I grew up in East Texas, where pretty much every "old timer" seemed to see "black panthers" under every bush. I was in the woods a lot more than most of these people, and never saw a cat bigger than a bobcat - and then only when dogs had one bayed. When I bought my property in Brazoria County I was told there was a "big black cat" in the area. I didn't think much of it, then was told that TPWD biologists had trapped a cougar in the area after getting reports of sightings, and that someone who lived on that road had a big black cat of some kind in a pen (I saw that one) that suspiciously "escaped" after the TPWD personnel visited and informed them they need a permit for it. Don't know what kind of cat it was, and it may still be around.
People put a lot of stake in the black coloration as if it makes the animals doubly ferocious. Heard a lot of the same stuff about seeing "black panthers" and "black wolves" from my friends that lived out east of OKC when I was a kid. I've seen bobcats in OK and I've seen pics of mountain lions in OK though I don't know whether they are native, released pets, or transient. I certainly never saw any "wolves".
Expat
