AL.COM's Trail Camera Gallery

We've had a long hiatus in posts here, and some folks have emailed in reports that deserve responses. Nothing conclusive, however.

There's a photo gallery/article by Joe Songer at Al.com that uncritically purports to show a "jaguarundi" in north Alabama (Cleburne County). It is not difficult to tell it's actually a blurry photo of a bobcat. This is unfortunate in that it only perpetuates the public's belief that there are jaguarundis in places where they are not.

Huuge announcement

At long last we are proud to announce --no, wait. Trail camera was set up on an apparent fox den today when this black kitty cat passed by. False alarm, folks. Probably should have waited to put this out on April 1.

Misidentified house cat makes the evening news in California

It is far easier to understand a house cat being be mistaken for a jaguarundi than for a mountain lion. And yet this happened in California recently. And the supposed "expert" (actually a public relations staffer) does not help matters at all. Normally, don't read the comments on news stories. This time, read the comments!

Jaguarundi Video

Thanks to Ocho Verde for sharing this amazing video of jaguarundis walking past a trail camera in Costa Rica. An excellent reference video for folks who think they might have seen one.

Cougars in Alabama? Don't hold your breath...

This news item just came out about the possibility of Puma concolor in Alabama. The reporting leaves something to be desired and the comments section, as expected, is interesting. Apparently everyone has seen one and it's a government conspiracy that the state won't admit they are here. No, the truth is there are no confirmed sightings of a known wild cougar (panther, etc.) in the state for a half century. It is possible that they are in the state, of course. At least one seems to be in Tennessee. Over time it seems to be increasingly likely that the cats will be in Alabama, but probably coming from the west/northwest as the western population is clearly expanding eastward.

Black Housecat in the News!

A lady in north Alabama posted this trail cam photo of a house cat on Facebook and it turned into a story on AL.com.

Wakulla WMA Photo

This low-resolution photo, taken at a distance by Jane Morgan on March 29, 2013 in the Wakulla (FL) Wildlife Management Area near St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, shows what appears to be a small-headed cat of moderate size. Mike Morgan, Fire Chief at Wakulla County Fire Rescue, posted this and others to his Facebook page. Mike thought it was a Florida panther, but in profile this animal subjectively aligns more with jaguarundi than panther, bobcat, or house cat. Not the smoking gun we're looking for, but certainly one of the more interesting photos that have surfaced in recent times.

Note that this USFWS brochure (PDF) on the adjacent St. Marks NWR lists the jaguarundi along with feral hog as non-native mammals on the refuge.