Black Bobcats – Reports Near and Far

As we approach the end of 2021, I’ve been looking back. Amazingly enough, I have been writing my blog “Indian River Lagoon,” since 2013. I have now written over one-thousand posts and one of the most popular is not about toxic algae, Lake Okeechobee, or even the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon. One of my top posts is about black bobcats -properly called, melanistic bobcats.

I wrote my first black bobcat post in 2014 specifically about the high documentation in my home of Martin County, Florida. Since then, many readers have contacted me about melanistic bobcat sightings outside of Martin County. Most recently, two more from Georgia.

Today, I share these two reports, one from 2019 and the other from 2021. These special creatures are a rare sight to see and of unforgettable beauty.

The gorgeous photograph of the melanistic bobcat above was taken in Georgetown, Georgia, in 2019. I learned about the sighting this December at a baby christening in Stuart, Florida. Mrs Kight was nice enough to find the photo and send to me after we got on the subject of all things -black bobcats!

II.

This next photo, above, is a screen shot of a “doorbell” black bobcat -2021- sighting in Waleska, Georgia. CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO OF BLACK BOBCAT.

Mr Kaiser, of Waleska, Georgia, who sent the doorbell video, wrote interesting observations included below.

Mr Kaiser: “Greetings. We live in north Georgia on the east side of Pine Log Mtn. Have recent video of what could to be a melanistic bobcat in our front yard. We have seen it twice and saved on Ring video. Would like to share it with you and your thoughts. Thanks.”

JTL: “Dear Mr Kaiser, I am so glad you contacted me. I can’t wait to see the video of this incredible creature. Please send.”

Mr Kaiser: “Hi Jacqui. Wondering if you got the brief video and thoughts. I took down 2 Ring cameras today (temporarily) while they were cleaning up our yard. When I went back outside I saw the animal walking right down the middle of our quiet street. (that gets maybe 12 cars a day). The animal looked at me briefly and it appeared to have yellowish/greenish eyes. It looked all black with apparently no charcoal or grey. It had a knob for a tail and the upper hind legs looked a little bigger. We do have a few neighbors as we live in the higher elevation end of our community and so far no one has identified it as a pet or seen it before. Thanks.”

JTL: “I did receive. Thank you so much. What a creature to behold and see eye to eye! Where do you live?”

Mr Kaiser: “We live in Waleska GA (Cherokee County) in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns. and on the east side of Pine Log and Bear Mountain. Please feel free to share this information on your blog. My wife and I are surrounded with all this fascinating wildlife and this is so educational studying their seasonal habits. Any information you can share would be appreciated and likewise I can certainly pass on to you with updated pictures/ video clips. This is our 3rd sighting of this animal and we don’t know bobcat habits. When it walked by yesterday it looked at me briefly but didn’t stop or act afraid or defensive. That is when I got a split second look at the eyes.”

JTL: “This is so amazing. Thank you so much for sharing and letting me share! Tell me more!”

Mr Kaiser: “We set this Ring camera up to video the black bears that visit us. Never seen this before and shared with 2 wildlife experts. I do have another separate video and would like your take. Both sightings were midday and have the camera mounted on the front porch hopefully for more views. It appears to have a firmer walking stance on the hind legs. Also have pictures and videos of our visiting black bear. We have various animals that live and roam our property including a fun to watch fox family. If you think this video is of interest I can keep you updated.”

JTL: “Please do. ! I hope in the future to see more including bears and foxes. Love the wildlife, especially the melanistic bobcat, people are really fascinated by them. A mythical creature indeed!”

Thank you to Mrs Kight and Mr Kaiser for sharing and I hope more people, inside or outside of Florida, will tell of their black bobcat sightings too!

~Jacqui

PREVIOUS POST ON BLACK BOBCATS

1.https://jacquithurlowlippisch.com/2014/03/07/the-black-bobcats-of-the-st-lucie-region-and-indian-river-lagoon/

2. https://jacquithurlowlippisch.com/2016/04/21/two-black-bobcat-cubs-and-mom-happily-strolling-around-western-martin-county-slrirl/

3. https://jacquithurlowlippisch.com/2017/02/24/black-bobcat-hit-by-car-in-sebring-please-drive-with-care-slrirl/

Black Bobcat Hit by Car in Sebring; Please Drive with Care! SLR/IRL

The photo below of was shared by my friend, and UF NRLI class member, Florida Wildlife Commission, senior wildlife biologist, Angeline Scotten. Angeline was recently called to Sebring, located northwest of Lake Okeechobee, to identify an unusual and beautiful canine hit by car, a black bobcat. Black bobcats, more properly called “melanistic,” are often reported as “black panthers.”

