Black panther in Van Zandt newspaper?

Anyone seen this? My neighbor just told me they have a picture of a black panther taken in Van Zandt county in the Van Zandt newspaper. Apparently it was seen just on the other side of the bottoms from me. Hope someone can verify this as I dont get that paper. He's not the kind of guy to pull my leg but you never know.

Its real! I see them there all the time!!

This should get good.

Havnt got this weeks paper yet but I'll get it and see what in there

Here we go again!

It was saturday he told me, and he said he got it that day. Not sure what all days they release new papers. Stopped by a few places here in Rains county but no VZ papers.

Guys, Im not trying to start a rumor or make a claim, just would like someone who gets this paper to confirm if its in there or not.

amazing... now it's in a newspaper, and there's still no photo...

See, the problem in getting photos is that unless you count jagurundis, black panthers don't exist in Texas.

maybe it's like a vampire, and unless you take the picture using a reflection of a mirror, it won't show up?

X2

X3

You can sure tell when hunting season is winding down every year , gotta love it .

Google turned up a goose egg and if you can't find it on Google, it didn't happen.

X2

Agreed. 100%

Agreed 1000%

I just dont have the energy anymore!

I found it!!

it was reported in the houston paper that a large group of black cougars were spotted near a bar downtown this weekend,.

I'll see if I can find some photos.

Now that report I BELIEVE

LMAO ^^^^^^^^^^ You can even see the house for this house cat!!!!!

that kitty is just looking for it's rubber sqeaky toy it lost!

LOL

I found the picture he was stalking the deer below

"step back non-believers, or the rain will never come, someone keep that fire a burning, somebody beat the drum....."

I heared that aftwer they shot it they opened it up and it was full of indian corn.

Here is the picture from the sunday 1-09-2011 paper the Monitor here in Mabank, Tx. Looks just like a house cat to me.

The indian corn was inside the Chupa the panther ate.

Oh my...

PROOF FINALLY!!!

there is no question that is a freaking housecat... big news in VZ county... "House cat spotted"

I'm honestly just going to start taking pictures of black cats and sending them into newspapers just for fun.

"MY GOD, ANOTHER BLACK PANTHER! IT'S AN INVASION!!!"

Finally but sadly, that doesn't do any good.....there will always be doubters and not just doubters, smart alleck doubters.

Yeah I got the paper this morning and wondered who ok'ed that to print. Anyone can see its just a house cat

surely that isn't a house...but luckily in that pic, we have a black panther and the UFO that dropped it off.

Wow, that thing is almost as tall as a blade of grass. LOL

A very wise Man I used to work for (Retired TPW Bioligist) Used to say there never was such a creature. He later added that peoples eyes will play pranks on them especaily at dusk. For Instance depth perseption here in this very picture could be deceiving at dusk and make house cat 30 yards away look like a black panther 100yds away.

You are as likely to see a polar bear as you are a black panther. Either one would basically only be possible through an escape from the zoo.

Yet about 20% of the people on this board think they've seen black panthers. No one claims to have seen polar bears. Except me - I see them all the time. Trust me. What? Are you calling me a liar? Well, I never!

Im just saying Im a believer in Texas PB BUT I even know cat from bp I posted a video of a a cat my family swore was a Pb and when I saw it I sadly shook my head and had to break the news to them.

I HAVE SEEN A BLACK LEOPARD IN TEXAS WITH MY OWN TWO EYES.

Unless it was in the zoo, you're mistaken.

A lot of people will swear on the Bible they've seen Bigfoot or The Loch Ness Monster as well, so no one should really be surprised.

Aliens, you name it. People have seen them.

and just who are you to say what others have or have not seen?

You might be surprised to learn that I'm a descendant of Davy Crockett.

The great advocate agains ARs.

I am seldom mistaken. Don't assume that since I grew up without running water that I am stupid.

Everyone I know is a descendant of Davy Crockett..... he must have been a busy busy man.

I am kin to Sonny Crockett.

I thought I was mistaken once, but I was wrong.

So they do exist!

I cant believe they printed that.

Yea... thats the worst attempt at trying to make a house cat a panther I have ever seen

My father said he saw one in Bastrop Co about 10yrs ago and it was a well known panther many sightings of it to the point it was just known as the Sandy creek black panther. Its kinda harsh and closed minded to say there are none in Texas thats like saying theres not a world record free range whitetail deer in Texas. Just cus you and me aint seen it dont mean it aint there!

A world record free range whitetail is something I could believe exists in Texas - a Black Panther is more equivalent to a Bigfoot.

David

Thanks for posting the picture. Seems obvious its a regular cat. One thing that is funny though is that when I stopped at the two gas stations on the way home last night between greenville and emory, neither carried that paper, but when I mentioned why I was wanting one, the clerk at BOTH stores claimed to have seen a black panther themselves with one guy claiming his dad shot at one as well but missed. Ive heard so many poeple say they have seen them.

So you mean to tell me with all the Camera's from photographers, all the game cams from hunters, all the Vehicles with dash cams nobody has got any picture proof a black panther ?

I mentioned this to a friedn earlyer and went as far to say ther have been 2 confirmed chupcobler sightings form rural south Texas SO Deputys on Dash Cams, and yet nobody can show me a picture of anything remotley close to a freaking black panther why, because they plain don't exist. Heck there has even been pictures of Big foot and the lochness monster but still no Black Panthers.

I saw quite a few of them when I was 12-13.

http://www.kmbc.com/r/16369255/detail.html

No, it's not close-minded. It's been very thoroughly investigated (historical claims as well) and the conclusion was that there has NEVER been a single substantiated claim. Not one. Zero. There have been as many claims of Abominable Snow Monster that have been verified as there have been black panthers.

I understand everyone things they've seen one. They're mistaken.

They exist, here's video: http://www.kmbc.com/r/16369255/detail.html

There is literally more support out there for the existence of the ultra-annoying chupacabra.

Once again, look: http://www.kmbc.com/r/16369255/detail.html

I understand that they exist and are kept in zoos or illegally as pets as that one was (de-clawed). They are not roaming the woods of Texas. THere are zero of them doing so.

Thanks, glad you know this. I can sleep better now.

When I say "existence", I mean in the woods of Texas. Obviously black jaguars exist on the planet. So do polar bears.

And you know this how?

Ah, then there's the terminology debate...

was it a panther? Jaguar? Jaguarandi? Leopard? Cougar? Lynx? Mynx? Leotard?

Several great men I know have seen "big black cats with long tails"....

There's an area here known as black cat thickett since the civil war days and before...

