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PITTSBURGH,
PA (USA) — Our
friends in the UK call it "Alien Big Cat", "The Beast
of Brookmans Park" and the "Norfolk Gnasher".
In Pittsburgh, they just call it a "critter".
Well, whatever it is, it was just captured this week, according to
reports in the Beaver
County Times. The strange creature that spooked a German
Shepherd last Sunday was described as  "mostly black with a
white
spot on its head, white whiskers and large paws" and "a
long bushy tail."
Monster hunters in Scotland, Northern England and Wales have been
tracking an elusive species most commonly referred to as "Alien
Big Cat" (ABC) since its first published sighting in 1963 (read
the Scoop April '01 article "The
Loch Ness Cat"). But this may be the first such
visitation in the United States.
This particular encounter ended with a safe capture (the
"monster" was snoozing comfortably on a someone's front
porch) and a positive identification by specialists at the Pennsylvania
Game Commission later in the week.
But I won't spoil the surprise just yet. I want to milk this
thing for all it's worth.
1. Phasers on stun...
[click here for background music]
Early Sunday morning, April 20, Joan States opened her front door
to let the dog "T.J." out for a romp. But the German
Shepherd / Collie mix never made it off the porch, according to the
woman. He walked out the door, turned around and clambered right
back in (um, so much for boldly going where no dog has gone before).
Ms. States then noticed "a black furry creature", about
the size of her 30-pound dog.
She and her husband Gerald spent about an hour running back and
forth between their computer and their porch (where the alien was
napping) while they surfed the internet trying to determine exactly
what it was. At length, they called the Economy police.
Police Sergeant George Hartsell responded to the call and entered
through the back door so not to provoke the furry space invader who
was at this point curled up under a bench.
"I'd never seen an animal like that before," said Sgt.
Hartsell. He called in the Triangle Pet Control Service from
Pittsburgh.
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2. Try the Vulcan mind meld
The Triangle Pet specialist arrived with the equipment necessary to
lasso and contain the creature. Even as he dragged it away, he was
unable to identify the species.
"He had no idea in the world," said Ms. States.
"Our minds are one. Our minds... are...
meow meow meow meow meow meow..."
3. I'm a doctor, not a zoologist
[same music - I just can't get enough]
At last the beast was identified by animal specialists. The
razor-toothed, wolverine-like fur-ball was determined to be a binturong
(Arctictis binturong), a type of
bearcat native to Southeast Asia. The 46- to 73-inch long (including
2' tail) species is typically very playful and extremely rare due to
habitat destruction. Only 200 or so binturongs exist in captivity
worldwide. In the United States it is legal, but only if the keeper
has the necessary permits.
On Monday, Brad Wilfong from New Sewickley Township came forward to
claim the oddity. Although he had noticed "Binny" missing
on Sunday, and although he saw the animal featured on the evening news, he
didn't quite make the connection at first.
"I thought, 'Huh, somebody else has one.' " he told
reporters.
But it didn't take a spaceship to land on him before he recognized his
pet of two years. The man came forward to claim Binny; however, Game
Commission officials would not allow Mr. Wilfong to take the animal since
he lacks a permit.
Mr. Wilfong had kept the animal in a pen on his property for about two
years and now faces a possible fine for violating game and wildlife
statutes.
"This is not an animal you can have as a pet in the state of
Pennsylvania," said Gary Fujak, a conservation officer with the Game
Commission.
 And
so our extra-terrestrial visitor will be staying at the Pittsburgh
Zoo before being transferred out-of-state.
Live long and prosper, Binny.
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