Although the Eastern Cougar was officially declared extinct by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2011, dozens of Virginians have reported sightings of the reclusive predator in recent years. Most of the sightings have occurred in the mountain ranges of the western part of the state—until now.
Grainy images caught on a wildlife cam at Potomac Overlook Park suggest that a large cat may be prowling the North Arlington neighborhoods along the Potomac River’s edge.
“I’m not surprised there’s been a cougar sighting in Arlington,” observes wildlife expert Marlin Perkins. “And I’m not referring to the kind you might see around Washington Golf, mahjong parlors, the Organic Butcher or local boutiques, like Covet. We’re talking about the Eastern Cougar, also known as a puma or mountain lion. It’s a stealthy beast that can adapt to many different environments.”
The Potomac provides a “wildlife highway” for various migrating species. As a result, Arlington is no stranger to larger predators, including coyotes and the occasional black bear.
Local officials recommend keeping small children and pets indoors out of an abundance of caution until the images can be verified. When shown the photo, naturalist Steve Erwin exclaimed, “Crikey, that’s a big cat! But probably AI or a crazy bloke in a cat costume. An actual cougar isn’t going on a walkabout all the way from Albuquerque to Arlington.” (Cougar populations have rebounded and are thriving in the western U.S.)
The Eastern Cougar, once common from Maine to Florida, went by many names, including the Catamount (the mascot for the University of Vermont), Nittany Lion (the mascot for Penn State University) and the Carolina Panther (the mascot for the NFL team of the same name). Although a beloved symbol, the large cat was driven to extinction by hunting, bounty programs, habitat loss and a lack of prey, primarily deer, which also were nearly hunted to extinction in Virginia decades ago.
But in an ironic twist, the local deer population has recently rebounded and become a nuisance. Some naturalists have suggested reintroducing the cougar as a natural predator to keep their numbers in check. “Perhaps Arlington County officials have surreptitiously brought the big cats here to deal with the deer population,” posits local nutritionist and wildlife hunter Rob Kennedy. “I wouldn’t put it past them. This isn’t the Arlington Way, and we demand answers. We need to get to the bottom of Cougar-gate.”
He added that we should all follow a “cougar-inspired diet” and consume more red meat.
Arlington Magazine will continue following this story.
#AprilFools