Tuesday, June 22, 2004 Posted: 7:58 PM EDT (2358 GMT)


MARSEILLE, France (Reuters) -- The southern French city of Marseille called off a three-week hunt for a black panther on Tuesday after the animal sighted by several residents turned out to be a large house cat.

"The 'panther' is just a black house cat -- a very big one though," said a spokeswoman for the local prefecture, adding the animal was about 24 inches long and weighed some 22 pounds.

Police deployed dozens of searchers this month after reports that a black panther was roaming around the nearby Calanques area, popular with tourists for its creeks, rocks and beaches.

Searchers finally caught up with the animal and identified it as a cat but were still unable to catch it, the spokeswoman added.

People are stupid. I've had a 22-pound cat before and they ARE big, but not as big as a panther.

People are stupid. I've had a 22-pound cat before and they ARE big, but not as big as a panther.

I know! What the Hell? I mean, it's big for a housecat but REALLY--thinking it's a PANTHER? They must have thought it was a panther baby or something. Still, domestic cats don't look like wild cats in some very important ways. Hope they had fun chasing! :lol:

It amazes me how people could think there would be a black panther roaming around places where they don't exist. I saw a similar story about a year ago. :rolleyes:

I used to have a black cat (which resembled a panther). His name was Peaches (I should've named him Panther). He was born in March '97 and died in November 2003. He got run over one morning.

I used to have a black cat (which resembled a panther). His name was Peaches (I should've named him Panther). He was born in March '97 and died in November 2003. He got run over one morning.

I had three black cats, just two now that Princess has passed. Although they are all adorable, the ears, the hands and feet, the length, etc., are all wrong for a wild cat. I am so amazed that people actually thought a real panther was out there! :lol:

Now that was an amazing story.

I had three black cats, just two now that Princess has passed. Although they are all adorable, the ears, the hands and feet, the length, etc., are all wrong for a wild cat. I am so amazed that people actually thought a real panther was out there! :lol:

That's because people are STOOOOOOOOOPID!