Well they have always been called Black Panthers in the South. Or in the days up in the Mountains they were referred to as Painters. I think there was a poem written called “The Cry of The Painter” or something like that. People were terrified of them.
What they are is a Black Mountain Lion or in Florida Mountain lions are called Panthers and in some areas they are called Cougars. I think there have been some pictures taken of them. They do sound like a child crying and its the weirdest thing you ever heard. Woke me out of a sound sleep. It sounds like a child but you know it isn’t. LOL!
Had a ML do that about a month ago here in NE Alabama, wife thought it was the neighbor kid being attacked at 2 am. I told her no, just a big cat.