How to investigate wildlife (or cryptozoology) sightings.
In light of the recent Jaguar sighting in southern Arizona, I thought it was interesting to get this email from the Arizona Game and Fish Department on how they investigate reports of rare and/or endangered species. Note that eyewitness sightings need to be corroborated with other forms of evidence for such sightings to be officially confirmed. Good quality photographs or video, or other physical evidence are required to confirm these sightings. It is interesting that animals as small as domestic cats are often mistaken for lager cats, and that reports from the public go up dramatically after a sighting, confirmed or not, is reported in the media. (Click on the email for a larger view)
Evidence-free comments from anonymous posters will be deleted or moderated. Please check links in the post for evidence backing up the post before commenting. Comments are open for 3weeks, and moderated thereafter. Disagreements are perfectly acceptable, but name-calling and posting claims without some evidence in the form of a link or reference will not be tolerated.
Bartimaeus is a small animal veterinarian in practice in the southwest. He has a skeptical interest in veterinary complementary and alternative medicine and the influence of faith-based beliefs on science, medicine and politics. When not working or pursuing skeptical activities, he can be found in remote areas of the woods with his dogs.