I am respectful of them to a fault, and confident in their beliefs as well as my own.... so I will not question their statements factuality.

How can folks be so 100% sure of themselves? Honestly.

I guess it's not that important to me to tell some of these men they are wrong.

I'll even give you this:

The odds of anyone having seen one are exactly equal to the odds of one having been smuggled in illegally and escaped into the wild without anyone finding out about it or letting the secret slip. Because it's also been investigated if any known black panthers have ever escaped in Texas and zero evidence was found to support that occurrence.

Sig, will you pay attention? cameron00 hasn't ever seen one, he says they don't roam the woods of Texas,therefore they do not roam the woods of Texas! Geez man!

Again, sig. There are areas called "Alien Alley" and "Bigfoot Thicket" too.

I don't doubt that people think they've seen them. But there's this little thing called incredibly overwhelming evidence to suggest they were wrong, unless they saw jagurundis, dogs, or house cats (most likely).

All you have to do is rationally explain why with all of these grown men seeing all these black cats, not 1 has been harvested. Cougars have. Jagurundis have. Dogs have. Bobcats have. Black jaguars have not. At least not in Texas.

Not only would they have been harvested, they'd have recipes to deep-fry them.

In fairness, neither has anyone else.

http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6295071 from Upshur County in Texas.

and you know this how?

Did you actually read the article? Hint: It doesn't conclude that the people saw a black panther.

I'm not disputing that people claim to see them. A zillion people claim to see The Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot too.

I'm saying they didn't see them, or they saw a housecat, jagurundi, or dog.

and you know this how?

The same way I know no one has seen a Yeti. I just know.

Who can argue with that?

Quote from the post "I've seen him on two or three occasions and I'm not talking about a glance I'm talking just straight at him and him just looking at me, kind of gave me chills" said Bransford."
I guess you missed this part of it. Tell Ol' Mr. Bransford that he did not see it then.

He saw "it". "It" just wasn't what he thought "it" was.

Again, someone thinking they've seen something is in no way, shape, or form proof that that something exists. Especially given the overwhelming amount of evidence against its existence.

Why doesn't Ol' Mr. Bransford simply get a game cam picture of it?

When people want to believe in something, they will see that something.

You people realize that there are more credible videos of Bigfoot Monsters than black panthers in the State of Texas? Let that sink in. There is literally more concrete proof that black panthers don't exist in Texas than there is for Bigfoot.

It never ceases to amaze me.

Ask him that yourself. He is not thinking that he saw it from the quote I posted, he saw it. I believe him.

And I don't believe in Bigfoot, for the record.

I'm sure that's controversial on this board.

Then by your logic, you have no choice but to fully believe in Bigfoot, The Loch Ness monster, aliens, chupacabras, and Snow Monsters. There are people that 100% believe they've seen all of those. No evidence, as is the case here, but they believe they saw it so they must have seen it?

This is honestly my favorite topic on this board.

Heck no they don't exist.

I can tell...

More people claim to have seen Bigfoot than black panthers in Texas.

Not sure why you would just selectivly believe one and not the other. There's no hard evidence for either, though there are a few Bigfoot videos that have not been proven false yet.

of course Bigfoot exists, they even have a call made for it and everything!

Until Mr. Bradfords see's them then they don't exist. I trust his word, he saw that black panther 3 times now

But I did see Elvis at the Wal-mart the other day! Swear!

I'm telling ya, I saw a ton of them when I was 13.

I speaketh the trutheth.

someone's gonna call without them

I believeth youeth

of course I have no pics, but will always have the memories. We had a baseball tourney a few miles south of the local lake that summer and sightings were high.

Sightings wasn't all that was high!

LMAO.. I wasn't.

But really ossifur...I wasn't..

Me thinks these black panther people need a woman!

I wadn't ossifur....and the tourney was in June of 1998 in Jasper, Tx. A google search would show that my story matches up

Again I will say peoples eyes play tricks on them, even a regular mountain lion that has a hint of moisture on its fur can apear black but once it turns the other direction and the light reflects in a differant its magicly buckskin in color.

Again the Media hypes omething up, to everybody saying there is one, do me a favor since everybody is seeing one go grab a camera and show me proof the exist.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



A black panther is a large black cat, typically a melanistic colour variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars (Panthera onca), in Asia and Africa they are black leopards (Panthera pardus), and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars (Puma concolor – although this has not been proven to have a black variant), or smaller cats.[1][2]

Black panthers are also reported as cryptids in areas such as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, and for these, if they do exist, the species is not known. Captive black panthers may be black jaguars, or more commonly black leopards. Black panthers have sometimes been regarded as forming different species from their normally-colored relatives.

The name "panther" is often limited to the black variants of the species, but also commonly refers to those that are normally-colored (tawny or spotted), or to white color variants: white panthers.

Believing in black panthers in Texas is 1 very small step removed from believing in Santa Clause.

Oh there's a Santa alright. I know him personally.

"Oh yeah, smart guy? THEN TELL ME WHO ATE ALL THE DANG COOKIES AND MILK IF THERE'S NO SANTA!!!"

I've been reading some reasesrch papers from mexican universities that are studing Jaguar,(Panthera onca veraecrucis) which is the variant that is said to once exist in Texas. There are still a decent population of these cats in the mountains of Tamaulilas and Nuevo Leon in Northeastern Mexico. http://www.ua.es/area/ebtn/articulos/JAGUAR%20EN%20EL%20ESTADO%20533-537.pdf (in Spanish)

I also found a trail where one of the scientis in a study was requesting on a hunting fourum to send him pictures out of trail cams and locations for his reaserch. And just like in this forum, someone asked about "Black Panthers" in northeastern Mexico. He said that DNA on reacent trapping showed that in the subspecies veracrusis, there probably never existed a black jaguar. He mentiond that DNA for melanistic jaguars tended to occure in Central and South American jungles that are dense in cover where sunlight almost never gets to the ground. The dark color help then camoflauge.

Sorry to disapoint ya'll..

I said there IS a Santa. He always eats the cookies and seldom drinks any milk. He's lactose intollerant. Leave a glass of crown by the cookies and see what happens.

PS : He also likes Dominican Cigars.

No, no, no, Kiko-G. You just don't get it. You can throw all that scientific research and the overwhelming evidence out the window because Old Man Mcgraw who lives on Sawmill Rd by the creek sees black panthers all the time.

Have any of you guys ever seen a Smurf, by the way?

For those that don't know what cameron00 looks like:

Have you ever eaten a smurf, Curly? Be honest. You won't get in trouble.

