pic taken by girlfriends sister inlaw in arizona while out on a hike

Jaguar? Or booner house cat?

It’s not black. It’s the angle of the sun. I know the cactus trees are not black either.

Bobcat

Lighting, as others have said. Photo was taken on the dark side.

lol That's what they all say. Arizona is a big place. Southern part its a Jag from south of the border. But I will wait for Gary to chime in?

Not bobcat, clearly a Mountain Lion but NOT black as others have pointed out. The picture simply shows the 'shadow' side of the cat, just like other items in the pic.

It amazes me that in this day and age that folks still persist with the idea of Black Panthers (in America). Or 'Bigfoot'.

But walk into any barbershop and bring the subject up and you'll find someone that claims to have seen one or both. A sad commentary on the intelligence of some folks IMO.

Yup.....

Dang, now you guys are gonna say that Santa Claus isn’t real.

He actually died in a Nazi concentration camp in 1943. Sad, but true.

Agree with most, shady side of the cat.

Cool pic for sure

A lot of folks believe a lot of stuff that isn't true.

100% black panther...can't believe y'all can't see that in the picture

Puma

Black panthers are real though and look like this.

"Sorry I got in a fight in the middle of your black panther party."

What, nobody’s concerned about that orange UFO?

No because everyone agrees that orange UFOs exist.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^^^^^^^

winner winner chicken dinner

It's times like this that I really miss you know who...

Certainly not a house cat....as we have enough vegetation of roughly known scale to estimate the size of the cat.

Unlikely a Jaguar, since only 7 documented sightings have occurred in Arizona since 1996 (the last quarter century) and THEN it would have to be a black/melanistic specimen making the possibility all the more slim.

Its a Cougar alright...just photographed on the shady side.

With respect to Jaguars and Cougars....typically Jaguars are larger, heavier and stockier in build (if mature and in good shape). The outline of the cat pictured strongly suggests a Cougar.

As for the label "Panther" I know it is used liberally (but incorrectly) a Mountain Lion/Cougar is not even in that genus of cats (Panthera). The Cougar is of genus (Puma) and is not even considered one of the 'Big Cats'. Lion, Tiger, Leopard and Jaguar are in the genus (Pantera) and are big cats, all of which can 'roar' owing to certain anatomical features.

No.....this is yet another claim by those desperate to believe in that which doesn't exist (black cougars/black panther). Same folks are easily sucked in by the notion of a Bigfoot/Sasquatch.

With respect to the latter (Bigfoot) you needn't look any further than South Louisiana for the answer. IF a Bigfoot existed....the 'Cajuns' there would have a recipe for it and they don't. Hence they don't exist (bigfoot).

But what if its the shady side of a black panther?

Even our thugs dressed better in the old days!

Show me the sunny side of a 'Black Panther' (documented pic of a Black Mountain Lion) and then we'll discuss it.