I first heard about Eastern cougars while growing up in Western North Carolina. As far as I know, there have been no scientifically accepted modern sightings, or even evidence, of native-born "wild" panthers in Western North Carolina or Virginia. There was a great deal of lore about them though. People talked about how when spending the night in the woods, the pumas could be heard screaming like a woman. We called them painters, panthers and mountain lions. Nobody seemed very afraid of them. That was, until I heard about Precious. Everyone under twelve was afraid of Precious.
Every camp needs a good ghost story and one that I visited had Precious, the ghost panther. Her story went something like this:
There once lived an older man and woman in the house down the hill. (Point ominously to the benign looking small home.) One day a cute orange kitten wandered into the house. Aw! The old couple loved the sweet kitten. They named her Precious. Precious grew and grew! One day, the woman was petting Precious and noticed she had a little red dot on her nose. The man and the woman didn't know what it could be, although it did look a bit like blood. Precious continued to grow and be loved by the unsuspecting couple. Then, one day, they could no longer escape the fact that she wasn't a kitten. In fact, she had grown into a mountain lion! She killed the man and woman who raised and loved her!!! Authorities soon tracked down Precious and disposed of her. (At this point, you can take your camp mates down to the house to view a "claw mark" and red stains on the door screen.) So, they thought Precious was gone. But some people have seen Precious since then!!!!!
Yeah, writing that brought back childhood trauma. Now, beyond blinding fear of a ghost panther attack, I can see the deeper elements in this haunting story. It reminds me of archetypal folkore and urban legends. There are strong undercurrents of deception of the innocent by creeping evil. Yes, the tale of Precious continued to spread, not just because it was a spooky ghost story but due to the the underlining psychology.
Most people under twelve are no longer afraid of Precious. I have heard many adults spread urban folklore about pumas though. Around here (Western NC and VA) it is that they are black cats, that they hide in trees, that my uncle's friend saw one, that my brother saw one, that they will attack you when you jog, that they will eat your children as you hike, that they will eat your pets, and that the government is covering all this up.
These majestic beasts are clearly established in the American psyche. I don't have knowledge enough to judge if the people who claim to see pumas in the wild in this area really are seeing these big cats, if it is collective wishful thinking, or if they are running into the abandoned "pets of drug dealers." All those ideas are theories as to modern regional puma sitings. No matter what is going on, many people claim to see pumas. My archetypical side wants to believe these people are inwardly longing for the lost wilderness.
Puma lore may also be spread by an inherent fear of the strength, quietness and necessary brutality that comes from cats. I recently lost a dear calico cat to cancer. She went from 14 pounds to a little under 5 pounds and though a gentle girl, she didn't want to take her medicines. She was a scrappy little fighter to the end. Several times, I couldn't resist the teeth and claws of a five pound struggling house cat and a few times I got worked over at medicine time. There was an incident where her claw got caught in my lip (poor thing) and it was difficult to extract- but we won't talk about that. A 100 lb pound cat that deliberately attacks must be the stuff of nightmares. I have seen images of unfortunate people who were mauled by cougars and it was truly gruesome. Maybe it is the fear of the beautiful deadly that allows cougar lore to grow.
Of course, there are areas of the country where pumas do live in the wild. I have been reading about them:
Some recent light reading was Carl Hiassen's, Scat (2009). A team of unlikely heroes join to save a Florida panther cub in this fiction book for young readers. There are quirky characters reminiscent of Edward Abbey, humor, some swamp action and gently delivered ecological messages.
A bit heaver is science journalist David Baron's work, The Beast in the Garden: The True Story of a Predator's Deadly Return to Suburban America. It is an exploration of humans' (and pets') relationships with pumas in our modern landscape, especially in Colorado. Although I found it to be a bit sensational in parts, this book is extremely well investigated, engaging and packed with interesting puma facts. It left me in awe of pumas and a bit afraid of them.
On the more scientific side is The Eastern Cougar: Historic Accounts, Scientific Investigations, and New Evidence edited by Chris Bolgiano and Jerry Roberts. This 2005 work reads like case files of modern Eastern cougar evidence. The differences between true wild Eastern cougars, released captive cats, and non-native cougars living in the wild are well explained. The book has an impressive bibliography.
If i remember correctly, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries' magazine Virginia Wildlife ran an article a few years ago about the controversial Eastern cougar existing (or not) in the wilds of the state.
On a personal note, largely unrelated to cougars, I still miss my sweet calico cat. A few days ago, I met a new orange kitty friend, however. He is named Dandelion and here is is his picture. I am hoping things turn out better than they did with Precious.
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| Likely not a puma cub in disguise |
Coming soon: American Chestnuts
