Black Panther

[woof]

There was mention in another thread about a sighting of a black panther. I'm very interested in big cats in parts of the US where they are not supposed to be. But if Panther means mountain lion, there is not one single case of the melanin abnormality that causes "blackness" in big cats in the mountain lion. The cats that are often called black panthers are in fact black leopards and they are from Asia. Anyway, if anyone has any big cat stories from the middle of America eastward I'd like to hear them.

 

[ThomasT]

That might be me that mentioned the black panther. I was driving down hiway 56 out of kopperal tx going south toward lake whitney. It was early in the morning. The sun was up far enough to see just fine.

The cat ran down the embankment, across the road and up the other side into the trees. I said "Wow" did i really see that"? No doubt about it. The funny thing is that was a bike rider coming the other direction that apparently never saw the cat. He was looking down at the time.

My uncle was on a deer lease in miridian tx not too far from where is saw the cat. The land owner said that there were two black panthers around there and to shoot them if possible because they were running off the deer.

Hope this helps.

 

[JesseL]

Jaguars are indigenous (though scarce) to the southern reaches of Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas; and they are occasionally black.

My guess is that unless Ratshooter saw someone's escaped exotic pet, it was probably a jaguar.

 

[ThomasT]

I don't know if it was a pet or not i didn't see a collar or tag. But i will say this, he was pickin' em up and puttin' em down. That cat was stretched out long and low and haulin' ass.

I was driving a Nissan pickup and the length of the animal with the tail was easily longer than the width of my truck.

I have no way of knowing whether it was a panther or jaguar.

 

[woof]

Yes, the Jaguar can have the melanin abnormality although it is extremely rare among Jaguars in S America. It is questionable whether Jaguars may have moved back into the SW US after extermination there over 100 years ago, but I have seen a picture of one Jaguar (not at all black) taken in Texas. Most people who study big cats believe the so-called black ones are mountain lions in low light or shadows and discount the possibility of any black cats in north America. But the mountain lions are defitiely moving east and I have reports I consider very credible in WV, western Maryland and western PA. I guess my interest began when I was about 15 and living in western maryland. I went up on the mountain behind our home every day almost and one day found a very odd looking track. I took my dad up and showed him. I fondly remember that instead of telling me not to go up there anymore, he said no more going up with only a .22, only with a shotgun or deer rifle.

 

[ThomasT]

Hey woof. Just wanted to say that the cat i saw was lit up by the morning sun. Everything was in full color. Walt Disney would have been proud.

There was no doubt that the animal was black. I wish that someone could confirm what it was. Every time i drive by that area i look to see if he is standing in the shadows.

 

[Avenger29]

Well, whatever you want to call it, what we call black panthers do in fact exist here in the Southeast. Even if the state Department of Natural Resources or the Wildlife folks want to deny it.

If ya shoot one, shovel and shut up. And check for tracking devices.

 

[woof]

I'm not doubting anyone I'm just saying that seeing a black panther is putting yourself in the same category as those who see the Loch Ness monster or bigfoot. I've studied it quite a bit and while I won't say none of those critters exist, virtually all the experts put the black panther in the cryptozoology category. I know there is a lot of denial about the ordinary mountain lions, and I know for a fact there have been cover-ups. But those were by sheriffs and wildlife people, probably concerned with hurting tourism. A woman was killed by one a few years back in Arkansas. The thing is, in areas where mountain lions are known, they get killed and remains are found. There are no remains of a black one anywhere even though as many sightings as are reported, there should be. And if you shoot one (with gun or camera) don't shovel and shut up. Pay the fine and you will still have a lot of money left over after selling your story! PS - the width of a pickup is only about 5 ft max. A stretched out mt Lion with tail is 7-8, a Jag would be longer. A large bobcat, which can also have the melanin abnormality, could easily appear as wide as a pickup. Anyway, I have no doubt that people are seeing something, but the genetics for blackness just don't exist in Mt Lions. If it did one would pop up every decade or so in CA where the lions are plentiful.

 

[Timradcliffe345]

A friend of mine swears he saw a black mountain lion in the blue ridge mountains, VA. It was NOT a Jaguar, it was a black cougar, puma, mountain lion or whatever you want to refer to it as.

On a different note, Id like to raise mountain lions someday. Anybody know how to go about this?

 

[Timradcliffe345]

When I was a kid our neighbors down the road had a pair of mountain lions in a large pen. Maybe things have changed since then.

