by Fur Richards December 11, 2022 -

Photo is from Texas Cryptid Hunter and is not from this sighting.

About three years ago I was pulling my backhoe, following Plumbing Contractor Terry and Charlotte Shoffner out to the jobsite to install a new septic system and to clean out a large cattle guard. We went through Tell headed to a ranch South of Turkey.

A large black Puma/Cougar ran across the road in front of them. When we got to the ranch it was mentioned to the Rancher. He said several other people had seen it and they had lost several calves in that area. Didn't think it was unusual as I had seen a cougar out at the CeeVee farming community while hunting back in the late 60s and seen many tracks through the years out on the Jones property, now the Whilhite property, South of Childress. Also one crossed 287 in front of me about 2 miles North of Childress about where the Drive In theater used to be in the late 90s.

The reason I'm bringing this up is I just watched a documentary stating there are no black cats in the State of Texas or any area North of the Mexican border, actually North of Central America. They had the State Biologist of Texas and Oklahoma both making this statement. They claimed if you thought it was black was because it was seen at night and you just thought it was black.

The sighting I previously mentioned South of Turkey was at around 8:15 on a bright, clear, sparkling morning.

The documentary stated the chances of a black cougar , melanistic, is about one in a million and anyone claiming to see a black cat is just mistaken. Also stated all Jaguars had been killed out in the U.S. by the 1880s.

I was wondering if anyone else had observed this animal in that area or any surrounding area during that time?

Carla Meador

I live in Matador and I definitely saw one a few years ago just a few yards from my house on the outskirts of town! It was big and very black with a long tail! He or she stopped, looked at me, and went on its way! I was so startled the thought to run back in my house for my phone to take a picture didn’t cross my mind until it was too late! So, although some may say and believe there are no big black cats in Texas, I can assure you there definitely are!

David Tate
Back in the early 1960s I think it was close to 1966, mountain lions were killing off a lot of cattle on the Currie ranch which set on the northern end of Palo Duro state park. The state brought in hunters to clear them out. For two weeks they parked on my parent's property every night and went back into the canyons to hunt. When they were done, they had killed 99. There was a Black Panther running with the pack of mountain lions. Every time they would get close to the Panther It would scream out and the dog's they had would beat them back to the trucks. I could hear the scream and even seen the Panther 2 times and one time after the hunt. They never did get the Panther. At the time, they believed it was a female that had escaped from a traveling circus and was never caught. Could be that all these sightings are related to the one they never caught back in the 60s and make sense with them being seen more and more south of Palo Duro Canyon the last few years.

Leisa-Stephen Elliott
There have been multiple people see the same black cat with a white tipped tail multiple times in the CeeVee & Northfield area.

Annette Whatley Jackson
I saw one twice. Black as night, but no one believes you. If it isn't a cougar it is an unknown species of cat. I see quite well.

Paula Owens
I have seen one about 10 years ago, northeast of Tulia.

Belinda Benitez Lara
My son saw one east of Snyder close to Hobbs a few years ago.

Gary Button
I have seen a BLACK panther in Taylor County years back on my place. I know several other people that have seen it as well. So much for the experts!

Dennis White
I used to work for Gate City Elec. coop in Childress in the early 70's and the ranchers back then had a bounty out for a black panther that took down a bull. I never seen it but they all were talking about it. We own a ranch east of Matador and have gotten pics on our game camara's of a young cat with a long tail with a black tip. It's not black but it sure looks like a young cougar.

Kathy Hale
About 7 yrs ago my neighbor went out to her barn after dark because she had heard a noise. When she turned the lights on their was a panther and it turned and ran. People saw that one several times before a guy finally saw it snd killed it. I used to hear it yelling early mornings and sometimes at night. Now we have another one that goes up and down the creek behind my pasture. Same pattern as before. This is in northeastern Kent County.

Scott Redden
4 years ago I was between Jayton and Aspermont and a black cougar jumped the rail at the river.

Charlotte Greene
I saw one back in about 1998 across the county road in the country outside of community of Hamby, Texas about 8 - 10 miles East of Abilene where we lived. It was hunting in the shinnery across the county road from our house. I watched it for a long time. It was bigger than a bobcat and was solid black with a long tail. Most everyone said I was crazy because black panthers were only in Old Mexico. They said it had to be a black Lynx but Lynx do not have a long tail.

Bobby Edwards
I live 5 miles south of Turkey on Kent creek . I get the big cats thru here in the winter normally the cougars , but rarely the long tail shiny black panthers. They are long and always lean. My grandson Cody shot one at my bridge one evening about dark. I’ve saw black panthers south of Gasoline on the Bo Morrison place in the fifties , saw one north of Silverton in early sixties at Buck Payne’s . My most recent one was west of Cee Vee . He was slowly walking down the road goin to Seals place. I had three good hog dogs with me but I couldn't get them to unload. I had a big cat my dogs ran up on the roof of my travel trailer about three In The morning . Idk what color it was butt it laid one of my young lacy pups open when it left.

