Yesterday I got my very first up close and personal look at a real live and well Cougar(Mountain Lion)... I live in a rural area near a wildlife preserve and a large lake surrounded by a vast forest. But nestled comfortably between all this nature is the small town of Stafford Virginia. Our community back's up to a heavily wooded area.
Over the summer we started to notice a quick decline in the feral cat population. As they were heavily populated in the community. We had began to believed that our property management had poisoned them. But in fact that was not the case at all. From the time we purchased our home we had 3 resident animals that became permanent fixtures to our home, A female skunk, a Opossum, and a Female Raccoon that came and went at her leisure. Over the past week's they have disappeared one by one. First the Raccoon that would bring her young ones at least twice a week and when it rained to hang out on our rooftop stopped coming almost a month ago. After her disappearance a stray cat moved into the shed and was heavy with kitten's. She gave birth about 2 weeks ago but this past week she moved them out. The last my daughter saw her she was moving swiftly away from the house and my daughter started to baby talk to her. She stopped looking around frantically and then started mewing in a distressed manner then turned and left. We haven't seen her since. We made her a comfortable warm bed and began feeding her every night. Then several week's ago the Opossum started to behave oddly. He would stop and stare up at the window and remain there watching us and moved under the house from the shed that was his usual spot. It was as if he was trying to warn us something was wrong. Though we had seen him come and go many times he would just keep moseying along back to his place in the shed. Then he suddenly disappeared all together. Then 2 weekend's ago ( Friday night) I heard the skunk let out a yelp but I assumed she and the Opossum where arguing over who got the house because it was beginning to get colder. The next morning you could smell trace amounts of her sent in the air but not her usual spray when she got upset with the Opossum. She'd spray him heavily and the entire house would fill with her stench. And she never held back a drop. I just knew she was gone. My instincts told me she was dead..and I started to worry that a feral dog might be killing and eating the local wildlife. It never occurred to me once what it actually was until the past week.
Lately my dogs behavior as well as my cat's has been extremely odd. He has been rushing the front door as well as the back barking hysterically. Jumping up to the windows and on furniture trying to look outside when seemingly no one is around. He sniffs the floor boards and vents trying to pick up a sent of something. My cat who is usually a calm cool cat has been ripping his hair out and licking his fur excessively. His backside is nearly bald now. We first thought he had picked up mange but come to find out it was all stress related. We couldn't think why our 10 year old cat began feeling so stressed and spent less time outdoors than usual, was acting nervous and cautious every time we'd let him out. he always stated close to home but now he never left the porch.
On Monday evening I had let my dog out in our back yard for his evening potty break and exercise and within moments he was barking hysterically again and scratching at the back door to be let in. When I went to the backdoor to let him he ran inside, with the cat right beside him and pulled so hard on his chain he was choking himself. After I unlatched him I went to close the backdoor when I heard a low rumbling growl. By then it was too dark to see what it was so I assumed it was a dog and yelled into the darkness " YOU GO HOME" GET ON WITH IT NOW" whatever it was just growled a little louder it made the hair stand up on my neck. I shut the door and felt a fear I hadn't felt before. I had the oddest feeling that whatever it was , was dangerous enough to scared both of my animals right back inside. About an hour later my daughter was cooking a fish supper as it was a 'every man for themselves night' so she decided on Fish and rice. She yelled from the kitchen for me to come and let my dog in because she was cooking and had her hand's full. I went to get up to let him in but as I got to the kitchen I remembered I had already let him in. I asked her had she let him back out and she replied' No, but I know he's out because he scratching at the door to get in. And I heard a nasty growl so I think that dog is back again. Thinking maybe my husband had let him out again I went to open the backdoor. Suddenly my daughter yelled at me to stop and not open the door " Mom, don't open the door she said in a panic. Why not? I asked. Because the dog is right here. I turned to see my dog sitting by my daughter. Just about then the scratching at the door started again. My dog ran to the door sniffing and I heard the growl again. It was a growl like nothing I's never heard before. It was more low toned and guttural. My stomach began to feel upset with fear. My daughter kept begging me' Please Mom don't open the door. Please whatever it is don't let it get in. I tried using a flashlight but couldn't see anything.
I had been hearing something walking on the roof but that was something I was used to hearing as the raccoon would climb up and walk around.
Morning before last my dog woke me 2 and a half hours earlier than he usually does. he was running all around the house acting weird wanting to get outside. It was 6am but I decided to get up and let him out figuring that maybe he had to pee really badly. So I hooked him to his pole and went and laid back down. Not even a minute later I heard pawing at the backdoor. And my dog started barking wildly again. I got back up thinking he was being annoying wanting back inside but when I opened the back door he was at the foot of the steps with his chain wrapped around the pole. He was nowhere near the door and the pawing went on all the way up until I opened the door. As I took 2 steps down to unhook him I heard the growl behind me. This time it was within a few feet at the most. I was terrified but I leaned down to unlatch the dog that was pulling at his chain so hard he was choking himself again. I quickly unlatched him and he bolted inside the house. As I heard the leaves crunching under the weight of this animal behind me I backed back up the stairs to afraid to turn and look at whatever it was. By now I was thinking it was a Black Bear that are normal in our area. As I reached the door ( our backdoor swings outward instead of inward) behind me to put it between it and me I slowly turned my head to see what it was as I backed up into the house and shut the door. But only caught a glimpse of tan fur as it moved quickly to get behind the shed. I was scared to death because it was at that moment I realized that Black Bear are brown, not tan. I just couldn't wrap my brain around it. But the reality came the very next morning.
