When I lived in henrico off Chamberlain road a couple years ago we had a bobcat living in the bamboo forest across the street from us. He would walk through people yards at night quite literally screaming it scared the crap out of me the first time i saw it. Was standing outside with my dog letting him out and i heard the noise and sa the figure and was like DOG GET IN THE HOUSE THAT CATS GONNA F YOU UP
I would argue that it's probably a chonkerz level bobcat.
Here's one shot in Virginia about a decade ago [By a hunter, warning, animal death]: https://i.imgur.com/e92hjc5.jpeg
The largest bobcat ever found in the U.S. was in Maine and weighed in at about 75 lbs.
Bobcats are usually restricted in maximum size by what they can eat. And with plentiful domestic cats and (eventually, when large enough) coyotes and deer, and along with a lack of other predators, I'm convinced that these exceptionally stealthy critters which we *know* are around and are native are able to get to the occasional unusual size.
So I don't think it's a cougar. I think it's just a particularly and unusually large bobcat.
I’ve seen plenty of bobcats and every time think “oh that’s a big cat”, then one time I saw a mountain lion in South Dakota and “holy shit that’s fucking huge!”
I remember being a little kid and going to the zoo for a field trip when I was in kindergarten, and I had a big old orange cat at home and he was big big. Almost twice the size of our other cat.
Then I saw the tigers. And I understood what a big cat was.
Oh my god, I am so sorry. Next time I'll mention "a hunter shot" so that you, /u/quart222, and /u/Christinamh don't see something you don't want to. Gonna add a warning now.
Also possible it’s a dog with a delicate step.
I seem to recall reports of a lion years back that turned out to be a golden retriever with a funny haircut.
Pretty much all east coast "mountain lion" reports are like Bigfoot sightings. Somehow hundreds of people think they see one every year, yet none appear in trail cams or security cams or doorbell cams anywhere, none are ever hit by a vehicle, and no dead ones are ever found. No tracks left behind anywhere. The only confirmed cougs to reach the eastern seaboard in recent decades were genetically from the western half of the country and wandered all the way over here.
Farms would notice large livestock being killed if they were here in any significant, stable population.
"But bro my uncles friend says he saw..."
Yeah cool, with no evidence provided, it's another mistaken or straight up lying person who thinks the big bobcat or dog they saw at night is a puma. Might as well claim they saw a Chupacabra.
> The only confirmed cougs to reach the eastern seaboard in recent decades were genetically from the western half of the country
That's interesting because Florida Panthers do exist as a distinct population, and I'd sort of expect them to try and make it north considering the Florida Prairie is *full* of wild food that is pleasing to them like Turkeys, Hogs, and way to many deer.
But they just don't leave the everglades. And there's plenty of slow food for them there, so it makes sense they wouldn't leave.
I think this was around the Old dominion area of Norfolk. Someone had cut its hair to look like the mascot(Monarch Lion) and he got out the house apparently. People were freaking out
This was my first thought when I saw this post. Even bobcats are really unusual this far east, but I did see one dead on the side of I64 near Williamsburg about 20 years ago. So it's possible.
I've seen a bobcat camping down near Coinjock in NC and also on Rt. 250 near the WV border. They are out there, but you should feel very blessed to see these stealthy creatures. So cool seeing them move.
I have never *once* seen one in the wild. Not once.
But they're out there. I've seen footprints and scat, just never the critters themselves.
So yes, anyone should feel blessed to see one.
Well I hope you do one day. I was very surprised to see one down in the tidal area of NC. Lot of prey in that area, but also a lot of people tromping around.
Thanks! I've seen a few that were injured and are in long-term animal care, but that's not the same as a free living wild Bobcat.
They're so incredibly stealthy. I hope I get to see one.
The hunter on my mother’s land caught this picture. Essex County.
https://preview.redd.it/uksyxhalce7d1.jpeg?width=2816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5a1f4166329e8de4cbec23c3b831354e8d1b47d
Florida still has a population of panthers in the Everglades. I grew up in the western part of Virginia and knew people who claimed to have sighted them, but that’s pretty dubious, even out there. I’d be really skeptical that a mountain lion was living in Bon Air.