Redonna Ramsey-Guynes
Spotted mom and babies southeast Scurry Co Texas 3 years ago

David Griffith
Fort Worth is Famous for a Panther sleeping in front of the Courthouse.. Panthers do Exist in Texas

Emily Hurt Guerrero
There have been sightings in Motley County.

Kelly Zant
About 15 years ago we had a black cat out here in Borden County. We spotted it several times and lost several barn cats, birds and a small dog around the same time. We saw it both daylight and with a nightscope. One night it was so close to the house we could hear it yowling. Ran chills through both our country raised hearts.

Jim Garland
One was spotted at Clarendon. A employee at hospital filmed it.
1989s.

Shawn Finley
Seen one in the late 70s east of Snyder Tx

Larry C Fancher
I saw one crossing Hwy 70 between Matador and Paducah. It was about 10 in the morning.

Johnia Hawkins Garcia
It makes one wonder about these “ so called biologists “ . Yes they’re all over Texas

Chrystal Simpson
I'm glad you posted this. So many people make fun of people that say they have seen one but I know what I saw. NW Hockley County

Jody Biba
I’ve seen 2 at different times around Aspermont and Haskell. They are beautiful and scary

Tricia Edwards
My husband said he saw one early one morning when he was driving to work out at the wind turbines. He said he only saw it that one time but after that he was definitely more aware of his surroundings

Carla Meador
I was standing in my yard and saw one just down from our house a few years ago. It was huge, black, beautiful, and too close for comfort!

Joey Cook
Even though experts say there's no big black cats in Texas, sometimes you know what you know.....

Scotty Palmer
I saw what I was pretty positive was one around the year 2000 in the Barton Community, in Northern Motley Co. Was told by the by an expert that there was no such thing, I know what I saw though. It was setting in the road next to a shelter belt early in the morning, didn’t move until I was within a 100 yards of it.

Sherri Ohara
I saw one outside Marble Falls in the 80s. It was eating something on the side of the road

Tim Hataway
I saw one on the LBJ National Grassland plus a Mountain Lion back the the 1980s

Michelle Flanagan Tannehill
2 Black Panthers roamed the Quinlan Lake Tawakoni area in the 70's and 80's

Marty Bellah
I encountered one many years ago, at 19 mile crossing, Just outside Uvalde Texas.

Ricki Baker
I lived in Hedley in the 60’s and several people talked about seeing black panthers east of town

Slade Floyd
Back in the early to mid 90's a bunch of us use to go riding down on the red River south of Plasma. For those of you that know it was called Outlaw camp. Anyway, we were awakened by what sounded like a baby screaming. We all jumped out of our tents to see what it was. It was a black cat not 75 yards from our camp in the river bottom. It was around 8:30 am standing in the white sand. So, yes. I believe there are black cats here.

Donna K Maddox Telinde
Back in the 80’s, my mom and I saw one just north of Memphis! Scared the crap out of us!

Vance Lemons
I spotted one about 25 years ago 1 mile north of my house in Quitaque while we were quail hunting. 25 years later I spotted one a mile east of the same house where I grew up. Over the years many people have spotted one in the Quitaque - Turkey area. Always wondered if this is the reason Quitaque mascot was the panthers? Quitaque consolidated with Turkey in the early 70’s to make Valley school.

Linda Lynch
We had one in SW Oklahoma just North of the Red River on Sandy Creek. It was in the late 1950’s.
They screamed at night. Sounds like a woman screaming.

Paula Owens
I have seen one and it is so much, that you are in awe, for those that don’t believe us, oh well. I don’t lie.

Debbie Cooke Rugen
Has anyone heard one scream during the night? I did once and let me tell you, not one of my dogs barked. I didn't hear a single dog bark for miles. They knew better!

Ronnie Lambert
They are here. I had a family member see a big black cat near our house outside of Memphis in the mid 90’s. Dad also had a calf come up once with a wound about the size of a hand with the hide peeled back where it got away from a cat. Back then the neighbors used to hear them doing their screaming that sounds like a woman down in the pasture.

Joe Benavides
I saw one back in 1977 between Wilson and Tahoka

Mike McCarty
Saw one twice in a 2 week period near Kamay, west of Wichita Falls about 5-6 years ago. Several other people in the area have seen it also. Took a picture of a track east of CeeVee that was over 6" across.

Mike Harrison
Saw one on the road from La Jitas to Presideo

Mark Holland
I saw one at 11:00 AM one morning a few years ago on the TXU Martin Creek Lake land

Denise Hunt Friend
Someone saw one just southwest of Sweetwater behind the truck stop just a couple of years ago. There was no doubt what it was.

Resources:

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Early Life in Texas County by County

Books about Texas People and Places

Famous People from Texas County by County

Remember in Childress, Texas when.... 

For generations residents from coast to coast have reported encounters with large, black, long-tailed cats. These black panthers have left a trail of dead livestock and confused witnesses in their wake. These are animals that are not supposed to exist; animals that are not recognized by science. Despite the reluctance of wildlife officials to accept the reality of these cryptid cats, anomalous tracks continue to appear, pets and farm animals continue to disappear, and sightings continue to be reported . . . Read more Look inside