That's getting personal.

Not trying to insult anyone, I just really, really am amused that this many full-grown men believe in black panthers in the State of Texas.

As stated, nothing brings me out of the woodworks like a good sighting of the legendary pantera negra.

And there are those of us that are amused by you knowing for a fact that these full grown men didn't actually see what they say they did.

This giant leopard was about to attack my wife... I had to stalk him carefully to take this picture from my recliner.

At least you can admit that it's a fact that they didn't see it.

More info, DoubleB20. Did she survive?

I only admitted that you admit it. I believe them.

I think I'm going to cruise on over and do a nice black panther hunt during the offseason.

They make great mounts. Well, theoretically, of course.

At least you won't be on here calling people liars....well theoretically of course.

I remember once when I was a teenager and fishing of a dock at lake Livingston a fellow came in from checking his trotlines with a 25lb channel cat. A couple of hours later, a young guy about mid-twenties came up and asked me if anyone had caught anything. When I told him about the channel cat the other guy had caught, he told me that that was impossible because "he had never seen one that big"!!! Just because you haven't seen one doesn't mean it doesn't exist!!!

It's not even remotely the same thing, Seadog.

Thousands and thousands and thousands of people have caught huge catfish and it's documented.

The number of verified black panther sightings in the history of the State of Texas is zero. Not once has anyone actually seen one and gone on to prove it. That's with millions of game cameras, roads where cars hit every type of animal in the State, tens of thousands of people hunting every year.

Zero. Let that number sink in. The TPWD has actually investigated countless claims of panthers sightings and determined every, single time that it was a case of mistaken identity.

And Curly, I'm not calling them liars. I believe that they believe they saw one. They're just wrong.

And just how do you know this?

Here encircles the main problems. A.) It was walking along the "back fence", B.) It was in east TX, and C.) It was New Years Day; they probably still had an "altered mental status" from the night before.

Like I said, the same way I know people haven't seen Bigfoot.

Cameron, I have never seen you....you don't exist.

She survived, but I almost didn't when I attempted to shoo the animal away with a spray bottle of water and "accidently" sprayed her!

She's mean.

Cameron I have come to this conclusion..you just like a good debate...

Curly - While you haven't seen me, there are hundreds of photos proving my existence. There are dozens of photos on this site. The evidence of my existence is both abundant and scientifically verifiable.

Not really the same thing.

stxranchman - That's definitely true, but I also really do believe that there are no black panthers in the State of Texas outside of zoos (not even sure there are any in zoos).

Yeah but they could be photoshopped also

The ones I know that have seen one (besides me), are a State District Judge, a Medal of Honor recipient, and several civic and church leaders; including one of the best men I ever knew.

I am not going to tell them they are wrong.

The one I saw was a Friday morning in the fall of 94, where my house was being built. I normally came and paid the guys on Friday afternoon (knowing that paying framers early can lead to crooked corners), but I had to go somewhere that night and wasn't going to have time. The field was a cotton patch surrounded by woods. It's about a mile from what the locals consider Black Cat Thickett, but not far, and linked by treelines. As I turned into the gate, I drove around to the back side (was about where my shop is now). I saw the big black cat sitting on a bundle of 2x6's on the terrace behind my house now ( about where the playground is for those that have been there). Before I could get my pistol out of the console and get out of the truck, he was well on his way to the tree line 360 yards away.

Telling the workers about it as they arrived, they laughed with skepticism too.

About 10am, the builder called me. They had found a mauled house cat in the ceiling joists along the edge of the 2nd floor.

I know the people say they are not native to Texas, but that was a big black cat.

Well hell, that settles this argument!

Now see Cameron there is a live and in color testimony...

Right, but it's no more credible than the dozens of other people's testimonies that think they're seeing black panthers.

And again, people, I'm not saying that these people are lying. I'm saying they are mistaken in their perception of what they saw.

My taxidermist has had a standing offer for over 20 years that if anyone kills a black panther, he will do a full body mount for free. No takers so far! Wonder why that is?

It's because there aren't any.

Ya think?

These topics are the best.

My great grandmother was a god fearing, church going woman. Loved her to death and would never lie to me (purposely). She used to see those panthers all the time. And not once did I ever take it for more than mistaken identity. Just have to use common sense on things like this.

Since these panthers run hand in hand with bigfoot this link isnt too off topic. I was searching for some info on arkansas hunting before my trip this year and ran across this forum. If these kind of argument amuse you like they do me, you will enjoy this. Think you might have to register to read it, but its a couple days worth of good entertainment listening to "grown men" talk about bigfoot! Pace yourself though, theres over 82 pages worth, lol

http://www.arkansashunting.net/showthread.php?t=66703

There was one in Fort Worth about 10 yrs ago out around I35W and N 820. I saw actual tracks in creek bed( Fossil Creek )and saw several pictures that a lady had taken of it in a field.

I'm not saying they are native to Texas but this one did exist.

I worked for animal control for 23 years and as a supervisor I did alot of follow up on complaints. There was a man that lived about a mile from where the black panther was spotted that had several lions and tigers in small cages in his front yard at times.

The odds are he had a black panther escape. I left notices after our city ord changed that prohibited the keeping of wild animals and exotics. He never kept anymore that were seen.

During the years I worked in animal control we picked up: bobcats,cougars,lions,tigers,jaguars,wolves,bears,kangaroos,20'plus snakes and alligators.

When somebody says they saw an animal I would really have to think about it before I'd say never has been one in Texas.

Also I have seen with my own eyes three black coyotes in east Texas around Pittsgurg,TX. That some people may think were wolves due to thier color.

and again cameron00, you know this how?

Now see Cameron here is a 2nd live and in color testimony of it....he has seen the pics himself....

Old Timers around Ft Worth will tell ya about Black Panthers. There was a story of around the 1st of the 20th century of a Black Panther found sleeping Downtown. The Panther stayed for several days. The cat eventually became a mascot of the FWPD. To this day a crouching Black Panther sits atop of all FWPD badges. Also to this day, there's still a monument of the Black Panther aross from the PD in the yard of the Flat Iron Building. That's how Ft Worth got the nickname "Panther City". Ever heard of "Panther Hall"? I just can't see spending thousands of taxpayers dollars on a "myth". Sayin' there's no Black Panthers around Ft Worth just might get you into a serious "workout".

