Could This Really Be a Black Panther and Cub Spotted in the Port of Iberia Area? [Video]
Throughout the years, we've all heard rumors of black panther sightings in Louisiana, even though authorities say it's impossible because black panthers don't live in Louisiana. So then, what in the heck is this?
Local musician Steve Grisaffe and his wife Alisa posted a couple of videos and pictures that possibly show a black panther and cub roaming around the Port of Ibera area.
Steve was on his way home from touring with Wayne Toups yesterday (05/10/21) when his wife Alisa text him pictures of a giant black cat and cub roaming around, about 100 yards from their house.
To give you an idea as to the size, here's a zoomed-in photo of the animal and cub next to a downed tree.
He said the hair on his arms stood up as he was looking at the pictures and video of what looks like...a black panther and cub casually strolling around his property.
He tells us his neighbor's barn, which you can see in the background, has sheep, chickens, and more inside and that could be why the cat is frequenting the area. Grisaffe's neighbor also told him he recently tore down an old barn on the property, and he believes the black panther and cub, or whatever it is, were living in the barn.
Obviously, even with the above photo of the animals by a downed tree, it's difficult to get a solid idea of just how big of an animal it is, but Steve and Alisa Grisaffe were savvy enough to get a video of the paw prints the animal left in the mud.
I'm no expert by any means, but the prints look like they were left by a cat of significant size and weight.
What makes this puzzling is that according to a statement by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries "the truth is there are no black panthers in Louisiana.”
From theadvertiser.com -
"No black panther claim has ever been authenticated, he said. Black jaguars and black leopards aren’t native to the United States. Jaguars are from Central America and South America, and leopards are from Africa."
There have certainly been many black panther hoaxes in Louisiana, but usually, those are just pictures. Steve and Alisa have some pretty compelling evidence, not only with pictures but a few videos as well including track marks.
When you look at the still photos, it doesn't look like it's anything more than a regular black cat and her kitten. However, when you see it moving through the yard it's obviously something more.
Did Steve and Alisa Grisaffe seriously just document the first confirmed sighting of a black panther in Louisiana?!? We're going to try and help them find out!
We'll continue to investigate and continue to we'll update this story as we get more information.