Wednesday, January 8, 2014

The Latest Black Panther Sighting Reports

The enigmatic black panther phenomenon is alive and well in Texas (as well as other states). Wildlife officials almost universally say there is no such animal. They will tell you that there has never been a documented case of a melanistic mountain lion and that jaguars have been extirpated from North America with the only possible exceptions being extreme South Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. The facts they quote are just that…facts. It is true there have been no documented cases of melanism in a North American cougar. It is also true that jaguars are extremely rare North of the Rio Grande. Still, witnesses continue to come forward claiming sightings of these ghost cats. What are we to make of this?

First, let me repeat something that I’ve said before. I know that there is no such animal as a “black panther.” The known big cats that have been given this moniker are either African leopards or New World jaguars exhibiting melanism. So, when I use the term “black panther” realize it is a colloquialism, a catchall phrase, if you will, that is commonly used in Texas and the Deep South to describe any large, black or very dark, long-tailed cat.

Now that is out of the way, I present to you the latest sighting reports that have come in to me from people claiming to have seen these enigmatic animals. As always, I cannot vouch for the veracity of these accounts. Most of them have come in as comments to blog posts with the commenter remaining anonymous. That being the case, I can’t make secondary contact. It is possible that some sighting reports are the work of hoaxers but I have diligently weeded out those that seem “shady” and printed only those that seem reasonable and credible. The original reports are in italics and are followed by my comments.



10/17/13

“I saw a large black cat chasing a deer while I was hunting on Oct. 21, 2012. This was in Murray, KY off of Boat Wright Trail. It was only 65 yards from my stand and I was able to see it for about 8-10 seconds.”

- Anonymous


TCH Comment – This report originates in Kentucky but I’ve included it here to help illustrate that sightings of large black cats are not just a Texas phenomenon. These animals are reported through out the South on a fairly regular basis. While reports from farther North are less common, they do occur, as the next report will illustrate.

10/29/13

“A colleague and I spotted a large black cat today outside of our office. We watched it for about two minutes and were able watch it through binoculars. It was a gorgeous black animal, smaller than Mountain lion but much bigger than a Bobcat. We both reported it to the DEC. Of course they think we are nuts. I looked for tracks but there were none; the ground was too dry. We are located in Western NY just West of Rochester. I am still amazed at what we saw and looking around on the web to see how many others have seen one. I am not nuts. We are both hunters and very experienced spotting and identifying animals. I have seen a Mountain Lion before and know what they look like.”

- Anonymous


TCH Comment
– Another report included to show that “black panthers” are not strictly a Texas or Deep South phenomenon. The reaction this witness received from the authorities is, unfortunately, the norm.

10/29/13

“I moved to Wise County, Texas in 1998. While sleeping with the windows open one night, I was awakened by a scream outside. The scream sounded like a frightened woman. Seven years later, in the spring of '05, while watching a new neighbor’s large black lab roam my east field, I scared him of with BB gun. A few days latter he returned, so I thought I would shoot up in the trees above him with bird shot. He went north across my field, so I went in house to get my gun and on returning watched for him to return along tree line of the east hay field. Not long after, something black appeared in my neighbor’s field to the north. Where this animal came from is a known game trail. My neighbor’s field is not planted, so it is very brushy. Next I saw a black tail above the brush and weeds. The brush was three feet tall. I realized this was no tail from the black lab. Next out of the brush came the rounded head, then the long neck, and long body. Even with the gun in my hands and three shells, I was scared. This animal was solid black and similar in size to a mountain lion. I didn't shoot and watched it disappear into my east field tree line at a trot. The next day I went to see if any tracks were left just to make sure I wasn't dreaming and there they were. Now 8 years later my neighbor has lost many young goats. This cat was not a bobcat or a large domestic. This was a massive cat and twice as long as the dog I had been watching.”

- Anonymous


TCH Comment
– A look at my black panther distribution map shows that Wise County and the surrounding area is a hot spot for sightings of large black cats. This sighting fits the “headwaters pattern” discussed in previous posts as it takes place very near the West fork of the Trinity River. The Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland is also located in Wise County. It provides in excess of 20,300 acres of remote wilderness where a large cat could reside.