People - I understand that there are a lot of stories. I research this stuff in my spare time, and the TPWD has spent considerable efforts just trying to confirm 1 single case. They've actually thoroughly investigated an incredibly high number of these "sightings". These are people just like sig and the others on this board that have sworn on their mothers grave that they saw a black panther. They invariably turn up to be 1 of 4 things:

Bobcats
Dogs
Housecats
Cougars

Just like with the Bigfoot sightings, you can list 2,000,000 people that claim that they've seen one. Until they prove it, even just once, they are just another case of mistaken identity.

Also, "I just don't think they'd name something after a panther" is about the most absurd evidence presented thus far.

You, Big Tony, are awarded no credit, and may God have mercy on your soul.

So you say.

I'm not exactly the only one, Curly.

For those of yall that believe in black panthers, did yall know that the word gullible isn't in the dictionary

Dear Mr. CameronOO,
what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone on this board is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

And another thing, didn't you have something to do with that Buck Crack stuff?

http://www.pantherfountain.com/pantherstory.asp

And you know this how?

I thought maybe they only wrote the definition of it on paint can labels

You realize that at no point does that mention it being black? A cougar is, in fact, a panther. No one is saying those don't exist.

And in regards to Buck Crack, I was the one calling bs on it from Day 1. Feel free to go find those threads - they were another tremendous source of entertainment for me.

By jove, i think he's got it!

LOL. As well as I. LOL

Please tell me yall aren't serious

Well, the monument is black. so it must be a Black Panther.

There you have it "Official Confirmation"

Chalk one up for the Fat Boy.

Ah, but is it any less credible?

I don't take misuse of the dancing banana lightly, Big Tony.

No, of course not. Each and every claim is equally credible and equally incorrect.

Trial Lawyer: "Is it possible that a large black non-house cat exists, having escaped, or been turned loose, or whatever, is it possible?"

Witness: "Anything is possible".

No name calling now.... ya'll play nice

But sig226fan he has researched this subject to no end and has never found a shred of proof anywhere..

There are no black panthers in Texas until otherwise demonstrated. At this point, the evidence is conclusive.

There are also no bigfoot monsters or werewolves.

Smurfs do no exist this far south either.

Leprechauns do not live in the State of Texas.

Abominable Snowmonsters, likely afraid of melting, are also not found in Texas.

These are the facts, gentlemen.

Man if you keep this thread going it might be the one that makes the 2,000,000th post.

http://www.texashuntfish.com/app/view/Post/11770/The-Border-King-200-lb-Jaguar-in-New-Mexico-

So theres probably no Jaguars in New Mexico either huh cameron? So whos to say these cant be a border over? AND CANT BE BLACK!!

Does that have some sort of meaning? Would I be awarded large cash sums?

He does seem to be addicted....he just can't let it go.

Everyone that's even remotely knowledgeable on the subject. We already have a link, on this thread, where a scientist said that while jaguars get as far as North Mexico, they do not contain the DNA that has the melanistic trait and that it is highly likely that they have never existed anywhere north of Central and South America.

Jaguars, while extremely rare and non-existent in Texas, are about 10,000 times as likely as black jaguars.

It's like the gift that keeps giving. Every time someone claims to believe in black panthers in the wild in Texas, I get this uncontrollable giggly feeling. I can't wait for the next believer to come forward.

They have meds for this

I don't need meds. I'm high on life.

And people that believe in black panthers in Texas.

Ya know Curly I think he really is a closet black panther believer...he just has not come out yet..

I'm ashamed to admit that I understood that. ^

I believe! I believe!

Now can you heal my sore knee?

Hey! Don't you know that Polar Bears do exist on some Pacific islands that have GeoMagnetic anomalies....there was even a weekly tv show about it, come on, live in the NOW!


Chupa

Duh, everyone knows leprechauns are only found in Alabama!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nda_OSWeyn8

Actually Panther comes from the word Panthera which is a genus of the family Felidae (the cats), which contains four well-known living species: the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard. The genus comprises about half of the Pantherinae subfamily, the big cats. One meaning of the word panther is to designate cats of this subfamily.

The "black panther" is not a distinct species but is just the common name for black (melanistic) specimens of the genus, most often encountered in jaguar and leopard species.

A black panther is a large black cat, typically a melanistic colour variant of any of several species of larger cat. Wild black panthers in Latin America are black jaguars (Panthera onca), in Asia and Africa they are black leopards (Panthera pardus), and in North America they may be black jaguars or possibly black cougars (Puma concolor – although this has not been proven to have a black variant), or smaller cats.

So to say there is no such thing as "Black Panthers" is wrong!!!

I want to meet the person who drew the sketch!

BTW, they DO TO exist in Texas. I've got one on my box of cereal! So there!

X2 Monsterquest show 2 years ago

Don't you dare try to baffle us with your "Science" and "Facts"
We all know that "hearsay" and "belief" trumps science and fact...even more so if it's from the uneducated ...........


Chupa

Except that no one ever said that there wasn't such thing as black panthers. He was kind of proving a point no one disputed.

Follow up for the believers: Have you ever seen the Great Pumpkin?

Kninda like a Chupathingy?

I know one exists......Don't believe me? Just ask me, I'll tell ya.


Chupa

Wow, cant believe this is still here

I can't wait for the next person to see a house cat and snap off a picture. I wish it happened once a week.

its more fun than offending a newbie looking to swap out a hunt.... ... huh cam

Well Ive never seen a UFO or a leprechaun, but I have seen large (50-60lb) black cats in Texas

2 of them

one in Ellis county another out near Baird

I missed a shot (camera) at the one near Baird simply because my stupid freakin digimitable camera went to sleep and had to boot up!

In my opinion for whatever its worth these are mountain lions dark phase I know the TPWD biologists say there aint no such animal

neither of these were far enough away to be mistaken for feline domesticans! yes Im new to this board but not new to the Texas bush

somebody will get one on a trail cam someday

I'm sure you have, Just J. That's a great story.

DAMN CAMERA!

Just seems to keep happening. It's crazy.

haters gonna hate

While I do not have an opinion on whether or not black panthers exist, I do wonder how a species or sub-species is "discovered". Who has to see a presumed unknown animal for it to be officially discovered or recognized? Many animals, including mammals have been discovered in recent years. Since the year 2000, five new species of marsupials have been discovered, twenty-five new species of primates, thirty new species of bats, numerous sub-species of known animals were classified. Species that were once thought to be or suspect to extinction were "rediscovered". I suspect that all of these new and recent discoveries were seen by everyday people but weren't "discovered" until someone within the scientific community recognized the animal. People will believe what they want to believe, some won't believe until evidence exists, others won't believe even when presented the facts. Again, I have no opinion concerning the black panther debate, but I am not so arrogant to think that something of the sort could not exist. The mountain gorilla was discovered in 1902 by a German explorer. Do you think he was the first person to have seen the species? I doubt it. I am sure the natives knew they were there all along.

