This report from Texas has the wildlife “experts” freaking out:
“Jerel Hall, who lives in the city about 70 miles north of Houston, snapped a photo that has prompted a barrage of questions on social media and follow-up articles in national news outlets. The grainy photo, posted to Facebook on Saturday, appears to show a dark-colored feline that’s larger than a house cat and has a long tail.
“Well we have officially spotted a panther on our property!” Hall wrote on the post.
While Hall did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for a comment on Wednesday, he told the Houston Chronicle that the photo was taken from around 120 to 150 yards away and that he estimates the animal to be between 80 and 100 pounds.
“Growing up, I’ve heard screams like a lady before but typically those are bobcats or lynx,” Hall told the newspaper, adding that he previously saw a black panther nine years ago, chasing a herd of feral hogs.”
There are black panthers in Alabama, too. Plenty of reports, and I’ve seen a photo of a black panther cub from a local man’s game cam.
One of my sons spotted a panther on our property a month or two ago, though it wasn’t a black one.
They’re not supposed to be here (according to the “experts”), but they are.
I tend to trust local lore and legend more than I trust scientists.
Scientists also claim Bigfoot isn’t real.
Sad! Low energy!
*Picture at top is our cat impersonating a panther.Â
6 comments
Cougars are neat, nothing like kicking through the woods at dusk and having all the hair on the back of your neck stand up straight. That is how you know they are there, generally. I worry more about bears, though.
FWIW, I see you are reading Carlo M. Cipolla’s book The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity. Cipolla is one of my favorite historians. I recommend Cipolla’s Guns Sails and Empire as a review of the development and spread of European technology, especially as a counterpoint to Jared Diamond’s Gus Germs and Steel.
They’ve seen Jaguars in New Mexico/Arizona which apparently traveled up from Mexico. Black Bears have recovered some of their native range in Oklahoma and East Texas. Armadillos expanded their range all the way to Kansas. And we have noticed a resurgence of River Otters in North Texas.
Scientist try to set boundaries and forget that nature is always fluctuating, often in patterns and cycles.
It also wouldn’t surprise me to find out that someone released it/them from captivity. Texas has a ridiculous number privately owned big cats.
There’s supposedly black panthers in my area of north Florida. I haven’t seen them myself but locals I know have. Many years ago my dad’s girlfriend saw a panther in the middle of Sarasota near a creek. Sarasota is basically a concrete jungle too. I once saw a jagumunde(might have butchered the spelling) in north port, FL at Walton Ranch. A buddy took me there to walk nature trails and told us that he had saw one walk across a pathway when we were walking past the spot. The very next time we were there by ourselves we saw it walk across the path at the exact same spot. Really cool cat for sure. Walked really low to the ground almost snaking along with a rather long tail even with relatively long legs.
Since you mentioned Bigfoot I might as well share my personal sighting. Where I now live near the Chipola River when I was around 12 I saw one cross the road in front of our truck slightly after sunset. Definitely large probably at least around 6ft tall. Walked kinda hunched swinging arms pretty widely front to back. Didn’t seem to be lifting its feet much but was more like shuffling them as it walked. Really crazy to see. My dad’s girlfriend also saw one walking the roadside on SR 72 most of the way toward Arcadia near horse creek. Late at night. Have a few other stories about Bigfoot from others I know but it’d be a lot to explain. Something is out there though science doesn’t recognize its existence officially. If there ever was definitive proof on the official level I’m sure there’s reasons for a cover up. Kinda like the Smithsonian covering up the pygmies and giants that had been discovered in various areas of the globe including the USA. Worth looking into if you haven’t. Yes I need fitted for an aluminum foil hat…
Yes, I know all about the missing giants. That is a weird one.
I think I encountered Bigfoot once up in Lake City. Something snorted, above my head, then when we shone our flashlights it simply vanished into the undergrowth. It was something big that didn’t sound like a bear, boar, or deer.
I saw a squirrel in my pecan tree the other day, it was neat.
I used to roam, ride bike and run on backroads in north Bay County FL and saw black panthers twice and once 3 of the large calico panther kittens ran across the road. I reported it to FWC and they said they aren’t there. LOL.
The deer hunters were finding deer the innards eaten out.
Glad FDEP purchased thousands of acres of that property under the Florida Forever funds