Over the past few months, residents in Texas have claimed they’ve spotted a rare cat, the jaguarundi. However, the elusive feline hasn’t had a confirmed sighting in decades.

Jaguarundis, an animal that looks so much like a house cat, are believed to be extirpated by both the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD). The last confirmed sighting of the species in Texas was in Brownsville in 1986, according to the TPWD.

But Texans are saying otherwise. Last May, locals in Seguin compared a big cat sighting to a jaguarundi. One resident described it as a long, brownish-grayish cat, noting it didn’t resemble a bobcat or mountain lion, but possibly the vanished Texas cat. In July, other Texans shared memories of seeing a jaguarundi in recent years in a private Facebook group.

Most recently, on Tuesday, February 17, Chester Moore posted a YouTube video in which he truly believes he saw a jaguarundi in Jefferson County, Texas, near Beaumont. He said, “I saw a dark cat… more mysterious than a black panther – and I’m convinced it was a jaguarundi.”

Jaguarundis in Texas

Most commonly, suspected jaguarundi sightings are typically identified through photo evidence to be housecats, according to TPWD. The animals look so much like a house cat, especially from a distance, but the key differences really are that jaguarundis have a much longer tail, according to TPWD.

While the last confirmed sighting was in 1986, the animals were never really a major presence in Texas. Their range is primarily known for being in Mexico. Since the last sighting, TPWD said there have been many extensive camera trapping surveys on South Texas refuges and in Big Bend National Park. But, despite the extensive survey effort, there has never been a jaguarundi photographed.

Because of this reason, the species has been considered extirpated or not found in Texas.

Why are the jaguarundis extirpated?

Jaguarundis are endangered because the dense brush that provides habitat has been cleared for farming or for the growth of cities, according to TPWD. While extinct in Texas, jaguarundi still exists in Mexico. People in the lower Rio Grande Valley are working together to plant native shrubs and restore habitat for the animal, according to TPWD.

This article originally published at Phantom predator: Texans report seeing a cat declared gone since 1986.