Exotic Feline in Tennessee

While I won't be posting each and every news account of out-of-place exotic escapees here, this one is a good example of what we've seen over the last few years. From the Tennesseean:

"A wildlife officer says the large mystery cat near Warner Parks is in more danger than anyone in the neighborhood.
"Walter Cook, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency captive wildlife coordinator, said the feline is a caracal, not a cougar." ...
"Cook identified the animal after viewing a video he said was provided by WSMV-TV-Channel 4 of a large cat walking through a yard.
"Assuming it's the same cat others have reported, it's either a caracal or an Eurasian lynx, he said." ...
"The cat that Cook said he saw on the video had tufts on its ears, a tail that's a few inches long and is about 35-40 pounds, he said.
"One eyewitness had described the cat as 70 pounds, but Cook said that wildlife officials have learned to halve whatever people say when it comes to such sightings." ...
"Sightings from others took place last year in July and August and this year in July, August, September and November, Beazley said."

Of particular interest is the possibility of successful overwintering.

[Full news details posted to StrangeArk archive.]