# Possible cougar sightings in Battle Creek



## Tracker83 (Jun 21, 2005)

Updated: May 10, 2006 05:59 PM EDT

By KRISTI ANDERSEN

BATTLE CREEK -- Are there cougars in West Michigan? Some Battle Creek residents think so.

For the past week, Cindy Evans has been on edge. More than once, she has spotted two large cats and is convinced they are cougars.

A week ago, one of the animals attacked, and almost killed, one of her miniature deer.

She is not alone. The Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Division verifies that several people in the Battle Creek area have recently reported seeing a large cat.

DNR biologists have taken evidence samples, but so far have not found any scientific proof of a breeding population of cougars in West Michigan.

However, not every wildlife expert agrees. The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy sent one of its biologists to visit Evans on Wednesday. Judging by the claw markings, he believes what she saw what attacked her deer was in fact a cougar.

The DNR says it will continue to look into the sightings.

Meanwhile, the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy will hold a public meeting to talk about these sightings and what residents can do about them. The event will be held at 7 p.m. on May 25 at Lakeview High School in Battle Creek.

http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=4887839&nav=menu44_2


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## Overdew (Sep 7, 2004)

Here he goes through my back yard. Sorry couldn't resist :lol:


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## Tracker83 (Jun 21, 2005)

> The Michigan Wildlife Conservancy sent one of its biologists to visit Evans on Wednesday. Judging by the claw markings, he believes what she saw what attacked her deer was in fact a cougar.


Oooh, if the MWC says so then it must be true.:lol:  :lol:  




> Meanwhile, the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy will hold a public meeting to talk about these sightings and what residents can do about them. The event will be held at 7 p.m. on May 25 at Lakeview High School in Battle Creek.


I wonder if the Michigan Wildlife Habitat Foundation oops I mean the MWC will focus on donating to their organization like they have at their other "public meetings"?:16suspect


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Detective reports mountain lion encounter

Battle Creek police today are warning residents in the southwest section of the city that a mountain lion might be loose. 

The department issued a warning after a police sergeant this week saw what he believed was a mountain lion, according to Cmdr. Jackie Hampton.

Hampton said Thursday that he issued the warning for residents to be cautious and notified the DNR after Detective Sgt. Todd Madsen and his family reported seeing a big cat and two cubs near their home on Gethings Road.

http://www.battlecreekenquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060609/NEWS01/606090305/1002


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## Banditto (Jun 9, 2000)

"here fefe" 

"here fefe"

"has anyone seen my kitty fefe?"


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## unregistered55 (Mar 12, 2000)

"Possible" covers just about everything and therefore means nothing now doesn't it? I just don't understand why any credibility continues to be given to this cougar myth. Must be the same kind of people who buy the National Inquirer and insist that Sasquatch's are roaming the country.


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## BVW (Jul 25, 2002)

From the BattleCreek enquierer


> Madsen said his wife, Christy, their daughter, 11, and son, 8, along with another woman and her two children, saw the cubs playing on a brush pile in a field behind the Madsen house about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
> Madsen said the women and children watched the cubs *for a half hour *before he arrived home. He said he went into a thicket near a swamp behind his house about 9 p.m. with a flashlight when he realized a large animal was crouched in the thick brush.
> "It hunkered down, and I got within 10 feet and was shining my light," he said. "It wasn't a coyote, and a deer wouldn't let you get that close. I was walking up there, and it just exploded out of the thicket. It was low to the ground and in the thick stuff, and I didn't get a 100 percent good look at it


 I guess the camera has not been disovered yet in battlecreek 
Swamp with 3 cougars and no tracks..scat...hair.... 

If this dink is worried about public safety why didn't he get on the phone with animal control and get some dogs on this cat and re-located it to more suitible cougar habitat like Sterling heights?

These stores just keep getting more and more funny everytime. Sad thing is people actually believe these stories.


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## M1Garand (Apr 12, 2006)

BVW, you said exactly what I was thinking when I read that. Gee let's watch these "mountain lions" for a half hour but not call the DNR or get a camera. Then I'll go out and look around some more without a camera or anything else to help prove what we're seening... . 



> "It hunkered down, and I got within 10 feet and was shining my light," he said. "It wasn't a coyote, and a deer wouldn't let you get that close. I was walking up there, and it just exploded out of the thicket. It was low to the ground and in the thick stuff, and I didn't get a 100 percent good look at it."


I've walked up to deer on at least two occasions where they were bedded and they didn't bolt until I was 10 feet. One I actually walked by and she only got up when a hunting partner came up behind me. And no 100% good look...but it was a mountain lion... I don't want to rule it out mountain lions in MI, it'd be nice to get some solid proof and be kinda cool actually but some of these sightings are ridiculous with no thought of cameras or anything. 

One thing I found is many people who have never seen or aren't familiar with bobcats don't realize how large they are. I wonder if some of these sightings are actually glimpses of bobcats. And they know they were mountain lion and not bobcat kittens?