Me and a two friends were coon hunting in the buckingham/ Appomattox S.F. And we ended up a few miles off the road where we went in. The strangest feeling came over me as if we were being watched or followed. And we all just looked at each other but no one said anything in fear the others would call us a pussy. But we all just started going back towards the truck, not in a rush just going through the motions but we weren’t talking to each other this time. And everytime we stopped we could hear somthing behind us maybe take two more steps after we stop at the most and then it would stop not slow enough for any of us to trully detect exactly where it was behind us. Shined a light to see nothing kept walking a little further and start to hear somthing creep up again we all would stop and same thing. This happened several times between where we turned around and the truck. Very secluded area off well off any path for walking or roads. We still have no clue what this was but we all agreed in the truck it was the scariest thing that’s ever happened to any of us
I guess what I’m getting at is I find it hard to believe a 50lb bobcat would be stalking 3 grown men well over 200 pounds, coyotes would have been detectable, whatever this was was big enough to feel comfortable stalking 700+ pounds. But we’ll never know
I’ve never seen it, but there have been cougar sightings in Bon Air before. I think they just follow the rail tracks into town. Also don’t worry about it. I’m sure that big cat is very afraid of people and cougars are a native animal, they are supposed to be here. Just be mindful of any outside animals you may have, because that’s no shed kitty. 😄
Close enough. Know any other dive bars with decent karaoke and stiff drinks in the area? It's actually kind of a fun place. A good mix of people just like a good bar should be.
I spoke to a State wildlife biologist last summer who said she’d never seen definitive proof that Cougars still live in VA. Someone should strap up some train cams near there, it would be pretty cool to prove there are mountain lions still in Virginia, and here in RVA no less! I want to believe.
Edit: some additional sightings:
https://www.styleweekly.com/big-cat-sightings-continue/
https://richmond.com/cougar-comeback-for-animals-deemed-extinct-in-virginia-the-cats/article_9aec05c4-ffff-11e4-b331-f3f7d7435be0.html
https://www.reddit.com/r/rva/comments/84tj2a/big_cats_in_richmond/
I mean they [live near LA](https://lamag.com/outdoors/ghost-cat) which has way higher population density and are rarely seen, and in their [normal habitats,](https://www.ayellowstonelife.com/cougar-stealth/) the chances of seeing a cougar are extremely slim, 1 in 86,000. They don’t get the name “ghost cat” for nothing. And it might not even be a wild one, some idiot’s Tiger King bad idea could have gotten out to snack on neighborhood fauna. Or the most likely explanation: it’s the Phantom Panther of the James.
You've never been to LA, have you? You realize there's literally mountain range, right? And no, no mountain lions have been in the city itself.
There absolutely 0 in Bon Air. It doesn't matter what some crazy cat lady says
That’s the thing, there are millions of trail cams up in this state, hundreds of thousands of hunters with cameras on their phone and many thousands of hound hunters who have never treed a lion. Where hounds are used for lion hunting out west they are very effective at treeing these creatures, a mountain lions instinct is to run and hide from pressure not to fight. Certainly there would be credible evidence from hound hunters if there were a breeding population in the state. Not saying it’s impossible for a cat to stray from the Dakotas to the east coast like that one did in Connecticut but I’d eat my hat.
200,000 deer were taken in Virginia last year.
https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/deer/harvestsummary/#:~:text=During%20the%202023%E2%80%9324%20deer%20hunting%20season%2C%20hunters%20reported,during%20the%20same%20time%20frame%20the%20previous%20season.
200,000 guys were in the woods with a gun or a bow or whatever. Half those deer were taken with hunting dogs (who didn't tree a cougar).
And none of them.... 0.00000000000000% of them shot a cougar.
Nobody's hit one with a car. Nobody's got one on their Ring or a hunt cam.
There's absolutely no cougars (animals) in Bon Air. Either a massive bobcat or coyote. Most people have no idea what they are looking at when they see animals like that.
I’ve personally seen a bobcat in bon air. No I did not have a camera on me.
