The Central region of Ontario has become a hotbed of cougar activity of late, following an incident in Bracebridge earlier this month, and the trend continues…
While vacationing at his family cottage in the Dorset/Lake of Bays-area last week, Scott Hamilton (not the skater) spotted a very large and mysterious-looking black cat on the edge of the village.
“The cat was about 4 feet in length with a long tail, and was up and down a tree in seconds!” Scott recalls
Hamilton was so taken aback by what he saw that he picked up the phone and called nearby Guha’s Lion and Tiger Farm, to see if any big cats had escaped.
Guha confirmed (as they did following the Bracebridge cougar shooting) that all their cats where in order, and explained to Scott that what he saw was, most likely, a jaguar.
Scott asked around and no one else had seen any large cats lurking around town.
Evidently this black cougar is on the prowl in the Dorset-area; creating even further mystery at a time when big cat sightings seem to be popping-up behind every tree in Central Ontario.
Although black cougar sightings are even more rare then the typical brown cougar sightings, there have been a handful documented over the years.
Back in August, 2010, a farmer in Wainfleet near Lake Erie, snapped this trail-cam image of, what appears to be a large black cat with a long tail; looking very much like a black cougar.
At the time, Ontario’s foremost cougar expert Dr. Rick Rosatte, dismissed the image as nothing more than “an eye-bending perspective on an overfed tomcat”
With this latest big black cat sighting in Dorset, the myth and mystery of the cougar(brown or black) continues …
I urge folks in the Dorset-area to keep on the look-out for a large black cat. If the Bracebridge cougar serves as an example, this animal in Lake of Bays will likely show its face again.
Outdoorsguy
I hope it makes its way South and West….If I ‘get it’ Jeff I’ll give you the exclusive.
And by ‘get it’ you mean a giant Havahart trap, right Trapper?
Outdoorsguy
About five years ago, I heard that some people staying at a campground near Duhamel, Quebec (in the Outaouais region) saw two black cougars. Apparently they took some photos of them, though I didn’t get to see the pictures myself.
fishr, those cougars were no doubt in search of deer..there’s quite a famous winter deer yard located in Duhamel.
It always amazes how there can only be one sighting of such an occurrence and no one else ever sees it. I would assume any ‘wild’ cougars are naturally wary and keep a great distance from human activity, while an escaped animal wouldn’t have that natural fear.
Man, I wish I had seen them!
Outdoorsguy
Yeah, Duhamel has a lot of deer and it is very close to the Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve. The town is surrounded by wilderness. There are also brush wolves and some timber wolves that are attracted to the deer there.
Jeff we need a forensic analysis of the Wainfleet photo. There must be a way to get measurements off the photo comparing the size of corn kernals(?) in the pile to the cat. To me the cat does not look big enough in comparison to the corn to be a cougar.
Jeff we need a forensic analysis of the Wainfleet photo. There must be a way to get measurements off the photo comparing the size of corn kernels(?) in the pile to the cat. To me the cat does not look big enough in comparison to the corn to be a cougar.
It is probably my Granny’s cat – MIMI – she is black and fat…..lol
I saw a cougar last night as a matter of fact, it was black too, didn’t have the long tail but it was crouched ready to pounce upstairs at Maxwell’s. When I saw that I got the hell out of there before someone got hurt
Once in awhile i have to check in on your website Jeff. I thought that I’d comment, just to keep in touch. 🙂
It looks like my missing barn cat to me.Now I finally know where he’s gone.
I’ve never heard of black cougars before. If people have actually seen a large black cat then it’s probably a jaguar, or black “panther” as they’re called, but it’s not likely a cougar.
The first picture, top of page, sure looks like a jaguar.
It probably was an exotic, illegal pet, or it escaped from a zoo, like our famous Papanack Zoo.
I would bet that there isn’t two of them, IMO.
.
I’m pretty sure I saw a Sasquatch the other day…..
Come on Carol, you didnt actually see a bigfoot, did you?
Outdoorsguy
The southern part of Western Australia is a region noted for many ‘panther’ or ‘cougar’ sightings. During 1972 in the state’s central wheat-belt there was a wave of sightings of these big black creatures which had many people in lonely, outlying areas living in fear of attack. In August 1979 it was claimed that these carnivores had killed an estimated 1,000 cattle over the previous 18 months across a wide area from Western Australia to the Northern Territory!
