Panther sightings increase in Pleasanton hills, Morgan Hill (San Jose, San Francisco: 2013, school)

[sonarrat]

Mysterious 'massive' black cat spotted again in Pleasanton hills - San Jose Mercury News

I have a first-hand experience. About 15 years ago, I went to the Anderson Park entrance on Holiday Drive in Morgan Hill. About a half-mile in, I spotted a large black animal walking through the brush. I've been something of a fanatic of big cats all my life, and I know what I saw that day. It was a panther. I never saw it again. I was reminded of this when a week ago, I heard from my parents that one of their neighbors called the police, because there was a panther taking a nap in their yard! They apparently came, confirmed the sighting, and then scared it off.

As the lady in the article says, it really is like seeing a yeti. I couldn't believe my eyes - they're not supposed to be here. But there's increasing evidence to show that they are indeed living on the fringes of society in the foothills.

Another black panther sighting - San Francisco wildlife | Examiner.com

This article notes that there were deer kills found in trees in the Las Trampas park in San Ramon. Mountain lions don't do that; that's a behavior of a true big cat like a leopard or panther.

[easybay]

Didn't the sightings just end up being a huge feral cat? Man-face?

http://fox40.com/2013/04/02/25-pound...mountain-lion/

Whoops - your's was panther, not mountain lion.

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by easybay

Didn't the sightings just end up being a huge feral cat? Man-face?

25-Pound Feral Cat, “Man Face,” Mistaken as Mountain Lion | KTXL FOX40

Whoops - your's was panther, not mountain lion.

Mountain lions are a known quantity. Jet-black panthers from the jungles of South America, not so much.

[silverkris]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

Mountain lions are a known quantity. Jet-black panthers from the jungles of South America, not so much.

Yes. Sometimes they get into built-up areas, which doesn't end well for the cats. A few years ago a mountain lion got into Palo Alto, near a school, and had to be shot because it was near too many people. It's probable that the cat used the drainage creeks running through PA to get from the hills into town.

More recently a few cougar kittens got into a residential backyard in Half Moon Bay and regrettably, also had to be destroyed.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

Mysterious 'massive' black cat spotted again in Pleasanton hills - San Jose Mercury News

I have a first-hand experience. About 15 years ago, I went to the Anderson Park entrance on Holiday Drive in Morgan Hill. About a half-mile in, I spotted a large black animal walking through the brush. I've been something of a fanatic of big cats all my life, and I know what I saw that day. It was a panther. I never saw it again. I was reminded of this when a week ago, I heard from my parents that one of their neighbors called the police, because there was a panther taking a nap in their yard! They apparently came, confirmed the sighting, and then scared it off.

As the lady in the article says, it really is like seeing a yeti. I couldn't believe my eyes - they're not supposed to be here. But there's increasing evidence to show that they are indeed living on the fringes of society in the foothills.

Another black panther sighting - San Francisco wildlife | Examiner.com

This article notes that there were deer kills found in trees in the Las Trampas park in San Ramon. Mountain lions don't do that; that's a behavior of a true big cat like a leopard or panther.

Are you absolutely sure it was not a Black Bear? I've seen some Black Bears that were sort of skinny and were tall at the withers, not the squat and beefy looking form factor one normally thinks of. California subspecies have that tendency. The Black Bear range has essentially encroached on the Bay Area at this point, as the continent-wide range expansion proceeds apace.

[sonarrat]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Are you absolutely sure it was not a Black Bear? I've seen some Black Bears that were sort of skinny and were tall at the withers, not the squat and beefy looking form factor one normally thinks of. California subspecies have that tendency. The Black Bear range has essentially encroached on the Bay Area at this point, as the continent-wide range expansion proceeds apace.

The reason why I'm going to say is no is because I saw a long black tail. Bears have a short stubby one.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by sonarrat

The reason why I'm going to say is no is because I saw a long black tail. Bears have a short stubby one.

That definitely would rule out a bear.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

That definitely would rule out a bear.

Probably rules out a sasquatch-on-all-fours too. Maybe a chupacabra.

[RMP500]

No, it was definitely a panther.

I seen "Panther" clearly tattooed on it's neck.

[Robert Waltrip]

About 38 yrs ago (1985 ) in the same general area, me and a friend of mine were traveling south on Hwy 101 out of Santa Clara (San Jose), and decided to stop off the side of the road about 20 miles out, in a very rural farmland area with a fairly dense brush/small tree path trail, somewhere in and around Morgan Hill and San Martin.

I kid you not! No drugs, no alcohol, no hallucinogens! no more than 10 minutes into the hike, and just coming down a small hill, an unbelievably huge black panther the size of a medium sized horse, with a back side that stood no less than an incredible 5 1/2 feet from the ground, and length wise, at least 9 feet (not including tail), suddenly appeared in front of us on the trail. All of us, including the huge Panther, instantly froze, looked at each other, and while both me and my friend stood their paralyzed with fear, as fast as you could say the word WTF (and simultaneously we did), the Panther took two large bounding leaps and instantly disappeared over the hill.

We waited a couple minutes and decided to head back to the car. I think we ran back.

I've shared this story with a few people since then, and many times looked it up on the internet, but could never find anything even close to the size of this beast. Not a single picture. The Cat was literally at least twice the size of any large Panther picture you'll ever see.

The only way to explain this, could have only been from the age of the animal, too quick to outwit hunters, and a dinner menu of well fed small farm animals, pets, deer, and livestock in the area.

If there are human giants, who's to say that in some very rare instances, animals aren't born with an over-production of growth hormones or some form of Gigantism?

The only way to believe this story, is if you saw it yourself. It's just too astronomically insane otherwise, but I know what I saw, and even had a witness. And what are the odds, to Google Search (on this day May 8, 2023) ”black panther seen in San Jose”, and then find a post with a very similar sighting in nearly the very same area?