The bite marks of a big cat appeared on a horse on a farm a few miles north of the Florida border several weeks ago. Owner Larry Rodgers blames the attack on a Florida panther. (Photo by Paul Leavy / Valdosta Daily Times)athensreview - A big cat is prowling South Georgia, judging by the marks on Larry Rodgers' horse, Peppy.
Rodgers noticed a lump behind Peppy's jaw on July 21. He at first assumed it had taken a kick from another horse on his property a couple of miles north of the Florida border. Upon closer inspection, Rodgers saw long scratches and a puncture wound that appeared to be bite marks.
Rodgers called a veterinarian, and the horse is doing well. But Rodgers and others are still talking about what kind of cat could be roaming the area.
Stories in the rumor mill describe coyotes, bobcats or even a lion or tiger escaped from a local theme park. State wildlife officials say they've had no official sightings of lions or tigers, and officials at the Wild Adventures theme park say there has been no escape.
Rodgers says he believes the cat was a Florida panther. The cats grow up to 8 feet long and weigh up to 130 pounds.
About 80 of the endangered panthers are left, according to the Florida Panther Society. Most live in south Florida, though some are known to range north. In the mid-1990s the society tracked a few of the animals into South Georgia.
Rogers says the panther swiped the hindquarters of another horse, which has not left Peppy's side since the incident. While there has never been a report of a Florida panther attacking a human, Rodgers and his family aren't taking chances.
“We’re all kind of watching out for one another, but I don’t think a big cat would attack a person,” he says. “Still, we’re all pretty cautious.”
Panther on the Prowl in Southern Georgia
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