The sun., 1912-08-04
PANTHERs IN PENNSYLVANIA.
yigns Of Attack on Black BcRrs--
Scare for Campers aad Trns elIers.

Scare for Campers aad Travellers.
The panther scare that has laid hold
OF the Pine Creek region and which began
month ago when Abram Highwood
OF Lucullus found a COW and two heifers
slain in the woods has been intensified,
writes a Williamsport correspondent OF
the Philadelphia North American. by Il
discovery made by State forest ranger.
NJ. +. Wescott Of Slate Run. during an
inspection trip over his range.
At point about two miles up Slate
Run his attention was attracted hy the
torn up condition Of the ground leading
to the edge of steep bare embankment.
and trail could he very easily dscerned
In the clay soil Of the embankinent itself,
showing that something or somebody
enga ging In desperate struggle had gone
down over the embankmeDt. Wescott
followed out his discovery. fearing that
perhaps some luckless trout fisherman
had been attacked by bear or cata-
mount and had met his death at the foot OF
Of the embankment.
Wescott wasn't long finding evidence
at the bottom OF the embankment to show
what had taken place there. The ground
was terribly torn up and so fresh that he
concluded that the battle must have taken
place that day. Great patches OF long
black animal hair to which in some in
stances torn flesh adhered we're found
upon the ground.
The brush was disturbed Tor yards
around. and splotches of blood were
found. The hair was evidently that Of
a black bear. and that the animal had
been attacked by a panther there wasn't I
much doubt. for no other creature native
to the Pine Creek region would tackle a
full grown black bear. The attack had
evidently started at the top Of the ledge.
for a subsequent examination showed
the excoriated bark Of a tree from which
the panther evidently had made its initial
leap upon the unsuspecting bear as the
latter passed beneath.
The distance the fighting animals
rolled was about thirty feet and the way
the ground was torn up nj the foot OF the
| bank showed the fight had continued Tor
some time and that the bear had suffered
terrible wounds.
| Wescott made thorough search OF
a wide area OF territory, expecting To
| find the CARCASS Of the bear, but was unable
to do so, and he concluded that bruin AT
! last got the better of the fight and drove
the panther on.
The proved presence of p6nther in
the Pine Creek and Black Forest region
has created the widest sort OF interest
among all the settlers Of hose parts
and the latest find. showing the desiNra
; ton of the creature in tackling bear
has added 10 the natural trspidation
Samuel Lebo Of Lucullus. "a ranger whos.'
district lies in the very heart of the black
bear country and embraces some of the
widest territory OF any owned by the
State. has equipped himself particularly
for action IL he comes in sight OF the pan
ther
The theory is that il there Is or.'. pan +
ther there are more. ~ that over the vas,
stretch of range throughout McHenry and
Brown townships in Lycoming county
and in Gallagher township Of Clinton
county the closest watch is being kept
for these destructive animals.
The presence Of panthers has virtua lily
driven the grazing business on, OF thn'
section. as after the loss OF the cattle
from the Highwood drove the farmer
are fearful that the panthers will r~rea
their visit. The Highwood cattle showed
the same kind Of torn wounds that the
loose hair and torn flesh found by Wescot'
on Slate Run indicated. II is believed ina
there must have been at least TWO panthei>
to have done the killing of III" High
wood cattle. though these may have beef
killed on different nil ghts. In each iiE,tanc,
the abdominal region Of the carcass hao
been torn open and the entrails partial lly
eaten. showing the bloodthir,t,ness OF tn,
creature that had done the work.
The panther scare has driven trafiic on
tn, old Coudersport pike except as per
sons 60 in pairs. and then always pro
tect-d with firearms. The scare will MOI
abate until the panthers have been killed
for a. the summer wears away and fooc
becomes harder to procure the creature
"a y.s hound IN bpCDine even more ierociBilS
This locality was becoming great par
OF the country for camping parties 10 IL k,
advantage of the State Forestry Depart
ment'e offer for the Use of the State pre-
serves for recreation camps. but the pan
ther fright has driven all these out.