Yeah, the problem with that is that all these people seeing "black panthers" are seeing them all over Texas. Not exactly the middle of the undiscovered rain forests. Yet there is not 1 single picture, 1 game cam, 1 carcass from an animal hit in the road, 1 dead animal shot by a hunter...etc, etc.

Given the nature of the jaguar, which is an animal that moves a tremendous amount in search of food, it's simply not possible that all of the above condition precedents could occur if they existed in Texas. They don't.

There's never been a single confirmed case of a black panther in the history of the State of Texas. Not even 1 that escaped from captivity.

Zero. Zilch. Nada. None.

It's really no different than Bigfoot. People are going to swear they saw them no matter how overwhelming the evidence is against it.

Please answer the question. Who has to see an animal for it to be discovered? Is something deemed not to exist because the "right" people have not seen it? Remember, I have no opinion on the black panther debate.

Just 1 person has to actually prove they saw it.

Not just think they did.

That's the difference.

The TPWD has investigated dozens and dozens of claims of people that will swear up and down that they saw a black panther, just like the people on this site. The most common outcome was that it was a black house cat. The second most common was that it was a black dog. Please keep in mind that all of these people said the same, "I know what I saw..." or "I've been in the woods long enough to know that this was NO house cat" stuff that everyone on this site has said. And then they go out and easily prove that they did, in fact, just see a dog or cat or very rarely a cougar in an odd light scenario that made it appear black.

It's just mistaken identity. They're not lying. They honestly believe that they saw large, black cats. They're just wrong.

They're wrong because you say they're wrong?

No, they're wrong because there is an overwhelming body of evidence that suggests they're wrong. Sort of like the Earth being flat.

I would have a problem with calling someone a liar or saying they are wrong just because someone else says, "You didn't see what you thought you saw." While an event may be unbelievable to some, it doesn't mean it didn't occur. Once again, remember, I am not taking sides on the black panther debate.

I do not. Just like I do not have a problem telling someone they were mistaken if they think they saw Bigfoot.

I'm a realist. If there wasn't a lot of evidence to support either side of the argument, I'd say, "Yeah, they might have seen one." Sort of like with giant squid. No one had photographed one until very, very recently. Yet there was a lot of very strong evidence to suggest that they existed. Parts of them washed up on shore, dead animals found with giant tentacle scars, etc.

There is overwhelming evidence that points to the fact that black panthers do not exist in the wild in the State of Texas. Just as much as there is supporting the fact that Siberian Tigers do not exist in the wild in Texas. Or polar bears.

So you say there is no possible way that there are black panthers in Texas yet people say that they have seen them and likened that to people saying that they've seen bigfoot!!! Why do you say there is no bigfoot when there has been physical evidence in the form of hair samples and footprints?

Okay, I'm clearly not going to convince you.

Please feel free to continuing believing in Bigfoot and black panthers.

Agree to disagree.

I used to not be a believer, I am now though.

I was talking a co-worker the other day when she told me they had a black panther cross the road right in front of her and her husband near IRA. All I could say is if you could ever shoot him, you could probably get a lot of money for it. I told her you know there isn't one documented case of a black panther in Texas don't you?

Then I head to the deer camp. I don't want biologists walking all over the deer lease so I will keep the location secret. We were cleaning up about to depart back home. We had left the doors open to the camp and poured the rest of our milk in a 14" bowl for the area cats. I walked outside to load something in the truck and couldn't believe me eyes when I came back. A real black panther had gotten into the camp and was drinking the kitties milk. For reference those floor boards are 1 x 6. I also grabbed the highest resolution digital camera around to make sure I got a good quality pic of it to prevent anyone from claiming this is not a real black panther.

The large cat hung around for an hour or so, but despite the fact there were dozens of rifles in camp, we were unable to grab and load a gun in time to take the large predator down before it made its quick escape.

Just when I think you couldn't possibly be any dumber, you go and post a picture like this...

AND TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF!!!!

I'm on board.

There are so many things in this world that can not be explained!!! We don't have the definite proof except what people see but then other people try to pass off a more "logic" explanation so that everyone feels warm and cuddly inside because now there is an answer!!! I for one have never seen a black panther or bigfoot but prefer to keep my mind open to the POSSIBILITY of the existence of a new species or subspecies!!!

Thoughts on smurfs?

Cute little critters but you have to watch where you step!!!

That did it for me! Now I'm totally convinced!

One time I put a giant ball of yarn out back. Dang thing was covered up in black panthers and mountain lions when I went out to check it.

Camera wasn't working.

So...are there black panthers in Texas or not...?

No there aren't, Bobby.

Really? Here are 2 from Northeast Tx, confirmed.

Those clearly aren't in the wild. If you read this thread, I've admitted they exist and we may have them in zoos or capitivity.

Maybe I trapped them...

I saw a black armadillo once--course it was dead and
had been on the highway for awhile.

You didn't.

I might have

You didn't.

You sure?

Yes, I'm sure.

They're wearing collars.

You've said they were in NE Texas. So now, not only are we talking about the 1-in-200,000,000 chance that an animal found no further north than Central America actually crossed all of Mexico into Southern Texas, it actually crossed the entire State of Texas to North Texas?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure.

Just messing with you Cameron, these are leopards that were seized by our SO about a year ago. People (carny types)moved into the county with hundreds of animals which included 6 tigers, 1 Asiatic leopard, 1 mt lion and 2 black leopards. No permits or insurance for the dangerous animals.

There are no large black cats in TX. Period.

If I had a nickel for every story I've heard about a black panther that someone has seen two or three times...

That's pretty crazy in and of itself.

I was standing guard while the cages were moved on the forks of a tractor to a flatbed trailer 200 yards away in case a cage was dropped and a big cat escaped. That bad part was getting sprayed (urine) by three of the six male tigers

tooth fairy, bigfoot and black panthers, Ill go to bed tonight knowing theyre here in Texas then I guess. In the long run you cameron are right for saying there is no evidence of BP in texas but you should listen to a song by Paul Thorne called "whatever you believe you might be wrong". Just sayin....

I still believe they are out my way in Erath County unless all the old timers are just losing it. Lone for the day seeing one with my eyes. Hopefully I hadn't started drinking yet so I know it's real.

