It was our Facebook Story of the Day and looking at the numbers, a lot of you want to know if the rumors of cougars sighting around the Panhandle are accurate?
The scenic view from the rim of the Palo Duro Canyon doesn't change much.. What you probably won't see a cougar, or mountain lion.
We've had a number of reports of sightings from people who claim they've seen a cougar, or mountain lion in this area. In fact, cougars have been spotted in all 254 Texas counties and they occasionally make their way through this area as their territory can range for hundreds of miles.
With the recent drought conditions, more and more non-domestic animals are being seen closer to town, like a fox that was photographed out channel 7's back door a few days ago.
"Some animals over the years have been acclimated to being amongst people, so we're seeing coyotes and foxes and animals you historically don't see in the cities and are becoming more prevalent, " said Mike Boley with the Amarillo Zoo.
While the Canyon would make an excellent habitat for cougars, it's a vast area and the chances of actually seeing one are pretty slim, according to Interim Park Superintendent, Nathan Londenberg.
"There's been no confirmed reports... I really don't think they're going to come around, set up camp, and live here in the park year round. We're not concerned with mountain lions her in the park.
It's been suggested that people might be seeing big dogs or bobcats, which are plentiful. But cougars are very reclusive and tend to shy away from people.
"If they see someone, they're going to be scared," said Londenberg. "They're more scared, more afraid of the park visitor than the people that see it."
And while there could be an occasional cougar prowling around the rim of the canyon.
"At this time, have there been any confirmed cases of a cougar in the park?" Pronews asked.
Londenberg replied, "No, there hasn't been any confirmed cases of a cougar anywhere in the park."
