Screw Reggie, the Peninsula wildcat returns!
Those of us who've been in the area for a long time may be familiar with the repeated "mysterious large cat" rumors, legends and news stories that have surfaced over the years. Apparently some mystery animal is giving some folks the heebie-jeebies again, according to this Breeze story. The story is pretty long, and has a great re-cap of the various rumors and sightings that have happened over the years. I've always been a fan of "local canyon lore" as I spend much of my youth hiking and exploring all of the local canyons and I've seen a lot of strange and wonderful things.
The Peninsula was once home to native bobcats and the occasional coyote is sighted, but no one knows the origin or nature of any theoretical loose beasts. Descriptions range from mountain lion, to leapoard to panther - no one has ever gotten a photo of the elusive canyon stalker. I've known at least one fool stupid enough to own a big cat cub - parents in Palos Verdes can be absurdly accomodating to their misanthropic children's fantasies, which has always made me feel that if there is a big cat loose on the Peninsula, it's probably an escapee or one that was dumped by an owner when it got too big to handle, and not a native bobcat.
Back in 1999 there was a flurry of news about bobcat sightings and claw marks found on trees up at Angles Gate, since I started working there in 2001, we haven't seen or heard evidence of any thing resembiling a bobcat. Based on the number of pit bulls and cats that used to get abandoned in the park, I have always felt if there was or is a big cat in the park, it was probably an abandoned pet, too.
The Peninsula was once home to native bobcats and the occasional coyote is sighted, but no one knows the origin or nature of any theoretical loose beasts. Descriptions range from mountain lion, to leapoard to panther - no one has ever gotten a photo of the elusive canyon stalker. I've known at least one fool stupid enough to own a big cat cub - parents in Palos Verdes can be absurdly accomodating to their misanthropic children's fantasies, which has always made me feel that if there is a big cat loose on the Peninsula, it's probably an escapee or one that was dumped by an owner when it got too big to handle, and not a native bobcat.
Back in 1999 there was a flurry of news about bobcat sightings and claw marks found on trees up at Angles Gate, since I started working there in 2001, we haven't seen or heard evidence of any thing resembiling a bobcat. Based on the number of pit bulls and cats that used to get abandoned in the park, I have always felt if there was or is a big cat in the park, it was probably an abandoned pet, too.
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