Guess I should have kept my shoes on.
LOL
Yeah, Jeff, you should have seen it – big and hairy, with a booming voice and huge feet……..wait, could have been my husband though. It was dark outside. 🙂
OK folks..another black cougar sighting in Dorset-area.
Stay tuned…
Outdoorsguy
This article isn’t what I thought it would be….
Ok Tom, go on….it didn’t stop Iggy…hehe
Outdoorsguy
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I was starting to fall asleep
Off to bear hunt in the Sudbury area, $45.00 for a license even though there is a huge overpopulation
Dumb dumb dumb
Should be a lot of fun, hunting with IceKing and IceQueen, both qualified cometent bear hunters, and they hunt with a bow, while I hunt with a slug from a shotgun at 27 yards, can’t wait
Sorry Iggs..been away camping in the Adirondacks…ahh, the glorious US of A…hehe
Now, what where saying about bears? $45.00 not too shabby.
Outdoorsguy
The Ontario government knows it has a bear problem, especially in the north, and most of the people in the north couldn’t care less about hunting them, but if it was cheap, they might, but at 45 bucks for a tags, thanks but no thanks, it’s a way of managing the herd. Even if they charged northern residents a low rate and us townies the higher rate, it would encourage the northerners to step up, and still rape us townies of our money
I guess the license costs are all relative. Got my QC non-resident deer license this week (yeah, I know its early) and its $280 for that one. I think the QC moose non-resident is close to $350 now.
Outdoorsguy
Iggy, you’re still going bear hunting up north though, right?
Outdoorsguy
P.S. I’m saving the latest cougar sighting news for tomorrow’s Outdoors Column…
Iggy a lot of Northern Ontario residents don’t care what the cost of a bear tag is. If they want to shoot one all they have to do is claim it was a nuisance bear. The ministry does not have the manpower to or will to check on these claims so just issue possession permits for the meat. It also saves the ministry from having to deal with these bears. It is kept quiet so no negative press for the MNR. A win win scenario for the MNR.
Hmmm, almost makes it pointless to issue any regular fall bear hunting licences..
Outdoorsguy
I know some northerners from my moose hunt group have no interest in bears. One of them has been visited a number times on his property. He fires warning shots from his house to scare it (not very effective), because he doesn’t to deal with the clean-up. Many northerners won’t eat bear meat, they have no use for them. If it wasn’t so far, I’d be hunting on his property.
GPG. I wonder why the Northerners wont eat bear meat…Ive had it before and thought it was pretty good. Perhaps Trapper’s rule about not eating animals who eat other animals, applies here?
Seems these bruins are now viewed more as pests than anything..too bad really.
Outdoorsguy
Yup, heading up late Thursday early Friday to bear hunt for the weekend, and also I’ll bear hunt while deer hunting at our deer camp during the deer season. But this weekends hunt is strictly a bear hunt, oh and a little Walleye fishing thrown in during the day. I asked Mike about the fish guts if they’d be a good bait and he said he had used it but without much success. He actually collects dead beavers and uses them, I’ve seen it used up there with great success
Good luck Iggs! Hope you bag a biggie and have fun in all the fresh northern air.
Let us know how you make out…say hi to IceKing and IceQueen for me!
Outdoorsguy
Hey, the Outdoors Column is out nice and early this week..me likey!
http://www.ottawasun.com/2012/08/15/morrison-time-for-seasonal-changes
Tks to imacdon’s son for passing along the great photo!
Outdoorsguy
I don’t know why… They say the meat is tough. I’ve also had bear meat before, and I loved it. A dark red meat, very tasty and tender.
What a great photo of the piebald whitetail! I never knew it existed.
Breaking news…a cougar attack in BC:
http://blogs.canoe.ca/outdoorsguy/safety/child-injured-in-bc-cougar-mauling/
Outdoorsguy
bears eat a lot more vegetation than meat, when they can, but I hear this years berry crop is very thin
I’m only shooting a big one, I don’t need another cottage bed throw so it’s go big or go home……empty
Even if I don’t get one, just to watch them is a thrill, and I’ve still got more time in the bush in Dacre to find a big one
Jeff .Last year i got my 20th bear and there is no finer table fare. When a bear roast is cooked right ,you have not had a roast of beef any more tender.No fat, no steroids,no grizzle running threw the meat. You will not get any wild taste as with deer.It is excellent.My kids would go back for seconds for bear before deer. When i do up burgers they are fantastic. I also can my bear meat for quick meals.
