Possible Cougar Sighted in Terre Haute

Boy who cried cougar.

UPDATE: More cougar sightings on Terre Haute's east side

Report of cougar sightings near school cancels recess; Monday night sighting at Dobbs Park 'credible'

Staff report
The Tribune-Star

TERRE HAUTE — Police and school officials will continue Wednesday to monitor the outdoor areas near school premises on Terre Haute’s east side for any signs of a loose cougar.

A sighting of the big cat Monday morning near Ohio Boulevard and Brown Avenue was followed by a second one late Monday in Dobbs Park, Vigo County schools Superintendent Dan Tanoos confirmed Tuesday.

The two sightings necessitate precautionary measures for today.

“Our staff along with city police and the Sheriff’s Department will be driving in the area around Meadows School and Woodrow Wilson [Middle School],” and children will be kept indoor for recess at Meadows, Tanoos said about Wednesday’s plans.

A Terre Haute code enforcement officer said he saw a cougar Monday morning near Ohio Boulevard and Brown Avenue, in a wooded area near Meadows Elementary. That sighting prompted school officials to keep the school’s 300 youngsters indoors as a precaution.

“He was driving by and saw a big cat at the edge of the tree line and when he got closer he saw a big tail and saw that it was a cougar before it vanished,” said Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Frank Shahadey, safety and security specialist for the schools.

The Dobbs Park sighting later Monday also involved a credible source, Tanoos said.

School officials and police will patrol the areas of the two schools both before and after school today to ensure students are safe. Tanoos said he has notified bus drivers with the school corporation to watch along their routes for the animal, especially those in the vicinity of Meadows, Woodrow Wilson and farther east, near Lost Creek Elementary.

“For the next few days, until either the cougar is captured or there are no more sightings in the area we’ll be doing this,” Tanoos said.

I wanna see a video of it! Go after it Roy!

I'd take 6 shots of 00 buckshot in my 12 gauge and start looking.

they potted it in a thrid spot now here the report


TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) - There have been more cougar sightings in Terre Haute.

At about 3:45 Wednesday afternoon, the Terre Haute Police Department received a call from a woman who said she saw what looked like the back side of a cougar. This possible sighting was near intersection of Ohio and Fruitridge.

Terre Haute Code Enforcement was on scene immediately, but their search turned up no new leads.

Code Enforcement has set up a live trap in the area to try to catch the cougar.

Officers said unless they are sick or starving, cougars are not usually known to attack people.

"It's still safe to come down through here and do your jogging and such like that, but just keep an extra eye out when you're doing your things down through here," Rance Barnaby of code enforcement said.

Cougars are known to hide in trees, so the Parks Department said remain alert while visiting Dobbs Park and Deming Park.

This is the third possible cougar sighting this week. On Monday a code enforcement officer claimed to see a cougar on Ohio between Brown and Fruitridge Avenues