10/31/13

“I saw large black cat which I thought was a black panther out near lake LBJ. It crossed the road following a deer and went down into a canyon like area full of rocks... it was near some homes.”

- Anonymous


TCH Comment – Mountain lion sightings near Lake LBJ, while not common, are not unheard of. The reservoir sits 45 miles Northwest of Austin and forms part of the border between Llano and Burnet Counties. I’ve received several reports from this part of Central Texas (see distribution map).


11/1/13

“Your acquaintance in Franklin, Texas is right! There are several "Big Cats" in the area. I live about 10-15 miles from Franklin & we have had one on our property, I have had one run across the road on FM 2549 in front of my car. They have their "Cry" that they do & it can be heard almost nightly. For them to let out a roar is something that will send chills up your spine!”

- Anonymous


TCH Comment – This area of the Brazos Valley, surprisingly to me, hasn’t had too many sightings of large, black, long-tailed cats. The area does sit directly between two areas, Central Texas and Southeast Texas, that do have high concentrations of sightings. Maybe the Brazos River is a travel corridor for these cats? One thing I found intriguing were the sounds the reader attributes to these cats. The “woman-like” scream is something that has been reported many, many times; however, her reference to a “roar” is unusual. Mountain lions are not considered true big cats by wildlife biologists. There are several reasons for this but one of them is the fact that, unlike tigers and lions, cougars cannot roar. IF the roaring sound the reader refers to is, indeed, coming from a big cat, it isn’t a mountain lion she is seeing. On the other hand, jaguars, which are historically native to Texas, can and do roar. As most know, jaguars can be melanistic as well. Could a jaguar have made its way as far North as the Brazos Valley?

11/1/13

“Love this site! I live in Clay Co. in Texas, close to Wise Co. 15 to 20 years ago there was a pair of black "mountain lions" or so people thought. We have bobcats and mountain lions here. Recently a neighbor and I were talking about a mountain lion I had spotted by my house. He asked me if I had seen the black one. He had spotted one just recently. I am starting to wonder exactly what it was. I know the one I spotted years ago was bigger than your jaguarundi. The head didn't look the same either. I wouldn't have thought about it being a jaguar until talking to a hunter friend who said he thought there were jaguars in Texas.”

- Anonymous


TCH Comment – Another report originating near the headwaters of the Trinity River. This reader echoes what many witnesses have told me; mainly, that the long-tailed black cat they saw was too big to have been a jaguarundi. Many others pointed out that the small odd-shaped head of the jaguarundi does not match the shape or size of the head of the cat they saw.


11/17/13

“There is definitely a large black cat in the rural Paradise, TX area. Before we knew it was large and black, many people lost sheep and goats to it. My sister has lost many sheep in the past several months. Yesterday, she was talking to a friend who lives just south of her, and he drove up on it. He did get a picture. It is a large black cat. I am posting this so people watch their livestock, pets, and children.”

- Anonymous


TCH Comment – Still another report from Wise County. Could a hard pattern be developing here? If this witness is reading this post, I would really love to see that picture your managed to snap of the cat. Please contact me via email at Texascryptidhunter@yahoo.com.


11/17/13

“My grandfather and I, on our family's ranch in Lingleville Tx. (About 75 miles south west of Fort Worth), saw a black cat with a long tail while feeding cattle. My great grandfather always told stories of seeing one on occasion. I'm a believer. There's no doubt in my mind of what it was. They’re around.”

- Zane Hallmark


TCH Comment – This report comes from much closer to home for me. Lingleville is an unincorporated community in Erath County. This area is very rural and dominated by ranches and dairy farms though it is also home to two of the nation’s largest renewable natural gas plants. Again, the “headwaters” theory comes into play as the North Bosque and Leon Rivers spring to life here. Lots of reports of mountain lions and “black panthers” come from this area.


11/28/13

“My wife called me last night about 5:00 and said she was looking at a big black cat. It was bigger than a bobcat and had a long black tail. We've seen bobcats around here for years, and it was no bobcat. When we found this picture, she said that it's what she saw.”

