By Louie Stout

Last week’s story about a confirmed cougar sighting in southern Michigan brought us mail from readers who believe they saw one in this area as a year ago.

Scott Helms of South Bend wrote:

“Last year my wife and I spotted one at Potato Creek State Park. We were driving not too far from the main gate, heading toward the nature center to go walking when we smelled a dead carcass in the air. Immediately after, we spotted a large cat-like animal run across the road in front of our vehicle. Unfortunately, it didn’t want to stand around for a photo op, otherwise we would have taken a picture. When we reported it to a DNR officer at the Nature Center, he told us they have had other reports just like ours, but until someone gets a photo, they can’t confirm it. During the past year, someone reported on Facebook a sighting west of South Bend. That person didn’t get a photo either.”

Barbara Tibbets, the Potato Creek naturalist who has been on the job for about a year, said she had received quite a few reports of bobcat sightings but none of “cougars.”

“There have been confirmed sightings in southern Indiana but none that I’m aware of in this area,” she said. “Also, there is absolutely no evidence of a breeding population in Indiana.”

Tibbets agrees that, if there are large cats in Michiana, they likely are transients coming through from western states where there are breeding populations.

Of course, it’s possible that some Michiana readers are spotting bobcats and think they are cougars. Indiana’s breeding bobcat population appears to be rising.

However, there are distinguishable differences: cougars have long tails, bobcats’ tails are stubbier, hence their names. Cougars are large, with 5 to 6-foot body length and can weigh over 100 pounds while bobcats are less than 4 feet long and weigh closer to 40 pounds.

Ken Price of Granger also wrote that he saw a cougar about seven years ago. Price said he has a deep interest in nature throughout his life and could identify many mammals and birds in the wild. He also had studied biological sciences in college.

The animal he saw crossed in front of him on County Road 2 between CR 5 and County Line Road in Elkhart County.

“It was a tawny-colored adult cougar that was about 30 yards away from me when it crossed the road,” he said. “It had a deliberate but unhurried gait. The large muscular tail and head were very distinct.”

Following the sighting, Price mentioned it to a man who lives on the south side of CR 2. He said he had seen more than one on his property and heard distinct howls a number of times.

Given these fascinating testimonials, it’s baffling that similar sightings haven’t been reported by hunters going about their pastime in early morning hours or by farmers who spend a lot of time in their fields. Nor has there been a report of loss of livestock.

On the other hand, cougars typically prefer dense cover far from humans. They feed primarily on deer, rabbits, turkeys and other small animals.