Reward For Mystery Lion
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Updated: 1:08 PM Nov 1, 2007
Reward For Mystery Lion
A Charleston man is offering a $3,000 award for the capture of a lion apparently spotted in West Virginia.
Posted: 5:50 AM Nov 1, 2007
Reporter: The Associated Press
Email Address: news@wsaz.com
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If an African lion is roaming the mountains of southeastern West Virginia, Angus Peyton wants it captured, not killed.

Peyton is offering a $3,000 award for the safe and humane capture of the lion.

He also wants the animal to be placed in refuge.

The Charleston broker says he fears someone may try to shoot the lion.

Bow hunter Jim Shortridge swears he saw a male African lion weighing between 250 and 300 pounds at the foot of Cold Knob Mountain earlier this month.

Rainelle-based Tiger Mountain Refuge and Greenbrier County animal control officer Robert McClung have placed motion-sensitive video cameras in that area in hopes of getting an image of the lion.

Latest Comments

Posted by: Unknown on Apr 1, 2008 at 10:04 AM

I can't believe that most of you people are acting completely immature. Maybe you guys should grow the heck up or get a life. Honestly, cracking rude comments that are befitting of not even five year olds is pathetic, especially if you "claim to be an adult". The whole reason for this comment box is for people to be able to send additional information about the subject, not be a wise-***. As for the story, I heard about it and there could very well be a lion roaming around, there are tons of animals that have been abandoned or turned loose for random reasons (mostly because the owner no longer can feed or house it). $3,000 is not a bad reward either, it does not take that much to simply have a tranquilizer gun or the means to capture it IF you can first find it. If it has survived the winter it is probably doing find and wild animals like that would be pretty hard to track down in dense bush and forests like we have around here. If it's bred with some other big cats,kudos to a new type
Posted by: Luna on Apr 1, 2008 at 09:59 AM

We've seen plenty of animals that have 'gotten loose' even here in WI. One guy owned an alligator in his house and turned it loose in the river. A shark survived a trip up the Mississippi river in a barge and ended up adapting to a lake and growing strange 'salamander gills' to filter the water. Cougars, lions, panthers, miniature 'pet' tigers people have owned. Many of them do not want to 'claim' the animals because of all the fines and charges that they will have to face, so the odds of anyone 'claiming it' are pretty slim. There is plenty enough for animals like that to survive with, and they would go after livestock or easier animals rather than someone's kids first; but you never know if a rare case might happen that someone might get hurt. Sadly, shooting the lion or any other creature is something that is questionable, it is really the 'owners' responsibility to take care of or claim any animal that has gotten away.How would you like someone shooting you for such a stupid reason
Posted by: CLYDE on Dec 19, 2007 at 06:14 AM

I wont forget of Bigfoot near Rt 60 near Meadow River crook last November 2005.Cant promise because I did not have any comera and video tape.That was too late.
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