One of the main issues that just blows me away with how many people believe in black panthers is that melanistic jaguars are just a genetically mutated form of normal jaguars that occur very rarely. So for every 10,000 normal jaguars, you might get 1 black one. If the number of people that claimed to have seen black panthers actually had, in fact, seen black panthers, you'd have tens of thousands of normal jaguars everywhere.

Shockingly, there are also zero jaguars running around. If you want to believe it, fine, but given the body of evidence against their existence, you might as well just go ahead and try to find a hot mermaid to nail.

Think about melanistic deer, for example. How many normal deer are seen for every melanistic deer?

That should pretty much put the argument to rest. Nighty night.

Mermaid...smells like fish... lol! ^^^^^^best example/argument youve given so far

If you would take the time to read my posts, you will clearly see that I am neither suggesting nor implying that black panthers exist in Texas. You are preaching to me as if I am claiming to have seen one or believe that they exist. I have no opinion.

A person who believes he/she has seen a black panther will never convince some people of what they honestly believe they saw. Conversely, the scientific community cannot prove that they don't exist (in Texas). Neither side will win this debate. There is no physical proof of the animal and a negative cannot be proven.

I am a realist also, but not so close minded as others. I don't believe everything someone says simply because they have Dr. in front of their name or Ph.D behind it. In no way am I referring to the topic at hand, but the scientific community has been proven wrong before.

What a joke. That thing is barely taller than the 8" grass it is walking through. If Van Zandt has the coyote population that Rockwall does it will probably never be seen again and the legend will live on.

I saw a pileated woodpecker in Navarro county and theyre extinct now according to the biologicalist experts!

The scientific community can and has proven far beyond a reasonable doubt that they do not exist in Texas. Gonna have to sort of disagree with you there.

Just J - It's amazing how many of these highly rare animals you seem to just run into. What crazy luck!

You know this how? So I guess he did not see what he has seen?

That's correct.

So I guess you were there to see with him that he did not see what he thinks he has seen?

cameron, the scientific community has proven that most sightings can be explained but as scientist they still keep an open mind on those that can't!!!

Nope, I wasn't.

You're not paying attention. Just using the 100% proveable characteristics of melanistic jaguars, i.e. that they have tested the DNA of many jaguars and not found the melanistic trait anywhere above Central America and South America, or the fact that for every melanistic jaguar, there are thousands of non-melanistic jaguars, yet no one claims to see thousands of normal jaguars running around everywhere. For some strange reason, all of these people are just seeing all of the black ones...it's beyond silly.

You could go on and on. The non-existence of black jaguars in Texas is as scientifically proven as it can possibly be. They're not here.

So then there is a chance he has seen one then? Since you were not there to witness him not doing this in person? You are going on scientific facts and these same facts have been wrong before, right?

So you're saying there's a chance people have seen mermaids, werewolves, bigfoot monsters, and yetis?

Hey, to each his own.

just curious, have ya seen God lately? what's your beliefs on that subject? just askin'.

Not even going there.

No chance.

How do you know? People claim to have seen them.

That's your logic.

The same reason that you know.

Sorry, pal. But what's good for the goose is good for the gander.

If you don't accept the overwhelming evidence against black panthers because people have claimed to see them, you can hardly then dispute people that claim to have seen snow monsters or vampires.

I am well aware that there is no proof that they exist in Texas. I am not throwing darts at you or those that believe they have seen them. I don't care either way. However, I am curious as to what proof there is to prove that they don't exist. How do you prove a negative? Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.

Aztec indians made statues and paints of coyotes and snakes with feathers, warriors with wings and heads of an eagle, jaguars the size of temples; all while the were on peyote and canabis.

Tex-Star - How do you prove that fire-breathing dragons don't exist?

Or if you'd like an example of an animal that actually exists, how do you prove that Siberian tigers aren't roaming the hill country of Texas? I happen to think they are.

I don't want to come across as crazy, but I'm fairly certain I saw a Blue Whale in Lake LBJ last summer. Prove I didn't.

Mestizos, a mix of spaniars and aztec indians also saw a giant cockroach that smoked weed They made it a leyend and a popular song. "La cucaracha, la cucaracha... ya no puede caminar. Porque no tiene, por que le falta marihuana que fumar..."

I saw one with my own eyes the other day at Papagayos in Nuevo Laredo when we stopped on the way to the lease. I think someone tryed to traped her, she had some kind of netting around her legs.

There is an article in here on page 4 from TPWD that is of interest in particular the last paragraph which states "Could a black mountain lion appear in a population where none had occurred before?"!!!



http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_br_w7000_0255_04_02.pdf

I will also add that none have been documented before but never say never!!!

While I'm enjoying this somewhat worthless debate it's funny seeing the references to fictional and non fictional characters.

I just hope that if a pic of this elusive creature in the wild is ever produced that there are some on here that will be ready to kiss a big brown eye. Can I say that here? I guess I just did. Not taking a side either way.

Cameron00. I have not taken a smug and condescinding attitude with you and would appreciate it if you would do likewise. I asked you a question. You stated that there was proof beyond a reasonable doubt that they do not exist in Texas. Cite your references. Again, I don't care either way and have no opinion as to their existence in Texas.

Not sure what exactly you're looking for, Tex-Star. It's all spelled out for you right here on this thread. There's a link to the scientific discussion that the melanistic trait likely has never existed above lower Central Ameria (i.e. NOT in Texas).

If you don't want to hit up "google" and verify, I'm not going to spoon feed it to you.

I was off on the rarity of the melanistic trait - 6% of jaguars are melanstic. So with the hundreds of sightings of "black panthers", we should have thousands and thousands of sightings of normal jaguars given the population ratios. There has never been a black cougar on the planet Earth, so we can also go ahead and rule that out.

As far as I've dug, there have been no confirmed cases of jaguars in Texas since the early 1900s. Or put another way, unless you're 100+ years old, there hasn't been a NORMAL jaguar confirmed in Texas in your lifetime.

This is all very easily findable on the web.

Sorry, since the year 1900. So unless you're 110 years old, it hasn't occurred in your lifetime.

I'm bowing out before I get sent to the penalty box.

yeah crazy huh? but you have to actually get out in the woods to actually see them

hangin out on forums and whining on the Internet about what somebody else saw wont get you there

I'm with Cameron. Until there is a dead black panther in Texas I can look at and touch I call BS to every "sighting". People are too gullible IMO

The scientific community once proved that the earth was flat, that it was the center of the universe, that man could not fly, that the atom could not be split, that Pluto existed, that there was a global warming crisis, that Pluto doesn't exist, that Global warming doesn't exist, and that Obama is an American.... and that we needed Antler Restrictions and to kill more deer in Red River County.

