There's another new contributor in our midst, this time UK-based author Neil Arnold. Neil has an interest in the weird, the supernatural, and the other-worldly, and seeing as Philly has a reputation for such things, he couldn't resist adding his expertise to our mix. Welcome, Neil!

1. MYSTERY PHANTOM COUGARS

Welcome, people of Philly, to the first installment of 'Philadelphia Weirdness,' where we hope to be covering all manner of anomalous phenomena: reports of weird and sinister creatures roaming the woods, sightings of unidentified objects in the sky and encounters with ghostly forms floating aimlessly through buildings.

Our first port of call is the consistent mystery pertaining to sightings of elusive, almost phantom felids, such as the cougar. Pennsylvania's last pair of mountain lions were said to have been destroyed in 1871, yet over one hundred years later sightings continue throughout Philadelphia. Are witnesses merely seeing ordinary cats, or other local wildlife such as deer, and mistaking them for these slinking, fawn-coloured shadow cats? Or do the dark corners of the city hide a small population of creatures thought long gone?

Proof of such prowling animals is not exactly in abundance, hence the mythical status these cats have brought among themselves, but tracks, fresh kills on livestock, eerie screams during the night and countless eye-witness reports seemingly point to the existence of this predator which officials have dismissed for decades. However, during the mid-1990s a small cougar flap took place in Philly, particularly around Delaware and creeping into the suburbs of Philadelphia. Such animals, although denied, have vast territories of several hundred square miles and often live up to their reputation as being elusive, hence their nicknames 'ghost cat' and 'shadow cat.' However, one such cat was killed on the outskirts of Philly in 1967.

Further proof of such cats hit the headlines in 1996 when an animal resembling a cougar was filmed and shown on Philadelphia area television. However, it's more than likely that the 'mythical' tag will follow such animals wherever they go, unless one unfortunate victim turns up dead for scientific analysis, and only then will it prove what we've already known for years, that the eastern cougar is still alive and well.

Image Credit: Flickr user seismocat