Dr. Michael Reihart saw the shredded shirt, the cuts and abrasions on the farmer's chest, arms and face — even between the eyes.
The Lancaster General Hospital emergency room doctor who treated Samuel Fisher on Oct. 9 believes him when he says he was attacked by a cougar that jumped from a tree in Sadsbury Township.
"Part of my job is to figure out what is actual," Reihart says. "I don't think they (injuries) could be self-inflicted. This guy seemed genuine from the very beginning.
"I believe the guy," he says.
So convinced was the doctor with 25 years of emergency room experience that he immediately urged authorities to go to the scene.
Reihart's comments, along with those of a Colerain Township supervisor and a sportsmen's group, contradict a ruling by the state Game Commission that the cougar-sighting was a hoax.
In new developments in the wake of the alleged attack, Walt Todd, the chairman of Colerain supervisors, said he believes a cougar visited his property about six weeks ago and left claw marks on a piece of tin "that were very close to what I saw on (Fisher's) arm." Colerain Township borders southern Sadsbury Township.
And the Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania on Tuesday issued a report on the incident, saying the sportsmen's group "is standing by the Christiana Amish community and their numerous reports of mountain lion sightings."
Game Commission spokesman Jerry Feaser said today the agency continues to believe the cougar attack was a hoax and that Fisher, of 92 Windy Top Road, Christiana, is lying when he said he saw three cougars, shot one and wrestled another, which only fled when it was stabbed by Fisher's pocketknife.
On Tuesday, the Game Commission pulled its bear traps from the area in an attempt to catch a cougar.
However, Amish in the Ninepoints area remain frightened and vigilant.
"Some of the Amish have a gun with them all the time now," says Stephen Mohr, of Bainbridge, Unified's president.
Added Todd, "I can tell you the Amish are very concerned about the safety of their kids going to school."
Tuesday night, nearly 300 people, mostly Amish, attended a community meeting at the Bart Township Fire Hall that was called by USP to discuss the cougar sightings. Another is planned for tonight for Strasburg-area Amish.
At Tuesday's community meeting, several people wanted to know if they can shoot a cougar if they see one.
No, not unless it's threatening someone, replied Dennis Warfel, the Game Commission's wildlife conservation officer for southern Lancaster County.
If the animal does pose a danger to someone, "then you need to do what you need to do to protect yourself," Warfel said.
However, Mohr predicted local farmers would shoot one on sight, fine or no fine.
Warfel also said he doesn't believe Fisher's tale. He cited alleged blood samples taken at the scene that a lab found were not blood, and the fact that Fisher's wounds weren't more serious — none required stitches — after a several-minute tussle with a cougar.
He also said there were no signs of a cougar found anywhere in the area.
Mohr said that if the cougar that attacked Fisher was once a pet or captive animal, it would have dull claws.
Reihart, who later accompanied Fisher back to his farm for a re-enactment of the events, says he has seen wounds from house cats and dogs and the injuries he saw were not from either.
"I have no idea how these wounds occurred," he says. "At some point, you have to trust your patient. Quite a few people have seen cougars in the area.
The physician says Fisher seemed genuine and honest.
Reihard says he talked to residents in the community who said Fisher "was not known to tell tall tales.
"The other thing for me is he said to me, 'Why would I fake this story? This is a busy time of year. I am a farmer and I have better things to do.'"
Staff writer Ad Crable can be reached at acrable@LNPnews.com or 481-6029.
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