This may be the most productive thread on the THF right now.

I'm with Dustin, show me the dead black panther! Then I'm gonna check for spray paint!

well I say this...... if dustin does the shooting ....checking for paint would be a good idea

sig - Why don't you just start with the fact that melanistic jaguars only comprise 6% of the total jaguar population. If you just go by this thread, we're rocking close to a thousand jaguars roaming the areas you guys hunt. And yet, not a single proven animal since the year 1900.

Isn't that crazy? You guys all just keep seeing the rarest of the rare in numbers thousands of times as high as their occurence in their actual home ranges, which are nowhere near Texas.

How do you feel safe with all those apparently invisible jaguars on the prowl?

I think "getting a good chuckle out of" is probably more accurate than "whining on".

You don't believe in things folks have seen like black panthers and yet you believe in antler restrictions. That says enough to me.

See, that's the thing, Curly. No one has seen a black panther.

I haven't seen a black panther either but I have seen antler restrictions suck the life out of my deer lease. Now if you say that they haven't, I will flat out call you a liar sir because you do not hunt there.

To all that have seen something like a bigfoot, UFO, ghost or black panther, I envy you. I would like to think that I don't know everything in this world that exists or doesn't and where it lives or where it doesn't.

+

That proves that they exist or don't exist about as much as it proves that you know whether they do or not.

All of the above animals have the same likelihood of existing in the wild in Texas.

And you know this how?

Read the thread.

I have been in this thread since the beginning. Here's the deal. They say they have seen a black panther but you don't blieve them because you say you know that they don't exist in Texas. I don't believe you, that's all. Just like them, you may think you know but maybe you don't. Same sort of deal.

You have a state where thousands upon thousands of people hunt and yet there has never been one killed. There has never been one captured. There has never been one found dead. How could you believe they exist.

If you beleve in black panthers in Texas then you HAVE TO believe in bigfoot and the loch ness monster and every other creature like it

I'm not saying they exist, I'm just not going to say that they don't. What good does that do? If a person says they saw one, I'm not one to tell them I know they didn't. I wasn't there. Who knows, maybe they didn't believe until they saw it. Like Sig said, folks used to know the Earth was flat. It was proven wrong, now how dumb do those folks look now?

You don't believe the overwhelming evidence, yet a couple of people see a house cat and you're right on board, Curly?

I guess we have different standards by which we judge reality.

For the record, Black Panthers in Texas are the hottest topic on the "Texas Cryptid Hunter" website along with some secret lake monster and bigfoot.

Stay strong, believers.

Your augments make you sound no smarter than those that believe....just sound a bit more arrogant maybe.

Actually, my arguments are actually based in verifiable facts, so they're about a zillion times stronger than that of those that believe in them.

You say there hasnt been any "normal" jaguars in Texas since 1900 right? So the fact that one was caught in 2007 about an hour west of the texas border in NM isnt close enough???

Mind you to fallow the 6% rule there would need to be 500 more or so but still where theres one theres two! just sayin

Nope. Because there's a well-known reproducing group of them in Arizona too.

Plus, the people on this thread claiming to have seen them are about 1000 miles from there.

He's all yours zac02.

Also, if you read the link earlier in the thread, they can tell if jaguars have the potential to be melanistic, i.e. the melanistic trait. Even though jaguars have been spotted and caught as far as northern Mexico, none of them contained even the potential to have the melanistic trait. The conclusion of the study was that it was very likely that melanistic jaguars have NEVER existed north of lower Central America.

Already taken care of, Curly. Addressed earlier in the thread.

I don't know why anyone even bothers disagreeing with you.

K Sooo Jaguars are in NM, with the range they have they could easily roam into Texas so saying theyre not in Texas is being closed minded to the fact that the odds are more than likely jaguars are in Texas. But going off your "facts" we need a few more than just a couple roamers but off those "facts" one of those two could be in the 6% so to say there is no such thing going of your again "proven facts" you are wrong.

It only takes one for you to be wrong. And I dont think you can say theres not atleast one

If there was black panthers in Texas one would of been shot already

Whos to say one hasnt? You just dont know and west Texas goat herders dont care about turning in or mounting stuff eating their money.

lol keep drinking the koolaid

Hard to say what you think you know when in all honesty no one really knows. We all have are own opinions mine leans towards the possibility that PB are here in Texas if yours is other thats fine but dont get say you know just because thats what you say.

zac02, they know, somehow, they know, rather they think they do.

Well hope one of those saying theres NOOOO WAYYY there are BP in Texas shoots one first! lol good luck to you Cameron00

If I have to explain this, then it wasn't funny in the first place. But I was referring to a "Chupathingy"......being me. I'm the one that exists.

Did I really just explain that? What the......WHAT!



Chupa

Not saying I believe in a domestic black panther.

But until discovered, there was no such thing as an egg laying mammal. Or a venomous Mammal.

All wrapped up in one tiny package called a Platypus(watch my language). That is a very unlikely critter indeed!!!!!


Chupa

zac02 - Read this thread. If you count up all the "I've seen 3 of them when I was in high school" testimonies, people on this board, just this board, probably account for like 100 black panther sightings.

And you keep ignoring the point about how every animal caught and tested in even northern mexico completely lacked the melanistic trait to the point that they believe they've NEVER existed anywhere near the State of Texas.

On one hand you've got science, on the other you've got fairy tales. You seem to be favoring the fairy tale approach.

And that's cool, man. That's cool.

I don't understand why there couldn't be Black Panthers in East Texas.

There are probably more Black Panthers in the Wild in ETX than there are Bobwhite Quail...

Well, now that depends...

If the population of Bobwhite Quail is > 0, then no.

There's no need to keep arguing. If you would have been in the truck with me that morning, you'd have seen it too. Would you be calling yourself a liar?


There's no way science can 100 percent rule it out. Could it be an escaped one? Could it be a really really dark tawny cougar? Could it be a jaguarandi? Could it be a Lynx with a longer than normal tail? Could it be a leopard or a jaguar?

You will not find a scientist that says these things are IMPOSSIBLE. Highly unlikely, extremely unlikely. Yes. Impossible, no.


Would you even agree there is a one in 15.6 million chance that what I saw 16 years ago was big black cat of some kind with a long tail?

I don't have the time or inclination to look for it, but there was one posted here a few times laying on a trailer that was dark dark brown.... and huge. That thing in low light at high speed would sure look black.

