Large Black Cats

[hobbes]

I had a neighbor call me one night to tell me they'd found a young mountain lion (16 or so years ago), "it's up in a tree, come look at him". This was in IL, so I drove up the road to find two neighbors shining lights a big fat barn cat.

The neighbor that called had been convinced by the other neighbor that it was a young mountain lion. I tried to not laugh and looked at it for a minute or two before breaking the news to them but I knew it wasn't a lion as soon as I walked up. One guy was embarrassed that he'd called, the other guy was still convinced that I was wrong. I grew up with him, he never was too bright.

I'll give em one thing, it was one hell of a healthy barn cat.

I also recall a grainy trail cam photo from the East posted on a hunting forum around that same time or earlier that was captured at an angle. Anyone that knew anything about cats could see that it was a bobcat, but the argument went on and on that it was an odd angle of a mountain lion causing the tail to look short. It was insane what folks could convince themselves they were looking at.

 

[grfox92]

Clay Newcomb did a Beargrease podcast about mountain lions where they shouldnt be. It included several experts, witnesses and a psychologist. There was a decent explanation from the psych about how people clearly see things that they aren't.

Ep. 1: The Myth of the Southern Mountain Lion | MeatEater Podcasts

There are two types of people in the South -- those who have seen mountain lions and those who haven’t. Supposedly extirpated from the South, the native species has lived on through backwoods lore and many believe they never left. Did they? Clay Newcomb explores the touchy topic by interviewing...

www.themeateater.com

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk

 

[DawnPatrol]

My dad worked for ODFW and tells a story about getting a call about a black panther wearing a red collar that had been hit on the highway. Caller was distraught and emphatic that it was a large panther type animal. Upon inspection, it was a black house cat, with a piece of its own intestine wrapped around its neck after getting hit by a car.

Sometimes when I hear these stories, I consider the large number of non-native cats kept in captivity in America, and wonder if an escaped animal might account for a sighting here or there? Still doesn’t solve the total lack of pics/bodies.

 

[bigbassin]

Now not nearly as much of a stretch as the cat being black, but I do believe a very, very small number of sightings in areas that supposedly don’t have panthers are legitimate big cat sightings. Then at low light or in the shadows, mixed with hearing stories, the person’s eyes play a trick on them and make the cat black.

Some folks can’t distinguish between a dog and a coyote, I imagine more than one of these sightings a bobcat has been called a panther.

Florida Panthers (same exact species as a regular mountain lion, but referred to differently because $$$) supposedly have a pretty limited range in the Everglades.

For years growing up in Central Florida, we were told panthers didn’t make it that far north and that anyone seeing one was mistaking a bobcat or house cat.

2 were hit by cars in my county. It was added to the range map.

A panther was shot in South Georgia a few years ago, maybe 2020? State was adamant that it was a lost Florida Panther and not a resident mountain lion. Not impossible but it was 450 miles north of the accepted Florida Panther range, about 100 miles from Talladega National Forest in Alabama, and 150 miles outside of Cohutta/Big Frog in GA/Tennessee.

I’d think it’s a lot more likely the cat came from 100-150 miles away from locations with tons of reported sightings in AL/GA/TN (albeit i bet 99% are false), rather than 450 miles up from Florida.

 

[bigbassin]

Sometimes when I hear these stories, I consider the large number of non-native cats kept in captivity in America, and wonder if an escaped animal might account for a sighting here or there? Still doesn’t solve the total lack of pics/bodies.

I would think it doesn’t contribute significantly, but I bet at least 1 or 2 sightings this is the case.

Occasionally a red stag or an axis deer finds it’s way off of a high fence operation, don’t see why the same couldn’t apply to cats.

 

[NB7]

Otter running across the road at low light is the elusive panther.

I think there's a lot of merit to this statement. I've trapped a few otters, and a very big male is often very dark, damn near black, pushing close to 4 feet with a long thick tail. Otters also have lighter colored face and a broad dark nose and whiskers. Also their slinky movements when on ground can almost seem cat-like. And when you think about it, how many average people have actually seen an otter in the wild?

I mean, they're obviously not as elusive as a mountain lion and they're far more common, but they're not the kind of animal you just see all the time. People's mind play tricks on them, especially in low light, or when they're already trying to confirm what they want to see. Spotting a "black panther" is far more exciting than an otter.

 

[dtrkyman]

Last guy to see a black Panther!

 

[JustSomeGuy35]

My dad worked for ODFW and tells a story about getting a call about a black panther wearing a red collar that had been hit on the highway. Caller was distraught and emphatic that it was a large panther type animal. Upon inspection, it was a black house cat, with a piece of its own intestine wrapped around its neck after getting hit by a car.