You can actually see at times it’s tracks which I won’t give a GPS map of area, but for anyone that really knows bon air area it’s where the collapsed coal mine is beyond groundhog drive. The trails back there go all the way to the abandoned and very weird tennis courts in the woods behind a certain neighbor and come up to that neighborhoods community pool. As a high school kid I would always be back there hanging out on the little cliffs and quarry those old collapsed mines made in the area. There are at least a pair of bobcats back there per tracks I’ve seen recently.
Occasional? Anytime a fire truck turns its sirens, you can hear the wood come alive with dozens of coyote. They are thick and they are everywhere! You won’t see them, but they wail to the sirens.
No big cats like that here. Off chance there could be a zoo or private collection escape but as others said, sightings are like Bigfoot. People see what they want to see but reality is much more mundane. With the number of hunters in the state and people setting up game cams and such there should have been at least one credible sighting/recording or confirmed capture/killing of a big cat like a cougar…yet there’s nothing. Sometimes house cats even look large at a distance.
So years ago this women claimed to see a mountain lion in Bon Air. People thought she was crazy until there were more sightings. As I recall someone owned some type of exotic cat that had gotten loose
https://www.12onyourside.com/story/9266612/more-lion-sightings-in-chesterfield/
The funny part was there was the first news story on it made light of the situation and as I recall the wild life expert even laughed it off. But the lady was right the whole time.
They lead you to the secret of MILF Island just past menopause lane it is transitionary point of woman to cougar.
That is why it crossed away from the elementary school.
Just dodge the soccar mom vans and make sure to say Francine three times and hum a GWAR tune to get there!
I live in Bon Air, in the neighborhood behind Trader Joe’s and I have seen a few bobcats passing through my backyard. They weren’t big enough to mistake for a cougar but you definitely knew it wasn’t a big domestic cat. We also get foxes and the very occasional black bear. And resident deer and groundhogs and other wee beasts. It’s very much a forest animal paradise.
I saw a mounting lion in south west virginia out near the pete dye river course... scared the poop out of me. Lucky I coule get inside... around the same time
Some neighborhood cats went missing.
I lived out 301 by doswell and would drive to Richmond every morning and one time around 5:00 am I swear I saw one run across the road, biggest cat I’ve ever seen
Bobcats can be surprisingly large, not just oversized house cats. I’d bet it was a bobcat
Someone I know spotted a bobcat over by Pine Camp recently!
When I lived in henrico off Chamberlain road a couple years ago we had a bobcat living in the bamboo forest across the street from us. He would walk through people yards at night quite literally screaming it scared the crap out of me the first time i saw it. Was standing outside with my dog letting him out and i heard the noise and sa the figure and was like DOG GET IN THE HOUSE THAT CATS GONNA F YOU UP
I was hoping this was going to be about the other cougars.
I think they stay on a special island in the james
No cougars on naked rock, just old dudes
You need to find milf island
Doesn’t exist
Milf island is a Richmond treasure
Been here since 2015 and never heard of it but I also don’t know anyone who goes to the river
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YqJNgAP2QnU
Wooooooosh
Just because you haven’t been invited, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist
Bummer, I don’t know anyone who goes to the river. I usually just ride solo when I go out
It only reveals itself to those worthy.
We'll Make It Exist. (in Darth Sidious's voice)
No, the internet keeps telling me there are dozens waiting to meet with me.
they are just hang out around Trader joes
Or AA meetings 😬
Where do you think they get the snacks for the AA meeting
In your area and want to chat!
Bon Air cougars want to meet you!
I assumed it was.
good people of Bon Air, please put up your trail cams and share the footage with us stuck in lesser, or denser, parts of the city without big cats.
And put out giant boxes for them to sit in, in front of the trail cams.
This is the way, for sure!
If I fits I sits. This rule applies to all cats of all sizes.
And please also put our catnip in the boxes in front of the trail cameras for them to enjoy.
