America is home to some of the fiercest big cats on the globe. However, sometimes, even ones that aren’t indigenous to the country seemingly pop up out of nowhere.
From panthers to mountain lions, we’ll delve into the strange encounters residents all across the Midwest have been having and why big cats might be increasing in numbers.
In the state of Kansas, in less than a year, sightings of big cats have increased dramatically, with 12 encounters. Cougars have been confirmed by researchers to be wandering states like Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, and other Midwestern states.
This begs the question. Why are big cats moving inward towards the heart of the country?
A Panther Sighting In Missouri
Vicki Sanders had lived in Missouri for a while and was used to nature living around her. One morning, she would spot something other than the usual deer.
Just as she exited her car, she saw a black shape stalking her. She soon realized that it was a black panther and managed to flee to her home. Vicki then called 911.
After telling the dispatcher that she was being stalked by a black panther, the dispatcher had to have her repeat herself as if it was too bizarre to believe.
Soon, a police officer got to her house and saw that the big cat was trying to get into Vicki’s son’s bedroom window. He quickly put down the black panther.
That’s when the police officer noticed something incredibly strange: the animal was declawed as if it was a pet at some point.
Second Sighting
Douglas Mclin also saw a panther on his property. He was mowing the lawn when he noticed his dog hiding underneath his truck. When we went back to the yard to mow, he saw something strange walking by the trees he had cut.
It couldn’t have been his dog; it was as clear as day that it was a panther, just as Vicki Sanders had seen. What makes these sightings strange is that panthers shouldn’t be in this part of the U.S.
Panthers are indigenous to Florida, Texas, and other southwestern states. These two sighting in Missouri have implications for what the animals are doing there.
Mountain Lion Seen In Wichita
Cristin Boyle wanted to dissuade potential burglars from breaking into her property in Wichita. She decided to put up security cameras, but she didn’t know that she would see anything but thieves on the footage.
In the early hours of a Monday morning, a mountain lion was spotted on her camera. She called the Kansas Department of Wildlife and told them what she had seen.
Later, a representative came out and watched the footage. He confirmed that it was a mountain lion in the footage.
Another Resident, Another Cougar
A little over a week after Cristin had seen the mountain lion, another resident named Scott Logan got a notification on his ring camera.
He was used to his neighbor’s cat moving past the camera and alerting the doorbell. He thought that had happened again, but this time, it would be a much bigger cat.
Scott said that he was glad it was so late at night, because he had two small children. The mountain lion walked right past his front door before disappearing into the night.
Why Are They Migrating?
There are many theories as to why these big cats are all migrating west. Some researchers believe that as people expand and encroach on wildlife, grazers like deer have moved west to get away.
Big cats, being predators, would go wherever the food goes. However, this theory still wouldn’t make sense for panthers to appear all the way in Missouri and Kansas.
Lastly, young mountain lions have to leave the local population when it’s crowded, so it’s possible they’ve been moving more west than they usually do.