Just a little food for thought.
I agree with Paul. there is no finer table fare than bear meat when it comes to wild Ontario meat.
I agree too , id trade all my venison for a couple bear roasts , i’ve tasted a few and have never had a bad one yet.
Last week my husband and our dog were out for a walk in the Lake of Bays (Baysville) area. We were staying at a cottage. They were on their way back to the cottage and my husband saw a black wild animal, the size of a large dog, but moved unlike a dog. It ran from one edge of the forest, across the road to the other side of the forest. It moved swiftly. It happened so quickly, he was unsure of what it was. I am wondering if this could be a black cougar. Any thoughts?
There may be cougars out there but the one in the picture is nothing but a house cat.
Something like that was seen at Man River, SK on Sept. 5/12.
R Mckay, was there a black cougar sighting out in your area?
Outdoorsguy
just saw clearly, large black cat (cougar like) while hiking back to fish at a secluded lake southwest of the Parry Sound area. For sure not a house cat, we were told by our camp manager that the ministry has released black Lynx like cats to control the over population of fischers. Is this true ??
Craig, as far as I know, the story about MNR releasing large predatory cats as a sort of biological control is just an urban legend. There is enough evidence and sightings in your area now to prove that a black cougar is likely on the loose. As was proven by the cougar killed near Bracebridge, your animal in question is most likely a captive animal which has escaped.
All you can really do is report the animal to local police and the MNR and keep an eye yourself. Until an incident occurs where someone or their family pet is attacked, it is unlikely that anything will be done.
Outdoorsguy
So black cougars do exist, I was starting to doubt myself. My wife and I were running a remote campground in SW Alberta a few years back, and as I was heading out late one morning to do the rounds in my truck my Pyranese lunged over me at something to our left. I looked that way to see a long sleek black tail as it dissappeared into the bush. I was used to seeing bears out there, but knew right away that was not a bear tail. No one would believe me that it was black, but I remember it vividly. Thank you for restoring my sanity and my reputation.
Drew, you are very fortunate to have seen such a beast..I don’t imagine you’ll soon forget it?!
Outdoorsguy
Well, black panthers are swarming along the
Beaver River in Cannington, Ontario.
Of course wildlife officials are poopooing the sightings
because the animals are black and not brown.
But they went to the trouble of warning the residents to
restrict movements of dogs and small children. Why would they do that?
No one around here takes their dogs onto the trails anymore.
Holland Centre On. A few or quit a few years ago I noticed on my parents farm some interesting foot prints. At the time I just thought a dog print had froze and thawed a few ti es making it much bigger. Curiosity made me a little more suspicious as the prints acted more like a wild animal not wondering and leaping large lengths in spots, go figure in my mothers books at home there was a hundred year old book of wild animals in Ontario and as I looked at the prints they matched a puma thought to be extinct in Ontario over 100years. Growing up in that area I have many friends that are hunters anid loggers they also confirmed sightings and reported sighting from friends. The only question is are they accidentally realeased pets that have adapted or are they reproducing. My understanding is that cats are very illusive and have a extremely large travel range. My opinion with friends that are hunters from all over Ontario is the cat is back
The book Mammals of North America says “cougars are reported to be particularly fond of horse flesh”. Kyle Knopff’,s research in Alberta confirms this. Since Ontario has 380,000 domesticated horses,I am worried that our cougars may become over weight. Their has not been a confirmed attack on a horse yet in Ontario.
I cannot help but think what some people are seeing are fisher. Fisher are a member of the weasel family. Mammals of Canada says”the fisher resembles a large black cat”.They are more plentiful now and their range has expanded south. I hear of fisher south Lake Simcoe. They can be brown to black and their tail is long enough to reach the back of their head. Despite the name ,they live a terrestrial life eating mice squirrels rabbits birds and porcupines Domesticated cats cannot escape a fisher because they are a much faster climber.Their tracks show claw marks because they are not retractable. Many people are not sure what they are. Once I picked up a road kill fisher and asked 6 people what it was. One person in 6 knew what it was. Trappers are able to harvest them for fur as long as you have a quota.