Sometimes when I hear these stories, I consider the large number of non-native cats kept in captivity in America, and wonder if an escaped animal might account for a sighting here or there? Still doesn’t solve the total lack of pics/bodies.

There was a tiger on the loose when I lived in NW Louisiana. It was a juvenile, weighing about 350 lbs, that was set free by its owner. When I moved away, about a month later, it was still lurking around....or maybe it was a damn nice rug by then. I never did find out if it was killed or not.

 

[Yarak]

So far we’ve gotten typical responses of mockery and disbelief which are ok with me because I expected this
I’ll say I’ve trapped for years and can distinguish most any animal in the state
My sightings and descriptions of these LBC’s are sound
Note
I’ve never said these were a Panther or mountain lion because I do not know what species these are and as I stated earlier I do believe the science that says there is no melanism in the puma family

 

[49ereric]

I think there's a lot of merit to this statement. I've trapped a few otters, and a very big male is often very dark, damn near black, pushing close to 4 feet with a long thick tail. Otters also have lighter colored face and a broad dark nose and whiskers. Also their slinky movements when on ground can almost seem cat-like. And when you think about it, how many average people have actually seen an otter in the wild?

I mean, they're obviously not as elusive as a mountain lion and they're far more common, but they're not the kind of animal you just see all the time. People's mind play tricks on them, especially in low light, or when they're already trying to confirm what they want to see. Spotting a "black panther" is far more exciting than an otter.

Otters don’t move like big cats and it is quite obvious.

 

[mattferg84]

I'm originally from MO and I cant tell you how many times I've heard someone say they saw a black panther. But even more than that I've heard quite a few people tell me they know they have a mountain lion on their farm because they find deer stashed in trees lol.

I was hunting elk with a guy about 10 years ago and we were walking through some blowdown hell. We both stopped and took a break and were talking about the route we were gonna take when we both saw something scurry across a log in front of us about 30 yards away. He said "holy crap that was a mountain lion". When in fact it was 100% a pine marten run across the log. He swore up and down that it was a mountain lion. I think our eyes play tricks on us sometimes.

 

[OneShot]

People in eastern states will argue that they exist. By reading different pages on Facebook, these people say they see them all the time. With millions of trail cameras out there, but no pics of large black cats. I guess large black (mountain lions, panthers, cougars, pumas) or whatever they want to call them,only live on states where hounds aren’t allowed to hunt them.

 

[Wrench]

Seen one in the early 2k's near Usk Wa. Heard Philip Sweet had encountered one near Priest Lake in that time. The one I saw was every bit of a 150lb loin.... and unquestionably black.

 

[Megalodon]

This has become a baseline intelligence test for me.

Have you ever, or do you know someone who has seen a black panther? If the answer is yes, well sorry fella. Not really putting much stock in what you have to say.

 

[49ereric]

This has become a baseline intelligence test for me.

Have you ever, or do you know someone who has seen a black panther? If the answer is yes, well sorry fella. Not really putting much stock in what you have to say.

You failed it

 

[Scoot]

This has become a baseline intelligence test for me.

Have you ever, or do you know someone who has seen a black panther? If the answer is yes, well sorry fella. Not really putting much stock in what you have to say.

I saw the movie! I must be smart as shit!!! Hahaha! (Prediction: "Yes Sir, you are smart as most of the shit I've met in my life" or something like that.)

 

[stanginthe11s]

for guys that don't know about cats. there are many breeds of cats that are common pets. some of them get to a pretty large size and all of them can be black. main coons, Bengal's, servals, savannas etc. my Bengal is 24 lbs pure muscle and has attempted to bring down an adult doe. he failed lol and I was shocked when I watched him do it, but hey, he dreams big lol. it is very likely these account for some of the sightings. now, if you know cats, each breed has different features but most will not be able to tell them apart.
also, I agree the mind plays tricks. everything is big when you're afraid of it lol.

 

[wytx]

Mountain lions can look many shades darker than they actually are but they still aren't black.

There's no such thing as a big black cat walking around the woods. Jaguars are barely into the US and all documented pics are of the normal spotted variety.

I'd believe in Bigfoot before the fabled American Black Panther.

Ha ! I have a BIL that has seen both in Texas, well his son saw the Sasquatch.

 

[FLATHEAD]

An Otter has absolutely no resemblance to any kind of cat.
Not in profile or gait.

 

[stanginthe11s]

in the NE I would say people are probably seeing fisher cats. surprising how many people don't know what they are. my neighbor shot at a fisher one night, good thing he is a bad shot cause it was actually a cat lol.