Black Panther Sightings in Alabama: The Black Bobcat Theory (with Video)
Each year, hundreds of people in Alabama and across the southern United States claim to see what appears to be a solid black, large predator cat in the wild. Most people call this a "black panther." Panther is simply another term for a mountain lion. So are pumas, cougars, and wildcats. Biologists and wildlife officials are always quick to point out that mountain lions have never been documented to have a solid black or melanistic phase. This genetic mutation supposedly only occurs in jaguars and leopards, neither of which are native to the United States. Officials usually attribute sightings of black panthers to regular domestic house cats or native bobcats. Bobcats can be solid black. Could a few of these "black panther" sightings actually be black bobcats? This is certainly a theory worth investigating.
Read full storyIs Huntsville, Alabama, Overrated? Residents Speak Out Online
"What they WON'T tell you about Huntsville." That was the header for a post in the subreddit group for Huntsville, Alabama, a few months ago. The topic challenged Huntsville residents to be "brutally honest" regarding Huntsville with "the good, the bad, and the ugly," for anyone considering moving to the area. These are a few of the responses.
Read full storyRecent Black Bear Sightings in the Shoals Area
A Shoals resident hit "something huge" while traveling down highway 43 in Lauderdale County a few nights ago. According to his wife, it left "black fuzzy hair" on his truck, but no blood. It happened approximately one mile north of Brush Creek Road in the Killen area. According to the resident, the game warden told them it was a black bear and most likely survived. That's not the only recent black bear sighting in the Shoals!
Read full storyNorth Alabama Newspaper Strikes Again with Hilarious Headline Blooper
An error in a North Alabama newspaper headline has people laughing...again. It's not the first time the newspaper has published a major mistake in a front-page headline, and although this recent mistake is funny, it's not nearly as hilarious as the last gaff. That blunder made national news and had the whole country howling with laughter. Here's what happened.
Read full storyRecord Breaking Fish That Were All Caught in Alabama!
We have some whoppers in Alabama! Some really big fish, of course, but some even bigger tales to go along with them. A whole lot of people in Alabama claim to have an uncle or cousin that once caught a 250+ pound monster catfish in the local river or lake. The only problem: there's never any proof! I think it's time we settle the big fish debate in Alabama with catches that we know really happened. No more fish tales! Here is the official list of record freshwater fish caught in Alabama. These have all been verified and certified by the Alabama Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Read full storyDiscover These Great Walking Parks in Florence, Alabama!
After the crazy winter we experienced in northwest Alabama, it's time to venture outdoors and enjoy the beautiful weather of spring. It's also time to shed those extra pounds added during the Shoals 2024 snowpocalypse! Walking outdoors is a great way to get some excericise and get back to nature, too. Florence has some great public walking parks! Check out the list below and tell us which one is your favorite in the comments!
Read full storyAlabama Research Facility Suspected of Purchasing Stolen or Lost Pets
Blue Ridge Kennel is a research laboratory located in Wetumpka, Alabama, that conducts feeding trials and research services for the dog food industry. Inspection records from Blue Ridge Kennel reveal a disturbing picture: ailing dogs, lack of veterinary care, unsafe environments, dogs with infected wounds and other untreated health issues. This has been going on for years. Even more disturbing, investigations show that the facility may have recieved stolen and/or lost local pets for their research. In January, the ASPCA put out a statement about this:
Read full storyApril Fool's Day Pranks in Alabama That Got Way Out of Hand!
Ever had a prank go wrong? These April Fool's Day pranks in Alabama got bigger than anyone ever imagined!. This Prank Was a Train Wreck! No, Really... It all began on April Fool's Day 2019 when a local woman thought it would be funny to prank her friends on Facebook with this status:
Read full storyThe Weird History of Polesitting: Man Tries to Fast 100 Days on a 30 Foot Pole in Alabama
What happens when a 357-pound Jewish guy in Alabama attempts a 100-day fast atop a 30-foot pole? That may sound like the opening line of an elaborate joke, but for one obese race car driver and restaurant owner in Alabama, it was a serious publicity stunt in 1949. It was centered around a bizarre trend known as polesitting. As you've probably guessed, it didn't end well. This is the fascinating story of Alabama's own Percy Coplon*.
Read full storyBuried Treasure: Old Map Reveals Lost Confederate Gold in Alabama
The original newspaper clippings featured in this article spelled the name of Gaius Whitfield incorrectly as "Gayus" Whitfield. Gaius is the correct spelling. It had been a long trip and a tiring stay for Gaius Whitfield. He had traveled from his home in Middleboro, Kentucky, to pay his last respects and arrange his father's burial in Alabama. Being the eldest son in the family, he was responsible for handling his father's affairs and settling his estate, per the old southern family tradition. As he finished up the last of his father's business, he decided to carry home an old trunk that he had found in the attic of his father's home. It was filled with dusty family photos and old yellowed letters and documents. Nothing that he thought would be of much importance or value. Little did Gaius Whitfield know, that inside that trunk was an old map. A map that would lead him back to Alabama and a fortune in buried gold.
