Black panther in Texas? Man's viral photo triggers debate, wildlife dept steps in

Local media and social media platforms went into a frenzy after a Texas man claimed to have spotted a black panther in Huntsville—an unlikely scenario given the big cat is endemic to South and Southeast Asian countries.

On December 16, Jerel Hall, who lives in the city about 70 miles north of Houston, posted on Facebook a pixelated photo of a dark-coloured animal larger than a domesticated cat with a long tail.

In his post, he claimed that it was a blank panther, triggering a barrage of responses on social media and follow-up articles in news outlets.

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"Well, we have officially spotted a panther on our property!" Hall wrote on the post.

While speaking to the Houston Chronicle newspaper on Wednesday (Dec 20), he said that the photo was taken from around 120 to 150 yards away and that he estimates the animal to be between 80 and 100 pounds.

"Growing up, I've heard screams like a lady before but typically those are bobcats or lynx," Hall said, adding that he previously saw a black panther nine years ago, chasing a herd of feral hogs.

Texas wildlife dept clarifies

But before the rumour mills could begin, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) promptly issued a clarification debunking Hall's claim.

It said that there is "no such thing" as a black mountain lion, officially known as the Puma species, USA Today reported.

The species has many different common names, including puma, cougar, or panther.

"However, there can be melanistic jaguars (Panthera onca) and melanistic leopards (Panthera pardus), but of course, neither of those are in Texas," TPWD said in a statement.

"To note though there can also be melanistic bobcats. Jaguarundis, like jaguars, have not been confirmed in Texas for many decades."

Can it be a jaguar?

The last documented jaguar in Texas was in 1948, according to TPWD.

The state agency believes that the creature photographed in Walker County on Saturday was most likely a house cat, though the quality of the photo makes it difficult to determine.

"It is certainly not a mountain lion based on the tail length (or a jaguarundi)," TPWD wrote. "Size can be tough to tell in photos and unless you have a good reference, 'apparent size' is often misleading."

(With inputs from agencies)