Donna Duke courtesy photographs.
Two Indiana residents got the “surprise of their lives” on June 19, 2013, when the “bobcat” they shot turned out to be what Indiana wildlife authorities have identified as a leopard.
On Friday morning [June 20, 2013], WDRB News was contacted by Donna Duke, a Kentuckiana resident who claimed to have photographs of a leopard that was shot at a home on State Road 3, just outside of Charlestown in Clark County, Ind.
Duke spoke with WDRB News by phone. She says her friend — who wishes to remain anonymous and did not want to speak with the media — lives in that area, which had seen a number of attacks against dogs and cats recently. Duke’s friend has a number of cats, and was worried about their safety.
“She’s got cats that are basically her family,” Duke said. Duke says her friend contacted a local wildlife official, who initially thought the attacks might have been committed by a bobcat. He told her to keep a sharp eye out for bobcats at night.Duke says her friend told her that she and her boyfriend took turns watching the area from the roof every night.“She was trying to protect her babies,” Duke said.Sometime late Thursday night or early Friday morning, Duke says her friend was outside near her pool, when she saw a dark shadow pacing back and forth nearby. That’s when, Duke says, her friend’s boyfriend grabbed a gun and shot it.Duke says her friend heard a “horrible squeal” and they ran to see what it was.“But it was not a bobcat,” Duke said.What they claim to have found was the feline shown in the above pictures. Duke says an Indiana Department of Natural Resources officer was contacted and immediately transported the body to Indianapolis for analysis.On Friday morning, WDRB News contacted Phil Bloom, director of communications for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.“The cat in these photographs has been identified tentatively as a leopard,” Bloom said. “Perhaps an immature cat about 9 months old. DNR is attempting to determine who it belonged to, or where it came from.”
The rest of article can be found here.
The reddish-orange county indicated is Clark County, where the felid was allegedly killed.
Indiana officials are mystified as to the source of the animal.
H/T to Brad LaGrange.
Isn’t it illegal to kill bobcats in Indiana???? Why is it that most people’s responses to mysterious animals are to shoot it. This seems to happen alot as indicated in Loren’s book Mysterious America everybody just shoots whether its mountain lions or some other unknown felid.
@ mrm:
While bobcats are a protected species in Indiana, it is permissible to kill them – or any animal for that matter – if the shooter feels that his or her personal safety is in jeopardy. It is also generally permissible to kill a predator that is attacking pets or livestock, which are considered private property under the law.
As to “why” people feel compelled to shoot unknown or out-of-place felids (as was the case here) is another question. Personal safety/defense of property, as stated above, are certainly valid reasons.
The involvement of law enforcement officers is another reason. They cannot let a potentially dangerous animal roam, at will, through populated areas and the matter often comes to a head when officers “tree” or otherwise corner the now-frightened/agitated/aggressive animal before animal control or local zoo officials can arrive to effect a non-lethal capture.
Others may feel no one will believe their extraordinary story without a “body on a slab” to back it up. They may also perceive it as a chance to “bag” an exotic or unknown animal; thereby assuring their 10 minutes of fame or, perhaps, with the thought that they make some money off of the deed.
There is also the fact that a clearly OOP animal – say a tiger in a Chicago forest preserve, or African Lion in a Midwest farmer’s back-40, clearly have no business being there and never will. They are NOT native species and cannot be left to their own devices. When faced with such a creature, the choice to shoot first and ask questions later may be warranted.
With that said, there have been recent mountain lion sightings in the forest preserve just up the street from my home (suburban Cook County,IL). We’ve had coyotes & foxes for years – but a cougar? It certainly gives me pause… Do I want it shot on sight? No. Would I shoot if it presented a danger to myself, a child or a family pet? No doubt about it!