Melanism, like albinism, is a rare genetic trait that few are able to witness…in the photo below we can see the cat’s unique coloring in the sunlight.

This remarkable creature is one of thousands of animals killed on Florida’s highways every year. I am posting this photo in hopes that by seeing it, somehow it may will help save the life of another. Please drive carefully looking out for bobcats and the rest of God’s creatures!

pastedgraphic-1-1 — Melanistic bobcat hit by car in Sebring, Fl. Photo shared by FWC’s Angeline Scotten 2/17.

*Thank you to Angeline Scotten for sharing this photograph.

melanism
[mel-uh-niz-uh m]
noun
Zoology. the condition in which an unusually high concentration of melanin occurs in the skin, plumage, or pelage of an animal.

http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/mammals/land/bobcat/

Various links on melanistic bobcat sightings in South Florida: http://tibba.net/post/black-panther-is-the-melanistic-color-variant-of-any-panthera-species

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1887921/posts

http://www.buschwildlife.org/rescuestories.html

Maeher: Melanistic Bobcats in Florida

http://hrproperties.com/nature-in-harbour-ridge

Former blog posts on black bobcats:
https://jacquithurlowlippisch.com/tag/black-bobcat-cubs/

The Black Bobcats of the St Lucie Region and Indian River Lagoon

Two Black Bobcat Cubs and Mom–Happily Strolling Around Western Martin County, SLR/IRL

Black Bobcat cubs following mother in Western Martin County on 4-11-16. Shared by Busch Wildlife Center, Jupiter Florida. — Black bobcat cubs following their mother in western Martin County on 4-11-16. Shared by Exec. Dir. David Hitzig, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, Jupiter Florida.

two black cubs! — two black bobcat juvenile cubs!

Martin County’s theme is “Our Good Nature.” We have kept some of it, unlike so many other counties in the state of Florida. I grew up appreciating this. My mother and father used to bring home injured animal for my sister, Jenny, my brother, Todd, and me to care for when we were growing up in Stuart in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. I was taught never to be afraid of wild animals, but to respect them.

One of my favorite fascinations with local wildlife is the black, or “melanistic,” bobcats of western Martin County. I have written before about this local genetic phenomenon. In fact, it is one of my all time most popular posts. Indeed, there are more reports of black bobcats or “black panthers” occur right here, especially around Lake Okeechobee and the St Lucie Canal, than anywhere else in the state!

Yesterday, my friend and UF NRLI classmate, FWC biologist Angeline Scotten– who was in town to give a coyote presentation for Sewall’s Point and Martin County, took me to visit Busch Wildlife Sanctuary and to meet her mentor– of animal-fame– David Hitzig, Busch Wildlife’s long time executive director. I was totally impressed. What an amazing place. You must visit! http://www.buschwildlife.org

Early on in the conversation I told Mr Hitzig that for whatever reason, although an animal fan, I had never visited Busch Wildlife Sanctuary—but that I had written about a black bobcat that was documented to be at the sanctuary after being trapped near the St Lucie Canal in Western Martin County. This bobcat had been eating somebody’s chickens.

Excitedly, Mr Hitzig noted that yes, the melanistic bobcat had been at the center a few years ago, and was released. He also shared that just this month, April 2016, there had been reports of not one, but two, black bobcat cubs walking behind their mother; he later shared this rare and awesome photo.

What a sight! Two black bobcat cubs strolling happily along behind their mother in western Martin County. I love this place. Don’t you?

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Former post on black bobcat that was temporarily at Busch Wildlife Sanctuary: https://jacquithurlowlippisch.com/2014/03/07/the-black-bobcats-of-the-st-lucie-region-and-indian-river-lagoon/

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Correction to blog 🙂 Just after completing this post, I just received an email from David Hitzig of Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, and this black bobcat cub photo was taken in Okeechobee, a western neighbor to Martin County not Martin County itself as I thought when I wrote this! Certainly there are no boarders for the cats and Okeechobee and Martin are side by side “out west.” See map below. Wanted to note for the record. jacqui

"County lines are for people not cats...." nonetheless most black bobcats reports of the state have been in the area of western Martin County "whose "western edge boarders Okeechobee County. — “County lines are for people not cats….” nonetheless most black bobcats reports of the state have been in the area of western Martin County “whose “western edge boarders Okeechobee County.

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Thank you Mr David Hitzig for sharing this marvelous photo.

