Catymology

Today's Minneapolis Star Tribune has a feature about wild cougars in Minnesota. The handsome cat above was caught on film in 2007 by a stationery camera set up near Floodwood, Minnesota. But, according to the Department of Natural Resources, the wild cougar population is very small in our state, maybe only two or three individuals. Apparently humans can easily mistake other species for cougars. Last month, someone near Elk River captured something on video that they thought was a cougar, or cougars. DNR scientists say that what the video actually shows is a house cat and some foxes.

A house cat mistaken for a cougar? That's pretty wild. I'm really glad that I do not go roaming around in the woods at night--or any other time. Some silly human could get spooked by my huge, fierce hunting presence, and who knows what would happen? Even though it's illegal to hunt cougars, there are quite a few stupid humans running around who are willing to flout the law.

Then there are those humans who only pretend to hunt, and like to joke about it. Some of them have been circulating a photo of a very large, very dead cougar in the internet, claiming it was killed in Minnesota this winter. The only problem is that it wasn't killed here; the poor cat was killed several years ago in Washington State.

If you read down in the comments on this article, you'll find several from humans who vow that they have personally seen real cougars, as well as some from people trying to make jokes about "cougars"--women over 35 who pursue younger men. The whole subject seems to attact humans who lack a sense of humor.

Get on board the Friday Ark at Modulator.

Labels: wildcats