Swiss Black Panther Reports
Posted by: Loren Coleman on June 1st, 2012
During May 2012, there were reports of a “Black Panther” on the prowl in Switzerland.
Newsperson Lyssandra Sears had this to say about it:
An animal thought to be a black panther has been spotted in the woods between Solothurn and Bern.
The animal, described as being about 50cm tall with black fur and a long tail, was first spotted last Wednesday in the Kestenholz-Bätterkinden region.
Since then, it has been seen twice more, including once by a game warden, online news site Blick reported.
Although the animal has not been confirmed as a panther, police said that the description seemed to fit the bill.
“The police have set up several photo and bait traps. These are now being evaluated,” Melanie Schmid from the Solothurn police told the website.
Search parties have not gone in to the woods because it is thought that the creature is shy. Until the animal has been identified, no safety warnings will be issued to hikers by the police.
Once located, police plan to stun the animal and take it into captivity.
The origin of the creature is unknown….Source
Have any European readers of Cryptomundo heard of any more recent sightings from Switzerland or the region?
Thanks to Chad Arment for the newstip.
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
The last report until now seems to be from 27 May. A woman on 26 May near Münchenstein in the region of Bern/Solothurn spotted an animal what she initially thought to be a big black dog. However after it stood up and disappeared in the undergrowth she thought it was a black cat.
After two weeks with no sightings or any other evidence Peter Juesy from Bernese hunting inspectorate believes the “animal” was not real. The Inspectorate collected nearly 80 reports of sightings and 20 to 25 times they investigated but with no further evidence. One time they collected the cast of a cat as people thought but then it turns out to be from a dog. Another time they surrounded a field and thought they now can catch the panther which a women had seen in the field. But then only a domestic cat came out. And more than one picture showed black dogs or (domestic) cats.
Schweizer Phantom-Panther bleibt unsichtbar