Latest ‘big cat’ track ID’d as canine

Still a mystery: ‘Do cougars are panthers exist in Mississippi?’

Another possible story of a track of a really large cat —presumably a cougar or a panther — in Mississippi was quickly debunked Monday, thanks to a meeting that included many wildlife biologists in one setting.

The photo of a paw print left in soft soil in Jones County was identified as that of a canine animal, not a feline.

But, it didn’t come without debate.

Gary Hollimon of Petal sent the accompanying photo to Mississippi Sportsman on Monday with the following information:

“I’m sure you have seen these kind of tracks before but it is the first I have found. The track is over 3 inches. I followed the trail about 50 yards before I found a perfect one to take a picture of. It is located south of Hebron in Jones County. My Rottweiler track is 2½ inches and she weighs 82 pounds. This is a pretty big cat.”

The photo was then relayed to Ricky Flynt, the alligator and fur-bearing animal project leader for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Flynt was at an Eastern Black Bear Conference hosted by MDWFP at Lake Tiak-O-Kata in Louisville that included many specialists in identifying tracks, and was reached via text messaging on his phone.

He pursued the question.

His first text: “I’m at the conference and letting some real specialists look at it. Will get back to you. Jury is still out right now.”

His next text: “Confirmed with specialists … it is canine (dog). … They told me the symmetry of the track is a tell-tale sign of canine.”

The knife used by Hollimon for scale is positioned in front of the track, opposite the heel. In comparing feline (cat) and canine (dog) tracks, the symmetry is a key to identifying the source.

According to several Internet sites, including http://www.bear-tracker.com/caninevsfeline.html, which gave a link to a Power-Point presentation, big cats and canines have clearly different symmetries. It is the site most biologists cited to Flynt.

According to the Power-Point:

“If you look at a dog track, there is an overall balance to it. The toes are aligned with each other and you can draw relatively neat straight lines by intersecting the toes.

“A cougar track is asymmetrical. There is a leading toe usually identifiable. This characteristic is very important in differentiating cougar from dog tracks.”

When drawing lines through the toes of a cougar, or feline, the resulting grid appears askew, unlike the nearly perfect “tic-tac-toe” game grid of a canine.

An indicator of a cougar print is a distinct teardrop shape to its toes, especially the front toe. Canines lack that feature and are more rounded.

Another clue to the origination of Hollimon’s print is the “pad” or heel part of the track. Cougar (or panthers) and canines have completely different pad shapes. On a cougar, the leading edge of the pad has two lobes. On canines, there is just one lobe, as in Hollimon’s photo.

Hollimon’s photo also shows a pad that has just two lobes on the rear of the pads, indicative of a canine. On a cougar, or a panther, there are three lobes.

One final clue from Hollimon’s photo is a clearly defined X-shaped pattern between the pad and toe prints (look for the ridges radiating out of the center). On a feline print, the pattern is clearly C-shaped.

The MDWFP receives scores of reports of panthers and cougars each year, and, while most are quickly proven untrue, the sheer number of sightings or reports of loud scowling sounds keeps the debate going.