I too believe that there are cougars here in PA........But.......as soon as I saw this picture, my mind said ...BOBCAT! I think the coloration is right to make it look like a mountain lion, but the tail area has me second guessing. That tail should be thick and noticable if it were a mountain lion, but its not. It is barely noticable. I'm going to have to agree, that this is a bobcat. I know that eventually someday, one will be killed. Be it by a hunter, car, self-defense or whatever, one will be killed and end the mystery. I do know that if I see one, I will shoot it and call the Television stations. So what if I pay a fine. I'll say I was afraid for my life and shot in self defense.

See the white on the back of the ears of the known bobcat picture? If you look on the mystery cat photo, you can see a little of the white on its left ear. I don't think cougars have that white. I'm not positive, but I don't think they do.

It definitely doesn't look like a cougar to me, there is no tail! I agree with above and say most likely a bobcat....

So much for the conclusive proof we were promised...

Windwalker is correct about bobcats having white on the back of the ears.That picture is most likely a bobcat.It also appears to have spots on it's belly.Add that to the lack of any tail and you get a bobcat.

i too wish the tail was more shown but if you saw original picture, hair, color, size ,it is not a bobcat.i did my best to get it as clear as i could.the original picture head was NOT bobcat head.muscles in the shoulders. no bobcat looks like this.original picture to me looked like cougar was well over 100 pds. no bobcat i ever heard of was over 45,i believe. anyhow, its cougar but without a picture of tail more , i agree that some of you will doubt it is.

here is a pic just to clearify that bobcats can have lighter coloration, I think this pic resembles that of the "cougar" pic just disproving it even more

There is nothing in the pic to give a perspective of size. What do you base the 100 pounds on?

What difference does it make even if the picture were as clearly a cougar as the one bearklr posted, there is still the problem that the only thing that links the pic to PA is a claim by an un-named person who gave the pic to another un-named person who in turn gave the pic to a newspaper.

Well, I've been sittin' back and watchin' to see what everyones response would be to "stoolman's" pics! Thank goodness there are some very astute members posting here 'cause I'd be really depressed if everyone was buying this "hoax"!
That pic IS a bobcat beyond a shadow of a doubt. And it looks like the "pup" cougar that he saw years ago was actually an adult bobcat and this "hun'erd" pounder is really only 2 pounds heavier than the first one he saw! Maybe even lighter!
This is a prime example of inexperienced sportsmen letting their imagination carry them away!
Totally laughable, especially coming from someone claiming to be so "woodswise"!

I do all scanning at work, so you will have to wait till next week. What exactly do you want me to do to it. Lighten what?
I have the color copy from sproulman and I see cougar and everyone in my office asked what the cougar pic was for. It does look like cougar, bodywise that is.
The absence of evidence of a tail is troubling though.
I guess the debate rages on....