Male African lion thought to be roaming the woods of WV

Has anyone else heard about this?
There has been little news about it and I haven't heard if they've caught it yet. This is weird! The lion had to have been a pet. Why would someone just turn it loose?! Stupid humans! I'm sure that turning it loose can't be good for the lion...way too cold in WV for a lion right now....and you know it can't be good for anyone who may run into him in the woods! I'd pee myself right where I stood!

At the end of the article, it says some men now want to hunt for it to kill it. They had better not kill it! :furious: Again, stupid humans!
I kind of like the fact that now this hunter knows what it feels like to be come the hunted. He said he was shaken by this lion, bears don't bother him, but this lion did. Now he knows how the animals feel when he murders them. Poetic justice, if you ask me.


http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_296231548.html

Another artcile on this...
http://sports.espn.go.com/outdoors/general/news/story?id=3081071

From the first link:
On Tuesday, Shortridge escorted a Register-Herald reporter, along with his daughter, Kathy Hunter, and officials from the Tiger Mountain Refuge in Rainelle to the area where he last saw the animal. Tiger Mountain Refuge is a nonprofit organization that locates and rescues exotic animals and provides them with safe, permanent homes.

Owner John Forga wants to capture the lion and take it to his wildlife sanctuary in Nicholas County, which is already home to more than 60 animals, including a grown tiger and “Alex,” a 600-pound African lion. Forga said the lion they are searching for was probably an abandoned pet.

“If it was a pet, then chances are the lion was declawed and defanged,” Forga said during the trip to Big Roaring Creek. “The chances of it surviving in the wild are slim to none, and it may be helpless.”

After turning off U.S. 219, Shortridge traveled about 13 miles deep into the woods before coming to his property. There, Shortridge and Forga looked for signs of the animal, but no tracks were found because of a deep layer of freshly fallen leaves. Forga then dumped about 20 pounds of raw chicken onto the ground and sprayed a bottle of cologne on surrounding trees.

“If the lion is here, it will need nutrients and the chicken will provide that, plus it will give an indication that someone wants to feed it, so it will come back,” Forga said. “The cologne is used as a curiosity scent to attract the lion. The lion hopefully will claw the trees that have been scented and give us an indication he’s here.



It sounds as if Forga knows what he's doing. Hopefully, he'll be able to catch it and move it to the refuge. I just don't understand people who get exotic pets without realizing they grow up. I knew a guy (now deceased) who had lions and tigers, along with a number of other exotic animals, but he was licensed and got them when they were confiscated from illegal owners. They were used for study.

Well, I certainly hope these guys find it before any hunters do! I love lions, they are my favorite wild animal and I hate to see them get hurt.

last I heard, all the cameras and motion detectors that had been placed to catch an image of him had been vandalized. According to that article (I'll go look for it), they have pulled out of the area and have stopped the search unless there is another credible sighting of it.

It gets cold up there, not sure he can make it this winter....

Road trip! I can see me now...walking through the woods..."here kitty kitty....pssssssst"

Who's in?

More proof of West Virginia inbreeding:

...“Chances are the lion was declawed and defanged,” Forga said....

Forga said, "...The lion hopefully will claw the trees that have been scented and give us an indication he’s here."

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http://www.register-herald.com/archivesearch/local_story_307000536.html

link to story about vandalism.

Linda7NJ said:

Road trip! I can see me now...walking through the woods..."here kitty kitty....pssssssst"

Who's in?

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This lion is in such a remote area - my dad and I was discussing this - this lion could live a natural life in this area (assuming it's possible) and never be seen by a human. It is wild terrain.

Nova said:

More proof of West Virginia inbreeding:

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I think that was an unnecessary comment.

A cat will still "claw" out of instinct even without claws. There was an article that mentioned he could see evidence of that (even without actual claw marks) if you know what to look for. He's actually a very nice man trying to save exotic animals that all the "inbreeds" in this country try to keep as pets.

LisainWV said:

I think that was an unnecessary comment...

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If I restricted my posts to necessary comments, Tricia would suddenly have a lot of unused bandwidth on her hands. I can't do that to her.

(ETA: I've seen the residual behavior you describe in declawed domestic cats, but I believe that, technically, they "paw" objects, they don't "claw" them. But please forgive me, I should have known a "Lion on the Lam" thread was a very serious one.)

Nova said:

If I restricted my posts to necessary comments, Tricia would suddenly have a lot of unused bandwidth on her hands. I can't do that to her.

(ETA: I've seen the residual behavior you describe in declawed domestic cats, but I believe that, technically, they "paw" objects, they don't "claw" them. But please forgive me, I should have known a "Lion on the Lam" thread was a very serious one.)

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I don't think it's a serious issue - we've all had a lot of fun talking about it at work - and it is what it is. However, I don't think it warranted a slam about West Virginia inbreeds.

And, who gives a $h8t if he said "paws" or "claws."

Signed,

Lisa in West Virginia (and my parents are unrelated, not even distant cousins)

We had a similar situation here in Palm Beach county a few years ago--A lion escaped from this guy's zoo, and unfortunately the police killed it--The owner(who once played Tarzan in the movies) was fined and the rest of his exotic zoo was almost taken away from him--sad to see any animal get killed

LisainWV said:

...Lisa in West Virginia (and my parents are unrelated, not even distant cousins)

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Don't you think bragging about that rather proves my point? You know, the exception that proves the rule.

Peter Hamilton said:

We had a similar situation here in Palm Beach county a few years ago--A lion escaped from this guy's zoo, and unfortunately the police killed it--The owner(who once played Tarzan in the movies) was fined and the rest of his exotic zoo was almost taken away from him--sad to see any animal get killed

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I agree that it's sad.

A Charleston WV businessman has offered a $3,000 reward to anyone who humanely catches him alive. He's also spent about another $1500 advertising the reward.

I personally think the elements will get this animal. If it is declawed and defanged, it will have a tough time killing and eating game.

I know the guy at Tiger Mountain Refuge was determined to find him and put him on his reserve, but seems as though things didn't work out for that.

http://www.register-herald.com/archivesearch/local_story_304224236.html

link for reward article

Nova said:

More proof of West Virginia inbreeding:

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LOL - now don't go picking on West Virginia - if it weren't for that state, my buddies from Alabama (that's who we Georgians pick on) would have no state to feel superior to!!

I hope the reward provides a nice incentive to catch the lion alive- if it doesn't die of starvation first.

CaliKid said:

I hope the reward provides a nice incentive to catch the lion alive- if it doesn't die of starvation first.

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Me, too CaliKid.

Lion

I hope they find him before a hunter does, odds are this lion wouldnt hurt a fly since he trusts humans and knows they deliver his foods unless he is really hungry. My uncle had a lion in his basement for about six months, yes he is a redneck. This was about 23 years ago. It was the sweetest thing, just like a kitty. It would rub against you and with I at 12 years old it was hard enough to almost knock me down. Its purr echoed in the basement. My aunt made him sell it since she was scared of her baby upstairs and the lion thinking it was a turkey or a chicken ( his usual meals). I never did know who he sold it too, he did get stopped by a cop one time with it in the cab of his truck but my uncle lied and said he was with the circus because they were in town at the time and he was taking it to a vet.

southcitymom said:

LOL - now don't go picking on West Virginia - if it weren't for that state, my buddies from Alabama (that's who we Georgians pick on) would have no state to feel superior to!!

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Yikes! Everyone knows that when Georgians and Alabamans start slinging mud, they literally sling mud. And you just can't get red clay out of white cotton.