Originally Posted by
wyomingtrapper
I've researched and can't find any evidence of documentation of a black mountain lion or cougar, but as you stated other big cats--leopards and jaguars--can have a black phase and if close enough, one would see the pattern of the spots. There have been pets escaped and released over time.
That was my guess was an escaped pet, but the other thing people dont realize is that jaguars are native to North America but they were hunting almost to extinction in the early 1900's, but recently they have been seen on trail cameras and what not. But a black one would be very rare.