A HANDFUL of witnesses swear they have spotted a black panther prowling around the Granada-province town of Ventas de Huelma – despite this predatory feline being native to the jungles of Central and South America.
The council and Guardia Civil's environmental and animal unit, SEPRONA, are taking the matter seriously, as a precaution – although it is just as likely to turn out to be a large dog or cat.
Thermo-cameras and helicopters have been out scouring the area, and authorities are urging the public to report any sightings – but not to approach the panther if, indeed, this is what the creature turns out to be.
As yet, no signs that any such animal has been present have been found since the official searches began.
Witnesses, however, are not 'just' members of the public – a Civil Protection volunteer was one of those who claimed to have seen the feline, saying it was strolling along the main highway in the direction of the town of Agrón.
If there is, indeed, a black panther on the loose in the eastern Andalucía province, it would only have got there in one of two scenarios: Either escaping from a zoo, or having been illegally bred in captivity and broken loose or been abandoned.
No zoos in the area have reported any animals missing, and it would appear unlikely that any member of the public could have got their hands on panthers to breed from – a theft from a safari park would have been noticed, and it would be impossible to transport a panther, even a baby one, into the country.
Breeding them outside a zoo or safari complex, or keeping them as pets, is completely illegal and would be difficult to achieve, given that the species is listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com