And more seriously:
http://www.fws.gov/nc-es/mammal/cougar.html
http://www.discoverlife.org/nh/tx/Vertebrata/Mammalia/Felidae/Puma/concolor/
# Great Smoky Mountains National Park: Linzey and Linzey (1968) summarized the history of the mountain lion in the park and surrounding regions:
The first record of this species dates back to 1840-50 when John Oliver reported that he heard of two "panthers" being killed in Cades Cove. In 1859, Buckley noted that the "panther" was troublesome to the mountain farmers of North Carolina and Tennessee, destroying their sheep and hogs. Brimley (1944), writing about the mammals of North Carolina, recorded the cougar as being "apparently extinct," the last specimens having been killed near Highlands and in Craven County, North Carolina, about 1886. After a journey through the Great Smoky Mountains during the summer of 1887, Merriam (1888) reported that the panther was "unknown." Between 1895 and 1905, a "panther" was reported by Wm. Barnes on Big Creek. There are reports that two cougars were killed about 1899-one near Smokemont and the other in the Greenbrier area.
The last report of a cougar being killed in the Great Smokies comes from the winter of 1920 (Brewer, 1964): Tom Sparks was attacked by a cougar while herding sheep on Spence Field. He inflicted a deep wound in its left shoulder. Several months later, a cougar was killed near what is now Fontana Village, and its left shoulder blade had been cut in two. It was believed to be the same cat that Sparks had wounded.
Several years later, Ganier (1928) reported that the panther was extinct in Tennessee, "save possibly a half dozen individuals in the Great Smokies."
Hamnett and Thornton (1953), in discussing the status of this cat in North Carolina, stated that it is "now believed to be extinct... Last positive records for the State were from the Coastal Region... in the early 1900s... Until positive proof of the cougar's existence is furnished... we must continue to regard this animal as virtually extinct in North Carolina."
Culbertson (1977) examined the status and history of this species in the park. Twelve sightings were reported for the years 1908-1965 and 31 sightings for the years 1966-1976. Culbertson stated: "The number of lion sightings through the years suggest that the mountain lion may never have actually been extinct in the Great Smoky Mountains area. The lion may have been able to maintain itself in small numbers in the more inaccessible mountainous regions in or around the park. The present lion population could be derived in part from this small reservoir... It is believed that there were three to six mountain lions living in the park in 1975, and other lions were reported to the southeast and northeast of the park as well. Lions were seen most frequently near areas of high deer density."
Park files contain many interesting reports of purported mountain lion sightings. Every year, several additional reports are received. If, in fact, the animals being observed are mountain lions, they may be part of the original population as Culbertson suggested, or more likely, they may be captive animals that have either escaped or been released. Tennessee residents may legally possess captive western mountain lions; North Carolina residents may not. Mountain lions that have been found in eastern states have shown signs of being in captivity (tattoos, defanged, declawed, etc.).
