Conference misery::feline_v1

633.0. "Big Cats in New Jersey?" by 25175::KALLIS (Hallowe'en should be legal holiday) Wed Jun 24 1987 10:29

        
    -The following may talk of ==>big<== cats ...
    
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    Copyright 1986 The Associated Press
    
                        Unknown Creature Spooks Jersey
    
    WOODBURY, N.J. (AP) Mysterious roars and growls from the darkened
    woods have spurred residents to form search parties and police to
    try to trap what may be a wild animal on the loose in the Pine
    Barrens. "They think this is just another one of those incidents
    like the Jersey Devil," said Carol Davis on Tuesday, referring to
    the mythical creature said to have stalked the Pinelands for 
    generations.  She and her husband, Allen, have been afraid to let
    their daughters play outside their Pittsgrove Township home, 15
    miles south of Woodbury, after they heard the sounds and saw some
    type of large animal in the woods outside their home last week.
    "It's not safe. It shouldn't stay out there," she said. 
    Police and state wildlife officials are trying to track down the
    mysterious animal causing the noises, which only are heard at night.
    "I personally don't know what it is," said state police Detective
    Sgt. William Prato. "We've had reports of a large black cat with
    a large black tail." 
    Prato said it's possible that a panther could be combing the densely
    wooded sections of Vineland and Pittsgrove Township near the Maurice
    River. But it's also possible the sounds disturbing residents since
    early June could be from wild dogs or domestic cats in heat, 
    he said. "We've never really had anything like this before," he
    said.
    Vineland Police Capt. James A. Forcinito said investigators have
    found tracks, but are unable to determine if they are from dogs,
    foxes, raccoons or possibly bears. 
    Forcinito also said there have been three reports since January
    of household animals ripped apart in Vineland by an unknown creature.
    "People are speculating it's a (wild) cat because of the sightings,"
    he said.  The Davises caught a quick look at the animal June 14
    after hearing the sounds from a patch of woods behind their home.
    "We walked into the woods and I saw something hit the ground after
    falling out of a tree," Mrs. Davis said. "Right after it fell and
    hit the ground, we heard the growls again." 
    They heard the sounds the next night, but not since.  Mrs. Davis
    said she and her husband have been ridiculed by some who say the 
    mysterious animal is just a hoax. "We know what we heard," she said.
    "I know it was a wild cat. It was a roar." Prato said a trap has
    been set and police are patrolling, but he's not pleased that some 
    residents have banded together with informal search parties. "I
    drove by the area last night and saw five or six people sitting on the
    river bank with binoculars," Prato said. "Anybody would be crazy
    to be out there unarmed." 
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    At least it _might_ be a melanistic cougar.  Or...?
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    Based on my urban and suburban experiences, I'd guess it's just
    a nasty-tempered raccoon, until more evidence surfaces.  It fits
    the description (with some leeway granted for how large is "large"):
    big tail, falls out of trees, makes appalling noises, has fights
    to the death with pets.

My friend, Connie, lives in southern N.J., and is a mortgate orginator whose
territory includes Vineland.  She thought it was really funny that the
cat in N.J. made our notesfile!  Anyway, she asked me to let everyone know
that, yes, there is something big down there...but Vineland is the home of
the yearly "Zucchini Fest" and is known as the "Dandilion Capital of the World".
..so we shouldn't take much credence with anything we hear about Vineland!!
She also told me she would keep me (us) posted.  

In retrospect, she shouldn't have been surprised that "Big Cat in N.J." made
the news here.  Do all of you remember when Gov. Curley's desk was missing?
Well, that made the Philadelphia news!

J.