Picture of a black panther walking along the roof of a building in Armentieres, near Lille, France

This is a genuine black panther. It is not that big because the cat is 6-months-of-age. The cat is a melanistic jaguar or leopard. It is more likely to be a leopard. The cat was owned illegally by a French person and has been captured and tranquillised.

Black panther on roof in France

Black panther on roof in France. Photo: Sapeurs-pompiers du Nord

‘Black panther’ does not describe a species of wild cat. The term applies to melanistic (a genetic mutation causing the usual coat color to go charcoal black) big cats. It can apply to the leopard, jaguar or puma. The jaguar and leopard are very similar and in this picture it is almost impossible to tell if the cat is one or the other. Normally when people refer to a black panther they are probably referring to the jaguar but they are rarer which is why I have decided that this cat is a sub-adult leopard.

We don’t know how the person acquired the cat. Perhaps it was smuggled in as a very young cub. They are small enough to be smuggled. There is a terrible trade in exotic cats which has a very detrimental impact on the conservation of these beautiful cats in the wild. It is getting worse despite the words we hear from politicians and the like. The situation will deteriorate further over time. I’ll guarantee it.

The picture is very unusual because it is genuine. Almost always these sorts of ‘big cat sightings’ in urban environments or in the countryside in Europe are domestic cats in dark conditions. The reality of this photo provided by the firefighters (by the Sapeurs-pompiers du Nord on September 19, 2019) is startling.

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Tranquillised black panther in France

Tranquillised black panther in France. Photo: Sapeurs-pompiers du Nord.

Immediately above is another photo by the Sapeurs-pompiers du Nord of the tranquillised cat after capture. The cat went back into his home through a window and the firefighters closed the window and then entered the what looks like an apartment to tranquillise the cat. I have no idea what will happen to him/her. He looks domesticated which indicates he was raised as a cub. He’ll probably end up in a zoo and be miserable.

Lille is in northern France near Belgium.

SOME PAGES ON BLACK PANTHERS….

Black panther in Pench Tiger Reserve

Genuine jet-black panther in a video in a tiger reserve

People are fascinated with the black panther so when you have the opportunity to see a genuine jet-black panther crossing ...
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Picture of a melanistic jaguar

Jaguarete – mystery cat?

The jaguarete is better spelled with an accent acute over the last 'e' like this: jaguareté. This means it should ...
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Black panther cub - melanistic leopard cub - makes a cute roar in the basement of a home in the Donbass region of Ukraine during Putin's invasion

Black panther cub – cute roar – only it’s in Ukraine during the war

For a reason which remains unexplained, Dr. Bandi Giri Kumar lives in an apartment in the Donbass region of Ukraine ...
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Useful tag. Click to see the articles: Cat behavior

Note: sources for news articles are carefully selected but the news is often not independently verified.

Michael Broad

Hi, I'm a 74-year-old retired solicitor (attorney in the US). Before qualifying I worked in many jobs including professional photography. I love nature, cats and all animals. I am concerned about their welfare. If you want to read more click here.

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