Illinois Man Hunts Black Panthers
Posted by: Loren Coleman on December 1st, 2008
Brian Hendrian. Photo Stephen Haas/Staff Photographer
The Journal Gazette and Times-Courier of Charleston, Illinois, has a profile of local resident Brian Hendrian, 34, of Shelbyville, Illinois. While he is noted to be a ghost hunter and a deer hunter, according to the newly published article, he also dips into cryptozoology.
Hendrian reinforces the notion that the primary reports coming to the attention of amateur cryptozoologists in the midwestern America may not be of Bigfoot, but of Mystery Cats.
To help sort through the cases, he’s gathered around him a group of likeminded spirits, so to speak. He’s the founder of organizations that include the Shelby Paranormal Research Society, the United States Paranormal Society and the Shelbyville Cryptozoology Research Society.
The Cryptozoology folks hunt for “hidden animals,” creatures whose existence is not recognized by science: at least, not yet. Hendrian says there’s a lot of fraud in this area, too, but he believes there is credible evidence for the existence for both an “unknown biped” (Bigfoot) and for something large and toothy slinking through the Illinois undergrowth.
“We get a lot of black panther reports in Illinois,” he says. “And I believe there is something out there.”Tony Reid, The Journal Gazette and Times-Courier
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Hello All!
This summer I worked with a guy who has a clubhouse near Iuka, Illinoios. He said he has seen a black panther near there. He also has seen lots of bobcats, including finding their den.
There are also some who swear that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has released pumas into the Shawnee National Forest. But between the cats showing up in Chicago, and armadillos now seen north up to the St. Louis area, I don’t think the DNR had anything to do with it!
Great post, Loren!!!
I also believe there are Black Panthers in Illinois.
Good luck to Mr. Handrian in all of his endeavors!!!
Illinois and Indiana both have a long history of Black Panther sightings (which of course Loren is well aware of and has commented on in many of his books). Being also interested in paranormal research I’m glad to see Mr. Hendrian did a very good job with the interview as newspapers usually try to make people in these fields look like nuts. Good luck to Mr. Hendrian!
I can’t believe anyone, including my father-in-law, seriously thinks the Illinois DNR secretly releases mountain lions in Illinois. Where is the farm that breeds them for release? And why would they release them anyway? ”To control the deer population”…yeah, because the 1000s of rednecks running around here shooting anything that moves can’t do that. And since I’m the only guy in southern Illinois that doesn’t enjoy killing things for fun, why hasn’t anyone shot one?
It’s always ”a guy I work with said he has a relative who knows someone who seen one”’. Not even a photo.
Personally I think there’s a correlation between the the number of ”black panthers” and black labs (plus keystone light) in southern Illinois…and general boredom.