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[RC] released exotics, cougar behavior and horses - Marv WalkerWe all *used* to say that, but never say never. I use the word "generally" now. They *have* attacked riders on horses and riders in groups, even riders with dogs. Indeed it is very rare, but has happened. The frequency of attacks on hikers and bikers has gone up. The frequency of attacks on riders and horses has gone up. We attribute this to the fact that the human population and trail use going up. And then there are the cats that are released by those who have found their "babies" aren't all that manageable any longer. One night as I was walking between two of our farms I happened to shine my flashlight on what appeared to be a small deer going up the road away from me. It wasn't moving like a deer and I couldn't really decide what it was until it suddenly dawned on me it was a large cat - a cougar. Now, that's something you don't expect to see in Atlanta metro but there it was. As it went up the road I thought, "That cat has had a rough life, its ears are broken over and part of its tail is gone." (Streamlight flashlights throw one heck of a beam.) I still had trouble with my cougar assessment because it wasn't moving like one but there was no doubt it was cougar like. A week later on the Discovery Channel they were showing this bird flying along an African veldt when all of a sudden this cat exploded out of the grass and snatched it right out of the air. That cat and my cat were identical, a caracal. The cat makes periodic visits. I have seen it twice more, once with a witness, and have found numerous tracks and signs of its presence. It makes some pretty awesome scat buries, one of which ripped chunks of frozen ground into a 4 inch high pile. I saw it one evening and its actions told me that it wasn't that afraid of people. We have had newborn foals here and the cat hasn't bothered them to my knowledge. Released exotics are a little publicized occurrence in a lot of areas. Marv "Here, Kitty, Kitty! Here, Kitty, Kitty! Ohhhh %^$&#@*!!" Walker World's Best Hoofpick- http://VideoBookStore.com/hoofpick.htm
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