News : \'Here, Kitty, Kitty...\' Vinton woman says cougar has been in her yard twice

Nadine Leise says she saw a cougar, which left these prints in her SW Vinton yard.

While conservation experts doubt it, Vinton resident Nadine Leise says she has seen a cougar in her yard twice this year.

Nadine lives on 12th Street near the Iowa Braille School campus. She said she saw a cougar in the spring, when she took photos of paw prints in the mud. She said the animal returned after the first snow in November, and she took some more photos. She also noticed a marking on her garage wall that looked as though it could have been caused by feline claws.

"I grew up in the country, I know what a bobcat looks like," says Liese, who says the animal she saw was definitely not a dog or a bobcat.

She now makes sure to carefully watch her dog when she lets it go outside.

Benton County Conservation Director Matt Purdy has seen photos of the prints and believes they are from a canine, not a large feline.

"I would guess it is a larger dog, due to the spread of the pads and claw marks. Cats retract their claws. Cats also don’t like to be close to town," says Purdy.

"But," he adds, "You never know. People don’t have a clue about what is truly in their back yard 90% of the time, and some times that is for the best."