There have been quite a few reports of panther sightings in southeastern Illinois over the last couple years, albeit nothing documented. Both my parents claimed to have seen one a couple years ago near their home. I checked around a bit and found out that there had been a couple sightings during roughly the same period to the north and south of their place. Given how much ground panthers cover and the fact that there seem to be only a few of them in Illinois, it makes sense that you might get a string of sightings in one area and then nothing for a long time. I would assume that in the absence of an established local population of panthers they will travel a long ways, make a kill and stay in the general area of it until they are done feeding and then move on. Animals can cross the upper Mississippi River over the ice pretty easily during the rough winters. Given the documented Iowa panther population, it would make sense that more could be moving eastward.

They shot one in Chicago a couple years back...that's pretty conclusive to me.

Spaniel,

There have been at least three confirmed panthers killed in Illinois in the past 7 or 8 years: one in northwest Illininois, one in northeast illinois, and one in southwest illinois. So, no one is really debating whether or not they are in Illinois. The real issue is now how many and where?

Well answering THAT question Rocky ain't gonna happen. I think what we have here are straglers, one here and there, etc...

My question is when will there be a viable breeding poulation. That is when things will escalate and get a bit more intresting. Especially with the black panthers!

I would assume that a viable population will be established when a few more straggle into Illinois and locate habitat that makes them want to stick around. That's what happened in Iowa. The things are pretty elusive even in areas where they are (comparatively speaking) plentiful. If they are anything like bobcats, you can get the impression that there are few if any of them even when the area is actually full of them. Of course, the big difference is that the panther kills of deer and livestock will be much more apparent, unless they end up hanging out in the middle of the Shawnee Hills or Mississippi and Wabash river bottoms where few folks go.

3 killed in 7-8 years tells me they likely ARE breeding. Now you won't confirm that without locating a litter or doing a DNA study but as reclusive as lions are, this is pretty telling. Outdoorsmen out West where these animals are firmly established in huntable populations can go a lifetime without seeing a cat that wasn't treed by dogs first.

Spaniel,

I think that the DNA testing (and other tests) on at least one of the ones killed indicated that it had originated out west in the Black Hills area, i think. As you stated, I think that the only time you can prove there is a breeding population of any kind will be when there are reports of very young panthers or pregnant females. When only a couple mature ones are turning up then the assuption will be that they are wandering long distances in search of mates. But you don't know if they are successful until there is proof of young being born in a given area.

They kind of remind me of what i have read about black bears. You can have long periods where the only sign of them is the occasionally young male passing thru an area in search of a mate. You dont get any really good signs until you end up with mated pairs and young that remain in the general area and that can take years or decades.

"miniature" black panther ?

Matt what part of southern Illinois was that,where I hunt on my uncles property near Thompsonville/Ewing they have seen a black cat like that on a several occasions,my cousin believes that this cat hangs around on their property and that they have heard it making some scary screams at times.I get pretty nervous on my long walks to the woods when I bowhunt.Bill D>

I won't dispute the presence of mountain lions in Il.It's obvious that they've at least passed through from time to time.However,that picture is a black house cat and a small one at that.There is no such thing as a black mountain lion.They simply don't exist.Breath easy and enjoy your walks in the dark.Nothing is gonna get you,especially a creature that doesn't exist.

I also hunt in the Thompsonville area and the land owner has seen signs posted asking to report any cougar sightings, this was last summer.
He was going to show them to me but they were removed before we got around to it.

Like DougE posted (UM's picture) the cat is way to small to be a cougar, looks like a house cat to me.

I was being sarcastic with the "miniature" black panther comment. lol

Hmmmmmmmmmm?

Hmmmmm what?That's not a cougar.

I have no idea what it is, hence the question mark. But it suggests to me that someone could report seeing a very big black cat that wasnt a house cat and it could, in fact, be true.

Just to be clear, I don't buy into all the black panther stories that I have being hearing all my life either. But, I guess it could happen with panthers if it can with other big cats. Otherwise it is kind of like saying that it is possible to have an albino deer, but not an albino buffalo.

Interesting recent story on panthers in Iowa

http://gazetteonline.com/local-news/...in-iowa-county

There are black leopards and to a small degree,some black jaguars,neither of which live in the U.S.If people believe they're seeing black panthers,they're seeing black housecats,black labs,black coyotes,fishers or even bears in you have them in Il.It's much more plausible to think these sightings are of animals that are known to actually exist.

I won't argue about mountainion lions having a presence in Il.I know nothing about the state other than they have a few confirmed cases.We get hundreds of alleged sightings every year in Pa.I even know several credible people that claim to have seen them.Thing is,there isn't one shred of actual evidence.No confirmed tracks,scat,roadkills,dead bodies,photographs or kills made by these animals.A mountain lion averages one deer a week.If there was a breeding population,there would be some sort of evidence,not just speculation and unconfirmed sightings.I've seen a multitude of photos and trail cam pictures posted on this website and several others claiming it was a mountain lion.In every single case,it was glaringly obvious that the picture was either a housecat or a bobcat.I've seen threads go on for days with people argueing back and fourth that the a very clear and obvious picture of a bobcat was a mountain lion.People simply don't know what they're looking at in most cases.A couple years ago,there was one posted on here from Pa or NY.It WAS A CLEAR PICTURE OF A LIGHT COLORED BOBCAT IN A FIELD NEAR A SALT BLOCK.I'd like to dig that thread up becasue it illustrates very clearly how confused so mnay people are.

Again,I don't claim to know what the situation is in the midwest.For all I know,there very well could be a breeding population in some of those states.I have no problem with that.I do have issues taking people serious that claim to see an animal that simply doesn't exist.

Well, like I said, I am pretty skeptical of stories of black panthers. But given that there are a couple different species of big black cats as well as the possibility of a genetic mutation that could conceivably produce a black panther, I am not gonna rule anything entirely out. And I think that we all know that sometimes animals turn up in places where they just aint supposed to be.

There was a sighting of a cougar the week after opening day deer hunting by the harwood bombing range in wisconsin. Maybe it was the same cougar that was shot in chicago.

Sorry I didn't respond earlier. I must have missed it. This is in Johnson county - home of the big black cats!

Goreville Black Cats lol

Unless that sighting was a few years ago that most likely not. The Cougar that was shot in Chicago was a few summers ago.

Good old Goreville.

Actually it was a black cat of the Cypress Slider family.

Oh ok i wasnt paying attention when it happened i just assumed it was this year. But i still did here of a couple sightings in WI this year.

I'm assuming that the black cats way down there in deep southern Illinois are never seen in the town of Anna:s3:

Well of course I can't say that with absolute certainty Rocky - I can only say I personally haven't seen any over in Anna.