 

[woof]

Unless you are a zoo you will never get permission to breed them and to do so would be unethical. It is possible to get licensed as a sanctuary for large cats, there is one near Morgantown, WV. It would take at least several hundred thousand in investment to start and the liability would be off the chart. A friend of mine swears he saw a bigfoot. But he will admit there is often a gap between what we honest to god see, and what is really there.

 

[Timradcliffe345]

What is unethical is to systematically wipe out tens of thousands of different life-forms on this planet.

It is wrong to keep any wild animal in a cage, however I dont think it would be unethical to keep Big Cats in a large protected parklike enclosure to prevent their extinction.

 

[Halo]

My parents live in the mountains of NC, and my dad has personally seen one on two separate occasions. Since sightings are also occurring in VA, TN, and WV it makes me think there must be at least a small population in the Appalachian region.

I've also personally seen paw prints in the snow near their house that were too large to be a domestic pet, and lacked the claw marks that a bear's paw print would have. I'm certainly no tracking expert, but my understanding is that paw prints without claw marks indicate retractable claws, namely the feline family. The tawny colored mountain lions have also been sighted around there. I don't know which animal left the prints I saw.

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

About 5 years ago a guy I know who works for the County Extension Service showed me some tracks of what he thought was a panther near the Perdido River on the FL/AL border. They sure looked like a large feline tracks to me. (no claw marks.)

 

[woof]

"My parents live in the mountains of NC, and my dad has personally seen one on two separate occasions. Since sightings are also occurring in VA, TN, and WV it makes me think there must be at least a small population in the Appalachian region."

Seen what, a mt lion or a black one? There cannot be a black population. Even in big cat species where black exists genetically (leopard, jaguar) it is an anomaly not a species. In other words black leopards don't come from black leopard parents. One in every 10,000 or so leopards is born black. But as I said, the gene for it doesn't even exist in the mt lion.

 

[Dravur]

Well, I saw one....

It was at a Poker game... Elvis was there, along with Bigfoot and the Loch Ness monster. We were sitting around in a game of 5 card stud when this black panther came out and dropped off a tray of drinks. He then went over and sat down in front of JFK who was taking a nap on the couch. For some reason, JFK looked alot like Ozzie Smith.

Well, after a time, we caught Bigfoot cheating.. He had all the aces stashed in his fur. Needless to say, we weren't to happy about that. Nessie held him down while Elvis and I shaved him. Lo and behold, It was Rosie Odonnell.

Anyway, the Panther lounged around the rest of the night. He was black as coal, but had a nice disposition. The game broke up about dawn and we all moseyed out. I jumped on my unicorn and rode off. I did see that panther one more time.... He was loping off across the pasture with nary a care in the world.

True story.

Some day, I'll tell you about a Pink Panther I met....

 

[woof]

Unicorn? C'mon, who do you expect to buy that?

 

[Halo]

Seen what, a mt lion or a black one? There cannot be a black population. Even in big cat species where black exists genetically (leopard, jaguar) it is an anomaly not a species. In other words black leopards don't come from black leopard parents. One in every 10,000 or so leopards is born black. But as I said, the gene for it doesn't even exist in the mt lion.

Both types of animal have been seen in that area. The one my dad saw was a large black cat of some type.

 

[RNB65]

Wampus cat.

 

[sojournerhome]

Ratshooter, I have been in the DFW area since 1986. There have been reports in the Grapevine are on and off for years of a black "panther" being sighted. So, others have seen something around here like you described. Very elusive. The police and others searched and could never fond a trace.

 

[ashcashbgash]

I am so happy to find this thread--when I was no more than ten years old, I looked out my front window around dusk and saw a giant black cat slinking down our street in the middle of residential Grapevine, TX. This was a couple years before the building of Grapevine Mills Mall. Recalling the incident this evening with my mother, (I'm visiting her in Denver, where there is an overpopulation of Coyotes that eat the pets of the area) I told her I thought I had imagined it. I love the internet as much as I love big cats! Thanks!

 

[Curator]

Jaguarundi are often black and account for 95% of "black panther" sightings. Theyare obviously bigger than a Bobcat and smaller than a Puma. Although somewhat rare, they are very secretive and can live in an area for a long time without being seen.

 

[Sam1911]

This really isn't on topic for THR at all ... certainly not in the Rifles forum! It is also several years old.

I've moved it to hunting, but it isn't really a hunting issue either -- so closed.