Rare Black Bob Cat Captured[Florida]

WPTV ^ | 23 Aug 2007 | Danielle Dubetz

[BGHater]

For years there have been stories of Black Florida Panthers prowling in our wilderness, but there's never been any official record they exist.

Now that mystery may be over.

A cat has been captured and researchers at the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary say they now know what people were referring to when they said they saw the panther.

We're all familiar with the Florida Panther, golden in color and about 130 pounds.

You may have also heard of a "Black Panther," which has been like our local Lochness Monster; people have said they've seen it, but it's never been caught.

One woman recently called the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary because she said she had one right in her back yard.

"She said she had this gigantic Black Panther in her back yard and that it had killed a pet turkey that she'd had. She was hysterical," says David Hitzig with the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary.

"She describes to me this big black cat the size of a Labrador dog," says Deron Hartman, also with the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary.

Hartman responded to the woman's call for help and the turkey snatcher turned out to be no Black Panther instead, a Black Bobcat.

"It's a very unique animal. It's very rare. It's definitely the highlight of my trapping," says Hartman.

It weighs only about 20 pounds and it's color is black from head to tail with one white spot on the belly.

Hartman says less than a dozen have been recorded. Most of them in South Florida near the Loxahatchee River and St. Lucie Canal. The first was discovered about 70 years ago.

But it's more than just a rare find, it can also help bring answers to an old Florida tale.

"For years, people here in Florida have talked about Black Florida Panthers. First of all, Florida Panthers are basically a Cougar. There has never ever been a Black Cougar or a Florida Panther ever found. No record of them, no pictures, no hides, no skins, nothing. but still we hear these stories of black cats that lurk in the wilds of Florida," says Hitzig. "Maybe we have kind of found that missing piece of the puzzle and we now know what everybody's been talking about when they say, 'I saw a Black Panther in the wild.' But really they saw a Black Bobcat."

The sanctuary says they'll be working with the state to run DNA and blood tests. They want to make sure there's official documentation that the Black Bobcat exists... even if the Black Panther does not. The sanctuary plans to return the Black Bobcat to the wild

[bert]

It tastes chicken

[Reeses]

Camouflage doesn't have to be perfect. He may be a more successful snow hunter when his beard turns white. Women in general leave the hunting and war making to men so didn't need the added camouflage of a beard. I'm just bringing up the possibility. War and hunting advantages have had a significant influence on human evolution. That makes me wonder if the conventional skin color theory isn't the whole story.

[hiredhand]

Did you say kitty?! :-)

[hiredhand]

I can't remember if I told you this. I know I've mentioned that we've had problems with feral cats before. Anyway, back around 2003 I had been trying to kill a rather large one who was beating up on our barn cats and generally being a nuisance. I was working from home one day when he appeared over near a scrap pile at the far edge of the yard that the kids had "donated" to the possums earlier that day. I shot him out of the living room window with a .243.

When I went out there to move him to the bottom of our property, he was TOO HEAVY to lift in a large metal scoop shovel! I tied a piece of baling twine to one of his back legs and dragged him. When the boys got home I showed him to them and we all agreed that it was "close" to 50 pounds. But it was plainly a house cat. ...albeit a LARGE house cat!

[TommyDale]

LOL! Do you mind if I save that for future use?

[labette]

Cool cat. Interesting article.

I’m not sure just what is for certain, here. {Other than there is a VERY broad spectrum of wild and domestic putty tat characteristics in North America}

[Squantos]

Man thats a big ..........never mind.......:o)

[Lady Jag]

LOL! Only if you’re planning on using for fun.

[hiredhand]

LOL! :-) I know what you're thinking! :-)

[TommyDale]

Was this the one that got the thread killed recently? I heard that someone was overly PC about the violence here. LOL!
I think it was lack of a sense of humor. :-)

[Lady Jag]

Was this the one that got the thread killed recently?

Probably just a cloaked Dimocrat spitting on someone's happiness.

[Tainan]

Florida bobcat/panther ping

[PAR35]

A 16 lb., ~2 year old, healthy male

Not very big.

[TigersEye]

Actually polar bears are black. Their skin that is. Their fur isn’t really white either. The individual hairs are translucent hollow tubes. Hollow to trap air for insulation and translucent to allow the maximum amount of light to penetrate to their black skin so it can soak up as much warmth as possible from the weak arctic sunlight.

[Mr. Jazzy]

[Slings and Arrows]

[Jet Jaguar]

Way cool!

He looks similar to my killer black snaggletooth.

[U S Army EOD]

We have them all over the place here in Georgia and South Carolina. They are about 60-80 pounds with very long tails. I have seen three myself.

[uglybiker]

Yo man! You jus' be catchin' him an' puttin' him inna cage cuz he black!

Youse a racist, man! I'm tellin' Al & Jesse!

[Biggirl]

A rare and good looking fine. =^..^=