As my husband was leaving I asked him to let the door out in the front of the house this time instead of the back. I felt whatever it was used the shed to shield themselves and stay hidden until the very last moment before trying to attack my animals. Within moments of my husband leaving for work the dog began to act usual again and barking in panic. I got up to let him in ( the cat was right at the front door and rushed inside) But the dog that was tethered to the front porch was wrapped around the porch I untangled him and let him in. Once again he pulled so hard he nearly choked himself to death. I went back to my bedroom to do some work on my computer. About 20 minutes later I head something moving over my head on the roof. Then a loud hard thud against my house, ( Which I had heard on several other occasion's yet thought it was just one of the other animals outdoors. But this time it made our trash can slam against the house with such force it shook the walls. I got up to see what it might be this time and when I did I got the shock of my life. Walking slowly down the street pausing ever moment or so to look around was a large tan animal. From the back it appeared to be a Great Dane but as I watched this animal it didn't move the way a dog would. So I raised my blinds to get a better view of it. When I did it turned it's head back toward the house, ear up and alert standing firmly in place with it's massive paws, the body was all lean muscle and they flexed as it walked. When the head turned back towards me I got a full view of its head and face. it was a cat... I thought for a moment " That's the biggest cat I've ever seen" What kind of cat get's that big? I thought. As she spotted me standing in the window she turned completely around and started back toward my house the closer she came the clearer it was what I was seeing. "A COUGAR" A Huge one. She stood at least 3 feet tall and weighted at least 120 to 150lbs.. her take was thick and tipped in black, Her ears were rimmed in black also with subtle black marking's on her face. At about 25 feet from my house she stopped again and locked her eyes onto me. We just stood there, her and I locked onto each other's eyes. It was as if she was far too calm for a Mountain Lion. She appeared to be young( inexperienced in the ways of survival.) Just one day prior she had me within striking distance and didn't attack. She didn't attack the dog the way an experienced Lion would. But there she was in broad daylight moseying down our street. Locked onto me with her beautiful eyes. Had she not been one of natures top predictors I could have just walked outside, walked right up to her and pet her soft tan fur. She was the most beautiful animal I'd ever seen this close, and the most deadly. She began to slowly approach the house , then I thought what if someone comes outside alone, or a child is walking alone to the bus stop they'll be killed, but when I moved to pick up the phone she crossed the street and disappeared behind my neighbors SUV. I contacted the authorities and reported Cougar sighting, I begged the operator for them to please contact the Virginia wildlife authorities so that if the encountered her they wouldn't just shoot to kill. When all was said and done the police didn't believe I had seen this animal. The Wildlife officer told me later that they said, there was no F"ing way I saw a Cougar this far away from their natural habitat. ( what these ignorant fool's don't realize is this is their natural habitat.) We are the one's destroying their natural environment by cutting down forestry and building more and more housing. This Cougar has been here for months, feeding under the cover of darkness, retreating back to the Wildlife preserve in the day as it was walking back toward the preserve when I spotted her. She's running out of food option's because the feral cats are nearly completely depleted and what are left obviously left for safer grounds. She's fed at my house 3 times already and I have 3 animals she considers prey. They animals are relentless and patient hunter's. She will remain as long as she believes their is a source of food. Until it is depleted only then will she leave. She's claimed my house and this neighborhood her domain and she will not leave unless driven off, picked up by Wildlife or killed by police after she's attacked someone.
I forgot to add that one 2 occasion's ( One over the summer and the other back in November) we heard what sounded like a woman screaming as if someone were killing her. The first time it was off in the distance and in November it sounded much closer. I thought someone was abusing their wife. But now that I've seen this Cougar with my own eyes up close and personal I now know it was her. I looked up what these animals sound like and it's scream was nearly identical to the one's on Youtube. I can't tell you the amount of fear I feel. For my families safety, my animals and my neighbors, more so those with small children. If anyone has any question's or has any information that can be helpful you may e-mail me at MEriale@aol.com..
P.S- Just before the wildlife agent left he told me he'd be back with a trap to bate and catch her with. And that he'd inquire at his office if he could set up motion detection cameras to get evidence of her existence. I haven't heard a word back. So that in itself tell's me they don't believe a word I told them. I plan on contacting them first thing in the morning to inquire why they've chosen to risk the safety of the public.
