Elusive mountain lion sightings continue in Valley

When my husband and I bought our house west of Staunton in 1997, one of the first things the homeowner told us was about seeing a mountain lion crossing our quiet street. According to him, the mountain lion had reportedly killed a calf in the field beside the house. Nothing, however, came of it. Throughout the years, various Valley residents have reported sightings of the elusive creature but, according to Friday's News Leader, there has never been positive evidence of mountain lions in the area:

Lee Walker, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, said they get calls on a regular basis on mountain lion sightings, but have never been able to substantiate any as true sightings.
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The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has cited the mountain lion, or puma, to be an endangered or threatened animal in Virginia since 1979.

Since 1970, scores of mountain lion sightings have been reported without a single one being confirmed, the department reports. Most occur in Shenandoah National Park and in Bedford, Amherst and Nelson counties. Others have been clustered in the Valley.

Read more about this curiously interesting cat here.