#166 MonsterQuest To Show Black Panthers in New York

Summary To Date: Black Panter Researcher Blackwater called me from Charleston, South Carolina to say that Liz Pollock of the MonsterQuest series on the History Channel had contacted him about his black panther picture and video. He anticipated she would call me. I began pushing Blackwater not to identify these black pumas as black panthers as this would sensationalize the TV show and result in them being more readily shot by hunters and property owners. Blackwater read my posting and ended our relationship.
I received the call from Liz Pollock just as I was about to post. She wanted to look at my black panther pictures and was in a hurry. I left the library immediately and began rushing back home to get the pictures and take them to Federal Express in Gainesville before it closed. I had trouble finding one of the pictures, and that gave me an opportunity to ask myself "What will be the consequences of sending these pictures to Liz?" That was a no-brainer: They might be used as examples of black leopards. I called her back saying, "I need a contract from you. In exchange for these pictures, I want a guarantee they won't be used as black leopard pictures."
Liz responded in almost exactly these words: "I can't do that because it will be up to our expert to say what they are."
"Liz, we both know we can find an expert to say whatever we want him to say."
She thanked me and hanged up. I then called Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission as I had promised James Brown, the director of the Santa Fe College teaching zoo that I would. I first got Officer Bolton, and she gave me two names and their numbers. I called Karen Parker, a biologist, who was polite, interested, but guarded. She promised to talk to her supervisor, Gary Doonen, about the situation and said I could talk to him myself. I asked her that if the Commission took any action, I would like to know about it. I never heard from her. I then called Karen Parker, a public relations person. Since her phone was busy, I left a message asking her to call me back. I never heard from her.
Having done my duty with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, I got back to talking with real people by calling Jack Brown. I said I had done as he had asked, and now I would like him to call the MonsterQuest producer, Liz Pollock, and see what he could do to dissuade her from the claim these black panthers were black leopards. I couldn't think what else I could do so I had time to think about Roy McBride, the Texas panther and jaguar hunter. Florida Fish and Wildlife has used him for many years to tree panthers with his pack of cat hounds. I had read that Roy McBride always insisted that the numerous people involved with examining, treating and collaring the panther stay at least a quarter of a mile behind his pack of dogs so they would disturb them. As a lifelong dog man except for the four years of undergraduate work, the idea that you could disturb cat hounds by following them struck a discordant note. Our hounds were little beagles under 13 inchess who ran tutty fruitty bunny rabbits, and there was no problem with us humans being right on top of them. In fact, it was necessary in field trials so they could be scored by the judges. The idea that a big plot hound who is used to fight hogs, bears, and panthers would be finicky when he was on the hot scent of a panther was highly questionable. To be continued.