Thank you to FWC Angeline Scotten from UF NRLI Class XV for taking me to the Busch Wildllife Sanctuary and for her excellent coyote presentation for the Town of Sewall’s Point: http://nrli.ifas.ufl.edu

The Black Bobcats of the St Lucie Region and Indian River Lagoon

Melanistic bobcat caught in Martin County (Photo Busch Wildlife Center) — Captured melanistic bobcat from Martin County (Photo courtesy of Busch Wildlife Center, 2007)

The Martin County Difference” is an expression that one often hears from locals that means exactly what it says, “things are different here…”

Not only are the different, they are exceptional. We have the beautiful St Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon, a four story height limit, a strong urban service boundary, great public schools, a strong fertilizer ordinance, public beaches and black bobcats…

When I was a kid growing up in Stuart, one sometimes heard stories from the kids that lived in Indiantown or Palm City about “black panthers.” And someone who had seen them would swear on their mother’s grave this to be true. Supposedly these stories had been around for many, many years coming down from parents and grandparents.

More recently in 2008, my first year on the Sewall’s Point commission, the town had at least three “normally colored” bobcats and multiple kittens. The sightings were very exciting but scared some residents who had moved here from up north so I started reading about bobcats in great detail. Eventually we had Dan Martinelli of the Treasure Coast Wildlife Center speak before the commission and things calmed down but my fascination with these beautiful creatures did not.

I talked about bobcats a lot during this time and in the course of a discussion, one of my husband’s physician friends who lived in Palm City, with great excitement told a story of seeing a black bobcat in Palm City walk across his yard. That same year one of the Guatemalan landscape workers in the town, knowing I loved animals, struggled wide eyes to tell me about the black panther he had seen walking along a fence, close to Lake Okeechobee and the St Lucie Canal, that he had seen while fishing with his son.

According to my reading there have been more reports of melanistic bobcats in Martin County than anywhere else in the country, mostly near the area of the St Lucie Canal, Lake Okeechobee and Loxahatchee.

If you want to find these reports, google “melanistic bobcats martin.” These posts are not entirely scientific but they are documented. They say there have been sightings for the past 80 years.

Although I never seen a black bobcat, popular lore says the exist, I believe it, and it’s certainly better documented than Sasquatch who many of my high school friends claimed to see too.

What an incredible place to live! The “Martin County Difference!”

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According to the Florida Wildlife Commission black panthers do not exist but black bobcats do!

FLORIDA PANTHERS:(http://www.fws.gov/floridapanther/panther_faq.html)

FLORIDA BOBCATS:(http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/mammals/land/bobcat/)

The White Dolphin of the Indian River Lagoon, Reminder of “the Miracle…”

An albino Atlantic bottlenosed dolphin calf with its mother, photographed by Flicker's Natalia Tsoukala, 2014. — An albino Atlantic bottle nosed dolphin calf with its mother, (not in the IRL) photographed by Flicker’s Natalia Tsoukala, 2014.

Christin Erazo is the producer for TC Palm’s “Indian River Lagoon” segment, and although other reporters have done a good job reporting about our friends in the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon, Christin has really excelled with her past year’s dolphin series, teaching us about their families, their struggles in the polluted lagoon, and even their names! (https://twitter.com/TCPalmChristin)

In the past, I have written about black bobcats, and black wolves of the Indian River Lagoon, so it makes sense that today I focus on the recent white (albino) dolphin sighting in the lagoon that Christen brought to my attention through her IRL Dolphin series.

You can see the video of the white dolphin here:

(http://www.tcpalm.com/franchise/indian-river-lagoon/harbor-branch-dolphin-scientists-question-sighting-of-albino-dolphin-in-indian-river-lagoon_62183855)

or here:

(http://news.discovery.com/animals/whales-dolphins/rare-albino-dolphin-spotted-off-coast-of-florida-150105.htm)

A couple of days ago, Florida Fish and Wildlife posted this video of what really looks like an albino dolphin swimming around, just off shore, in what appears to be the central lagoon area. Of course, FFW will not report where the sighting actually was so people do not overwhelm or accidentally harass the animal. Some say, like my favorite research institute, FAU/Harbor Branch, that it is “unlikely” that the video is really showing an albino dolphin…

I, as the child of the 60s, prefer “to believe.” 🙂

And of course, I am not a scientist!

When I was a kid growing up in Stuart, some of the most fun was had dreaming and talking about the Lock Ness Monster and Sasquatch. But all joking aside, why wouldn’t there be a white dolphin? The wonders of this world are many….

