Felis Concolor; Puma, Mountain Lion, Cougar, Panther, Painter, Catamount and other local names, was a resident over all of North America, excepting the Arctic, mostly in the western mountains, the southwest and western portions of the midwest now, a small population still is known in Florida, Alabama and Georgia, very few left, these are Felis Concolor Coryi subspecies.
Florida has been trying to add some Texas cats to the gene pool to reduce inbreeding problems.
Several people in Arkansas have been reporting depredations of livestock and domestic pets in the last 10-15 years, however , don't worry , the Arkansas fish and game people are positively sure there are none in the state, no matter what tracks and pictures are presented.
The secretive nature of all cats makes it quite possible they are all over everywhere.
I have spent much time in the field all over Texas and in over 60 years have seen Puma, Ocelot, Margay, Jagurandi ,Bobcat and Jaguar.
The last is in the class of many of your sightings, I saw a Jaguar hung on a fence on the road from Big Spring to Moss Creek Lake in 1951, every wildlife authority I have mentioned this to have politely or otherwise told me I was -seeing things- couldn't tell a Jaguar from a Coyote- saw a Bobcat- or was just flat lieing.
Nevertheless, I saw it and so did my parents, who told me what it was.
It was hung by it's pelvis , with the hind legs tied down in front and the head and shoulders were on the ground, this was a regular 5 strand barbed wire fence, about 40" to the top, never seen a bobcat or coyote that long ,it was there at least 3 months before the pieces finally disappeared.
We went to the lake at least every 2 weeks, so I saw it several tlmes.
Don
