Wild animal species come out of San Bernardino foothills during graveyard shift

The only life Frank Gonzalez usually sees working the early AM shift as a newspaper courier is wildlife. Seven days a week Gonzalez can witness a variety of species that may wonder out of the San Bernardino foothills into your neighborhood while you’re asleep.

Gonzalez can identify most of the common species that once lived exclusively without human intrusion. Along with the usual coyote, raccoon, opossum, bear and deer, Gonzalez has seen many unusual looking animals he can’t identify.

“I’ve seen cats that are not your domestic house cat variety. A couple times I saw these two large pure white cats with very long tails,” said Gonzalez. “One night on the road to Oak Glen, I saw this large catlike animal standing on its hind legs like a weasel. Two weeks ago, I followed a good-size mountain lion down the middle of the road, right through a neighborhood. I followed it about one mile going 25 miles-per hour.”

Biologists say they get numerous reports from the public telling of sightings of strange looking animals. Over the past 15 years, numerous sightings of large dog-sized, black cats have been reported in the greater San Bernardino region.”What people are usually seeing are mountain lions or bobcats that can change in appearance according to the time of year,” said state wildlife biologist Jeff Villepique. He explained that those wild cats can change color due to their winter or summer coats.

Both CBS and NBC television stations have run stories in recent years about sightings of unusual looking large cats. Other reports claim sightings of black jaguar-type cats near Palm Springs and Banning. Experts say such big cats could be exotic cross-breeds that have escaped from their owners. A spokesperson for Petsmart in San Bernardino said a full grown African hybrid Bengal house cat is the same size as a bobcat, but a spokesperson at Petco in Redlands said it’s doubtful that cross-bred cats could survive in the wild. “They are so expensive ($5,000-$30,000) that if one got away everyone would know about it.”

CBS reported that exotic hybrid cats can be produced to become a smaller looking version of a lion, tiger, or leopard. They are cute as kittens but at 2-3 years of age can begin acting very wild. When they become uncontrollable, their owners simply release them into the wild. Villepique said the Maine Coon is also a very large domestic cat.

Villepique still thinks what people are seeing are large house cats or native wildcats. He says even the most trained eyes and minds can be deceived. “I did my doctor’s thesis on mountain lion’s and would be considered an expert, but I have been fooled.” He told about the time he saw two bobcats that he thought for sure were mountain lions. “It’s plausible that there are native black wildcats in San Bernardino but I’m not familiar with them.”

Villepique, who’s worked for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for ten years, does think it possible that the peculiar looking ring-tailed cat could been seen in the San Bernardino region. “They are usually found on the Lucerne Valley side of the mountains but it’s possible,” said Villepique who emphasized that he must stay away from speculation.

Villepique did say that reports of rural wildlife crossing urban limits have increased in the past five years. Like other experts, he says there are a lack of good pictures of unidentifiable wildlife. “For $50 you can buy a infrared camera, hook it up outside and actually see what’s coming onto your property,” recommended Villepique. He adds that the drought has caused many animal species to widen their territory in search of food and water.

“Irrigated yards are very attractive. Keep your dogs and cats indoors. Keep the lids on trash cans,” advises Villepique. He says it’s normal wild animal behavior to make a meal out of your pet.

Either way, Frank Gonzalez will still be wondering what strange sight he might see tonight on the overnight shift. “That’s one of the reasons why I took this job.”

For more information: wildlife.ca.gov