He sent the pics to the area VDGIF biologist who confirmed it but said it was a transient and Virginia doesn't have a breeding population.
That does not surprise me at all. Michigan DNR said the same thing for years. Before that, they usually always just said it was nothing but an oversized cat. Now they have changed their minds.....finally. It stated to be the same thing with wolves. They were confined to the UP. Now they have finally admitted their are wolves below the bridge.
I am not surprised by what you say our game dept. has towed the same line you speak. I think the transient line is BS. A transient here and there makes a breeding population soon enough.