On October 7 at 6:00 pm, a panther “cub” was reported on the back trail up to Lamont by a scientist (larger than a large cat, sleek, black with a long tail…). Another Lamont scientist told my daughter Annie about seeing what he thought was a panther cub around the same time. On October 10, Cory Gerard-Little saw what he thought was a panther cub in Tallman State Park. It ran across the trail in front of him when he was walking the family dogs. PJ Mouquin, who lives on Rockland Road next to Tallman Park, saw the same animal one early afternoon at the beginning of October. She wrote, “My friend Ellen and I both agreed that it looked like a panther cub, but we didn't report it because I hadn't heard of any panther cubs about.

It was dull black, more charcoal, about twice the size of a house cat, but with the distinctive solid thick legs and tail.”

On November 3 at 6:00 pm, Cory Gerard-Little had a close sighting of the cub on the road outside his house. Hearing a rustling as he went outside to get into his car parked on the road, he shone a flashlight in that direction and saw the panther cub crouched on the leaves about twenty-five feet away. Disturbed by the light, it stood up and ran away but he got a good look. There was no possibility of confusing it with a large domestic cat.

When I researched Jaguars on the Internet (there is no such animal as a panther – our big cat is probably a black jaguar) I discovered that cubs live with their mother until they are about two years old and begin to hunt when they are six months old. Our cub has only been seen alone; perhaps something happened to its mother.

There are now two cougar sightings as well. At the end of July, Phoebe Rosenwasser, who lives on Ludlow Lane, and her husband and daughter saw a cougar on their back lawn. It was long, very thin, tan, and had a long tail and a head like a cat. On October 23, Piermont's Marjorie Derven reported, “I was coming back from a meeting in the city and rounding the bend on Rockland Road around 12:30 am last night and a large animal leaped across the road in a streak. At first I thought it was a deer because it had that tawny coloring, but then I saw its long rope-like tail. It jumped up over the rock wall and was just gone.”

That isnʼt all. Scat identified by tracker Shane Hobel as being from a large bear was found on Caroline Turoffʼs swimming pool cover and in Tallman Park. The park is only four miles square and surrounded by populated areas. Many Palisades and Sparkill residents are beginning to feel threatened by the number of carnivores in the area, and especially by the idea of panthers breeding here.

On November 5, I interviewed Major David Herrick, head of the Palisades Interstate Police office at Bear Mountain, to find out how the Park Police viewed this situation. Major Herrick is well-informed about the panther sightings and obviously concerned. He understands the frustration of the local residents but says that his hands are tied until he is provided with evidence and/or a photograph of the animal in question. The Park Police rely on experts from the Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (OPRHP), who are skeptical of the reported sightings. They have stated that there is no hard evidence of the presence of a panther and are even more unwilling to believe in cougars in our area.

Those of us in Palisades who are very grateful to Shane Hobel of Search and Forensic Investigation (SFI) and the other team members for the pro bono work that they have done would like to see them allowed more access to Tallman Park. When I brought this up, Major Herrick told me that the SFI team is restricted to the trails in Tallman, as is everyone who enters the park, to protect the animals that also live there. The irony is that on any given day, you will find hikers traipsing around off the trails in Tallman. Tracker SFI uses Native American techniques with respect for the environment as its priority. Unfortunately, the denial of tracking in Tallman has hampered the gathering of evidence.

Reports of sightings have fallen off recently— for example only one of the panther cub sightings was reported to the police. Major Herrick told me that itʼs important to report sightings, even though they might not convince the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), because the sheer number of them gets attention.

"If we had 50 sightings in two years, instead of eight, it might be taken more seriously. The inability of anyone to photograph or report the animal while it remains in the area for police to identify, is a problem. And if ten years from now we have a panther population in the woods, it will be a real problem." He stated that the police would respond promptly to reports in order to protect life or to gather evidence. Any sighting reported to the Bear Mountain police at 845- 786-2781 will also be followed up by a visit from Ed McGowan from OPRHP. He may not be convinced, but he will document all reported sightings.

Our valiant Panther Team of Carol Baxter, Milbry Polk and Susan Nemesday continues to monitor the cameras located around the community in the hopes of obtaining a picture good enough to convince the DEC. Once a picture is obtained, the DEC can take steps to trap the animal and relocate it. The Panther Team has made arrangements with a sanctuary in the event of its capture. Major Herrick tried to reassure me that panthers are not known to survive the cold winter here, and that neither panthers nor cougars are aggressive toward people unless threatened or hunting food. However, Shane Hobel believes that panthers can adapt to this climate if there is an adequate food supply. Ours have been here since last February. Although the adult panthers may have been brought up with people, the cub is truly wild. We have all heard tales of people being attacked by cougars. To help prevent an eventual attack by one of these creatures, please continue to report sightings and keep your cameras ready. We keep records of all sightings and e-blast up-dates.

EYEWITNESSES ONLY

It is important to report your sightings to: Orangetown Police: 845-359-3700 Palisades Interstate Parkway Commission Police: 845-786-2781 e-mail: pantherhotline@gmail.com