Don't mean to butt in, but from the link below the photo:

"When you see a picture of a Black Panther it is most likely that you are looking at either a Leopard or possibly a Jaguar with Melanistic coloration.........
.........Melanisim can also occur in other species of wild cat - black coated caracal, Geoffrey’s cat, margay, bobcat, ocelot, jaguarundi and serval have been noted in the smaller cats as well as occasional mention of the coloration in the larger lion, tiger and cougar."



http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/agarman/bco/fact2.htm

By the way, I got a Sasquatch living in my sauna.

Hello M-16, I am somewhat of a redneck, but I have to agree with you on this one. I am in a position and location where I receive and have received reports of panthers, black and others, frequently and for many years (over 20). I have studied the differences between cat and other mammal tracks and tell everyone stating that they have seen a panther to please cover the tracks with a bucket and get back with me. This is because I would love to come and verify a panther in the state (Arkansas). I sometimes send them a printout of the differences in the various tracks that are confused with panthers. That tends to quiet them down a bit and I have never heard back from any of them.

I once had a girl friend's brother take me out and show me some panther tracks, only they turned out to be those of a large dog. He said "Gosh, I'd hate to see that dog! Once had a lady tell me a panther was ripping their window screens and climbing on top of their house. I went to inspect and it was a bear. The folks lived out in the middle of the piney woods and threw their garbage in a crosstie fence behind their house which attracted the bear and all sorts of critters. Once had a report of one dead on the side of the road and it was a black lab.

I don't argue with anyone on this subject, but like you, I want visible proof, especially of a black one. Seems like all these game cams on the many clubs in our area would pick one up sometime if they are around. Merg

This is an outrage!! This guy mentions Melanism,Black and Cougar in the same article and the same paragraph. How dare he!! We must demand his credentials and now.

And if you hear women screaming around by my house, don't assume that its a panther OR a bobcat!

M16,

If that had been the case then spotting a big black cat in Louisiana certainly wouldn't be as far-fetched as some make it, no? After all, one might have decided to swim across the Gulf from FLA to LA or simply hike through AL. -TONY

Let's see, over the past 200 years there is NO scientific proof of the notorious black panther or black cougar in N. America. No hide or carcasses, no video or game cam pics, nada.

But yet we have hundreds if not thousands of black panther tales from all over the continent.

So let's review. The once native jaguar returns to AZ and is captured on game cams and video cams and bayed up by houndsmen but some still proclaim to have seen herds of black panthers.

Sumpin wrong with this picture?

Just sitting here laughing at the "non-believers". But, more power to them if they choose not to.

---

As a side note, I wonder how well the old Black Panthers would do against the Wolves that Kudu and VG are so concerned about?

Well, duhh, I guess we would be over-run down here with Wolves if it weren't for the black Panthers, Catamounts, Cougars and all keeping them chewed up.

To an earlier poster here who mentioned the game and fish commission laughed at him (or his friend), when saying there was a panther in his yard ...

... see how fast they quit laughing if you threaten to just shoot it.

I've never personally *SEEN* a panther here in South Alabama, but I know there are some in the area - although probably the Florida panther variety. I've seen several bobcats and even black bear once or twice, but never a panther.

One of my uncles swears by a story of how he killed one with a pitchfork in a cornfield when he was a boy (nearly 70 years ago)... although I have no way to prove or disprove that story.

For me personally, the toughest thing I've ever tried to convince folks of was there was a bear living in my woods for a time. It took up residence and had a den. They're rare enough in Alabama that there's no open season on them, so we just put small beaver traps around it's den until it wandered off. Even when I went in to work with loose fur from the traps folks didn't believe me ... it's just unreal.

Hey Ben, I lived in Lacy's Spring, AL for awhile which is just across the bridge from Huntsville.

Used to do a good bit of fishing back then when Deer Season was out. When I cleaned them, I tossed the guts next to a tree and the next morning they were always gone. Figured I was just helping the Coons and Possums.

Got to looking a bit closer after a rain and noticed Bear tracks where I was tossing the fish guts. Really surprised me. Mentioned it to some guys at work who said it was not all that rare to have a Black Bear in that area.

A couple of months later a little girl was scared by a Bear about a mile down the road. The meeting scared the Bear too and it went up a tree. Lots of local media coverage and the Game Department came by to tranqualize it.

But of course, people that weren't there or don't spend any time outdoors can tell you "from their vast knowledge" that there aren't any Bears there at all.

http://www.blackpanther.org/

Panthers? Black Cougars? Jaguar in Arizona? Cool stuff, I certainly hope its true. The best way to confirm these sightings (well, maybe best isn't the correct term) would be to get a hair or scat sample and have it sent to one of the 100 or so universities around the country that can sequence its DNA and confirm the existence. A number of hair traps are set up throughout AZ but most samples collected have turned out to be foxes of all things. (With an occasional coyote, cougar or any number of mustelids)it would be interesting to confirm the presence of Jaguar back in AZ. Has any of the Louisianna sate agencies investigated these reports or is this mostly urban legend?

IV

In the mountains of western North Carolina none exist. At least according to all wildlife officers. I have talked to several people with good sense that say they have personally seen panthers here. One saw a mother cat with long tail and kittens on a number of occasions over a number of weeks. Another had a mother with three kittens come out on a remote road construction site. The kits played in front of the work crew for over thirty minutes while mom stayed mostly in the cover and tried to get the triplets out of harms way. She was very aggitated. Another person I know had a panther come out and cross the valley in front of her house. She watched it for 10-15 minutes. She called the wildlife dept. They laughed at her and said none exist and it must have been her immagination. She answered that it was mighty peculiar that there are none, since she was looking at one as she spoke. Did I see them myself? No. Do I believe these people are all crazy? No. There are many more people who say they have seen them here but I just can't remember details about them. According to those reports there are three color phases. One tan. One black or at least very dark, and one that is mixed as in a kind of calico color. Is there any truth to a black one? No they do not exist remember. You believe what you want M16. I don't think all these people that watched them for extended periods of time and gave very detailed accounts are liars or blind or just stupid.