What to do?

[woof]

shvar, I don't get what you are saying. You're not really saying the cat is in the tree are you? If you are, you're not serious are you? The cat is on the countour of the land back there which we can't really see clearly but he is silhouetted against the sky which both makes him look larger (like the moon on the horizon) and it makes him look black because of backlighting when he could be any color. Try to find the Monster Quest episode where the the alleged black panther in WV is proven during the show to be 264 yards away and 24 inches long. Yet even I have to admit that when viewing it, I get the feeling it might be panther size.

I also want to say on parting with this thread that there is something else about this picture than convinces me it is a housecat. it is the way it is sauntering along, very upright (you can see daylight under it) and like it is its home turf. A cougar, if it were bold enough to come that close to houses, would be moving rapidly through the area in a posture more low slung and with head and neck extended forward. If anyone is interested I can post pictures of cougars on the move and you can see what I mean.

 

[MDG1976]

Try to find the Monster Quest episode where the the alleged black panther in WV is proven during the show to be 264 yards away and 24 inches long.

i've seen that episode. it's a good one.

 

[SHvar]

The simple fact regardless of where the apparition is in the picture, there is no such thing as a black cougar, a black panther is a jaguar, a young male jaguar before it gains its spots, or the cases where they stay mostly black throughout life.
None the less the apparition in the photo is not shaped like any cat aside from a felis domesticus, a house cat. Take a look at any larger small cat such as a cougar, the profile is completely different, theres no mistaking them. Take a look at any big cat such as leopards, jaguar, lion, tiger, all are shaped different than this thing.
Its a deceptive photo of a housecat, and yes it looks to be at the right angle in the trees to look as if it is in the field on the hilltop. If it were at that distance on the hilltop it would be bigger than any cat that has ever walked the earth, it would be the size of a bufalo. Maybe because Ive seen cougars in person, large dogs, coyotes, large hoofed animals, etc in the open in fields, and the woods, so theres just no doubt that its a bad photo with a housecat, and someone (probably whoever took the photo) perpetrating a hoax.

 

[flying_gage]

Just had to weigh in here.

Grew up in the mountains of Colorado. We had bobcats up there every so often and then there were rumors of something larger out there like a mountain cat. Everyone said, "nope, no way". The first time that cat screeched or whatever you want to call it, I near about screamed bloody murder. No bobcat makes that sort of noise! Point is, a week or so later, they found a juvenile mountain lion munching on someones dog.

Could be just about anything? But it wouldn't surprise me were it a big cat. If the picture is bonafide then that is my guess.

Now liability wise? Letter or the law or spirit of the law? By the letter, you have no oblligation and could tell him to mind his own business and that's that. Spirit of the law, just keep in mind the "reasonable person" thing; he has a picture that you have posted on the worldwide web, he has told you it's a cat and now God forbid it roams back and eats one of his kids. Not sure how it is in Kansas, but a jury in a CIVIL trial has alot more lee-way in determining liability. Typically it is a "preponderance of guilt vs. beyond a reasonable doubt".

If it were me, I would do everything feasible and reasonable to protect not only my kids but his too. Big cats can roam upwards of 20 miles a day if memory serves me. So 5 acres is nothing. Nothing to say that it won't come back. Also, if you have large turkey populations it will stick around.

Last but not least if it is a mountain lion, it is still an animal. No matter what anyone says, animals are unpredictable. Seems to me those colorful guys Sigfried and Roy forgot that. He was a supposed expert on big cats. Didn't work so well for him...

Just my .02

 

[Art Eatman]

This has gone way away from any legal issues...