightings. Pupils were dismissed at the regular time if they had transportation. Those who would have left school on foot were held until their parents could pick them up.

Source: Business Gazette, Maryland, April 27, 2006.