This is starting to sound like a broken record . In the last 15 years people have been talking about cougars why is their not a picture of one in a tree like from the west. So fare all we see are questionable pictures. Why is their not a road kill. Lots of people carry camras.
A farm i hunt on the owner saw his hound jump on the back of something black in the field wasnt big enough for a bear and its to early for small cubs. We were wondering if it where a big black cat. Watever it was it faught the dog off and ran into the bush. My friend who owns the property was on his way to the barn to get a gun and when he got back the hounds were barking at the bush and took off into it. When they came back one had a gash under her eye and the other had a gash on his hip. So hopefully ill see this big bitch.
Hi Jeff,
I would like to report a sighting of a large Black cat that crossed the road in front of us late this morning…I was stopped by a road crew ( resurfacing on Highway 28 ) south of Bancroft….3 people saw it including the worker we were all puzzled because it looked to be bigger then a Cougar…!May 30th.
Hi Denis, thank you for reporting this sighting! I would imagine the ‘black cougar’ reported in that region last summer could be the same one you saw.
It is somewhat encouraging to know this animal made it through the winter; especially given the severity of winter we had last year.
Would you mind If I mention you and what you saw in one of my Outdoors Columns?
You should consider yourself very lucky as seeing that animal is practically one in a million.
Did you report it to the MNR or any other agency?
Regards,
Outdoorsguy
I was walking my dog yesterday morning in a small forest near black creek, in Toronto. When i suddenly see this very big cat with shinny skin, he was just sitting there about 20 meters away from me. So i took out my phone and recorded him. After a while he got up and i was able to see that this was definitely not a cat but something else. As it was bigger than my dog and I have a malamute, it was very muscular and long with a shinny black coat.
Ok David, this sounds like an extremely rare sighting especially considering the location…and should it turn out to be a cougar, I would wager a guess that it’s an ‘escapee’ somehow on the loose.
Have you reported to Toronto police? Also, I would very much like to see that vid you took..any chance you could send it to me?
With your permission, I would post it here for readers to enjoy(& speculate on).
Regards,
Outdoorsguy
Hello David, I have also included your sighting in my Outdoors Column this Thursday, hopefully that’s ok?
Thanks for the heads-up!
Regards,
Outdoorsguy
Hi Jeff,
No problem using my sighting as for reporting it to MNR …No, I haven’t reported it but I certainly will…
All the best
Denis
Thanks Denis, I have it slotted for this Thurs’s SUN Outdoors Column…will send youm a link to that article when it comes out!
Regards
Outdoorsguy
I just saw one yesterday out side of Cornwall ontario in a rural area it scared me at first because I didn’t think we had them up here. Hence why I’m online looking for more info. It was about 5 feet long 3 feet tall give or take it was massive. Saw it at 7am but it was too fast to take a pic I kinda rolled up on it.
Hey Ryan, thanks so much for stopping by with your report!
I will direct you to a more recent post on the subject of cougars..click on link below. I’m also taking the liberty of moving your comment to that post.
And just so you know, someone else spotting a cougar just the day before you…that one was west of Kemptville. Not so far away.
It would appear that several of these large cats are on the prowl in eastern Ontario.
Outdoorsguy
Latest cougar post:
http://blogs.canoe.ca/outdoorsguy/uncategorized/wildlife-observation/ontario-cougar-sighting-interview/comment-page-1/#comment-940021
Glad to see im not the only one in the area who has seen this mysterious cat. This morning at approximately 10:30 in the Smithville area two friends and I were driving past a field and spotted a massive black cat that fits the description mentioned above. Roughly 4 or 5 feet long, 3 foot tail, muscular cat slinking around. We snapped some pictures but by the time we got our cameras out it was too far away to get a clear shot. We haven’t called MNR or the police just yet since we weren’t exactly sure what to do. Just thought we would share our exciting find
I saw a black cougar on Thursday morning at 7:00 am on the south east corner of Preservation Park. It was just standing on the trail that is adjacent to MacKinnon Transports parking lot. I was about 50 feet away and had my two dogs. My one dog is a very large golden doodle and was about the same size of this cougar. It just stood and looked at me. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. After I gathered my wits, I quickly got my to the car. I wished I would have been calm enough to take a pic or video with my phone but my initial reaction was fear even though the creature had done nothing untowards me.
