DUBAI: Reported sightings of a black panther on the loose in Dubai’s “Spring and Meadows” have been dismissed by Dubai Police.
The creature being described as a panther was only a domestic cat and not part of the area’s wildlife, the police force said.
The sighting of the black feline creature in the residential neighbourhood had gone viral on the community’s dedicated Facebook page, where it was feared by many to be a black panther or jaguar.
The UAE is home to the Arabian leopard which is golden-coloured and makes its home in the mountain ranges of the emirates. The black panther is actually a ‘melanine’ version of the same leopard family, while the Jaguar is the South American version of the leopard species.
Dubai Police said it investigated the area thoroughly before drawing the conclusion that the black creature was not a leopard but one of the stray cats prowling the vicinity.
A video of the feline’s sighting that went viral was viewed by the Dubai Police and confirmed it as a domestic cat or exotic animal prowling the area.
While assuring that measures were being taken to ensure safety of the neighbourhood residents, Dubai Police also cautioned against spreading such information on social media.
