Big Black Cats (Panthers)

ARDave

New member
Well, I have lived in Arkansas all of my life. And for as far back as I can remember, there has been people who have claimed to have seen "panthers". And i'm not talking about in the zoo...IN THE WOODS! They are described as big (as in same size as a couger), black, and having an extremely long tail. Oh yeah, and they scream like a child or woman. So, i'm looking foward to any stories or even better, pictures if you have them. It's kind of odd to me that i've never seen one, even on a game cam.

-Dave
 
I have heard the same stories up here too. I figure that those who said they have seen a black panther did see something. I did see an episode of Monster Quest on TV. Don`t know when it will air again.
 
That has been discussed here a gazillion times and nobody can produce any documented evidence of a black mountain lion/cougar. Documented means we have to have more than your barbers - sisters - kids “eyewitness” account on a dark night while drinking a little wild grape at the river crossing. If the "search" feature here was worth a crap we could probably dig up a couple hundred posts about this topic. Be forewarned, half of those would have some sort of conflict and drama contained in the post and end on a bad note.
 
I did see a video from someone in AL or GA sitting a deer blind watching this white tail buck get spooked and then a black panther comes slinking out of the woods.

The cat goes back and forth a few times in the clearing and then dissapears, it looked like the real deal?
 
NO SUCH THING!!! If someone tells me that they've seen one, I won't believe anything else they say!! Same as Big Foot, Santa Clause, Tooth Fairy, and Easter Bunny,...should I go own.

Maybe I'm wrong, I did a google search and found a whole gang of black panthers. They walk upright, and have coarse kinky hair, but no long tail.
 
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I was working in SW AR and did see a mountain lion. On HYW 41 going south out of Foreman towards New Boston TX about 3 miles north of the Red River. It wasn't black but it was a mountain lion. It ran across the highway around 11am. A guy from Hatfield AR that I worked with claimed to have seen a black one. He's not the kind of guy thats full of crap. So the search continues I guess.
 
About 9 or 10 years ago a local news station was doing a story out in western Ok and the news helicopter was on its way back to the station they were close to Elreno Ok and the pilot saw something in a pasture and zoomed in on it with the camera on the helicopter and it was definitely a large black cat with a long tail. They said it was probably a Florida panther. The reason I remember this is because it was right after they had put cameras on all the news choppers and they were filming everything.
 
Jaguars have a melanistic (black) color phase, but Felis concolor (cougar/Florida panther) apparently does not.
 
Melanism (also known as melanosis;"dark-colored") is the occurrence of an increased amount of dark pigmentation (as of skin, feathers, eyes or hair) in an organism, resulting from the presence of melanin. It is the opposite of leucism and albinism, which occur because of a lack of melanin or other types of pigment.

Abundism is the occurrence of excessively abundant dark markings (spots, stripes,patches) due to increased dark pigmentation on the coat, fur or skin of some animal species. As the number and/or size of these markings increases, some overlap and merge causing the effect of pseudomelanism where the animal appears completely black. The background color may still be discerned between the markings.

Melanism (and pseudomelanism) is often the result of genetic mutation, but can result from other stimuli, such as exposure to abnormal temperature changes during gestation which transiently alter gene transcription or translation.[Wickipedia2010]

The black color can happen in any animal, it is a genetic mutation. There was recently an all black pinguin found. If this genetic phenotype is favored in a certin environment then it will be passed on and stableized...
 
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Originally Posted By: Lil BuffaloMelanism (also known as melanosis;"dark-colored") is the occurrence of an increased amount of dark pigmentation (as of skin, feathers, eyes or hair) in an organism, resulting from the presence of melanin. It is the opposite of leucism and albinism, which occur because of a lack of melanin or other types of pigment.

Abundism is the occurrence of excessively abundant dark markings (spots, stripes,patches) due to increased dark pigmentation on the coat, fur or skin of some animal species. As the number and/or size of these markings increases, some overlap and merge causing the effect of pseudomelanism where the animal appears completely black. The background color may still be discerned between the markings.