According to popular blogger, Jane Kingswell of the United Kingdom, (https://animalnewsuk.wordpress.com/about-2/), “Animal News,” there is 1/10,000 chance that any animal, including humans, can be albino. Being albino in the animal kingdom is difficult as one “stands out,” and is not camouflaged against predators. Usually albino animals have shorter life spans for this reason and as well as being more prone to health issues.

But aren’t they magnificent!

To me, even the possibility that there is an albino dolphin, is a miracle, just like everything else in this world. And as we all know, when we look at the miracle of our life every day, we often don’t “see it.”

The chance that an albino dolphin lives in our wonder filled Indian River Lagoon is just a reminder for us to “open our eyes” and see it all, the miracle, the gift, of our Indian River Lagoon.

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Other albino animals, public photos:

Other Photos of various albino animals: (http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=albino+animal+photos&qpvt=albino+animal+phoots&FORM=IGRE_______________)

Albinism: How Stuff Works: (http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/problems/medical/albinism6.htm)

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Black Bobcats of the IRL: (http://jacquithurlowlippisch.com/2014/03/07/the-black-bobcats-of-the-st-lucie-region-and-indian-river-lagoon/)

Black Wolves of the IRL: (http://jacquithurlowlippisch.com/2014/06/20/the-once-florida-black-wolf-of-the-indian-river-lagoon/)

Disease and compromised immune systems in IRL bottlenosed dolphin due to fresh water releases from Lake Okeechobee, C-44, C-24,C-23: (http://jacquithurlowlippisch.com/2014/06/26/fresh-water-pollution-a-destructive-force-in-the-st-lucie-riverindian-river-lagoon/)

The Lost Towering Pine Forests of St. Lucie

Gigantic old-growth slash pines, with all the glory to be called “longleaf pine,” stood right here in the St. Lucie River region of Stuart, Palm, City, Indiantown, Jensen, and Hobe Sound. Eagles built massive nests in their crowns. Fox squirrels as large as cats leapt through their branches. Black bears stopped to scratch their backs against wide and furrowed bark. Stealthy panthers and long-legged bobcats silently crept over pine needles in search of turkeys, deer, and wild hog. The endless knocking of the red-cockaded woodpecker echoed throughout until humankind’s insatiable demand for lumber and turpentine brought these forests down.

“Towering pines near Stuart, the Hearste Track. Mills start cutting soon.” Florida Photographic Concern, ca. 1923, courtesy of Bette J. Tootsie Kindberg.

My mother, historian Sandra Thurlow, recently has been amazed by her friend Tootsie’s Facebook pictures! I am sharing more today. In her research, mom also found a column of the late Ernie Lyons, award winning Stuart News editor and writer from 1931-1975. His words pulled from the dust give new life to what once was all around us-something once so wonderful that we don’t even know existed anymore – the great pine forests. As a certified tree hugger, with a tear in my eye, I share Tootsie’s local historic Hill photos together with mom’s discovery of Ernie Lyon’s column. Together they tell the story of our lost forests, a story we must never forget.

“In Johnston & McNeil’s pine forest of one hundred and thirty square miles of fine trees, near Stuart, Fla. Others own still larger adjoining holdings, amount them being the Southern States Land & Timber Company.” The remarkable photographs in this post were taken by Florida Photographic Concern, of Ft. Pierce, Florida ca. 1923. They were shared courtesy of Mrs. Bette J. Tootsie Kindberg a friend of my mothers. These photographs were among many included in planning and selling the idea of Stuart’s Deepwater Harbor that I wrote of in my last blog post.

“Some of the seven thousand barrels of resin at Johnston & McNeil’s turpentine camp, sixteen miles south of Stuart, near the great St. Lucie Control Canal .”

“Another view of Johnston & McNeil’s resin, at camp near Stuart, Fla.”

“Johnston… “ These virgin slash pine forests were under storied by palmetto and wire grass creating a wildlife sanctuary of food and protection.

According to “The Atlas of Florida,” 1992: “Pines, especially long leaf and slash, accounted for three-fourths of the state’s original 25-30 million acres of forests.

Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch

Indian River Lagoon

Search Results for: black bobcat

Black Bobcats – Reports Near and Far

Black Bobcat Hit by Car in Sebring; Please Drive with Care! SLR/IRL

Two Black Bobcat Cubs and Mom–Happily Strolling Around Western Martin County, SLR/IRL

The Black Bobcats of the St Lucie Region and Indian River Lagoon

The White Dolphin of the Indian River Lagoon, Reminder of “the Miracle…”

The Lost Towering Pine Forests of St. Lucie