I ran across this website yesterday and read of the possibility of dark or black mountain lions out west. I emailed the host of my own experience. He has posted it on the website. Beyond my story the website is a good visit. https://pictures-of-cats.org/black-mountain-lion-sighting-off-interstate-70-in-utah.html
We have something similar going on here in Maine. The Department of Wildlife people say there are no mountain lions in Maine but several people have reported viewing mountain lions, and there have been some photos. When we first moved to Maine, they were saying that about lynx, but they finally had to admit that we had Canadian Lynx here. I have pictures of a big one on my land.
Speaking of lynx and bobcats, do you think it's possible that the ancestors of the Maine Coon Cat had some genetic input from the wild? I have no sources for this but those cats sure look like some kind of cross.
I don't know. This is what Wikipedia has to say about it. Origin The ancestral origins of the Maine Coon are unknown. Some speculate that they are descended from Norwegian forest cats or Siberian forest cats, which may have been brought to New England by settlers. There are also folk tales around their origin. One story involves Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France who was executed in 1793. The story goes that before her death, Antoinette attempted to escape France with the help of Captain Samuel Clough. She loaded Clough's ship with her most prized possessions, including six of her favorite Turkish Angora or possibly Siberian cats. Although she did not make it to the United States, all of her pets managed to reach the shore of Wiscasset, Maine, safely, where they bred with other short-haired breeds and developed into the modern breed of the Maine Coon.
Lots of cool possibilities there and all mysterious. I assume that the cross-breeding that took place when they reached North America was with domesticated cats. It sounds like cross-breeding with New England wildcats can be ruled out.
The lions seem to be broadening their range. I have been told that the largest variety lived in Pennsylvania, and were exterminated in the 19th century. It has been said we don't have them here, but when a friend sighted one on his property and reported it to Fish and Game, he was told that they were known to be in this area and had migrated from Canada. We have lots of lynx here.
Here on the right (sunny side) of the southern Oregon Cascades we have plenty of big cats Bobcats, cougar, heh, even feral cats No black or dark pumas, however Thinking maybe some illegally kept black panthers got loose? We have the occasional coywolf But mostly too many coyotes and a few wolves Wolf sightings are getting more frequent So are bobcats Bear...plenty of blackies Last one dressed out at 400 lbs Pretty good size for a young one
Wow, excellent story Dwight! I didn't know about the black mountain lions either, so glad you ran across this guy and you are a great writer, I felt I was there! Denise
Florida used to be home to many panthers, but as of 2017 the count was down to 120-230. A neighbor saw one about 15 years ago run into our property, but we never saw it, although we used to hear one scream now and then. They like other animals are losing their habitat to human encroachment.
I'm trying to get the names straight. A puma, cougar and mountain lion are all the same but I thought a panther was a different animal, so to speak. ... bigger, from South America? I'm often wrong.