Just this morning at first light I was out trying to call back a large doe. In the field next to me 60-80 yards to my right a large black agile animal ran by, getting closer. I called again. The animal came directly and immidietely through the brush with little effort and minimal noise. It poked it’s head and shoulders out of the tall grass, now less than 8 yards from where I stood with nothing between us. It had a white patch above/on its top lip. At this point I had my bow drawn, not sure why, out of safety concern I suppose. It had responded to my bleet.
The animal looked up at me, stopped, let out a quick raspy growl, spun and left tracing its steps and back across the field again which gave me another broadside view for 35-50 yards of its travel. I am a seasoned outdoorsman, bow and rifle hunt every season, spend all summer at camp and most fall mornings and evenings in a stand or scouting. I have not witnessed an animal with this dimension or one that moved in such a fashion before.
It had a short stubby face like a bulldog but its head seemed slightly too small for its shoulders, much like a bullmastiffs.
The animal was very long and low, its shouders well defined, it travelled effordlessly and quickly with a unique athletic gait. It’s tail from base to tip, if bent the other way, could reach its front shoulders. It dipped down from the body, swept up and the tip was rounded (not pointed like a dog or wolf).
It had a short coat similar to that of my English Mastiff, but thicker / puffier, and with a slight sheen to it. Jet black in color. My Mastiff would be taller, but not near as long. I would estimate this animal to be of similar size. My mastiff was 190 lbs.
I live in a semi rural area, Thunder Bay, Ont.
This past weekend I was looking out my window on the second floor of the house. We have 25 acres of field/woods/creek area, on the outskirts of Oshawa. In the field I spotted a large black cat-like animal. It was in the field approximately 50 feet from our yard. My son went outside, to get a closer look. The animal was taller then my full grown yellow lab dog, but longer and leaner with a long black tail. My son threw some apples from our tree towards it, the animal turned and looked at him, growled and walked away. My son was fairly close to it within 25 feet, he described it, as above with short shiny black hair, looking like a domestic short haired cat, yet bigger and longer then our lab., with bright green eyes.
Letting you know that the black cougar is further south than Bracebridge as i have spotted one on my property in West Grey township , it would be aprox. 4ft long and had long tail with hook curle in it , plus just spoted his tracks in my gardine this morning .
Back in september or october some friends of mine were driving through the woods in sauble beach. This is a remote area in the woods with a sign warning you that you’re on your own, as no help can be reached by a cell phone. A large cat hugging the ground crossed the trail and ran into the woods. They told me later it was black and definately a cougar sized cat.
I have heard cougar growls in the night at my property in Everett Ontario. Most recently found large cougar foot-prints in the snow in my backyard as well as in the mud after a good rainfall last fall but never seen it. We will be posting trail cams to see if we can spot it. I have images of the footprint. This confirmed to be a cougar print comparing prints on the web and assumed to be around 200lbs. I would like those interested in locating it to contact my cell at 705 716 1924-Fabien
foot prints should not show claw marks as the claws are retractable. Winter tracks in deep snow should show tail drag marks.Large males will kill larger prey approx every 10 days ie deer or horses find one and set up a trail camera.
I was going for a jog on a farm road in stouffvillle,on when I came across a big brown cat with black by its mouth as I got told later on was a cougar, it had looked at me and ran off in to the forest at the time.
Their is no black phase in cougars. Leopards and Jaguars have a black phase.I think people are seeing fisher and do not know what they are. Fisher are also called the black cat in some books. They have become more pentiful and now live farther south. Cougars always have a white moustache.
I was walking fitness trail, with my grandson, me and a little dog, a friends. It was almost dark evening (dusk)..and we walked in single file. And a friend of mine, stayed about 100 feet behind us..Im sure she had seen something, weaving in and out out the bush. Im sure it was a black cougar, it had a long tail, and just trotted right by us casually..Like no ones business, did not stop or slow down. First i thought it was a domesticated dog, then i thought it was a wolf, but thisone had a very long long tail. My grandson who was 5 years old, at the time said it was a black cat, i know he said, i saw it he kept saying…A large black cat he said all night..And i said i think it was a black wolf, but my grandson kept insisting it was a large black panther. But im sure it was a black cougar.. I didnt feel afraid neither did my grandson and the little dog who was walking with us too. Happy to see the comeback with black wolves, black cougars.. He did not hurt us or anything, which is a good thing. Did not feel threatened at all. As we looked down the trail about 100 feet away, he watched us and then ran in to the forest. And i hope he is safe from hunters, police, and people who have no respect for wild animals. Keep them safe!!
