Cougars, Wolves, Bears, Bobcats in Indiana (South Bend, Bloomington: neighborhood, live, horse)

[shortyshappy]

During the past 30 days (July) there have been sightings of cougars (mountain lions). A picture was taken on the second sighting....the big cat was walking down the road at three in the afternoon in front of a house. DNR confirmed it was a mountain lion. The land owner has small children and DNR warned that the big cats would attack children playing in the yard. I have talked with local farmers asking whether the big cats are coming out of the forest (southern Indiana) because of the drought and lack of food. This farmer said no, that there is sufficient natural springs that run year round in the forests and plenty of food. So why are we having numerous cat sightings? Also another neighbor sighted a panther that ran across the road in front of her car. She was unable to get a picture as it disappeared quickly.

Also, a farmer who has cattle near the mountain lion sighting has had 4 calves killed. He attributed it to coyotes, but now that the big cats have been sighted.....????

I just read the link to DNR regarding whether they are releasing animals. Their sight says NO. They do not release big cats. Then, from what I read above in other postings, why would some of these cats have tracking systems on them for the fed to be able to find the cat? Inquiring minds want to know.

[indy_317]

One cougar escaped from a big cat zoo between Terre Haute and Indy. After that, sightings of a big cat were seen to the south of this area. Some have claimed it is the same cat, why, I'm not sure. Back when the wolf was found shot in the field in SE Indiana around ten years ago, the rumor on another forum was that DNR had two wolves brought in to see what would happen. Of course the official word is that IN DNR doesn't do this. The feds....I dunno. There are said to be bears as close as KY, so I can't see why none haven't made it to the Hoosier Nat'l. Forest or surrounding areas. The only way to get proof would be trail cams, and as those become cheaper, we might actually start getting more photos as some people would be more willing to place one in some rural area and leave it sit for months. I think it would be cool to have big cats, wolves, and bears but I understand it would be a problem in Indiana for livestock farmers though.

[Carl Donley]

Originally Posted by ViaSwiss

Obviously just over 100 years ago there were plenty of each in Indiana. However, "supposedly" no longer.

But I have heard of a cougar sighting around Hoagland and a little further south in Monroe (both near Ft Wayne). One is my friends dad who said he did not see it, but it ate their goat and left a track in the snow. When the DNR came out they told him what it was and told him not to tell anyone because they didn;t want everyone to panic.

I also have a friend who is a farmer just a bit further north in Woodburn/Harlan area. His grandparents swear that they have seen both bear and bobcat tracks near woods/farms they own.

I know there are tons of coyotes in the area, even though I have never personally seen one. Anyways, just wondering if anyone else has heard/confirmed anything like this in Indiana.

Hi I live in decatur just south of ft wayne and in 2005 there was video on the local news of a black panther roaming in a field just on the outskirts of decatur. and a year or two before that a friend in near by van wert county ohio said he seen a cougar just out side of wren about a half mile into ohio, then within weeks of the sighting a farmer not far from there shot a cougar and it had a tag on its ear and the dnr told him to keep quiet about it, but it wasnt much longer after that I personaly saw the dnr chaseing a cougar along the st marys river in pleasnt mills just east of decatur so there are big cats around here but I think the DNR are releasing them. If ya hear anything else let me know please.....

[shortyshappy]

DNR will deny, deny, deny. I had a vet tell me that a client of his in southwest Indiana had a horse badly mauled and the horse had to be put down. The couger is no longer. There are many reported "sightings" but DNR always says they are bobcats. I believe, too, they are being released....maybe to help control deer population (especially in the Brown County area). I do not trust them. Oh, and the "panic" line is usual. What will happen when a child is killed waiting for their school bus? Who will take responsibility then for that death?

[ViaSwiss]

A few cougars have been spotted over the years 15 miles east of Ft Wayne near Woodburn on the Maumee River. Supposedly they were released there to control the deer population. Been a lot more sightings of them this winter and their den was found.

[Jaxson]

Originally Posted by ViaSwiss

A few cougars have been spotted over the years 15 miles east of Ft Wayne near Woodburn on the Maumee River. Supposedly they were released there to control the deer population. Been a lot more sightings of them this winter and their den was found.

Wow anybody take pictures of the den?

[bobcat47201]

I live in Columbus, Indiana... in the city. A squirrel had been ran over in front of my house at about 3pm. At 10pm the same day, I was leaving my home and noticed the squirrel was gone. Then, my headlights caught a bobcat in the middle of my front yard that was feeding on the dead squirrel. It was unmistakable. I got out of my truck to get a closer look and it ran off. Couldn't believe I had a bobcat in my yard in the city like that.

[ischyros]

Originally Posted by bobcat47201

I live in Columbus, Indiana... in the city. A squirrel had been ran over in front of my house at about 3pm. At 10pm the same day, I was leaving my home and noticed the squirrel was gone. Then, my headlights caught a bobcat in the middle of my front yard that was feeding on the dead squirrel. It was unmistakable. I got out of my truck to get a closer look and it ran off. Couldn't believe I had a bobcat in my yard in the city like that.

That's pretty impressive. I know bobcats live in Indiana but they hate people so they're pretty elusive and rarely seen. Consider yourself lucky! Also, that it ran off and didn't attack you. I know they aren't big but I've heard they are aggressive.

[Hillbilly Hellion]

Yes, cougars reside in Indiana. One jumped out of a tree in my mother's front yard a few decades ago. I went hiking in the woods north of Bedford, and saw big cat tracks. I saw the same tracks behind my mother's house, in the woods, and I heard the cat screaming one night. It was a blood-curdling scream.

I told my conservation law enforcement professor about it, and he immediately said it was a cougar. Large felines are not as common a sighting because they hunt at night for the most part. Hoosier National Forest is teaming with wildlife, and I bet most people have no clue what is in those woods! I've seen snakes so large that they were across the road, into both sides of the ridge, and no one could see the head or the tail.

I have yet to experience bears in Indiana, but have heard of some sightings. I know the cats are present, and have seen the destruction of trees from claw marks that ran down the tree, through the bark and cambium layer, and causing the tree to shed the bark. The claw marks went up to around eight-feet.

Yes, the Exotic Feline Rescue Center has had a couple of big cats escape, but cougars already lived in this area, and it's prime hunting for almost any predator animal, so those that escaped tend to stay geographically close to the EFRC.

[Briar E]

My wife and 13 year old daughter just came in and said they about hit a cat like looking raccoon,fox Lol I said "what are you talking about?" As she was describing this cat like animal I said "a bobcat" there's no bobcats around here she laughed, I showed her a picture and you should've seen the look on her face. She called our daughter in and I showed her the pic and she said "wild cat? Cause that's it" I told her bobcat now she says our pups can't go outside anymore and she's not either. Lol we live in the northern part of Marshall county in northern Indiana. 7/9/2014