Black Panther Sightings in Texas???

[bronco1]

Jaguarundis Linked to the Black Panther Mystery

"Black panthers" exist in the United States.

This isn't a theory, hypothesis or hallucination, but a verifiable, undeniable fact.

No, science hasn't discovered a new cat species or a population of melanistic (black) cougars to explain alleged "black panther" sightings. They haven't even captured a black leopard that escaped from one of those circus train wrecks skeptics of cryptozoology so often speak of.

Yes, there are "black panthers" in the United States but believing in their existence doesn't require a leap of faith. It just calls for a new look at a known species: the jaguarundi.

The jaguarundi (Felis yagouaroundi) is known to range from South America to Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. And although not widely known by the public, jaguarundis are prime candidates for spawning "black panther" reports.

They are a medium-sized cat with a mean body size of 102 centimeters for females and 114 for males according to Mexican researcher Arturo Caso. Other sources list them as ranging from 100 to 120 centimeters with the tail making up the greatest part of the length. 

Most specimens are about 20 centimeters tall and sport a dark gray color while others are chocolate brown or blonde. 

A large jaguarundi crossing a road in front of a motorist or appearing before an unsuspecting hunter could easily be labeled a "black panther". Since very few people are aware of jaguarundis, it's highly unlikely they would report seeing one. The term "black panther" is quick and easy to report to others.

Everyone can relate to a "black panther".

North of the border

Jaguarundis are known to range from South America to the Mexican borders of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico. The key word here is "known". That means scientists have observed or captured the species within those areas, however they are reported to range much farther north in the Lone Star State and perhaps elsewhere.

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) officials solicited information from the public and received numerous reports of the species in the 1960s, including several sightings from central and east Texas. Additional sightings were reported from as far away as Florida, Oklahoma, and Colorado.

In a study conducted in 1984, TPWD biologists noted a string of unconfirmed jaguarundi sightings in Brazoria County, which corners the hugely populated areas of both Houston and Galveston.

Brazoria County is more than 200 miles north of the counties of Cameron and Willacy, which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) has designated as being the only confirmed areas of Texas that houses jaguarundis.

This is even more interesting when considering what TPWD biologist Terry Turney has to day.

Turney is now an endangered species biologist in Kendall County but spent the early part of his career in Port Arthur, Texas managing the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area (WMA). On this 30,000-acre tract of mixed coastal prairie and marsh according to Turney is a population of jaguarundis.

"While I worked the Murphree Area one of the workers had seen three of them and the ranchers around the area as well as other members of the Murphree crew saw them fairly frequently. It was "those little gray cats" to them," Turney said.

"I had two of them in my neighborhood near Houston in the late 70s and the dogs would tree them every couple of weeks. They're about the most secretive critters around," he added. 

The J.D. Murphree WMA is more than 300 miles north of the Service's estimated range. How is it that state workers are seeing these cats in Port Arthur while the official word is they're only in the southern extremities of Texas?

In my opinion this is a great oversight by federal biologists who wrongly believe this cat to only inhabit a specific type of habitat. Jaguarundis are listed as an endangered species by the Service and full under federal jurisdiction. And for the most part what the Feds say goes with endangered species.

A study conducted by Arizona and federal scientists states that jaguarundi habitat, especially in South Texas, includes dense, thorny thickets of mesquite and stunted acacias known as chaparral. It also state less than one percent of this type of habitat is left along the US-Mexican border. 

That's true but jaguarundis are known to live in a variety of habitats, including rainforests, prairie, deciduous forests and marshland. It could very well be that very few jaguarundis live in that zone because of a lack of habitat. Most of that area has been converted to farmland. The game and habitat-rich areas along the Texas coast along with the Pineywoods and Hill Country region however is housing a population of jaguarundis that have slipped under the radar screen of federal officials.

Link to Original Article:

http://www.thesop.org/index.php?id=4189

Link to TPWD information on this Cat:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/jag/

[bronco1]

I know we have had several sightings around Dayton over the years of Black Panthers. I believe this explains it. With nothing even remotely close to come the size of the cat and the fact that they are mostly seen at night so you can't determine the color.

[MR. REALITY]

WHEN I WAS GROING UP MY DAD AND MY UNCLE TALKED ABOUT SEEING ONE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE LAND WHERE WE RUN CATTLE. I KINDA FIGURED IT WAS A SCARE TACTIC BUT THEY SAID IT WASW THE TRUTH. WHO KNOWS MAYBE SO. OH YEA IT WAS IN THE 80'S AROUND HULL DAISETTA

[WHIRAQFAN]

They have been seen in Hardin County several times. I have seen one on 4 different occasions in NW Hardin county, usually around dusk but one time in the afternoon and this one was more like the discription above.

[BHFAN27]

I recall seeing a large black cat (3ft tall, about 5 or 6 ft long with tail) while squirel

hunting in the late 70's along the Trinity river near Rye, TX.  It was running across an open pasture, away from me.  I was too young to be scared, but should have been.

I also saw a very unusual cat while a work in the early 90's east of Baytown.  This cat was about the same size as the other but smaller in frame, skinnier with long legs and a long curled tail.  This cat was brown with what looked like tiger type stripes, not as distinct as a real tiger but more mottled.  I was in a remote building with a large window and watched this cat for 2-3 minutes just walking around.  It was only 30 or 40 foot from where is was, I had a very good view.  Someone told me that it was a mexican mountain lion but I never found anything like it in any book or online.

Anyone seen anything like this?

[BIGDADDYDAVEHJ]

Yea ive seen a pair of them here in china! and ive shot big foot to!  ;D

[STINGER]

I have never seen a black panther, but I am not about to say that they don't exist because I have seen a Mountain Lion here in the Pineywoods of East Texas and there is no doubt that is exactly what I saw.  I have seen Moutain Lions up North before so there is no doubt about what I saw.  He was a VERY large Moutain Lion and I got to watch him for about 3 minutes, I was deer hunting and he came out roaming around my deer feeder and my food plot.  Very exciting experience.

[SkoalDipper]

Ive heard one late at night while staying on a job in Liberty and I mean scared the ba-jesus outta me sounded like a banshee.

[bronco1]

Here are the pictures again.

[KFDM COOP]

[TheRealDeal]

When i was a young'n bout 5 er so...i went with my dad to a place in lumberton to get a deer processed and when we went in the cooler a BIG black cat was layin cross one of the racks...i was a lil scared standin in a cold room with 20+ dead carcuses hangin up...and the guy walked to the back and told us they shot this in sourlake...this cat was huge and dark black...looked like it come out tha jungle book...its paws were as big as my chest...it was pretty cool...good memory

( and this is real talk...no bull)