I was walking fitness trail, with my grandson, me and a little dog, a friends. It was almost dark evening (dusk)..and we walked in single file. And a friend of mine, stayed about 100 feet behind us..Im sure she had seen something, weaving in and out out the bush. Im sure it was a black cougar, it had a long tail, and just trotted right by us casually..Like no ones business, did not stop or slow down. First i thought it was a domesticated dog, then i thought it was a wolf, but thisone had a very long long tail. My grandson who was 5 years old, at the time said it was a black cat, i know he said, i saw it he kept saying…A large black cat he said all night..And i said i think it was a black wolf, but my grandson kept insisting it was a large black panther. But im sure it was a black cougar.. I didnt feel afraid neither did my grandson and the little dog who was walking with us too. Happy to see the comeback with black wolves, black cougars.. He did not hurt us or anything, which is a good thing. Did not feel threatened at all. As we looked down the trail about 100 feet away, he watched us and then ran in to the forest. And i hope he is safe from hunters, police, and people who have no respect for wild animals. Keep them safe!! From Muskoka.
I know for a fact that an adult fertile female cougar was released some years ago near Oil Springs Ontario Can.
I WAS HUNTING DEER UP NORTH AT MY MOTHER PLACE IN MAYNOOTH AREA JUST NOTH OF BANCROFT HAD NOTICE SOME VERY BIG TRACKS BEFORE I LEFT THERE THURSDAY NIGHT IT HAD SNOWED. DURING THE NIGHT MY SISTER CALLED THAT AN ANIMAL WITH LARGE TRACKS DRAGING ITS TAIL HAD WONDERED ALL AROUND MY MOMS HOUSE AND WAS VERY SNOOPY EVEN WAS ON THE DECK AT FRONT DOOR ALSO LOOKED IN THE BIG WINDOW THIS IS A LITTLE ALARMING I AM THINKING ABOUT CALLING THE M.N.R I AM SURE ITS A COUGER HAS A VRY LARGE TRACK.THIS IS AT 447 FRANTZ ROAD MAYNOOTH ONTARIO,FRIDAY NOV 14TH/ 2014.
Spotted what I am sure was a cougar in Mallorytown Ontario this past June 2014. I couldn’t believe it. It was probably a bit smaller than my 100pound dog, was dark coloured, and had a long tail, and was creeping away from our back compost pile at dawn. We have a lot of coyotes here, so I first thought it was a coyote. But the tail/face/ears/movement were not coyote. Tried to get back inside to grab the camera, but the cat had moved back into the wooded area that borders our property. No sign since.
Was driving back to Ottawa from the cottage on Hwy 12 near Perth after the first winter storm of 2015 & big snowfall, a large all black cat that was thick and muscular darted across the road. Never seen anything like it in 40 years.
In 2006, I saw two of these in my backyard. Our house backs onto a field. They were chasing a rabbit. My boyfriend saw them too, we watched them for a few minutes and then they ran off back into the field. I never saw them again, but I hope I do. No one ever believed me. Wish I got pictures or a video.
I live an hour from ottawa and while on the four wheeler a massive solid black cat about 5 feet in length and very muscular jumped clear over the farmers field and in front of me before running away (very fast I might add). It looked like a black panther. I also know 4 people who have spotted it in or around our quiet town! Scary
Hi Kayla, your Puma sighting is about as rare as I’ve heard in this part of ON. If you don’t mind me asking, what area are you in?
We have rec’d scant few Puma or ‘black cougar’ sightings in eastern ON over past couple of years (brown cougars yes, but black ones no) and I would love to gather some more info.
You say others have also seen the same animal?
Regards
Outdoorsguy
July 19 north of Warren Ontario, crossing the hwy mid day,,,, looked like a bear cub, but much slimmer, and very long tail, and very black.???? I know animals, I have never seen this one before, huge cat… about 4 ft. long.
