Residents of Rapides Parish, La., are trying to solve the mystery of alleged black panther sightings in the area. Photo by maminounou/Pixabay.com
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Residents in a Louisiana community are attempting to solve the mystery of reported black panther sightings in the area.
Rapides Parish residents have reported seeing a large black feline near the levee banks of Lower 3rd Street in the Alexandria area. Advertisement
“We were in a tent, and heard something that sounded like a baby crying at first,” witness Ken Lee told WTNZ-TV. “And then, the sound turned to something else. I saw a big black cat, and I knew to mind my business from over there.”
Lee said the animal was too large to have been a domestic cat.
Photographs posted online show what appears to be a big cat’s paw print next to a size 13 sandal for scale.
Some locals said they are convinced there is a black panther in the area, while others suggested the source of the sightings could be a cougar with a genetic mutation causing it to have darker fur.
Black panther sightings have been reported in Rapides Parish before, with multiple alleged encounters reported in 2013.
