Mountain lion reportedly spotted in LaFayette

A mountain lion was reportedly seen here recently.
A mountain lion was reportedly seen here recently.
photo A mountain lion was reportedly seen here recently.
photo A mountain lion is photographed on a trail cam in Humphreys County, Tenn., about 200 miles northwest of Chattanooga. (Contributed photo: TWRA)

More Info

According to the GDNR WRD, most sightings of mountain lions are made from a distance, at night, or in an instance where the animal was only momentarily seen such as rapidly crossing the road. Occasionally, such sightings may include references to vocalizations.Mountain lions make little noises in the woods. When they do, they often sound like a person whistling or a bird chirping. Many people report hearing shrieks in the night and think those sounds are made by mountain lions, but almost always these “blood-curdling screams” are made by other animals.To provide some examples, here is a link to an audio file that compares various mountain lion sounds to those of several other animals commonly heard at night: http://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/report-wildlife-sightings/mountain-lion-reports/mountain-lion-signs.Despite this fact, the WRD takes such reports seriously and gives them careful consideration, including follow-up and investigation, where appropriate.If you believe you have seen a mountain lion:Contact the local Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division Game Management Section office at 706-295-6041.Source: GDNR website

Stay safe

Anytime an individual encounters any large wildlife, be vigilant and maintain a safe distance. Other personal safety precautions include:Make yourself appear as large as possible. Raise your arms and wave them slowly.Make noise. Make loud sounds that cannot be confused as the sound of prey.Act like a predator. Maintain eye contact. Never bend over or crouch down.Source: GDNR Wildlife Resources Division

A mountain lion was reportedly seen on Dogwood Circle in LaFayette earlier this month.

"It ran across the road in front of me," said Dogwood Circle resident Connie Forester. "Some of the neighbors heard it scream It sounds like a woman screaming. It's really loud."

She said it appeared as though the animal was chasing something, and kept on going, bounding across the road in front of her and into a wooded area.

"It was big," she said. "It was as large as a large dog. It was sort of a blond color, big and had a long tail.

"I've lived in Dogwood Circle 55 years. This was the first time I had ever seen a mountain lion in Dogwood Circle. I think the drought and the search for water has something to do with it."

That was July 7. Forester said as of July 22, no one had heard or seen any more of the suspected mountain lion.

"I hope it moved on somewhere else," she said. "Other people have heard it. Someone saw it in the Catlett community too."

LaFayette Police Chief Stacey Meeks could not be reached for comment.

Melissa Cummings, with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division Communications Office, said there have been no confirmed sightings in the area. However, she does not completely discredit the potential.

"Wildlife biologist Adam Hammond, of Northwest Georgia Game Management Office, visited with Capt. Stacey Meeks [the week of July 12]," she said. "We don't have photos or paw prints from that area.

"We don't want people to think we are dismissing it. But with so many reports but no confirmation it usually turns out to be something else."

Across the entire state, she said, there have only been three confirmed sightings of mountain lions in the last 25 years; none in Northwest Georgia. The most recent sighting was in 2008 and ended up being an endangered Florida panther, which is a subspecies of mountain lion.

"A puma, a cougar, a mountain lion and a panther are the same thing," Cummings explained. "We typically say mountain lion in Georgia.

"It's not unusual for our offices to get a call of someone reporting they think that's [a mountain lion] what they've seen," said Cummings.

According to a GDNR Wildlife Resources Division press release, the division receives calls each year in reference to large-cat sightings. Traditionally, there have been two recognized subspecies of cougar or mountain lion in the eastern United States. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has recently proposed that the eastern cougar be considered extinct in the wild.

To date, no credible physical evidence - carcasses, trail camera pictures, photographs, film footage, etc - has been found to substantiate the existence of a population of mountain lions in Georgia.

According to GDNR WRD, big-cat sightings usually turn out to be a mistaken identity: bobcats, house cats, dogs, coyotes, bears or river otters.

Still, Cummings does not believe residents should take the situation lightly.

"We don't want people approaching any sort of wildlife," she said. "Any animal, if it feels threatened or hungry, can be dangerous. Even a domestic animal."

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