July 22 2015 on Bathurst between Newmarket and Bradford on the front lawn around 9:00 pm saw a large black cat (panther) about 4 feet long with a long slender tail walking then when our dog went to chase it jumped about 5 or 6 feet into the bush.
Just saw a big black wild cat at the side of the road(dead) on the way to Parry Sound. So is it a Jaguar or a black cougar?
I’ve seen a big black cat has been spotted twice this week in our yard (backs on to greenspace), in Greater Sudbury. Looks like a black panther to me, but hubby swears he’s seen a black cougar before (the size and shape are different to me)… I hesitate to report this, given the bear hysteria that is sweeping Sudbury…
I am certain I saw a Cougar near McKellar Ont. There were actually two individual sightings, however it appeared to be the same animal. Each sighting took place within a few hundred yards of each other, thus leading me to believe it was the same animal on both occasions. The size and colouring were right for it to be a cougar. The tail was long and appeared to have a slightly black hue directly at the end of it.
I know I have seen a beautiful black cat. Run across Hwy 144 in front of me before turning in to Levack. It was very long with a long tail very shiny black. I was in awe. Wish I could have taken a picture. I will never forget how quickly he ran across. Then disappeared. I did not call MNR. ABOUT THE SIGHTINGS. My daughter and I seen two bobcats in Levack mountain in bush. And let MNR. Know . They did not believe us. They were very close to the house. So we did get a close look at them .
a few years ago, when i used to drive to work from Hamilton to Mississauga, i was driving east toward Mississuage on Britannia Rd about a half mile east of Tremaine Rd. when a very large black cat (panther) leaped across the road right in front of my car. The cat was so large that he crossed the entire road in three leaps on the dead run heading south into a field beside the road. It was an amazing sight to see and one I will not soon forget. This was not an overfed domestic cat, this was a very large black panther.
Saw large black cat next to Hwy 69 close to turn off for Killarney today. Had dark black shiny coat and was very large.
Sighted a black cougar today on Hwy 101 west about 25 kilometres from Timmins heading to our home at Ivanhoe
Lake I was shocked did not get a chance to take a picture it ran across the road in front of our car into the bush
It was June of 2002. My gal was driving me back from a clinic. As we were passing an alfalfa field Joan said, “Tom look at that.” ‘That’ was the very first time either of us had seen a cat this size. At least 4.5′ long in body. Very long tail. Looking at us from 100′ off. Head the size of a basketball. Tall enough that we saw the bottom of his belly. In very thick alfalfa 1.5′ high. Joan called someone from the MN DNR she knew. He told her it was probably a Fischer. BS. This is in north central MN. Several years Later I spotted a tan and white cougar on the back of my property. Not nearly as large as that black fella.
I came home to find large animal prints in my yard all around my house and when I looked them up the closest thing it appears to be is bobcat or cougar prints!
My wife and I were returning to our home in Wasaga Beach from Huntsville last evening. At about 8:30pm, we were driving in a late dusk when a big cat like animal darted across the road, which took less than a second.
The animal was low to the ground, extremely fast, even with its long tail. The only difference between what my wife and I saw independently was colour. I am sure it was black, while my wife says she saw a golden flank with a darker tail.
I had not heard of any sightings of cougars, or black cougars, before. I looked up “black cat like animal” on google, and we saw what others have also sighted. I saw a black cougar cross the 400 southbound around Sutton.
July 2017
Saw a gold and black cat like looking animal with long tail on portelance road north of capreol.
Two nights ago a predator came into our barn yard and took a 65lb 4 day old Hereford bull calf. We believe it was a cougar as they have been reported sightings in our Township of Brock. We have had coyote kills in he past and they leave evidence. I have reported the incident to the police, Township and MNR. Unfortunately the farmer is not reimbursed by the province as we can not produce the evidence.
Outside of Wingham on B-Line road I was coming home from Mildmay around 2am and there was a large black cat walking along the edge of the road. It’s head was wide and large, but the tail is what stood out. A long thick tail – it was black so really caught me off guard and confused me. I quickly turned around but it was gone.
So sorry Kendra, your message went astray! Sounds like a cougar to me and i have heard of others in that region!