This is the look of the wooded areas along Rt. 2, near Island Falls, Maine.

I’m now in northern Maine, and I’ve learned there’s been a new Mystery Cat sighting from up this way.

An Island Falls restaurant owner said that he and his wife saw a panther cross the road in front of them, coming out from a field in an area locally called Barker Ridge, between Island Falls and Sherman, onto Rt. 2.

The photograph above shows the area going up to May Mountain, which is northeast of the sighting area. May Mt overlooks Mattawamkeag Lake, which is a five-minute drive from the encounter location.

The sighting occurred late Tuesday night, July 1, 2008, only four days ago. The informant also mentioned that someone they know saw a panther a few nights earlier, just a few miles away from the site of this sighting.

The restaurant owner stated that the panther was “so black that it was blacker than the night.”

He said that it was “about the size of our Labrador retriever.”

The observed “black panther” was “long in body and had a very long tail.”

Island Falls is in Aroostook County, in northern Maine, near the Canadian border.

The restaurant name is The Horn of Plenty. The eyewitness was the owners, Bill Rodderick and his wife Nancy Levin.

Search for tracks and other signs is underway.

No reports of dead or missing livestock have been heard.

Stay tuned.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

“Save The Museum”: Easy-to-use donation buttons are now available here or merely by clicking the blank button below. Thanks everyone!

Or you may directly send a check, money order, or, if outside the USA, an international postal money order made out to

International Cryptozoology Museum
c/o Loren Coleman
PO Box 360
Portland, ME 04112