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## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

In Battle Creek there is only one cool cat and its not a cougar. Its a Tiger
Tony the Tiger!!!! They're Grrrrreat!!!!


Jeeze, you would think the Good Folks of Battle Creek would know a tiger
from a cougar!!!


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## BVW (Jul 25, 2002)

MEL said:


> In Battle Creek there is only one cool cat and its not a cougar. Its a Tiger
> Tony the Tiger!!!! They're Grrrrreat!!!!
> Jeeze, you would think the Good Folks of Battle Creek would know a tiger
> from a cougar!!!


LoL ! 

Migarand,
That is a possibility, I was with a friend down in Northern Indiana that set-up a trail cam because at a place we coyote hunt they had a few bobcat sightings. Sure enough in a few days he had some great pics of a pair of bobcats.
A 35 pound bobcat is a large animal, most adult coyotes only wiegh around 35, to see a Cat larger than a Coyote would spark someone to claim cougar i am sure. Especially if the word "Cougar" is plastered all over the news.


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## Freestone (May 15, 2003)

Actually the detective is reportedly an avid hunter and was certain he saw a cougar. It doesn't seem unreasonable that an escaped cougar pet could be on the loose. After all wasn't that the argument on most of these threads in the past? "There are alot of illegal pet cougars in the state". I don't think most of these people care if the folks here need a picture or DNA evidence. And they probably aren't interested in a bunch of hounds trespassing on everyones property. If we can't trust a police detectives judgement......


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## MEL (Jul 17, 2005)

That must be it. Pets, There are a lot of pet cougars in Michigan. I couldnt count the number of people who i know that have pet cougars. Cougars are #3 on the most wanted list. Right after Dogs and Cats. Oops, a cougar is a cat so that would make them the #2 pet!!!
So i guess that was a pet couger that the news reported in Monroe
8 years ago.
...and a pet couger the news reported there 4 years ago.
...and a pet cougar the news reported in Sterling hgts 2 years ago.
(i loved the stlering hgts sighting. right in the middle of metro Detroit. 3 million people and a cougar lives right in the middle of us!!!!)
...and a pet cougar in Grand rapids area last year
...and now a pet cougar in Battle creek!!!

I still think its Tony the Tiger stalking a box of Sugar Frosted Flakes!!!
They're Grrrrrreat!!!


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## Sailor (Jan 2, 2002)

I saw a Cougar in Newago County about fifteen years ago and a Wolverine near Peacock while turkey hunting about ten years ago. I reported both incidents to the DNR and on both occasions felt ridiculed and stupid for having made the reports. Every time cougars come up on this sight several of the members promptly insult, mock,and ridicule those who report sightings.
Anyone who has ever seen a cougar knows there is no other animal let alone bobcats, housecats, or dogs that look anything like them. As far as "breeding
pairs" go it would be important to biologists and game managers but has nothing to do with if a policeman and many others are lying about cougar sightings. As far as urban sightings go-thats where all the prey is.


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## Ralph Smith (Apr 1, 2003)

Well could be a escapee, pet or whatever, but other than that, don't think its natural to michigan thats for sure. Easiest way to tell apart from bobcat, is look for tail when you see one. 

As far as being possible, could be. I mean just last year there was a wolverine in the thumb area that was documented:chillin: If it is true, someone will have pics soon as they did with woverine, otherwise just another ghost of the michigan woods.


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## M1Garand (Apr 12, 2006)

Freestone said:


> If we can't trust a police detectives judgement......


It's not that you can't trust a police detectives judgement, but they are also human and make errors too. And wildlife is not their expertise. He also said he didn't get a 100% good look. Sometimes when that seed of mountain lions being everywhere is planted and sensationalized by the media, people tend to either see what they want to see or what they believe they saw. 

I don't know if anyone recalls last year when they supposidly discovered the Ivory Billed Woodpecker in Arkansas. It was believed to be extinct and after the media attention that followed, calls came pouring in claiming sightings of Ivory Bills from all over the US. They all turned out to be the Pileated Woodpecker, which is very similar, but smaller and also fairly common. 

Some sightings may be genuine and I don't want to say they're not. Seems like it would've been easy to verify this one by sending out a biologist as whatever it was, it can't get far very fast with young kittens.


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## yungbuck616 (Nov 20, 2005)

I live in Battle Creek and around the area where this cougar was supposely seen. The area is in Lakeview school distract and the road Gethings isn't very wildlife friendly its got some vacant land by it but is mostly houses and sub-divisions. So even if there was cougars in the area I wouldn't expect it to be around this area. Now in north Battle Creek area in Bedford and surrounding areas their has been abnormal paw prints in the mud and ground. But living in Battle Creek for 20 years not sure if I would believe this detective. I'm not saying there is defiently no cougars in the area but until I see pics or something I will still be skeptikal. Guess I will keep looking when I am hunting this year about 13 miles from where this cougar supposely was.


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