Black panther still evading capture

BRANSON, Mo. -- Animal control officials have called off attempts to catch a black panther spotted roaming around Branson last week and will wait for evidence the big cat is still around.

Attempts to catch the feline in a wire cage using chicken and beef as bait failed over the weekend when animal control officer Jeff McRoy discovered the food missing Monday morning and the cage door propped open with a steel pipe. He would like the person who tampered with the cage to contact him.

"We can't tell if the panther was in the cage, another wild animal or somebody's pet," McRoy said in a news release. "The area around the trap has been tainted with the scent of humans and that will keep the wild animal away."

McRoy planned to remove the traps until he received a confirmed location of the panther. McRoy said the cat could be miles from Branson by now.

Attempts to catch the panther began Tuesday after a resident videotaped a 60- to 80-pound cat wandering near his home. That resident reported seeing the animal in his yard several times in the six weeks prior.