Tale of a mystery cat echoes on Anamudi hills

There is no solid proof, but tribespeople of the hills in the Western Ghats swear by ‘Pogeyan’

Is ‘Pogeyan’ a myth or a fact? A big cat, grey in colour, is apparently leading a reclusive life in the high-altitude grasslands of the Anamudi forest on the Western Ghats. Local tribespeople call it ‘Pogeyan’ ostensibly because of its colour, that of smoke. However, wildlife enthusiasts, ever in pursuit of the creature, are yet to capture a photograph of it. So, the aura of the mystery cat remains; it appears and disappears like the mist. The first reference of Pogeyan can be found in a painting by a Britisher. Twenty-three years ago, wildlife photographer Sandesh Kadur and a group of tribespeople claimed to have spotted it on the Anamudi grasslands. Before Sandesh could photograph it, the huge cat disappeared. The tribespeople insisted that it was Pogeyan.