I don't know how to explain the variances in what is reported....but let's step back a second.
We believe there's an unrecognized ape/hominid roaming the forests of NA and Asia. It's been undiscovered, officially, and there's enough of them to breed.
Now, take that comment - as wild as it sounds - and say - "No, there's actually four different types of these hominids - maybe even more. We just haven't gotten lucky enough to really prove they're physical animals living in our forests. It's because they all are able to possess culture to pass down the rule to be afraid of humans."
Mountain lions are, same with black bears, mostly afraid of humans and will slip away. There are still young ones, old ones and just plain stupid ones, who walk around neighborhoods or hide up under porches.
I say that as a believer....but we seem to make some pretty wild claims/assumptions to explain some things away that are just not that easy.