Question about Lion sign

[dpetty]

From the picture below can you tell if this is Lion sign? I live in IN and we have an occasional lion, typically turned loose by some crackpot who thought it would be a great pet. I am asked to do animal removal by people and a lady that lives by my in-laws said she had a lion kill a cat and some chickens. She has those minature cows and one of them had a large scratch across its face. I did not see the cow but was told it almost lost its eye. She swears that she saw tracks that were cat like the size of her fist. She sent me some pictures of an area that had several scattered bones, turkey and chicken feathers, and a deer skull. This site also had what looks like in the picture scratch marks on the tree and surronding area. As I said I am not a lion expert what are your thoughts on the picture (the picture is grainy and hard to see and it might be a week before I can make it to her place). IS this typical lion behavior?

[FullCryHounds]

No, just ask yourself, what would the purpose be for a lion to do this to a tree and how could a lion do this?

[Warner5]

If I had seen something like that here in southwest oregon, from the pic. I would think the tree at the bottom of the pic had fell against the bigger still standing tree. Scaring it up as it went down. Do a search on this site, for cat sign. Have a nice day. John.

[MThound]

I would say it is the other tree scraped it as it fell and peeled the bark. I have seen bears rake a tree, but never a lion. The male lions mark their territority by making scrapes (small piles of dirt, grass, needles, and urine) every so often. I have followed many a lion track and have never seen a cat rake a tree like you have pictured.

[dpetty]

Thanks that was my thoughts as well.

[muck]

probly bigfoot haha