I know these Big Black Cat threads are fun to muse about, and I have no doubt that people see (or think they see) dark animals in the wild. So I do NOT contest the idea that SOMETHING dark/black was seen.
But, I am still waiting (56 yrs. later) for someone to provide empirical evidence of a “Black Panther” wandering the U.S.
Invariably, these threads take a different track (no pun intended) and morph into a: “ I saw a Cougar thread, Cougars DO exist in My State, etc”
YES, YES, YES……….we know
cougars exist many places in this country, but not BLACK ones (the subject of the thread).
I understand the mystique, big cats are cool and folklore does not die easily. But… come on guys, this black panther thing is rivaled only by Big Foot for being ubiquitous .
If you don’t believe me….try this (for the men): Next time you're at the Barber Shop….introduce the topic of a Black Panther sighting and see how many folks make the claim of having seen one, or knew of a Friend’s Uncle’s Cousin (twice removed), that saw one.
You will get responses from nearly every part of the U.S.
And the reason for this is twofold:
1. The most prevalent reason will be Mistaken Identity.
2. People like folklore.
The chance of a Melanistic Cougar or Jaguar….is miniscule. The number of people claiming to have seen large black cats (specifically Black Panthers they say) is HUGE. How do we reconcile that?
Logic and Intellectual Honesty…demand that we accept Mistaken Identity as the source for these sightings.
Yeah…I know, that kinda sucks all the FUN right out of the room, but that’s the truth of the matter.
Flint.