Mysterious Black Panther Sightings in Mississippi

Year after year, sightings of an animal that eyewitnesses describe as a "black panther" are reported across the state of Mississippi. State officials are usually quick to dismiss these sightings - saying that eyewitnesses have simply seen a domestic housecat or other animal. They are also quick to point out that the animal typically described as a "black panther" doesn't exsist. If that's true, then what are so many people seeing? Is there an unknown animal lurking in the woods of the Magnolia State? Let's take a deep dive into the mysterious black panther sightings in Mississippi.

Melanistic big catPhoto byTony Hisgett (wiki commons)

Why Conservationists Say Black Panthers Don't Exist

A panther, by definition, is the same animal as a mountain lion. Other names include: cougar, cantamount, painter, and puma. So, the term "black panther" essentially refers to a "black mountain lion". Now, here's the problem with that: there has never been a documented specimen of a solid black mountain lion....ever. There has never been a black mountain lion born in captivity, captured, or killed that could be verified. Most biologists believe that the mountain lion lacks the genetic mutation needed to produce a solid black, or melanistic coat. Whatever people are seeing, the officials are adamant that it's not a black mountain lion. So, what could it be?

Tan Mountain LionPhoto bySanguaro National Park, Arizona

Black Jaguars and Black Leopards

Two species of big cats with the genetic mutation needed to produce a solid black coat are the jaguar and leopard. Photos of these beautiful, majestic cats often appear online with the caption, "black panther" although calling either of them a "panther" is technically incorrect. So, could the black leopard or jaguar account for some of the sightings in Mississippi? Not unless the animal is an escapee from a zoo or captivity. That's because the leopard is only found in parts of Asia, India and Africa and the jaguar is only found in South America and some parts of Mexico. In the past 50 years, there have been a few jaguar sightings just over the Mexican border in Texas and Arizona, but those were tan/spotted jaguars, not black jaguars. The solid black jaguar is extremely rare, making up less than 10% of the population. To date, there has only been one solid black jaguar documented in northern Mexico. It was photographed in 2004 in the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains.

Black JaguarPhoto byScottmliddell, Edin Zoo (wiki commons)

Could the elusive "Black Panther" be a New Species?

Each year, there are seasoned outdoorsmen (and women) who are extremely knowledgeable about wildlife and whose black panther sightings are very credible. I even met one eyewitness who worked at a big cat reserve for years prior to her black panther sighting. She was certain that what she saw was a solid black big cat. It seems highly unlikely that all of these people saw a house cat, bob cat, or other animal as officials usually claim. Interestingly, several of the more credible witnesses Iv'e spoken with have said they believe that the animal they saw was not a black jaguar, leopard, or mountain lion at all. They believe the elusive animal they witnessed may be an entirely different species. This raises the question: could big cat hybrids be out there?

Liger = Lion/Tiger hybridPhoto byMaxitup16, Miami Jungle Island (wiki commons)

Hybrids

It's been documented well over a century or more that big cats can interbreed. It's rare, but possible, and it's happened in the wild and in captivity. Consider this: if a jaguar or leopard were to escape captivity, then breed with a wild mountain lion, that could put the melanistic mutation into the local gene pool. The only problem with that theory is that many hybrid animals are born sterile, such as the mule (a donkey/horse hybrid). Still, some hybrids can reproduce. It's a longshot, but I believe that it's a possible explanation for a few sightings. If you'd like to look into the hybrid topic more, check out the wikipedia page on Panthera hybrids for starters here, the Liger (lion/tiger hybrid) page here, or the Pumapard (cougar/leopard hybrid) here.

Antique printPhoto byBig Cats by Lizars (public domain, wiki commons)

Could it Be a Cryptid? Paranormal?

There are many more possibilities to consider that may account for black panther sightings. While many are proven to be outright hoaxes, especially with photo/video manipulation and the advent of AI, and then, yes - some actually are domestic housecats, bears, dogs, and other animals that are mistakenly identified. Then, there's what many call the "woo factor." The "black panther" has proven to be so elusive and mysterious, with so little proof of its exsistence, that many people have classified it as something paranormal or possibly in the cryptid category - right along with the elusive bigfoot and chupacabra. I'm not sure I'm ready to do that, but black panther sightings certainly are mysterious....and it looks like they're a mystery that will continue in Mississippi.

Have You Had a Sighting?

If you have had a black panther sighting, leave a note in the comments! If you have a photo or video you'd like to share, my email address in the tag at the bottom of this article.

Click "follow" for more articles! April Killian is a native and resident of the Shoals area of northwest Alabama and shares stories about the unique places, people, and history of the southern U.S.. Have a story to tell? Email: april.newsbreak@gmail.com