Black Panther

[bantamboy93]

http://www.wdsu.com/r/29891759/detail.html


So I know that those of you up north or other areas of the country may not understand my point with this. Idk. But my grandpa (who is probably turning in his grave right about now) always swore up and down that there were black panthers living in this area. That is, South MS and SE Louisiana. The government apparently does not agree. They acknowledge panthers in the area occasionally. But not Black Panthers. Not sure what kind of big cats y'all deal with in your area, but there are a lot of people around here that firmly believe that the black panthers are around in this are. Just thought I'd share this with y'all. Might be that some of the members are from around this area in Louisiana and need to be on the look out. Also. I'd like for everybody to go read the article and take a good look at the picture and weigh in on it. The news broadcast said that the local Wildlife and Fisheries Dpt. was saying that the sheriffs department were wrong and that it was a big house cat.. I just can't believe that. What does everybody else think?

 

[RHRanch]

It looks like a black panther. Could be a black Mountain Lion (rare) or a jaguar or an escaped exotic pet.

 

[woodmort]

Oh for crying out loud--that's a domestic cat unless those bushes are 10 feet high and the grass in front of it over 3 feet tall. Somebody is playing a hoax.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

We are in northeast Mississippi and there are no native cougars here. I know, because the "guberment" says so. All the fish and game guys say so. Even the school books say so. Nope. None. Nada.



but.....


I found one that was hit on highway 350 several years ago, was small for a cougar, but about right for a south American jaguar or black panther. Was a few days dead, but no doubt about it. Was a female.

A few months later one of my friend's dad, who was a big time coon hunter shot one while coon hunting, brought it by my house to show me. This one was freshly killed, a male, matched the other one.

About a year later he killed another one, also a black male.

I tracked one several times near here a couple of years back, finally caught a quick glimpse of it. It was a huge western cougar, not native to this area. This part of the country originally had eastern cougars and Florida panthers, both smaller sub-species. So this one was most likely an escaped pet.


Now before anyone gets the idea these were house cats, I raised cougars. I know cougars. So, yes, I think I might be qualified to know the differance.

Wrestling with one of the big males;

And him laying in the corner of the shop;

And Terra giving him a little luv;

 

[dinahmoe]

i agree with woodmort-definately a housecat,not saying there couldn't be a black panther roaming around there,but that ain't one.

MFB-i am jealous,that second picture is awesome.

 

[bantamboy93]

woodmort.. i took a second look... and really looked at it. Perhaps you're right.. But i do think that there are black panthers. The government won't acknowledge them. But there are too many sightings of them. And look at florida... all the exotic pets that aren't native to the area being released.. I honestly think it's possible that some either migrated up from south/central america and began reproducing or were originally pets that escaped or something

 

[Kajunbanty]

I live in this area and its not usual for those weeds behind the cat to be 8 ft tall and the grass to be 2 to 3 ft tall. So far I haven't heard anything about the WL&F saying its a housecat. I know people that have seen black panthers in some of the swampy areas that they hunt and behind some houses. Wolves have also be spotted and pictures taken on wildlife cams. There has also been a black panther spotted in the Des Allmands area. I guess someone will have to finally shoot one to make believers.

 

[RHRanch]

There's really no way to tell the size of that cat - no way to tell the size of the bushes/plants, either.

 

[mom'sfolly]

It looks like a house cat to me too....

 

[jeremy]

That doesn't look like any house cat I've seen...