A woman and her mother are driving in Bay County, Florida one early morning when an 9-foot, upright melanistic panther jumps onto the highway. The witnesses are shocked, though the creature shows no aggression.

The witness (no name given) was travelling with her mother on Highway 22, between Panama City and Wewahitchka, Florida (Bay County). It was around 7:15 and 7:30 AM on July 2007. They had just gone to the bank and were heading back home, going eastbound at 55 mph, chatting. They had the windows down. It was a sunny day and they were the only car on that stretch of road. There was 5 to 10 acres of farmland and a big line of pine trees on both sides behind that.

The witness saw what she assumed was a dog in the reed grass. It was black and she could see its hind end initially. It was walking through the grass (not running). As the driver slowed down, the creature, which was about 150 yards away, suddenly jumped into the middle of the road. It was on all fours and appeared to be a very large black panther. The witness stopped the car, and she and her mother just stared at the creature as it suddenly rose to its feet. “It just stood up and it was big. It was big and it just stood there and it's facing the truck. We were in a (Chevy) Colorado and it's facing the truck. I'm guessing it might be, I'm gonna say 9 to 10 feet tall. That would be the height I could guesstimate, maybe.”

The driver was just confused and shocked while the mother, in the passenger seat, began screaming out in fright. The witness claimed that it had a large head, though it wasn't overly proportionate to the size of his body, cat ears, a cat nose, “greenish grey” colored cat eyes, a wide chest, long hands (with pads on the insides) and huge razor-like claws, muscular but not hulking arms and cat-like legs with large feet (it almost looked like 4 feet, not 2, they were so big), a thick, shiny coat of black hair, and a small tail with a curl or ball on the end. At no point did it open its mouth, so she saw no teeth. She was certain that it was a male. She thought it was capable of great speed.

The creature was not aggressive at all. It merely stared at the driver and her mother, as if to say, 'What are you doing there?' The creature eventually turned and walked off across the field, eventually disappearing out sight. The witness noted how odd it was seeing it walk on its hind legs and described that it just seemed to “flow” in its movements. The entire sighting last between 2 and 3 minutes.

Afterwards, the mother, in her 70s, told the witness that she felt great fear and that she thought the creature was going to “eat her alive.” The witness did not feel any fear whatsoever. She was more confused and wondering why the creature was allowing them to see it. She has gone up and down the road many times but never saw it again. She eventually moved away from the area.

Transcribed source: My Paranormal Experience Podcast, “Oh My God! I Saw a 9-Foot Tall Catman! - My Paranormal Experience - Episode 18” Uploaded 1 Apr 2022

NOTE: I actually heard of a singular upright feline sighting reported east of Panama City, closer to Tallahassee, many years ago. I wonder if there is a connection? Lon

Have you had a sighting or encounter?

Contact me by email - Thanks. Lon

If you wish to comment on this Phantoms & Monsters post, please go to Phantoms & Monsters Post Comments

PURCHASE NOW