Large Black Cats

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Nov 3, 2017
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I worked for a game agency long time ago and part of my job was taking wildlife sighting reports, mostly mountain lion. I would get dozens of pictures a week. Usually a person could tell it wasn't a lion by looking at a picture, when I couldn't tell because it was a blurry flip phone pic I would ask the sender to go and try to get a picture of a track it was usually a dog, house cat, or deer track. Most of the time there was no picture of the animal they saw and they would just say they saw a mountain lion and then send me a picture of the dog/house cat/deer track where it was standing. I'd say 3/100 reported mountain lion sightings I got were actually mountain lions. And that was in a state that has a decent population of lions (and most of those 3% were in areas you would expect them). Even after I would follow up and explain why it was something else, I'd say most of those people were still convinced on what they saw and are probably still telling their mountain lion story at the bar.

I know some guys that played a trick on their friend around a UFO sighting. The dude was convinced aliens/UFOs were real. Well they played the prank, and the guy's story ended up going national and after that no one had the heart to tell him it was just a prank. He claimed up and down he saw aliens get out of the UFO and described them. There are even drawings of the UFO and alien online. His 3 acquaintances were in the barn watching, what he was describing as aliens were three of his pigs that they let out. He basically tricked his mind into seeing something he had convinced himself was there.

As many wolf sightings that I've heard about in places, you'd think they have overrun the Midwest. Doesn't mean there are not potentially wolves there, but people that want to see them seem to have no problem randomly stumbling across one.
 
Joined
Jul 6, 2022
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one time about 15 years ago I was driving out of camp at night and saw something in the road. the way it was sitting and staring into the headlights it looked like a monkey lol. the thing never even flinched as I swerved to avoid it. now, we know damn well it wasn't a monkey, but I'll still tell the story that way because it would be no fun to just say it was a skunk or a mink and it's fun to see people go with their imaginations. the power of suggestion is indeed powerful. some people still believe in the loch ness monster.
 

KHNC

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Jul 11, 2013
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NC
Whew.....this thread went just exactly like every other black panther, jaquar , mtn lion thread i have seen started by a southerner.
 
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Yarak

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May 24, 2020
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I was in HS and college in the early-mid 80's. You didnt happen to have aluminum foil over the TV screen did ya?
I did not but thrilled to see youve developed skills regarding the use of aluminum foil
 
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Yarak

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May 24, 2020
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OK, I've been on your side the whole time. I've given you multiple species of large cats other than panthers that can be black. you stated you did not know what specie it was, but it was a cat. now you're saying that my suggestion of cats are mistaken identity and what you saw was a cat that wasn't a cat? and somehow there's no possibility of other people mistaking things for a cat? maybe it was a saber tooth tiger?
I’m looking for anyone to be on “my side”
What said was no one around the area of the sightings would have an exotic animal like the one in the pic you posted
Don’t read so much into things or take offense that I find humor in your statement
Those people in those areas are poor and couldn’t afford anything like the cat in the pic and for that fact neither could I
 
Joined
Nov 19, 2020
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NW Illinois
I’m looking for anyone to be on “my side”
What said was no one around the area of the sightings would have an exotic animal like the one in the pic you posted
Don’t read so much into things or take offense that I find humor in your statement
Those people in those areas are poor and couldn’t afford anything like the cat in the pic and for that fact neither could I
Consider me in the "uncertain" camp since I'd never presume to tell someone they didn't see what they think they did, unless I saw it with them.

With that said, don't be so sure that poor folks don't buy exotics. I have known several people that had really expensive pets but were poor as shit. In fact, there's a dumb ass kid that works for me sometimes that currently keeps an alligator in his tub and is trying to get a second. Him and his girlfriend are broke and have had to move twice in the last year for not paying rent. Priorities, I reckon.

In my experience, poor people are also more likely to turn their exotics loose or lose them because they're either irresponsible or just can't afford them.

Just throwing my 2 cents out there!
 

fwafwow

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Apr 8, 2018
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I have seen some large black cats, including black panthers. Pictures to follow
 

Wrench

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Aug 23, 2018
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WA
Deer don't come in albino or piebald either.

Please share a species that can survive in the Selkirk grizzly zone, stretch clear across a fs road and bail off a cliff of 60ish feet when encountered by a human.
 
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