Panther sighting in area?

A Du Quoin woman believes she has seen what she describes as a large, heavy cat with cat ears, deep gray in color and a tail that reaches to the ground while driving on Rt. 14 through Old Du Quoin last week. The woman did not want to be identified, but is a well-known,sincere and very responsible resident of the city. Comparing it on the internet to what she saw, she believes it to be a Panther. Bobcat sightings are more common, a cougar sighting less often and one black panther sighting west of Du Quoin two years ago and another north of Du Quoin five years ago. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources cannot confirm the presence of panthers in the animal population.