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Wild Animals/wild animal (dont know wat it was)

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Expert: Jonathan Wright - 7/26/2004


Question
what kind of wild,rare animals could live on kentucky that would make a stange noise that was undescribealbe? i have lived here all of mi life and i have heard many manyu different animals, like coyotes, bobcats, owls, and other wild animals that have distinctive calls. the frequency changed during this hour period of time listening to this unidentifiable animal i at once saw its eyes glowing in the light reflecting back at me it semed to be atleast four to five foot . which seemed to me to be un real for around here.. recently a bearhas been spotted in the area but i have heared bears before and i do not think that this was a bear. my two dogs were afraid of this "animal" very much they always bark at things that are unfamiliar to them.. but one just started to howl as soon as it senced it the other ran throuhg the yard and stopped as it watch in to the woods and braked crazily until she became too scared and ran back to the house begging to come in... then when i saw the eyes ((which were may be 10 feet from my dog that was tied up, that was howling in the beginig)) seh was dead quiet and still i did not see her i believe that she may have been hiding.. so i hope that i have provided enough descriptions for you and that u can help me figure this out because i would really like to know wat that was in my yard.. thanx for your time. plz get back with me as soon as posible *a.l.*

Answer
Dear a.l.

Thank you for your question and for trying to describe an animal by its call, especially as your dogs were scared at the time.

I think that your mystery animal is the eastern puma or cougar (Puma/Felis concolor couguar). This is an endangered animal, but is occasionally found in Kentucky. The body length is 1.05-1.96 m long, so fits your estimate of being at least 4-5 foot long. It is usually silent, but has many kinds of calls, including growls, hisses and shrill, piercing, bird-like whistles. In the mating season, it may make very loud screams, likened to a woman's scream, which would be enough to scare your dogs. There are occasional reports of pumas attacking humans, but pumas usually avoid people.

I hope that this has answered your question. You are lucky to have heard such an endangered animal, even if your dogs would probably not agree with me.

All the best

Jonathan  

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Jonathan Wright

Expertise

I can answer questions about wild mammals and other animals, as well as extinct animals and zoos. I am not an expert about every animal species. I can look up information from books and the internet, but can't verify if all the information is true. Please don't ask questions about: 1. Pets. I am not a vet. Please contact a vet if your pet is ill. You may need to spend some money if you want your pet to live. Don't get a pet if you don't know how to look after it and if you can't provide it with the space, food and possible companions that will help it live a healthy life. Don't take animals from the wild, unless they are ill and/or injured and you can protect them until a wildlife charity can help. It is cruel to take animals from their parents, especially if the parents will look for the babies, while putting their other babies at risk. You may be breaking the law by keeping wild animals or you may need a licence to look after some species. Please check with a local wildlife group. 2. Eggs: Please don't remove eggs from nests. The mother birds provide the right temperature for the eggs and won't sit on them if the temperature is warm enough for them to develop naturally. It is illegal to remove eggs of some species and, unless you have an incubator or a broody hen, the egg may not develop. If you are allowed to touch the eggs, you can candle them to see if they are fertile. If theys aren't fertile, they won't hatch. 3. Fights: Please don't ask about fights between different animals. These questions assume that individuals of two species fight each time they meet and that one species will always be victorious over another. This is untrue. There are cases where a live mouse has been fed to a venomous snake, bitten the snake leading to the snake's demise. 4: Diseases: Please ask doctors or other medical experts about diseases that you may catch from animals. I can't advise on how to deal with viruses, bacteria etc.

Experience

I have a zoology degree and have been interested in animals since I was two. I am a zoo volunteer at London Zoo. I have appeared on a BBC Radio Quiz, 'Wildbrain'.

Organizations
WWF. ZSL. Natural History Museum. RSPB. London Bat Group.

Publications
Newsletters of London Zoo volunteers and the London Bat Group

Education/Credentials
BSC degree in Zoology. 'A' level in Zoology. 'O' Level in Biology.

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