You can’t always explain what you see outdoors. Some people swear they see Bigfoot. Others see (or think they see) animals that don’t make sense based on their geographic region. And sometimes, people see things they can’t explain and don’t even try. One woman, Karen Kania, from Perryville, Missouri spotted what appears to be a very large black cat—too large. She asks a simple question: What cat is this? Commenters infer it could be a “black panther.”
Videos by Outdoors
One commenter said: “Yup. We had them out in the country in Perryville as well as black bears!”
Neither Kania nor the commenter drop the words “mountain lion” or “black panther,” to be clear. However, the commenter and another person who replies to her comment heavily infer that the large black cat in Kania’s video could be a black panther.
A “black panther” isn’t a species, it’s a description of a melanistic panther. Even the word “panther” isn’t straightforward, as it can refer to leopards, jaguars, and mountain lions, depending on whom you’re talking to.
Missouri is home to two types of wild cats, bobcats and mountain lions, so it’s technically possible . . . but not at all probable that this is a mountain lion with a genetic condition causing all-black fur. This is because there are no records of melanistic cougars.
But doesn’t it look too big to be a house cat?
See the large black cat in Missouri here:
Best Trail Cameras to Watch Wildlife
- Best Overall: TACRACAM Reveal X Gen 2.0
- Best for Beginners: SPYPOINT LM2
- Best Premium: Cuddeback CuddeLink
- Best Budget: Stealth Cam Browtine
- Best for Birdwatching: Bird Buddy
Learn more about the best trail cams here.
Outdoors.com may earn a commission when you make a purchase through affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
What do you think that is?
Pingback: What's That Large Black Cat in Missouri? - Just Day
To me, it looks like a large Persian cat. back in the early 60s me and my parents were pulling in the driveway and then rural Raytown and we saw Black Panther that was standing in our driveway. I remember being scared to go to sleep because of the big cat in the driveway.
It looks like a large, domestic male cat. I have an outdoor male cat that has been mistaken several times for a bobcat. Almost 17 pounds and can climb a tree it seconds. This cat is hunting mice, sitting at the edge of a field waiting for his prey. Love it.
That is a regular house cat or stray black cat for whoever took the photo should known better to not use a cell phone to take a pic cause zooming in always blurry. Just a stray house cat looking for mice in the corn field.