- Len Crawford (Oklahoma)


TCH Comment – The photograph Mr. Crawford refers to is below. The photo was allegedly taken by a game camera in SE Oklahoma and shows what seems like a Labrador-sized, black animal with a long tail. Speculation as to the authenticity of the photo has raged since it was made public. Some see a large black cat, some a black dog. Some claim to see signs of digital manipulation.


12/1/13

“I never realized this was such a hotly debated topic. I'm from Queen City Texas and I have hunting lease just south of Atlanta Texas. I hunt a 200' wide power line lane. While on my stand this afternoon I looked to the West checking for any sign of deer and I noticed something at the top of the hill in the middle of the road I didn't think much of it since it didn't look like a deer and was at the top of the hill at 300 yards a little out of my comfort range for a clean shot. Then I thought coyote and put my scope on it and I saw a big cat brown in color. It slowly walked in to the brush. I pride myself on hunting in the evening time using German made optics since the clarity and low light transmissions are second to none. Tonight I left my stand well before twilight, which is something I never do. What I saw actually spooked me.”

- Anonymous


TCH Comment – Atlanta sits in Cass County in the extreme NE corner of the Lone Star State. This is deep in the Piney Woods region of the Ark-LA-TX area. People living in the more rural areas and river bottoms simply accept the reality of “black panthers.” Many do not realize that such an animal is not supposed to exist. This particular report mentions a cat that is “brown in color.” It is possible this was a darker than usual mountain lion, I suppose. Still, this gentleman speaks like a seasoned hunter and I would guess he would be able to identify a cougar even if he had never seen one in the wild before. Curious.

12/10/13

“I saw a young, 4 foot long, male black panther nailed to a fence post in Peeltown, Texas (Kaufman, Co.), back in 1984. I was 18 at the time and just assumed everyone knew these cats were in the Trinity River Valley. I sure wish I had taken pictures and knocked on that Ranchers door to get the story.”

- Anonymous


TCH Comment – Kaufman County sits in NE Texas near the upper reaches of the Trinity and Neches Rivers. The sightings from this general area continue to accumulate. I, too, wish this reader had taken a photo back in 1984.


12/25/13

“I have seen two large black cats north of Hooks, TX in Red River Bottoms along with countless other people. My grandfather’s friend of 80 years said black panthers in the early 1900s were in large population in the Hooks/New Boston, TX area. I saw one in 1990 and again in 1993 North of Hooks, myself. It was three to four feet tall, with a black tail about 3/4 as long as its body.”

- Anonymous


TCH Comment – Hooks sits in Bowie County, the most Northeastern county in Texas. This is a surprisingly wild and lightly populated area that is heavily wooded and has many rivers, creeks, bayous and swamps (it is just a stone’s throw from Miller County, Arkansas which is home to the famous Fouke Monster). “Black panthers” are just part of the lore from this area. Like other rural areas of the state, longtime residents have no doubts these large black cats are real. As far as they are concerned, these animals have always been there.


1/6/14

“Yesterday: I saw a large, definitely black cat cross the road 100 feet in front of me. This was late afternoon on North Shore Dr. about five miles north of Cisco, TX. The animal was running and was about 20-24 inches tall. The tail was MUCH longer than a bobcat but not as long as panthers are described.”

- Anonymous


TCH Comment – Cisco sits in Eastland County in West Central Texas. The area remains very rural and lightly populated. There were only 20 people per square mile living in the county according to the 2000 census. All that to say there is a lot of space and areas for wildlife. As for this account, due to the size reported, I cannot absolutely rule out a large feral cat. They can get surprisingly large when living in areas where food is plentiful and easy to come by. I feel that a jaguarundi is also a possibility here. The size fits though the description of the tail given by the witness would not be a perfect match. Neither can I rule out a juvenile cat of some larger species. It is just impossible to say.

Again, what are we to make of these sighting reports? I just don’t believe everyone is lying or mistaken. I continue to believe there is a biological entity behind these “black panther” sightings.

I'll leave you with the words of a reader who sent me a comment just today.

"I've hunted the vast brush country of South Texas for well over 30 years. I've never seen a sasquatch, skunk ape, chupacabra or any other so called "cryptid." I've never seen a rattlesnake approaching 7 feet and I've never seen a wild hog much over 300 pounds. I don't watch "Finding Bigfoot" and I don't think there's a "Loch Ness monster". I don't think that little green men designed the pyramids and I don't believe in ghosts; I have, however, seen large "black cats" with my own eyes on several occasions."




