Officials in the Phoenix Mountain Preserve are puzzled by the sighting of a mysterious big cat. A video uploaded on Nov. 9 by a YouTube user named Jen Fletcher shows an eerie creature lurking near their home in the mountain range. The video has gained over 15K views so far, with viewers speculating about the animal’s identity in the comments.
Suggestions range from a jaguar to a panther, a jaguarundi, or even just an overweight house cat. Even experts from the Arizona Game and Fish Department admit their confusion, as they can only eliminate certain possibilities.
Tom Cadden, a spokesperson for the department, stated, “It’s not one of our native big cat species, mountain lion, bobcat, ocelot, or jaguar. It’s pretty big for a house cat.” One theory proposed by Cadden is that the animal could be an exotic cat that someone obtained and managed to escape, but this is purely speculative.
As officials continue their efforts to identify the creature, there have been no further reports about the sighting at their radio dispatch center. The Arizona Game and Fish Department is urging the public to report any encounters, attacks, or sightings of big cats in urban areas to their dispatch at 623-236-7201.
The search for answers continues, and AZGFD will be monitoring for more reports of sightings and encounters.
