Mystery Cats

WV “African Lion” Updates

The fossil replica of the giant skull of Panthera atrox, the recently extinct American lion, the massive lion of the Pleistocene. It was probably maned. From Rancho La Brea Tar Pits. Photo: Baystatereplicas.com. On Friday, October 26, 2007, and the day before, the West Virginia Metro News, a radio service out of Charleston, broadcast followups to the recent reports of a “full-grown, male African lion.” Here are their two news items: Trout, W. Va. – Jim Shortridge has been hunting his entire life and says he knows what he saw. “A lot of people doesn’t believe it, but it doesn’t [...]

Kentucky’s White Vampire

October 7 – An unknown animal is killing the dogs near Danville, Ky., by cutting a hole in the throat and sucking the blood out of the body. It is said to be an immense white animal, unlike anything ever before seen. It is of the greyhound pattern, but larger in every way, being about four feet high and six long.A Ferocious Beast, Waterloo [Iowa] Courier, October 7, 1891. Thanks for this historical item from Jerome Clark.

Maned Lion Prowls West Virginia

Reports of mystery cats appearing to be maned, looking like “African lions,” constitute an entire chapter in Mysterious America and much of my attention down through the years. The sightings are infrequent, but when they occcur they tend to be dramatic and clear. Historically, they go back further than the “circus train” wreck explanation is able to deal with them, and you will see today, continue to modern times. Big Roaring Creek, West Virginia – The king of the jungle just might be playing king of the mountain in a remote area of Greenbrier County. While bow hunting last Wednesday [...]

New “Lion” Sighting in Tennessee

Adult female lion at Big Cat Rescue in Florida. I have just been contacted by an eyewitness, DJCB, regarding a new mystery cat sighting. On Friday, October 19, 2007, the witness saw a “female lion” on the shoulder of the northbound side of I-65 approximately .5 miles north of exit 98 (10 miles north of Nashville, Tennessee). As DJCB drove south, the large cat stood watching cars zoom by on the highway. The eyewitness described what happened next: I debated on whether or not to call local authorities. Three hours later, I called the TN Wildlife office. As expected, the [...]

First in Decades: South China Tiger Sighting

I’ve been away for parts of three days. Time to play a little catch up. This following report is interesting as this felid subspecies (Panthera tigris amoyensis) may not be extinct. (File photo of the South China Tiger.) Beijung — A type of tiger thought to be extinct in the wild for more than two decades has been photographed in a mountainous area in northwest China, state media reported Saturday. The endangered subspecies known as the South China tiger was spotted by a farmer on Oct. 3, the China Daily said. Experts confirmed that it was a young wild South [...]

Mystery Animal Attacks Horse

Troopers in Fredonia [New York] are looking into a report that an unknown wild animal attacked an Arabian horse around 11 pm Thursday night [September 27, 2007]. Investigators say the horse suffered numerous bite and claw marks in the attack in a pasture on Harmon Hill Road in the town of Pomfret. The animal was treated by a local vet and is expected to be ok. Local residents are urged to call the state police at Fredonia with information about this or any future sightings or incidents with large non-domestic animals. by Greg Borowski, Producer, “State Police Investigating Attack On [...]