*Please continue to send in your sighting reports. If anyone has had multiple sightings on the same piece of property and is willing to allow me to post a game camera just let me know. Let’s get to the bottom of this mystery.

26 comments:

  1. This intrigues me. My grandmother has been decreased for over 20 years and I'll never forget the first time she told me about the time she went outside because she heard a woman screaming and, instead, saw a black panther. (Bell county)

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  2. Preview

    Edit Nina DeMarre said...

    This intrigues me. My grandmother has been deceased for over 20 years and I'll never forget the first time she told me about the time she went outside because she heard a woman screaming and, instead, saw a black panther. (Bell county)




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  3. My 21 year old son and I were out riding in Fisher County right at dusk when an animal crossed the road in front of us, I did not get a good look at it at first other than it was black and my first thought was it was a pig. I drove up another 100 or so yards and we got a better look at it sitting in the pasture. Rob said "Thats not a pig, it is a dog or a big ass cat" It started moving again and yes, it was a big cat. BIG CAT, we were within 75 to 100 yards of it and it was at least 5 feet long.

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  4. Living in Central Arkansas, having been raised near my current location, seeing a big black predatory was not something I expected!

    She is a Melanistic Jaguar and she is larger than any Mountain Lion I've ever seen! She is 5-1/2' in length, nose to rump excluding the 30" tail. She weighs every bit of 240-60 pounds. And she ROARS!!!!

    How do I know it is a female? She had cubs last Spring. Her nursery is in a forested area near my property. I've seen her. Heard her. Been face to face with her on a few occasions.

    AG&FC brought out a "bear culvert trap", that had recently had a bear in it...no attempt to camouflage the trap. A few evenings later, my husband and I heard her sniffing around it...she sounds like a Tiger...very deep rumbling sound. She was only curious about the trap and the bait sardines were not a good enticement. She never came near that area again, while the trap was there.

    When she is agitated she "chuffs" like a Tiger, Leopard and a Lion does.

    She mated last February and had two cubs. Hearing her interact with them was amazing...her soft calls to them. Once she was in sight...a ways off...I was picking Blackberries while she was in view...she was talking to her cubs the whole time...never saw them at that point.

    She became nomadic once the cubs were large enough. Other folks have seen her or other big black cats.

    AG&FC said, "You're seeing a Big Black Dog!" I kid you not! Since when do dogs have 3" knife-like nails? What dog has a 5" nailess track?

    Even with photos G&F deny her presence. Yes, they aren't the best and are cellphone pictures...still, the creature has very feline profiles!

    I will be monitoring here...if you at Texas Cripted Hunters will tell me how to get in touch with you via email, I will gladly give you more info and photos. I've learned the hard way NOT to share this cat's location. Folks showing up with guns and traps...is NOT my cup of tea.

    These cats are on the Federal and World Endangered Species List! The penalty for harming one is $500,000 or more with a mandatory Federal Prison Term, whether or not G&F acknowledge it's presence or not.

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  5. Fresh prints AND scat this a.m. it was tracking a huge buck.

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  6. Fall of 2013 in hood co. of texas in the day light i watch one cross m&m road in granbury tx three other people have seen it to

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  7. I am in Flynn Tx right outside of Normangee Tx laughably the home of the fighting panthers (black). But seriously approx. 2010 my brother & husband spotted a black cat fishing one day off of c.r 499 it was moving through tall grass & brush muscular shoulders ,body,& tail visible even through the thick brush. But we have moved about 8 miles down from there & are experiencing multiple nights of horrific " woman screams" almost sometimes like a person being stabbed or something very upsetting to me & we have had a calf mutilated & our front neighbor has too - I was just wondering if any large or small farm animals or cattle have been killed b4 in the sightings areas . I seriously thought I was dealing with a Bigfoot until I researched the screams & now the calfs are dying it would have to be a big animal to take down some of these calves .

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  8. I too have seen a black panther near Hooks and Red River Bottoms. Saw the panther trailing a deer with another witness. 1993.....

