Posted on 08/28/2007 2:33:06 PM PDT by 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
This does not rule out Jaguarandi that I have seen 'blackish' in the wild in Florida.
From Cryptomundo: http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/07blk-bobcat/
" I am a state licensed nuisance wildlife trapper located in southern Florida. I thought you might be interested in this. On Wednesday night I was contacted by a very excited/scared land owner in Martin County, Florida. The day before something killed her 30lb male turkey. She arrived home Wednesday evening to begin searching for the carcass which she couldn’t find on Tuesday. As she came out of the cane grass she saw what she described to me as a large black cat. Larger than a bobcat, more like panther size.
She was convinced that what she saw was someone’s escaped black jaguar or black leopard. I headed up the next morning to search for sign of a large cat but found only bobcat size prints along the bank of the Okeechobee Waterway (St. Lucie Canal) on her property known as “The Last Stand”. After doing some research I believed that what I was searching for was a melanistic bobcat.
I set up the live-catch trap baited with a fresh killed rooster. The next morning I got the cat. A 16 lb., ~2 year old, healthy male melanistic bobcat. The cat is alive and well and currently being kept at a local wildlife center until a decision is made as to where he will end up. I have been able to track down 13 previous confirmed (either captured cats or photo evidence) records of melanistic bobcats in south and south central Florida since the 1st one in 1939.
I believe this male makes 14 and currently the only living one in captivity….Feel free to pass along this [information] and attached photos.
Deron Hartman, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary"
That is one cool cat!
I want one.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
unusual cat ping
Neat. I’d like to have it on my wall.
I thought I read somewhere that there were panthers or something similar in Florida.
Very beautiful pics...Thanks ~Pandora~
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
It’s definitely a beautiful cat, but they said it was the size of a Labrador, yet later said it only weighed 20 pounds. How big does it stand, just out of curiousity. I’m not a big pet cat fan, but I do love wild cats and predatory cats.
In Nassau County and surrounding areas, stories of Black Panthers in the woods are nearly a hundred years old..........
What a wonderful find - I had never once heard of a black bobcat! Intriguing!
Way cool! I’ve seen roadside warnings for them in the Everglades.
Viking Kitty 2.0!!! Welcome to FR, Robert Cat
Way cool, man. Isn’t that a little small for a male bobcat though? I thought a male bobcat was in the 30lb range.
Wait, 16 lbs. I have a Bengal house cat that’s like ~ 12. Seems pretty small for a Bobcat.
Return it to the wild? Whose backyard will it turn up in next?
I live in western St. Lucie County, about an hour north of Palm Beach.
We have a panther around here and i’ve seen it three times. Also bobcats, a lynx, fox, cayote, wolves, otters, bald eagles, deer, wild pigs(boar), and every kind of bird you can think of.
Panthers are real cool, with a tail very long.
Have seen 4 in various places around Florida, always in remote
isolated places.
Gorgeous cat BUMP.
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