Read full story'Dead Man's Fingers' Bizarre Fungus Found in North Alabama
Imagine that you're walking down your favorite trail on a beautiful day in north Alabama. As you enter an especially dark area of the forest and walk past an old, rotten log, something catches your attention. You stop, take a few steps back, and slowly lean over to get a better look. That's when you see it. Reaching forth, out of the cold, damp earth, you see what looks like the blackened fingers on the hand of a rotting corpse. Do you run? Call the cops? Suddenly need a change of underwear? Actually, you can count yourself lucky. You've just seen a fungus known as "dead man's fingers." Believe it or not, it grows in north Alabama - and we have photos to prove it!
Read full story'Easter Legend' and Native American Folklore of the Dogwood Tree
If you're from the south, you're probably very familiar with the flowering dogwood tree. This small native tree grows all over the eastern United States but is especially plentiful in the south, where its fragrant blooms dot the woodlines each spring. The flowering dogwood has come to hold special significance for many cultures. From native Americans to the early Appalachian Christian settlers, there are several wonderful legends attached to the flowering dogwood tree.
Read full story'Lab Grown Meat' Sold in Alabama? Nope! Here's the Real Dish...
You've probably seen the posts on social media that claim the Aldi grocery store chain is selling "meat grown in a lab." Last week, I saw two posts in particular shared widely in Alabama. One post shows some strange looking raw chicken and another post shows a package of bacon, both supposedly from Aldi and both warning customers that the product is "lab grown." A lot of people are taking this issue very seriously. Is the "lab grown meat hysteria" in Alabama justified? Here's the truth you need to know about these viral posts.
Read full storyThe Violent and Twisted History of Amy Bishop: Alabama Professor and Cold-Blooded Killer
She was a Harvard-educated neurobiologist, married, and the mother of four children. In February 2010, she became the perpetrator of one of the worst mass shootings in Alabama. Hidden in her past, was a chain of violence - including the alleged murder of her own younger brother. This is the violent and twisted history of Amy Bishop: Alabama professor and cold-blooded killer.
Read full storyShe Was Found 42 Years Ago in Alabama and We Still Don't Know Her Name
Warning: this article contains photos of the deceased, which some may find disturbing. She was a petite woman with shoulder length brown hair. Police say she was sexually assaulted, brutally beaten, and strangled before her body was dumped in a river in Alabama. This is the tragic story of the woman known as Miss X or Jayne Doe. Forty two years later, her real name and identity are still unknown.
Read full storyGranny Dollar: Legendary Cherokee Woman of Alabama's Lookout Mountain Who Escaped the Trail of Tears
She was a fixture at Lookout Mountain in Alabama in the early 20th century. Half Cherokee and half Scott, she was known locally for her amazing life, longevity, and Native American knowledge. Having escaped the Trail of Tears and Indian removal to the American West, she lived out her final years in a cabin in northeast Alabama in what is now DeSoto State Park. Some say her spirit still wanders the area and has been seen walking with her faithful companion in life, an old dog named Buster. This is the story of Granny Dollar, the legendary Cherokee woman of Lookout Mountain.
Read full storyFunny Way to Silence a Facebook Scammer on Messenger
Recently, several of my friends in Alabama have recieved messages via Facebook Messenger from obvious scammers. I'm sure the same or similar messages have been sent to people across the country. The messages start with an "apology for the intrusion" and end, of course, with the person asking for money. Some claim to be sent from Ethiopia and some from other countries, including Ukraine. One message that I recieved personally was from the obviously fake profile of a U.S. Army General. I have found that when you "flip the script" on a scammer, they suddenly disappear. Here's a sure fire way to silence a Facebook scammer via Messenger...
Read full storyReward Offered for Tiger on the Loose in Alabama?
We've seen some out-of-place animals on the loose in Alabama before. In January, 2024, Al.com reported that a kangaroo was captured in Bessemer, Alabama, after escaping from a local home where exotic pets are kept. That wasn't the first kangaroo on the loose in Alabama, either. In 2021, a kangaroo named Jack was on the loose near Winfield. Jack was spotted hopping down the road in Winfield and the video was widely circulated on social media. He had escaped during transport to his new owner in Tennessee and was eventually captured. We've also had emus and other exotic animals on the loose.
Read full storyGo Native! Better Gardening with Native Alabama Plants
My dad had an amazing knowledge of native trees and plants of north Alabama. It was uncanny, really. He could name practically every tree and plant in the forest. When it came to landscaping, dad rarely went to a retail shop or nursery for plants. He always said it was best to use species of plants, trees, and shrubbery that were native to Alabama. Over the years, he did just that. It wasn't unusual for dad to return from a hike with a new plant or sapling he had found somewhere in the wild. I didn't appreciate his wisdom in that choice as a kid. It was only years later that I realized what beautiful native choices we have in Alabama and how well those plants are likely to thrive in their native soil. Here are some of his choices and a couple of my own - all native to Alabama soil which makes for more carefree gardening. Some of these may surprise you that they're native to Alabama! Keep reading for resources on aquiring native plants at the end of this article!
Read full storyThe Remarkable Gift of Irene Teel: Clairvoyant of Clay County, Alabama
Irene Teel, or "Miss Rena," as she was often called, was a well-known and respected member of her small community in east central Alabama. She had a special gift. In her day, some people called her a fortune teller, but that went against her Christian upbringing, so she preferred instead to be called a mind reader. Today, Miss Rena would be considered a psychic or claivoyant, and some of her predictions and insights are inexplicable. This is the story of the remarkable gift of Irene Teel, the clairvoyant of Clay County, Alabama.
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