• About BCR
  • News
  • News @ BCR
  • Rescues
  • Issues
  • Cat Laws
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
  • Login
  • Register
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
No Result
View All Result
Home News World

Panther Attacks: Fact Or Fiction?

BCR by BCR
February 4, 2018
in News World
0
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

You might also like

Cub Petting Shame

Rules

GoFree

By GARY R. MORMINO
Tribune correspondent

Published: November 30, 2008

Wildlife biologists insist there has never been a documented case of a panther attack on a human in Florida.

That may be true, but century-old newspapers reveled in reporting such attacks.

In 1897, The New York Times recounted three panther attacks in the Sunshine State. In one account, Ed Jenkins was driving a buggy near Tarpon Springs when he noticed “two baby catamounts by the roadside.”

When Jenkins picked up the wild cubs, “the mother catamount sprang on the buggy, seizing Mrs. Jenkins’s dress. Jenkins struck the animal with a small club, and she secured a firm hold on his arm. He had his knife out by this time, and a furious fight began, the horse dashing madly along, the panther dragging back of the seat.

“Mrs. Jenkins began striking the beast over the head with the club. It let go its hold on Jenkins, and pulled his wife half out of the vehicle. Jenkins fell out on top of the panther. They fought in the road, the animal drawing the blood at every dig. Finally Jenkins cut its throat.”

What became of the baby catamounts? Readers might recall Jody Baxter, the youthful protagonist in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’s classic novel The Yearling (1938). Preparing for a climactic hunt, Jody “pilfered a quart of meal from the barrel and hid it, for Flag, in his own new knapsack made of the hides of the panther kittens.”

In March 1897, the Times reported another “Florida Incident.” U.S. Sen. Matthew Quay of Pennsylvania, vacationing in St. Lucie, caught a “fine tarpon after a hard tussle.” As the fishing party returned with its catch, “a scream was heard, and a big, dark body dropped from a tree upon the astonished bearers of the fish and began taking huge mouthfuls out of the tarpon, growling angrily all the while.”

The senator’s hunting guide, Seminole Jim, challenged the panther with a club. The Seminole’s blow felled the panther, but the aroused animal was “ready for a fight.” Seminole Jim then “inflicted the death blow” with a knife. The hide was shipped to Beaver Falls, Pa.

In April 1916, the Tampa Daily Times reported that a 150-pound panther attacked Walter B. Meiller near Fort Ogden. Meiller, a hiker, “clubbed the animal to death.” It was the largest panther ever killed in the area.

Albert DeVane wrote about pioneer life in Florida and reported killing a panther in Lake Placid in 1912 measuring “nine feet from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail.”

Elderly readers of The Tampa Tribune in the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s supplied plenty of panther-attacks-human anecdotes.

In 1948, Leslie S. Bray, “an esteemed old-timer,” shared a tale from his boyhood in eastern Orange County. A man who lived near a swamp on the St. Johns River was walking along a road “when a large panther suddenly appeared and boldly blocked the trail.”

Bray continued: “Unarmed, the man picked up a light-wood stick just as the panther leaped upon him. Fighting for his life, the man struck again and again, while the beast clawed his clothes to shreds and ripped deep gashes in his flesh. At last, the man was able to land a blow that stunned the animal, after which he killed it. … This true story was written up in the Orlando Reporter and was said to be the first known record of a Florida panther attacking a man in broad daylight.”

In May 1960, 92-year-old D.B. McKay, five-time mayor of Tampa and founder of this Sunday history column, reminisced how discussions of panthers brought “back some of my boyhood memories about this dangerous beast.” A reader of the column sparked a debate by writing, “Most people in those days declared the panther would not attack a human unless cornered.”

J.H. Smith, a veteran logger on the Ocklawaha River, wrote in with a story about a man who went for a walk between the Ocklawaha and St. Johns rivers. “He cut himself an oak cudgel before starting out. When the man’s body was discovered several days later, there lay beside him a dead panther. He had killed the panther and the beast had also killed him.”

