Elusive mountain lion sightings continue in Valley

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUcHqfzbAwkmrVy2FHKKRYM-Gw26UIewXH419ZGmGdkJheZzkfEqCZqFlKQzw7fs59vWxXCSFN6xx2DwzIjLq2i5sbWZpU-_mhyphenhyphen46wyaTRthdccKqmFYL4cznb3ncidBB4-lX945ODTj7/s1600/Mountain+lion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUcHqfzbAwkmrVy2FHKKRYM-Gw26UIewXH419ZGmGdkJheZzkfEqCZqFlKQzw7fs59vWxXCSFN6xx2DwzIjLq2i5sbWZpU-_mhyphenhyphen46wyaTRthdccKqmFYL4cznb3ncidBB4-lX945ODTj7/s1600/Mountain+lion.jpg" /></a></div><br />When my husband and I bought our house west of Staunton in 1997, one of the first things the homeowner told us was about seeing a mountain lion crossing our quiet street. According to him, the mountain lion had reportedly killed a calf in the field beside the house. Nothing, however, came of it. Throughout the years, various Valley residents have reported sightings of the elusive creature but, according to Friday's <a href="http://www.newsleader.com/article/20130905/NEWS01/309050026/Have-you-seen-Valley"><i>News Leader</i></a>, there has never been positive evidence of mountain lions in the area: <br /><blockquote>Lee Walker, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, said they get calls on a regular basis on mountain lion sightings, but have never been able to substantiate any as true sightings.<br />...<br />The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has cited the mountain lion, or puma, to be an endangered or threatened animal in Virginia since 1979.<br /><br />Since 1970, scores of mountain lion sightings have been reported without a single one being confirmed, the department reports. Most occur in Shenandoah National Park and in Bedford, Amherst and Nelson counties. Others have been clustered in the Valley.</blockquote>Read more about this curiously interesting cat <a href="http://www.newsleader.com/article/20130905/NEWS01/309050026/Have-you-seen-Valley">here</a>.

Augusta County mountain lions puma Shenandoah National Park Shenandoah Valley Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries western Virginia Elusive mountain lion sightings continue in Valley

When my husband and I bought our house west of Staunton in 1997, one of the first things the homeowner told us was about seeing a mountain lion crossing our quiet street. According to him, the mountain lion had reportedly killed a calf in the field b…

Read more »