Black panther sightings reported in Louisiana parish

Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Residents in a Louisiana community are attempting to solve the mystery of reported black panther sightings in the area.

Rapides Parish residents have reported seeing a large black feline near the levee banks of Lower 3rd Street in the Alexandria area.

"We were in a tent, and heard something that sounded like a baby crying at first," witness Ken Lee told WTNZ-TV. "And then, the sound turned to something else. I saw a big black cat, and I knew to mind my business from over there."

Lee said the animal was too large to have been a domestic cat.

Photographs posted online show what appears to be a big cat's paw print next to a size 13 sandal for scale.

Some locals said they are convinced there is a black panther in the area, while others suggested the source of the sightings could be a cougar with a genetic mutation causing it to have darker fur.

Black panther sightings have been reported in Rapides Parish before, with multiple alleged encounters reported in 2013.