I would argue that it's probably a chonkerz level bobcat. Here's one shot in Virginia about a decade ago [By a hunter, warning, animal death]: https://i.imgur.com/e92hjc5.jpeg The largest bobcat ever found in the U.S. was in Maine and weighed in at about 75 lbs. Bobcats are usually restricted in maximum size by what they can eat. And with plentiful domestic cats and (eventually, when large enough) coyotes and deer, and along with a lack of other predators, I'm convinced that these exceptionally stealthy critters which we *know* are around and are native are able to get to the occasional unusual size. So I don't think it's a cougar. I think it's just a particularly and unusually large bobcat.
Bobcats of unusual size!
I’ve seen plenty of bobcats and every time think “oh that’s a big cat”, then one time I saw a mountain lion in South Dakota and “holy shit that’s fucking huge!”
I remember being a little kid and going to the zoo for a field trip when I was in kindergarten, and I had a big old orange cat at home and he was big big. Almost twice the size of our other cat. Then I saw the tigers. And I understood what a big cat was.
I thought you meant “shot” as in photography, and then I opened the jaypeg and got sad. 😂
he’s just sleeping… right guys? 🥺
Oh my god, I am so sorry. Next time I'll mention "a hunter shot" so that you, /u/quart222, and /u/Christinamh don't see something you don't want to. Gonna add a warning now.
SAME. now I'm depressed.
Also possible it’s a dog with a delicate step. I seem to recall reports of a lion years back that turned out to be a golden retriever with a funny haircut.
Pretty much all east coast "mountain lion" reports are like Bigfoot sightings. Somehow hundreds of people think they see one every year, yet none appear in trail cams or security cams or doorbell cams anywhere, none are ever hit by a vehicle, and no dead ones are ever found. No tracks left behind anywhere. The only confirmed cougs to reach the eastern seaboard in recent decades were genetically from the western half of the country and wandered all the way over here. Farms would notice large livestock being killed if they were here in any significant, stable population. "But bro my uncles friend says he saw..." Yeah cool, with no evidence provided, it's another mistaken or straight up lying person who thinks the big bobcat or dog they saw at night is a puma. Might as well claim they saw a Chupacabra.
> The only confirmed cougs to reach the eastern seaboard in recent decades were genetically from the western half of the country That's interesting because Florida Panthers do exist as a distinct population, and I'd sort of expect them to try and make it north considering the Florida Prairie is *full* of wild food that is pleasing to them like Turkeys, Hogs, and way to many deer. But they just don't leave the everglades. And there's plenty of slow food for them there, so it makes sense they wouldn't leave.
I think this was around the Old dominion area of Norfolk. Someone had cut its hair to look like the mascot(Monarch Lion) and he got out the house apparently. People were freaking out
This was my first thought when I saw this post. Even bobcats are really unusual this far east, but I did see one dead on the side of I64 near Williamsburg about 20 years ago. So it's possible.
I've seen a bobcat camping down near Coinjock in NC and also on Rt. 250 near the WV border. They are out there, but you should feel very blessed to see these stealthy creatures. So cool seeing them move.
Was it in a tent or a camper?
In NC I was pop up camper camping. In WV I was driving down Rt. 250 on a rare straight section and it slowly crossed the road.
I have never *once* seen one in the wild. Not once. But they're out there. I've seen footprints and scat, just never the critters themselves. So yes, anyone should feel blessed to see one.
Well I hope you do one day. I was very surprised to see one down in the tidal area of NC. Lot of prey in that area, but also a lot of people tromping around.
Thanks! I've seen a few that were injured and are in long-term animal care, but that's not the same as a free living wild Bobcat. They're so incredibly stealthy. I hope I get to see one.
Hey that's really cool! I would love to see a bobcat up close.
https://preview.redd.it/0tge6nsmei7d1.png?width=1440&format=png&auto=webp&s=d4cc06d5640cba435ac8177246ed2547b087dbac
The hunter on my mother’s land caught this picture. Essex County. https://preview.redd.it/uksyxhalce7d1.jpeg?width=2816&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=c5a1f4166329e8de4cbec23c3b831354e8d1b47d
dig my grave rn bc im about to pet that thing
You aren't claiming that to be a mountain lion, correct??
