Appalachian Lore: The Wampus Cat

In 2020, residents of Halifax, Pennsylvania, a small Appalachian Valley town, were buzzing about a potential sighting of a mountain lion. It was not the first time the subject was broached in the small community, nor will it the last. Mountain lions in Pennsylvania are believed to be non-existent; leading to speculation as to what animal is prowling through the forests of the Commonwealth. Everyone has their own opinion, an oversized housecat, a bobcat, an actual mountain lion. What if it is a Wampus Cat?

Setting up the case for what this creature could possibly be, the initial inquiry is into whether or not or could be a mountain lion. A quote directly from the Pennsylvania Game Commission website reads:

It is not impossible for a mountain lion to be living in the Commonwealth. But it is unlikely…

The Pennsylvania Game Commission periodically receives reports and photos of mountain lions. Our investigations have determined the overwhelming number of sightings of mountain lions in our state are actually bobcats. Photos submitted as mountain lions are typically feral housecats. Mountain lions have appeared in Pennsylvania in the past 75 years, but when they're captured, it's quickly determined they were formerly exotic pets or show animals. Pennsylvania's last known wild eastern mountain lion was killed in Berks County in 1874. Except for Florida, the eastern mountain lion is believed to have extricated from the east coast by 1900.

Next is the bobcat. According to the Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management, throughout the state of Pennsylvania there are 20,000 bobcats. Creating the possibility of the forest cat being this species of animal. However, there is a noticeable size and weight difference between these two animals. Mountain lions are seven to nine feet long and weigh anywhere between ninety and one hundred sixty pounds. Bobcats are three feet long and weigh between twenty to thirty pounds.

                Ernest Ingersoll – The Life of Animals Comparative illustration of bobcat and Canada lynx,                                                     January 1, 1906 (Public Domain)

As for housecats, even a chonky housecat (the most adorably round, pudgy, little plump house being), comes in likely close to the twenty-pound mark. Normal housecats weigh between eight and fifteen pounds. There are a couple record holders for the world’s heaviest cat. Himmy from Australia weighed 46.8 pounds at the time of his death in 1986. This was followed by Meow the cat from Santa Fe, New Mexico, he weighed 39.6 pounds. While both are within the weight range for a bobcat, the likelihood of more obese kitties out for strolls through the forest seems unlikely.

That brings this story to the mythical, legendary cat from the deep roots of the Appalachian region, the Wampus Cat.  The Wampus Cat has been described in different ways. The only common factor being that part of the being at least part of it, resembles a cat.

Historian Dave Tabler from AppalachianHistory.net recounts a story of the Wampus Cat. One that claims to come from Cherokee folklore. Per the version he recounts, in what is now North Carolina, a Cherokee village was being terrorized by a demon known as the Spirit of Madness, they called it Ew’ah. A council was convened to decide on sending their strongest warrior after the demon. He failed in his quest. In retaliation of the loss of her husband, his wife took on the mantel of pursuing the monster. She was able to defeat the creature, though some say that it is now her spirit that inhabits the body of the cat, watching over the land of her people for the rest of time.

This tale is not the only variation of the story, neither is it the only one that people tie into Cherokee origins. In another version, one told by a resident in the Appalachian region of Tennessee, a Cherokee woman was caught wearing a cougar pelt to spy on a men’s sacred hunting party. She was cursed to take the form of a were-cougar that haunts the land to this day. A few say it is an omen of death to see the demon cougar.

For European settlers, the Wampus Cat was a tale meant to frighten and warn of the dangers of the wilderness. Folktales often come with a moral, lesson, or behavior modification. In the Old World of Europe where many early settlers came from to the Americas, there were other stories that served all of these purposes. Nanny Rutt, for one, was a tale of an old woman in the woods who would kidnap young girls who were sneaking out of their homes to meet with their young loves. The New World required new stories. Few monsters could be better than terrifying versions of the creatures living on the land.

There are many descriptions of the animal that depend on who is asked to describe it. Some lore says that it is similar to a cougar or were-cougar. People have made claims that it has four to six legs. Residents from Virginia and Tennessee have claimed that in their lore of the cat, it can walk on two legs, just like a human. The eyes may be red or green. Its cry is that of a woman screaming, not unlike the sound made by a bobcat.

Suspected sightings have been reported in Wirt County, West Virginia. The accounts state residents have been witnessing a snarling beast with glowing red eyes. In Tennessee, there was a claim that a Wampus killed a mule with one swipe of its paw. There are other accounts of livestock being killed by the creature from Georgia up to North Carolina. Other areas of stories and sightings include Kentucky.

For the most part, tales and sightings of this creature are limited to the areas of the United States where the Cherokee lived. Prior to the 18^th century, this included parts of North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama. (NPS) As well as the Virginias and Kentucky. This could make sense since the demon reportedly comes from Cherokee lore. However, beyond sites and stories that claim a Cherokee origin, there is no additional evidence as to the basis as the tales. If the legend is not truly from the Cherokee, then potentially, the cat could make its way into the Appalachian region of other states.

A few brave, or foolish, souls claim to go out hunting for the creature. Not one has had the fortune, or misfortune, to catch it and finally prove what exactly is haunting the forests in the Eastern United States. Setting aside the mythology and focusing on this world, a documented sighting with pictures or any hard evidence could be a valuable asset in determining the species of these animals. Additionally, it would go far in proving what some people in the Appalachian region of Pennsylvania already believe, there are still mountain lions in the state.

Regular sightings of mountain lions stopped in Pennsylvania by the end of the 19^th century, with the last free-roaming lion having occurred in 1967. Though it is believed that the last lion was someone’s pet that was released into the wild. In order to prove that this mythical cat is a flesh and blood creature, experts in identifying different species would need evidence of tracks or plastic castings of the tracks, hair, bodies of the animal, or clear photographs. The photographs that have been presented are blurry and useless in making a defined determination as to what is in the picture. While there are also those who claim to have undeniable proof on their trail cams, these too have led to nothing official.

Maybe one day, there will be someone dedicated or fortunate enough to prove that the Wampus Cat, or it’s real-life counterpart, do exist in Pennsylvania.

Sources:

Shannon Jones (Self) Interviews with Appalachian Region residents

Dave Tabler (October 13, 2017) “The Story of the Wampus Cat,” Appalachianhistory.net (Accessed 12/21/2022)

“Frequently Asked Questions,” Pennsylvania Game Commission. (Accessed 11/1/2022)

“The Trail of Tears and the Forced Relocation of the Cherokee Nation,” National Park Service (NPS) (Accessed 12/21/2022)