Melanism (and pseudomelanism) is often the result of genetic mutation, but can result from other stimuli, such as exposure to abnormal temperature changes during gestation which transiently alter gene transcription or translation.[Wickipedia2010]

The black color can happen in any animal, it is a genetic mutation. There was recently an all black pinguin found. If this genetic phenotype is favored in a certin environment then it will be passed on and stableized...

Please point out the documented black mountain lion/cougar hide, mount, legit photo or video? In over 300 + years of exploration, settlement, substance, market, and sport hunting, along with the scientific discovery, study, and documentation of North America, best I can tell there has been exactly - ZERO.
 
GC, ZERO is exactly right. The only documented cases of melanistic big cats have been in leopards and jaguars, not mountain lions. Both leopards and jaguars are non-native species, so unless they're continuously being released in N. America all of these black panther stories are BS, and if they were being released I think someone somewhere could get at least some form of legitimate proof that they exist.

The people that tell stories about seeing black panthers are one of two things in my opinion.....1.Mistaken about what they've seen due to light conditions. 2. Fictional Story Tellers, better known as LIARS.
 
Ok, I was willing to let a lot of the nay saying go until this point.
For the record- I have never seen one in the wild.
For the record- where you live could make a difference.
For the record- about two hours south of me I know a rancher who has had a problem with a panther, as have his nieghbors. There labs and Great P. are getting eaten. His local GW is aware of the cat and has instructed the to apply the 3S rule with a tell me nothing clause.
OK two questions.
1- If one of us were to shoot said endangered species and then came on the board bragging about it(with proof), how long do you think that it would take for goverment representative to show up at that posters doorstep? How long in jail? would they take all his guns? house? what would the legal cost be?

2- How many deer are there in this country? How many albino deer are shot or even seen?
Compare that number to the number of "normal" cougars shot or even spotted. Adjust that number to the ratio of albino deer to normal ones. Freaks of nature do occur. If only one mountain lion (which most people will never see) was borm black (making it even harder to see), your accusations would be wrong. There would be one and that is all that it would take to validate the posibility.

Never having seen the "elephant man" one would claim it to be impossible too. Or how about Hydrogen atoms. I bet you've never seen one......... just sayin.......
 
Boomy, it I hadn't noticed you were from Texas I would have
thought you were talking about me being the rancher you
know. Haven't lost any labs to the cat but have had a
Great P. attacked and llamas killed.
Is a black cat the problem ? I don't know.

I do know a big black cat was killed by either the
wild life guys or a sheriff's deputy near Joplin MO a
couple of years ago.
 
Boomy, There's documentation of everything you mentioned except black panthers. You don't have to kill something to prove it exist, legit pics or video would do. They did'nt kill the elephant man in order to get documentation on his case.
 
Boomy, I should also say that I consider this a friendly argument, and I respect your views on the subject, even if I disagree. GC warned it would go this route. It's fun though.

Originally Posted By: RJM Acres I do know a big black cat was killed by either the wild life guys or a sheriff's deputy near Joplin MO a couple of years ago.

Any pictures?
 
That's fine... it was they are liar or just blind that pushed me into the discussion. Been here, done this before on another site. It has come up a few times
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: cookstaxiBoomy, I should also say that I consider this a friendly argument, and I respect your views on the subject, even if I disagree. GC warned it would go this route. It's fun though.

Originally Posted By: RJM Acres I do know a big black cat was killed by either the wild life guys or a sheriff's deputy near Joplin MO a couple of years ago.

Any pictures?

Got me.
Do a google search on Black Panther Joplin missouri and you will find a news article or 2.
 
I know more than one seasoned,experienced,avid hunter that has seen something large,black and feline in the woods,open pastures and crossing roads.
what they are I don't know.
but I do believe them.
Osage County seems to have the majority.
 
RJM....I did the search and found the article with video. The cat had been declawed and looked to me like it was trying to get in the house for a saucer of milk. It was someones escaped pet for goodness sakes.

You have had calves, llamas,and dogs attacked by anything your imagination could dream up. Get a grip man. You are starting to make the rest of us Missourians look bad.
 
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