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  9. October 1, 2014, Decatur, TX (Wise County) just after dark (approximately 8:45pm.) I was driving east on Hwy 380, less than 1/2 a mile west the Hwy 287 junction when a large, dark cat crossed the highway in front of me. It was far too large for a domestic or feral cat. When it first caught my eye, I thought it was a doe, however the movement was certainly feline in nature. It crossed from the north side of the highway to the south which is the outer edge of the Decatur city limits.

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  10. October 4, 2014- Downtown Austin- Deerfoot trail and Barton Hills Dr. At 2pm, three adults and one 9yr old witnessed a large black cat 3-4ft not including tail roughly 60-80 lbs(thick) run out into oncoming traffic, almost get hit and then proceed East between Deerfoot Dr and Wildgrove. Please note this is just off the Zilker/Barton Creek GreenBelt Trail that has significant game living in it. A photo would have been taken but frankly having a child with us we really wanted to get out of the area quickly. Everyone agreed this was a panther

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  11. About 2010 or 2011 in Waco, TX, I saw a medium sized black cat run from the east bank of the Bosque river at Lakeshore dr. The cat was chasing a low flying bird and crossed my lane of traffic in front of me . The cat had a long tail , fat round head , 2.5 to 3 feet long body , and guess weight at 25 to 35 lbs. It looked like ca small black panther, very dark coat . After incident , researching wild cats on computer , I saw a picture of a jaguarundi. Cat I saw looked very similar to picture f of this species.



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  12. Sept 26 2015 approx 10:00pm - Waller County, TX Kickapoo Rd & 2920 - On the way in to town just off the side of the road I saw a very large jet black cat. I can say with certainty it was completely black as it was in my headlights on the side of the road crouched to pounce on something, so focused on it's prey it did not move as I passed it. Passing it that close I can say high pretty high certainty from nose to hind quarters its body length 3+ feet. Tail was long, probably 2/3 of body length.

    I've seen bobcats, hogs, coyotes, racoons, etc,, all kinds of stuff out there. This was none of them, too big to be a feral cat and its nose was not dainty like a regular cat. I stopped and started to back up because it amazingly was still there focused on prey but another vehicle was coming down the road and at that time of night didn't want to cause an accident or something. Figured if I backed up then it finally would run off anyway. Sorry no real proof to offer by a picture (doubt my cell phone would have got a good one at distance at night) and for a split second I had considered running it over for proof with body but when you pass and you aren't 100% sure, do you really want to kill something? I found out, no I didn't.

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  13. Ok I'm in Arkansas and had a panther in my front yard last night. It was bigger than a pit bull. I yelled it turned and started slinking away as I ran for my gun. I called the Game and Fish this morning and they tried telling me that it was a house cat. I worked at In-sync in wylie for about 6 months and I know what a panther looks like. There is no doubt what this animal was. We've known about bobcats on the property and have been trying to keep our eyes peeled... after last night I'm not leaving my bedroom without a gun.

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  14. I was an avid bow hunter back in the 70's. while hunting at Aransas wildlife refuge, a black panther walked directly under my 10ft tri-pod. I had hacked back into the scrub oak about 15ft to get a close shot at a game trail. I thought an armadillo was coming it made so much noise. It came from the brush and walked directly underneath me. The mosquitos were all over its head and ears, really pestering him. He sniffed of the off can I had dropped on the ground as I climbed the stand and ambled away. I was scared to death. dark black coat, body 4 feet long, stout, big head... I was scared senseless. Texas game wardens and national park people didn't believe me, but I know what I saw. This cat was neither a mountain lion or a bobcat. I've seen them both many times, Too muscular, big head. Glad I found this web site and had a chance to vent.

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  15. I live in Bloomburg Texas which is right next to Queen City and Atlanta Texas. My dad came home one day after leaving for an errond. He told me on his way to town while passing through Queen City on FM 74 a black panther ran across the road and nearly got plowed by a sedan. That being said my landlord at the time who worked and owns chicken houses comes to check them every two hours. She would always tell me about the horrifying screaming from out behind them and that it sounds like a woman crying for help. I managed to get a picture of some tracks unfortunately don't have that phone anymore but I can say it was big enough to make any hardass run. I was also throwing out some garbage one night and on the way back inside I heard one at the end of the trailer. I hauled ass inside which is something I heard you're never supposed to do is run because it makes them think you're prey. But I think I broke my record lol.

