Large cat conspiracy: MNR says newest cougar sighting is a puppy, no longer a panther

Excellent information, lower-city puppy homeowners: the one showed giant cat within the field is Stripes the Tiger-Cat.

Door-cam photos of a reputedly massive cat stalking throughout a London Boulevard South garden brought about fur to fly on-line this week after the puma-like photos was once posted to a Crown Level Fb web page.

The cat struggle started after a well-meaning caution {that a} cougar could also be at the prowl within the decrease metropolis — the fourth such record in Hamilton since 2020. “Looks as if we’ve got a large cat within the field. For those who don’t need your out of doors cats to be a snack deliver them indoors,” wrote a neighbourhood poster who later closed feedback at the contentious video.

The poster requested no longer be named on this tale to steer clear of additional “grief” from one of the extra excitable individuals of 173 feedback over only some days. The five-second video spurred debate over the dimensions and vary of mountain lions, Oskee-wee-wee references and the inevitable unhealthy jokes about Hamilton bars.

It additionally triggered a criticism to town, which forwarded it to the provincial Ministry of Herbal Assets. The ministry verdict got here again Tuesday: it’s a large area cat.

By means of e-mail, the ministry conceded the cat “seems to be massive to begin with” within the video, however its dimension relative to the auto within the background “ends up in the realization that may be a area cat.”

If that’s no longer sufficient for cat conspiracy theorists, a flora and fauna professional contacted via The Spec additionally identified obvious colouring at the paws and tail of the thriller pussycat that you wouldn’t in finding on a real cougar.

In equity to believers, giant cat sightings are turning into regimen in Hamilton.

In Might, a Greensville-area resident reported an alleged yard cougar. In 2020, town was once requested to appear into unconfirmed sightings in each Stoney Creek and alongside Burlington Boulevard.

Maximum reported cougar sightings in Ontario are misidentified flora and fauna like canine, lynx or coyotes affected by a pores and skin illness like mange. On occasion, despite the fact that, giant cats break out from small zoos and even personal properties.

There could also be some proof to indicate wild cougars have returned to Ontario, together with DNA discovered within the Wainfleet lavatory in 2004. That discovery triggered years of unconfirmed or false sightings — together with one alongside Freeway 403 in Hamilton that grew to become out to be a mangy coyote killed via a car.

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