These stories, half heroic, half tragic, do not resolve the debate as to whether panthers ever attacked humans in Florida. They do add to the colorful history of the state, and an acute sense of loss.

Gary R. Mormino is co-director of the Florida Studies Program at USF St. Petersburg. He invites your letters and stories. Reach him by e-mail at gmormino@stpt.usf.edu or in care of the Florida Studies Program, Snell House, 140 Seventh Ave. S., St. Petersburg, FL

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/nov/30/tr-panther-attacks-fact-or-fiction/

——————–

Learn more about big cats and Big Cat Rescue at http://bigcatrescue.org


Tags: News World
Previous Post

9th Florida panther roadkill of 2008

Next Post

Daryl Atkinson Loses License Gets Slap on Wrist

BCR

BCR

Big Cat Rescue is Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade

Related Posts

Cub Petting Shame
Cat Laws

Cub Petting Shame

January 17, 2021
174
Be Safe Out There!
How To Start A Sanctuary

Rules

March 31, 2020
21
Big Cat Rescue does bobcat rehab and release of native, Florida bobcats.
Articles by BCR

GoFree

March 29, 2020
71
Nik Tiger being Xrayed
How To Start A Sanctuary

What is a day like at Big Cat Rescue?

June 30, 2020
13
Cougars at Big Cat Rescue
Memorials

Artemis

January 28, 2020
23
Next Post

Daryl Atkinson Loses License Gets Slap on Wrist

Leave a Reply

  • Default Comments (0)
  • Facebook Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Help Feed Big Cats

One of the best ways to help is through general donations that can be used however it is most needed at the time.To make a general donation just click the Donate Now button below.  This is the best way to give as it has the lowest credit card processing fees and is immediate help for the cats.

Give to Big Cat Rescue

If you prefer to donate via Pay Pal, please use this link: Pay Pal

Shop To Save Big Cats

More From BigCatRescue

  • Rescue Missions
  • About Big Cat Rescue
  • Big Cat Rescue News
  • Reviews
  • Our Recent Work
  • Sanctuary FAQs
  • Big Cat TV

Sanctuary Cats

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

Big Cat Information

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

Ways to Help

  • Newsletter SignUp
  • Donate Now
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us
  • View AMP Versioin
No Result
View All Result
  • 2018 Appeal
  • About BCR
  • About our Cookies
  • BCR in the Media
  • Big Cat Rescue Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade
  • Big Cat Times
  • Blog
  • Board of Directors
  • Contact Us
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Credentials
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Embed Link
  • GET THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT CUB PETTING
  • Global Big Cat News
  • Intern Program
  • Kids
  • Latest from Big Cat Rescue
  • Licensing
  • Map
  • Map of Big Cat Owners
  • Netflix
  • News about Big Cats
  • News Gallery
  • News@BCR
  • Our Video Series
  • PressRoom
  • Privacy Policy
  • Rescues
  • Search result
  • Series Archive – Default header
  • Shop
  • SnowLeopard
  • Social Stream
  • Staff
  • Teachers
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Terms of Use
  • Test Gravity
  • USFWS
  • Vets
  • Videos archive
  • Get Involved
    • Automatic
    • Sponsorships
    • Volunteer
      • AdvoCats
      • Click to Feed
      • Intern
    • Legacy
    • Roar! Speak Out for Big Cats
    • Ink
  • Finances
  • How We Started
  • Abuse Issues
    • Issues
      • Exhibitions
      • Private Ownership of Big Cats
      • Zoos
      • White Tigers
      • Circus
      • Fur
      • Trophy Hunting
      • Canned Hunting
      • Why Regulations Don’t Work
  • Our Evolution
  • Photos & Facts
  • Videos
  • Our Volunteers
  • Your Privacy
  • Donate
  • Site Map
  • Field Trips

© Copyright 2021 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptReject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Add New Playlist