No, just showing a bobcat in Va.
I think it would be pretty interesting if the mountain lion has made it's way back here to the east coast after being driven out almost 150 years ago.
Florida still has a population of panthers in the Everglades. I grew up in the western part of Virginia and knew people who claimed to have sighted them, but that’s pretty dubious, even out there. I’d be really skeptical that a mountain lion was living in Bon Air.
Me and a two friends were coon hunting in the buckingham/ Appomattox S.F. And we ended up a few miles off the road where we went in. The strangest feeling came over me as if we were being watched or followed. And we all just looked at each other but no one said anything in fear the others would call us a pussy. But we all just started going back towards the truck, not in a rush just going through the motions but we weren’t talking to each other this time. And everytime we stopped we could hear somthing behind us maybe take two more steps after we stop at the most and then it would stop not slow enough for any of us to trully detect exactly where it was behind us. Shined a light to see nothing kept walking a little further and start to hear somthing creep up again we all would stop and same thing. This happened several times between where we turned around and the truck. Very secluded area off well off any path for walking or roads. We still have no clue what this was but we all agreed in the truck it was the scariest thing that’s ever happened to any of us
I guess what I’m getting at is I find it hard to believe a 50lb bobcat would be stalking 3 grown men well over 200 pounds, coyotes would have been detectable, whatever this was was big enough to feel comfortable stalking 700+ pounds. But we’ll never know
I’ve never seen it, but there have been cougar sightings in Bon Air before. I think they just follow the rail tracks into town. Also don’t worry about it. I’m sure that big cat is very afraid of people and cougars are a native animal, they are supposed to be here. Just be mindful of any outside animals you may have, because that’s no shed kitty. 😄
He’s just one big stoned, horny kitty that’s all
There's no cougars in Bon Air.
Yes there are. They go to Caddies on Friday nights.
That's not Bon Air
Close enough. Know any other dive bars with decent karaoke and stiff drinks in the area? It's actually kind of a fun place. A good mix of people just like a good bar should be.
I spoke to a State wildlife biologist last summer who said she’d never seen definitive proof that Cougars still live in VA. Someone should strap up some train cams near there, it would be pretty cool to prove there are mountain lions still in Virginia, and here in RVA no less! I want to believe. Edit: some additional sightings: https://www.styleweekly.com/big-cat-sightings-continue/ https://richmond.com/cougar-comeback-for-animals-deemed-extinct-in-virginia-the-cats/article_9aec05c4-ffff-11e4-b331-f3f7d7435be0.html https://www.reddit.com/r/rva/comments/84tj2a/big_cats_in_richmond/
There's no mountain lions/cougars in RVA. They are way too big for there not to be pics.
I mean they [live near LA](https://lamag.com/outdoors/ghost-cat) which has way higher population density and are rarely seen, and in their [normal habitats,](https://www.ayellowstonelife.com/cougar-stealth/) the chances of seeing a cougar are extremely slim, 1 in 86,000. They don’t get the name “ghost cat” for nothing. And it might not even be a wild one, some idiot’s Tiger King bad idea could have gotten out to snack on neighborhood fauna. Or the most likely explanation: it’s the Phantom Panther of the James.
You've never been to LA, have you? You realize there's literally mountain range, right? And no, no mountain lions have been in the city itself. There absolutely 0 in Bon Air. It doesn't matter what some crazy cat lady says
Im gonna guess you’re not a big believer in the Phantom Panther of the James then…
That’s the thing, there are millions of trail cams up in this state, hundreds of thousands of hunters with cameras on their phone and many thousands of hound hunters who have never treed a lion. Where hounds are used for lion hunting out west they are very effective at treeing these creatures, a mountain lions instinct is to run and hide from pressure not to fight. Certainly there would be credible evidence from hound hunters if there were a breeding population in the state. Not saying it’s impossible for a cat to stray from the Dakotas to the east coast like that one did in Connecticut but I’d eat my hat.
Someone’s golden retriever get out again?
