82° P/SUNNY, Unknown predator kills dogs in Bolivia
Animal services investigating 'big cat' rumors
Last Modified: Friday, October 12, 2007 at 6:10 a.m.
Bolivia | Fear for their own safety and that of outdoor pets is starting to take hold in residents who live off Midway Road.
At least two family dogs have been killed in recent weeks, both apparent victims of a predator - perhaps a large cat - whose tracks out of the woods are the only other sign that it's around.
Bill Robinson, who lives on Brown Road, found tracks left behind by an unidentified animal that many in the area deem responsible for the dog deaths.
The Brunswick County Health Department issued a warning Wednesday about the situation, urging people in the area to use caution while outdoors. But the investigation by animal services has been unable to confirm an actual sighting of a large cat.
Robinson said his family has been affected by the unseen attacker: Two dogs owned by his son Bill Jr., who lives next door, were killed a month ago.
The dogs were found with blood trickling from their ears but no other obvious injuries, he said, and the family didn't suspect then that they had been attacked. About two weeks after the dogs were buried, the bones of one were dug up during the night.
On Tuesday, Robinson said, he found clear animal tracks and signs of digging in the family's field of collards, and he has since heard reports from neighbors within a 2-mile radius about dogs kept chained outside that were killed by unknown attackers.
The paw prints Robinson found are roughly 3 inches in diameter and clearly indicate a large animal with prominent claws. He said the animals that were killed appeared to have died from a sharp, forceful blow to the head, as from a large paw.
Robinson said Brunswick County Animal Services came to view the tracks in the collard field and also took away droppings apparently left by the animal.
Richard Cooper, animal services director, confirmed another dog, this one owned by Rutland Road resident Leon Williams, was killed in an attack late Monday afternoon. He said the owner reported hearing only a single "yelp" from the dog before it became silent.
An analysis of the droppings and casts of the tracks found by Robinson has come up empty so far, he said.
"We made comparisons to other animal tracks on the Internet, and the tracks we found come close to a bobcat, but it would have to be an extremely large cat and they generally aren't that big," Cooper said.
"At this point, I don't have any idea of what it could be."
Cooper said the department hasn't found anyone who has seen the animal blamed for the attacks. Anyone who does is asked to contact the department immediately at 754-8204. Cooper and another animal service officer are on standby to respond to the calls.
The animal's size, identity and growing reputation have become a source of rumor and conjecture among residents who live on Midway, Gardner, Brown, Rutland, Gilbert and Albright roads.
Tommy Robbins, who lives at Midway and Gilbert roads, said the neighborhood grapevine has indicated that any dog left outside at night may be in danger from the nocturnal menace.
"One fella said his dog, a pit bull, was left outside, and he didn't hear a thing during the night. But he woke up the next morning to find his dog dead, with the top half of his head gone," he said.
Robbins related the story at Angel & Greg's convenience store, which opened on Midway Road several months ago. The hot topic for locals who stop by is now the "big cat that's killing dogs."
Cooper said state wildlife officers won't get involved in the case unless more conclusive proof is found about the animal.
"We actually haven't seen any of the animals that were killed because they were buried," he said, adding the department has three other unsubstantiated reports of dog killings.
"All I know is that there are too many people having their dogs killed for it not to be something out there," he said.
Paul Jefferson 538-2955
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October 12, 2007 5:20:25 am
RE: http://www.starnewsonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID...0363/1017/SPORTS0701
Perhaps people will understand the dangers of leaving their dogs chained? The poor dogs on chains stand no chance of protecting themselves if a threat arrives, whether it be some wild animal as people think this is or simply another dog!
October 12, 2007 6:18:22 am
Brunswick County has some pretty good sized Bob Cats (lynx) running around. A 20-30 pound cat can whip most yard dogs without even a good fight. They usually go for the neck and throat.
Since they spend their time up in the trees, they can be right overhead, no one would see them, unless they let out a scream, which will chill one to the bone.
They roam mostly at night, so it would be hard to find them without a good dog.
We used to keep a female penned up back behind the barn to draw the males, then when we caught the male sniffing around, trapped him and then took him about twenty miles back into the greenswamp. Females were rather hard to catch.
