Big Cats Spotted on Property in Louisiana, Responsible for Livestock Missing?

Pictures from a camera and some missing livestock have some people in and around Prairie Ronde asking if a big cat is stalking their area.

The people who live there and in the Plaisance area have been sharing and talking about what kind of cat might be in their area.

KATC spoke to a farmer named June Charrier who says that some of her livestock disappeared from her farm. She says she lost 16 out of her 60 chickens! When you do the math on that one, this farmer lost one-quarter of the chickens she had. Some sort of creature had a good meal or several good meals!

Charrier says she is not sure what kind of animal might have taken her chickens, but she makes an excellent point; she just hopes it's not a human. Think about it, for her, it would be much better to have an animal creeping about your property than a person.

Charrier also made another great point when she said,

"It takes something pretty strong to haul off a big turkey." So what is stalking the Prairie Ronde and Plaisance areas? Is it a bobcat? Could it be a cougar? Is it a puma?

According to the website A-Z Animals bobcats eat the following:

Squirrels

Mice

Rats

Fawns

Feral cats

Domestic chickens

Wild birds

According to the website, they prefer rabbits and hares but will hunt larger animals if they can't find rabbits or hares.

Several people have contacted wildlife and fisheries, and one of the biggest things they are asking people to do is to not approach the animal. They do ask residents of that area to get a picture of it. Obviously, you want to do so from enough distance so you are not harmed.

What Should You Do If You See a Big Cat?

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries would sure like to know about what people are seeing and where. Again, they would also like any pictures you might have.

You can contact the Lafayette Regional Office of LDWF by calling 337-262-2080.

For Charrier, she says she hasn't seen any big cats. She adds that all she can do now is pray that no other livestock is taken.