From an early age, the author was exposed to black panther tales by family members in the Appalachian regions, as well as the eerie screams of an unseen creature echoing across the valley as she gathered with cousin's on her grandfather's back porch. She listened to the tales with interest, but began her quest for more stories in the region after seeing a black panther cross very near on the road in front of a Jeep she was riding in with a group of friends. It was many years later before she saw another black panther, and has had several sightings accompanied by other eyewitnesses. This revived her interest and story gathering efforts. She has found that people are often willing to privately share a story with her, but don't want the story in writing because they have endured ridicule from others. The official statement by the Department of Fish and Wildlife and other government agencies is that there is no such creature as a black panther in Appalachia and never has been. The write off the sightings as mistaken identity of one form or another. However, eyewitness continue to be adamant about the presence of the big black cats in the region. Reports have also been shared from outside the region. In the field of cryptozoology, eyewitness accounts versus official acknowledgement of a cryptid sighting is a common pattern. Author Hensley says that she is a story gatherer. Her intent is not to change the attitude of the scientific community, but rather to create a written documentation of the stories and sightings which people choose to share. When she posted an invitation on Facebook for people to share an encouter with her for this book, there were so many responses, she had to remove the post within 48 hours because she could not keep up with the outpouring of sightings. Volume II will be necessary to cover the abundance of stories.
Ms. Hensley is a retired teacher, writer, and photographer. She considers herself a "story gatherer," who values creating an opportunity for people to share their stories. She has authored and/or collected information for over thirty books. At least fifteen are currently available on Amazon and Kindle.
