It is hard to go a week in Mississippi, especially during late fall and winter, and not hear about someone who thinks they have seen, or knows someone who thinks they have seen, a panther. With so many possible sightings, there must be panthers in Mississippi, right? Not necessarily. Sightings often can’t be confirmed and are often misrepresented or misidentified. In this article, we’ll learn about this secretive animal and its status in the Magnolia State.
In the United States, panthers historically ranged across the Southeast in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and parts of Tennessee and South Carolina. However, now the breeding population of Florida panthers is found only in the southern tip of Florida, south of the Caloosahatchee River.
Hunted by people for sport, fur, and meat, the panther’s population has declined drastically–even to the point of extinction in some areas of their historic range. Panthers are rarely seen by people who are only aware of its presence by their tracks left on the ground, scratch marks on trees, and scrapes (urine and/or feces left on top of a pile of grass that serves as a territorial marker). Panthers are often referred to as “the ghosts of the forest” because of their ability to move about without detection.
The last verified sighting of a panther in Mississippi was in 1957. However, over the years, there have been several credible sightings in the state. Most of these have been along the Mississippi River in Claiborne, Issaquena, and Washington counties. In the South Delta, a credible sighting occurred in Sharkey County and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Hancock County.
If one thinks he or she has seen a panther, documentation should be gathered. This is usually in the form of tracks, or more recently from good, quality game cameras. Tracks should be documented quickly as rain and wind can destroy them. Tracks can often look like those of a large dog. Notable differences are as follows: With a panther, there is an absence of toenails in the track, whereas with a dog, toenails will be present. The reason is that a panther does not walk with its toenails extracted. Panthers have a leading toe, whereas a dog does not. With a panther, the heal pad is square at the top and has three rear lobes, whereas a dog has a rounded heal pad with two lobes. As with any feline track, the tips of the toes form a half-circle; whereas with a dog, the two center toes extended farther than the right-most and left-most toes.
While we don’t have any confirmation of panthers in Mississippi, I and many others who care about the wilds of our great state, hope this former native will return one day. If you have a credible sighting, check to make sure you are not misidentifying the panther. Find credible evidence. If all of it indicates a panther, immediately contact the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks.
James L. Cummins is executive director of Wildlife Mississippi, a non‑profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plant resources throughout Mississippi. Their web site is www.wildlifemiss.org.
