My uncle used to tend to a man’s cattle, on a farm West of Moultrie. The farm was in an area that had a lot of wildlife, deep in the woods. Many times they had bears visit in the night, clawing up the side of the house. My aunt was terrorised many times by their visits. My uncle was far out into the fields evening just before sunset looking over one of the herds. Down at the end of the field he saw a cow running full speed across the field. Right behind it he saw a huge, jet black cat chasing it. The cat was as long as the cow, he said, including its tail.

My mother know what she saw. My grandmother has seen them too. My uncle isn’t a liar or given to wild, imaginative fantasies. These are eyewitness accounts. What’s more, black panthers are known of by the country people.

Except for the woman-like scream, I’d have figured this cat to be a jaguar, since I know that there are jet black jags. Of course, I’ve never heard a jag scream before, but I do know that people say that a cougar’s scream sounds like a woman’s, sometimes. Who knows?

But the cat is real. No doubt.

All you have to see is one photo of an enormous, man-killing black tabby cat to wonder why folks don’t endeavor to put in reference points.

I’d think the target images might be a reason this isn’t done more often; people think the picture itself - and of course they’re only thinking of the one they really want to get - is enough to establish species ID.

Sometimes not. And size is a good thing to be able to estimate with relative precision, no matter what is in the shot.

I will say this, though. I’m not sure what the photo at the top is. Looks like a long tail for a domestic cat.

Nothing makes me happier than to see cryptid felines in the news! These are some great postings, btw. Special thanks to Loren for keeping us up to date on the wonderful world of mysterious cats.

See my update on my research in Florida, here.

One question: Did you manage to see the color of its eyes?

What a great sighting!!!
Thanks for sharing!!!

This has been going on in England. Massive sightings all over the place. This is really “The Year Of The Cat.” Hope more are seen!!!

My best sighting…

I was plumbing in a 5X12 gun barrel oil separator on a new lease in the Winter of 1986 or 87…there was about 6 inches of fresh snow on the hay meadow below the tank battery. I noticed a black panther slinking across the meadow about 150 yards away.

I climbed down and glassed her for a minute with my field glasses…and then with my Redfield 3X9 30-06 which has better optics than my binocs…I could see she was a female and definitely not a Tom. Once she had slipped into the brush…I walked down and examined her 1/4 mile track way…the pug marks were twice the size of my fist. Her belly had scraped the snow from the tufts of the tallest grass…best guessitmate thirty inches more or less at the shoulder…about seven foot from the nose to the tip of her tail and 180 pounds.

A very big kitty kat…I saw her a year or two later when she bolted from nearby brush as I opened the gate to an adjoining lease.

I have been bashed and chastised for not dropping her that day…live and let live…is all I have to say about that.

Gummer…as a son of the South…I too…had never thought them rare until “experts” pointed it out…perhaps city folk should get out more often.

ole bub and the dawgs

The Amazon River is a lot bigger than the Mississippi, and jaguars swim it regularly. Jaguars are the most aquatic of cats.