Pantherians (''Homo ferus ex panthera'') are one of the species of '''feral animal-people''' (scientific designation ''homo ferus''), species that have evolved to grow humanoid traits and sufficient intelligence to use tools and weapons, but have remained largely 'feral'; they inhabit small, hidden communities in the UA, or are nomadic. Usually, they also do not speak any understandable [[Languages|language]], though there are some rare exceptions.
Although more genetically similar to [[jaguar|jaguars]] than to lynxes, pantherians are believed can be considered to be a feral version of the [[feline halfling]], being seemingly much more animalistic in behavior and cognitive capabilities. Interstingly, just like with jaguars, 1 in 5 pantherians have completely black fur instead of the usual golden spotted jaguar fur. These individuals are sometimes referred to as ''black pantherians''.
Another interesting trait is that they are biologically compatible with feline halflings, and by extension, may be also able to mate with other sapients such as [[human|humans]], other [[halfling|halflings]], and [[youkai]]. However, there remain critical differences between the sapient halflings and these creatures, which has helped scientists classify pantherians as a different species; most notably, their carnivore diet, unlike feline halflings which are true omnivores.