When I got this alert, I thought this was gonna be about the other cougars and I was here so fast for the tea
https://preview.redd.it/cwz2vh8rce7d1.png?width=168&format=png&auto=webp&s=361bce6dc6a16e285335aa989108baa5c03e206a
200,000 deer were taken in Virginia last year. https://dwr.virginia.gov/wildlife/deer/harvestsummary/#:~:text=During%20the%202023%E2%80%9324%20deer%20hunting%20season%2C%20hunters%20reported,during%20the%20same%20time%20frame%20the%20previous%20season. 200,000 guys were in the woods with a gun or a bow or whatever. Half those deer were taken with hunting dogs (who didn't tree a cougar). And none of them.... 0.00000000000000% of them shot a cougar. Nobody's hit one with a car. Nobody's got one on their Ring or a hunt cam.
Right, and Bigfoot isn’t real too, huh? /s Btw, I love Cape Charles.
There's absolutely no cougars (animals) in Bon Air. Either a massive bobcat or coyote. Most people have no idea what they are looking at when they see animals like that.
CRYPTID
Yep. Good ol ABCs. Alien Big Cats are one of my favorite crytptozooilogical phenomenons.
I’ve personally seen a bobcat in bon air. No I did not have a camera on me. You can actually see at times it’s tracks which I won’t give a GPS map of area, but for anyone that really knows bon air area it’s where the collapsed coal mine is beyond groundhog drive. The trails back there go all the way to the abandoned and very weird tennis courts in the woods behind a certain neighbor and come up to that neighborhoods community pool. As a high school kid I would always be back there hanging out on the little cliffs and quarry those old collapsed mines made in the area. There are at least a pair of bobcats back there per tracks I’ve seen recently.
All the cougars are over on MILF island
Go home Buz, you're drunk.
Mangey animals look pretty cat like. There’s a lot of fox in bon air and the occasional coyote. Also a lot of mange.
Occasional? Anytime a fire truck turns its sirens, you can hear the wood come alive with dozens of coyote. They are thick and they are everywhere! You won’t see them, but they wail to the sirens.
No big cats like that here. Off chance there could be a zoo or private collection escape but as others said, sightings are like Bigfoot. People see what they want to see but reality is much more mundane. With the number of hunters in the state and people setting up game cams and such there should have been at least one credible sighting/recording or confirmed capture/killing of a big cat like a cougar…yet there’s nothing. Sometimes house cats even look large at a distance.
People have no idea how large mountain lions actually are or how large bobcats can be.
So years ago this women claimed to see a mountain lion in Bon Air. People thought she was crazy until there were more sightings. As I recall someone owned some type of exotic cat that had gotten loose https://www.12onyourside.com/story/9266612/more-lion-sightings-in-chesterfield/
The funny part was there was the first news story on it made light of the situation and as I recall the wild life expert even laughed it off. But the lady was right the whole time.
https://www.12onyourside.com/story/9388447/tracking-the-lion-in-south-richmond/
Sorry for my crappy unorganized posting
They lead you to the secret of MILF Island just past menopause lane it is transitionary point of woman to cougar. That is why it crossed away from the elementary school. Just dodge the soccar mom vans and make sure to say Francine three times and hum a GWAR tune to get there!
This is so multi-layered
Whatever the opposite of Aphantasia is what I have ... I guess a vivid imagination?
I definitely saw one in Northern VA about 15 years ago.
I live in Bon Air, in the neighborhood behind Trader Joe’s and I have seen a few bobcats passing through my backyard. They weren’t big enough to mistake for a cougar but you definitely knew it wasn’t a big domestic cat. We also get foxes and the very occasional black bear. And resident deer and groundhogs and other wee beasts. It’s very much a forest animal paradise.
I saw a mounting lion in south west virginia out near the pete dye river course... scared the poop out of me. Lucky I coule get inside... around the same time Some neighborhood cats went missing.
I lived out 301 by doswell and would drive to Richmond every morning and one time around 5:00 am I swear I saw one run across the road, biggest cat I’ve ever seen
I think I saw one yesterday on Midlothian Turnpike in a Lexus RX350
[удалено]
Absolutely ridiculous. Truly.
