Video shows monster-sized mystery cat in Mississippi field
HERNANDO, Miss. — David Sluder said he was picking up some food at Wendy's in Hernando on Wednesday when he caught what appears to be a big cat walking out of the woods across the street.
A really big cat.
"I can assure you this is not a house cat," Sluder said in a Facebook post. "It looks to be the same size as a medium to large dog."
Wildlife officials have said that big cats like panthers or cougars have been extinct in Mississippi for 100 years due to habitat changes and hunting, but people claim to have spotted the animals over the past 30 years.
"Most biologists credit these sightings to misidentification, released exotic pets or (rarely) animals passing through from places like Texas where lions still live," the Mississippi State University Extension Service says.
HERNANDO, Miss. — David Sluder said he was picking up some food at Wendy's in Hernando on Wednesday when he caught what appears to be a big cat walking out of the woods across the street.
A really big cat.
"I can assure you this is not a house cat," Sluder said in a Facebook post. "It looks to be the same size as a medium to large dog."
Wildlife officials have said that big cats like panthers or cougars have been extinct in Mississippi for 100 years due to habitat changes and hunting, but people claim to have spotted the animals over the past 30 years.
"Most biologists credit these sightings to misidentification, released exotic pets or (rarely) animals passing through from places like Texas where lions still live," the Mississippi State University Extension Service says.
