Big, big, exotic cat still on the prowl in southern Lexington County? You look then decide!

Pelion, SC 04/03/2022 (Paul Kirby) – Several weeks ago, reports of a large, exotic cat, perhaps a Tiger on the prowl, made headlines when there were numerous reports of its sightings in the Horses Neck community of Lexington and Calhoun counties. For people unaware of that geographical area, it’s a portion of Lexington County that juts out across I-26 from the Sandy Run community that is surrounded by Calhoun County on three sides and looks like a horse’s neck when viewed on a map. In the previous instance, animal control personnel responded along with law enforcement, but no one was ever able to catch the cat, or a decent photo of it, as evidence it exists.

Fast forward a few weeks and the subject of a Tiger sighting has come up again but this time, a man that lives off Fish Hatchery Road nearer Pelion believes that his home security system might have caught an image of this cat prowling around his deck. According to the property’s owner Jimmy Sharpe, he’s certainly curious about what he caught on video outside his home and doesn’t believe it’s a common house cat or any kind of dog he’s ever seen. The video of the animal also has anatomical proof that this isn’t a Bobcat because its tail isn’t bobbed but long with faint stirpes and a distinctive curve that sure looks a lot like the rear end of a Tiger if you watch it closely.

Sharpe says that the gap in his porch railing is approximately four feet wide and this animal’s hindquarter seems to take up most of that space. That’s a big cat! As the video first catches the animal, it appears to be sitting but as it stands, you can easily see its long tail with an upward curve that ends in a knob or rounded tip. There are also what appears to be some faint stripes running from its backbone toward its belly along its body that gets darker out along the tail. This animal’s movement is slow, deliberate, and somewhat graceful much like the distinctive prowl you’ve seen if you’ve ever visited the Tiger exhibit at the zoo.

We at The Ledger are no big cat experts so look at the video for yourself. This appears to be some sort of big cat, if not a Tiger, perhaps some type of Cougar or Mountain Lion. We’ve included the few seconds of video Sharpe sent to The Ledger. When you play it, immediately look to the bottom left to see the animal for yourself. Then, you try and decide if someone’s pet exotic kitty or a wild mountain cat has travelled south and is still prowling the more rural areas of southern Lexington County.

Full Video:

Clip of the animal standing