You wouldn't find a scientist that would say it was impossible that perhaps 1 animal that escaped from a zoo or something possibly existed in the wild in Texas.

100% of scientists would say that it was impossible that the number of people that claim to have seen them could be right.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www-tc.pbs.org/wnet/nature/files/2008/11/610_cougar_brianfcall.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/trail-of-the-cougar/interview-photographer-brian-call/1972/&usg=__Kmxnq8i20Ns-4_hKP6E551lINGw=&h=350&w=610&sz=40&hl=en&start=206&zoom=1&tbnid=vrQ_6EZIUeOX9M:&tbnh=128&tbnw=221&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dcougar%2Bon%2Btrail%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DX%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D583%26tbs%3Disch:1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1022&vpy=115&dur=78&hovh=170&hovw=297&tx=146&ty=94&ei=vBcvTeqmBoT68Aa1xLy_CQ&oei=lxcvTdbKN4qCsQP57pTtCA&esq=10&page=11&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:206

That picture is exactly my point. People are seeing bobcats or dogs or lions (very rarely) that are wet or dirty or in light situations that make them appear black.

Mistaken identity.

But even you have to admit the number of people that think they've see them is just ridiculous.

If you read the article they say the possibility exists and I do agree that some of the sightings might be explained but not all of the sightings!!!

You are missing the point. There have been hundreds of sightings of black panthers, yet no sightings of jaguars. Melanistic Jaguars account for 6% of the total population WHERE THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF MELANISTIC JAGUARS ARE FOUND, not of the entire population. So lets say 6% of the Jaguars in Texas are Melanistic. For every sighting of a melanistic jaguar, there would be 16-17 sightings of a normally colored jaguar. Why has no one seen these normal colored jaguars??? BECAUSE THEY AREN'T SEEING MELANISTIC JAGUARS.

Of course its impossible to prove a negative. But I'm a chemist and if I mix A+B 20 times and never get C, I come to the conclusion that under the conditions of the tests A+B will not yield C.

Scientists have investigated black panther sightings for decades. EVERY SINGLE TIME evidence was collected, the evidence was found to show that it was a case of mistaken identity.

So, I also don't accuse anyone of lying about seeing a black panther, they were mistaken. I've thought I've seen a lot of things in my life when I only get a quick glance. But when given time to look, I'll realize my first inclination is often times wrong.

Seadog - They say that it's possible that someday a genetic mutation could occur. They also very conclusively determine that there are no black panthers in Texas. That article was a whole lot more "no" than it was "yes".

They said the POSSIBILITY exist!!! So if the POSSIBILITY does EXIST, then there is a possibility some people have seen them!!! All that they said was there have been no documented cases!!!

Since you're selectively picking quotes, some more from that article:

"Despite numerous reports of black panthers, a black specimen or skin has never seen the light of day in Texas or anywhere else in North America"

"There are a few old and unverified reports of black mountain lions from South America, but once again, no specimen exists."

"No authenticated records of black panthers exist anywhere in North America."

It then discusses the possibility of animals escaping from captivity and concludes...

"However, there is no evidence that this has ever occurred."

The only even very slightly somewhat optimistic piece of that article is that it's possible that someday a black mutation of a cougar could occur.

Right there with Bigfoot in odds.

It should be noted that you're banking on the "genetic mutation" of a cougar turning it black and they very specifically say:

"but once again, no specimen exists"

Meaning it hasn't happened.

36 pages..........WOW!!!

Debate would be over if someone opened the door for these guys. Two black "panthers" running around in the wild........scary stuff for being outside at night. Only way to know they're coming is if they smiled at you.

There are also reports of freshwater sharks in Texoma. I did not know such a specie existed.

Why would I do that? That would only make me look like a jerk.

15 pages...

Bull sharks(Zambize) often travel hundreds of miles inland from the ocean because of there ability to survive in fresh water. Also there is a land locked lake in south america that has been well documented as having bull sharks in it. So, yep it's plausible.


Chupa

Everyone calm down a bit...

I may seem like a bit of an arss on the internet, but trust me, in real life I'm actually MUCH WORSE.

A guy here in Joshua used to have three Bengal Tigers in an enclosure behind his house. One escaped one night and was discovered by a police officer one night on patrol behind the local bank. Bet you can't find that story on Google or any where else, so I guess it never happened.


Chupa

finally a post we can all agree on.

Chupathingy - You'd need about a dozen of them escaping every month to justify the number of sightings.

I won't dispute that at all. Listen, I'm not saying I believe anything brother. I think that VAST majority of the sightings can be lumped into one of two groups. "Mis-Identification" and "BS". I just can't bring myself to say it's impossible is all. I'll believe they exist when I see one. However there other things I believe in that I've never seen. God being one of them, this is why I can't say it's impossible.


Chupa

Black Cougars or Black Panthers?

Exactly!!!

It's not impossible. It's just about as likely as winning the lottery.

Looks like a big ole male feral cat to me

Yote, definitely a yote.

Now, I can back that statement %1000. VERY unlikely!!!!!


Chupa

It looks like the black one laying down has a collar on!

Saw one this morning that had a collar, rabies tag, and a hartz flea and tick collar

cameron00 owns that one.

And you know this how?

Good one! It's on the cat's collar.

Did you get a picture of this? You know he will deny it if you don't have a pic.

nope .....you will need picture along with entire dna mapping sequence

Cameron, I'm going hunting for the Easter bunny in a few months, you want to go.

After that we can go find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow and catch the leprachaun.

Then we can go shoot bigfoot on our way to catch the Loch Ness monster.

I can understand people being skeptical. I don't beleive in in most krap either - bigfoot, nessie, ghosts, etc. But I had a jaguarundi run out in front of me at 20 yards, middle of the day, stopped right in the middle of the road. My initial thought was a young black mountain lion. It was clearly not anything I had ever seen before. Long, low to the ground, very long tail. I have killed dozens of feral cats and bobcats and I wasn't drunk and had two eye witnesses with me. Seeing is believing. My guess is a lot of the "black planther" sightings is the same animal. And I know they are only thought to exist in small numbers on the border, but this was in Coleman County. I bet black panther thicket has a few of them running around. My hope is that the people that are the most skeptical and post "housecat", "dirty dog:, etc. have one run right in front of them. Then they can deal with everyone calling them a liar.

LMAO
I say we just start shooting black house cats and narrow down the odds of mistaken identity.

Try READING the text in your own link:


"Officials said the panther weighed 60 pounds and measured 3 feet. They also said it was declawed, which indicates that someone owned it as a pet."


Can you say "exotic pet"?