Wampus cat

The Wampus cat is a cat-like creature in American folklore that varies widely in appearance, ranging from frightful to comical, depending on region.

Early references, by the American Dialect Society, noted the Wampus cat as "a creature heard whining about camps at night," "a spiritual green-eyed cat, having occult powers," or "an undefined imaginary animal.

"[1] Folklorist Vance Randolph described the Wampus cat as "a kind of amphibious panther which leaps into the water and swims like a colossal mink.

"[2] The Wampus cat was mentioned in newspaper accounts of the 1930s in the Piedmont of North Carolina.

The creature was accused of killing livestock.

Bronze statue of the six-legged Wampus Cat located at Conway High School
Margaret R. Tryon's 1939 depiction of the Wampus cat catching an eagle. An almost identical illustration attributed to "Nick" Nicholas C. Villenueve was published and copyrighted in 1938 in A Saga of the Sawtooths by Henry L. Senger
Margaret R. Tryon's 1939 depiction of the Wampus cat catching an eagle.