There have been reported sightings all my life in SC. The men that saw them would whip your a$$ if you called them a liar. A number of years ago at our state fair, a man had a black "panther" cougar and a regular tan one on leashes as pets. The black one was somewhat smaller than the tan one. I couldn't get any of the black to rub out of its fur so I'm convinced thatblack was it's real color. Don't know where he got them from but so much for the experts'OPINION that they do not exist. You know what they say about opinions.