Is it possible to have seen a puma or another big cat living wild in Portugal?

Question

I heard pumas still live in Europe

Answer 1

The puma is an American species, so won't be seen in Portugal unless it is an escapee from somewhere. Portugal has its own wild cats - the Iberian lynx and the European wildcat. You would be lucky to see either of these they are both vanishingly rare.

Answer 2

Pumas do not habitate Europe. You are probably thinking of the Iberian Lynx, a big wild cat that lives in Portugal and Spain. it has some weird ears.

Answer 3

there have been a lot of sightings of large cats al over europe and its thought to be caused mainly by poachers...some have been attributed to animals learning where there is more accessible food supplies..so yes its very possible...but dont pet them they bite haha :-p

Answer 4

Something like a puma or a huge cat has been seen in the UK on a few ocassions, so I'd say it's quite likely. I'd imagine that in in-land Europe there are plenty of un-populated places for them to inhabit.

Answer 5

Pumas have never lived in Europe, except in zoos. They are native to North and South America. The only large wild cat in Europe is the lynx, which is considerably smaller than a puma, with a short tail and distinctive tufted ears.

There is speculation that the large wild cats spotted in the UK, such as the Beast of Bodmin, might be pumas or leopards which are descended from those released in the 1970s. Before this it was legal to keep these animals as pets without a licence - when licencing laws came into effect, some people simply released their animals into the wild. This could be an explanation for any cat larger than a lynx seen in Portugal - either that, or more recent escapees from zoos or private owners.

Answer 6

There are big cats wild in the UK so is very possible.

Answer 7

yes it is possible. The lynx is one of the big cats of portugal.