What is happening now is his natural habitat is slowly disappearing and he has no place to go.
October 12, 2007 6:22:46 am
Maybe this will be a rallying point for conservation that will halt the 22,000 acre development. After all, they use the woodpecker to keep folk from building in BS Lakes.
October 12, 2007 8:20:30 am
I had hoped when I heard the paper company was going to sell most of their greenswamp holding that the conservation group would get involved.
Right now, it's about 30 square miles of raw greenswamp that is home to many bear, lynx, deer and millions of mosquitoes. It's also a source of millions of gallons of fresh water.
The paper company raped the woodsland, destroying much of what had been pristine land, big trees, and natural growth for the sake of pulpwood.
I hate to see it go, because it will be the end of an era that we know.
Let's hope the new owners follow the laws and keeps the greenswamp green but I think they have other plans.
Those thirty square miles will house over 500,000 homes and that's the big draw.
October 12, 2007 5:27:33 pm
Isn't there a "ZOO" located off Midway Road ?
Has anyone been there to see if they are missing any BIG CATS ?
October 12, 2007 5:34:44 pm
On a truck's bumper sticker I saw at Holland's Shelter.
"Lost your cat? Look under my tires."
October 13, 2007 8:15:25 am
Sadly, this kind of stuff happens every day -- horrific things done to chained dogs, by both humans and other animals. Chaining a dog 24/7 is a barbaric, antiquated practice, mostly carried out by people who are too dense, too lacking in compassion to recognize the suffering they are causing. "Iit has always been done that way," is a standard response. Or, "it is just a dog."Could anyone even begin to imagine the agony of being chained by the neck 24/7? With nothing but the same patch of dirt and feces to spend your life? Often denied even basic food and nourishment, chain wrapped around a tree, rain pelting down?Finally, laws are changing, but change is slow. Find out what you can do to help. Visit www.dogsdeservebetter.org.
October 13, 2007 9:30:35 am
It'sa d g's life!
October 13, 2007 3:03:56 pm
This story will appear in Sunday's Star-News.
No weekend predator sightings in BoliviaBy Paul Jefferson
Staff WriterBrunswick County Animal Services authorities reported no weekend sightings of an unknown woods-dwelling animal that has killed at least three dogs in Midway Road neighborhoods in recent weeks.
Animal Services director Richard Cooper said area residents have called to report additional tracks of a possible canine-variety found in fields and backyards, but no sightings of the animal have been confirmed.
Cooper said animal services staff have followed the tracks left by the predator into heavily wooded, uninhabited areas before tracks are lost. A comparison of the tracks to known animal species may indicate a large wolf or bobcat, he said. Callers contacting Animal Services maintain that a large cat, such as a cougar, lion or tiger, may be on the loose after escaping from a small zoo once located off Midway Road.
Cooper said the Faircloth Zoo, which operated near the search area in Bolivia for nine years, closed last year after its owner, Lillian Faircloth, sold the animals kept there in enclosures and cages to other zoos around the country. The empty zoo site, located a half-mile west of Midway Road, remains but is badly overgrown by weeds, trees and brush.
No animal attacks on humans have been reported since reports of dogs killed began trickling into the office about three weeks ago, Cooper said, raising neighborhood fears of an unknown predator. He urged residents to show caution and awareness of surroundings when outdoors, and to report sightings of any large, possibly rabid animals. Animal Services staff remain on call to respond to sightings at 754-8204.
Paul Jefferson: 538-2955
paul.jefferson@starnewsonline.com
October 15, 2007 10:32:15 am
Here's a response from Stephen Vantassel of the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management after he viewed the photo of the track from Bolivia and read staff writer Paul Jefferson's story Unknown predator kills dogs in Bolivia."The track shown in the picture is inconclusive but if I had to choose, I would say coyote. Bobcat tracks are rounder than coyotes. Coyote tracks range from 2.25-3.5 inches in length bobcat only 1.7-2.5 in length. Comparison is with front feet. Bear tracks would be much larger. Another thing to consider when looking at tracks is stride length."Stephen Vantassel, Project Coordinator, CWCP, ACP, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
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