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  16. In 2012, in Lamar Tx, me and the wife saw a cougar and 2 Cubs laying sunning about 50 yrs from the back road. Told the game wardens who live there and was told it was a bobcat. I laughed and said a bobcat with a 3 ft long tail and 2 15 lb cubs. Needless to say there's lots of stories of black cats from people that work at Goose Island state park.

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  17. In 2012, in Lamar Tx, me and the wife saw a cougar and 2 Cubs laying sunning about 50 yrs from the back road. Told the game wardens who live there and was told it was a bobcat. I laughed and said a bobcat with a 3 ft long tail and 2 15 lb cubs. Needless to say there's lots of stories of black cats from people that work at Goose Island state park.

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  18. I live in river oaks texas. Zip code 76114. The trinity river runs directly beside my next door neighors house. There is a small amount of woods between tgeir house and the trinity river. A couple of weeks ago they had a large black cat the size of a large dog that was posted up on their back porch watching their house cats and their daughter through the back sliding glass door on their house. They said it stayed there for a couple of hours. They are afraid to come out of their house.

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  19. I was born and raised in Bowie County. I have heard the stories about black Panthers my entire life. In 2001 while lost in the Sulfur River bottoms, a couple of friends and myself came across one. The screaming noise that they make, is hard to forget. We all lived about a mile off of the river, and back then sightings were pretty frequent. As an adult, I have hunted all across the country and seen plenty of cats. What we have all seen here was definitely a black Panther....no question about it.

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  20. I was born and raised in Bowie County. In 2000 when lost in the Sulfur River bottoms, a couple of friends and myself came across a black Panther. The screaming noise that they make is hard to forget. Back then, sightings were pretty frequent. We all grew up about a mile off of the Sulfur River. As an adult, I have hunted around the country and seen many cats including mountain lions. What we have here in this area are definitely black Panthers....no question about it...

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  21. I live in Gilmer Tx. and I saw on the way back home from droping my boys off to daycare a black panther was chasing a deer.about 20 feet away from my property

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  22. My brother used to work for a school in Elysian Fields in NE Texas. He told me that he saw a very large black panther twice when he was going to work there. He was certain it was a jaguar.

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  23. Black panther seen in New Boston Texas 2018.

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  24. Jaguars are panthers
    Scientific name: Panthera onca
    Biological rank: Species
    Higher classification: Panthera
    Body length: 47 inch – 77 inch (From nose to the base of the tail)
    Weight: 123 pounds – 212 pounds · See how it ranks
    Lifespan: 12 years – 15 years (In wild)
    Did you know: Unlike other cats, a jaguar does not roar. 10-facts-about.com

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  25. Black panther seen in Bluff Dale Texas 7/22.

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    Replies
    1. I live in Selden Texas the last week I have seen what appears to be a black mountain lion cuz I know there's no black panthers I've actually called this thing up within a hundred yards of me I've seen it five times it is one beautiful magnificent animal but it's coming within a hundred yards of our home the first time I saw it it was drinking water out of our Creek the dog for raising all kinds of hell at 2:00 in the morning so I walk outside to get them to shut up and then doing so shining my light I spot the most unbelievable animal green eyes you can imagine my breath was taken away and I was kind of nervous and started shaking cuz I knew what I just saw with my life was a big black cat and I mean big so I ran into the house to get my gun and in doing so the cat wandered off into the thick brush around our property so I set my butt down on a bucket outside on our fence line and started making hand calls trying to get this cat to come back to me believe it or not it came within a hundred yards the gun I was using at night was not able to shoot 100 Doors I was using a 20 gauge with buckshot I need him to come in about another 30 yards but that cat's a lot smarter than me it stayed out no less 100 yards from me so I let it walk till the next night I waited till I got late I went outside about the same time and started calling and believe it or not this cat comes running down the fence line towards me but once again it will not get within anywhere close to me so I can shoot it but like I said I've seen it

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