GTA Online player finds uncaged panther roaming about in Cayo Perico

The Cayo Perico Heist in Grand Theft Auto (GTA) Online has been the talk of the town since the most recent weekly update. The 2020 release heist is one of the most famous missions and has become a meta in the game for grinding money.

The panther on the subject is a permanent resident of the island and El Rubio's pet. Gamers usually see it locked inside a cage, but a player recently encountered one roaming down a hallway.

Although birds and animals are common in the game's Story Mode, they're relatively uncommon to spot in GTA Online, and no one expects to see a panther, especially during a mission.

---

GTA Online player freaks out after encountering a panther in the Cayo Perico Heist

Reddit user u/EmpireBarr posted a picture of a panther they saw outside the cage on El Rubio's property. The player was on the final mission of the Cayo Perico Heist when the dangerous creature appeared in front of them.

Although the user did not share any video of the encounter, readers can clearly see the panther down the stairs near the pool in the picture. Since it is unusual to see animals in Grand Theft Auto Online, the panther could have appeared due to a glitch.

---

Redditors' reactions to the free-roaming panther in Cayo Perico

The post went viral on Reddit and received numerous responses. While meeting the deadly creature is undoubtedly an extreme experience, many players took the opportunity to share their hilarious thoughts.

Redditor u/Rolypolyoly1877 referenced the panther to GTA+ benefits and asked if they attempted to capture it as a bonus reward.

Another user, u/MitchMaljers, imagined Miguel Madrazo's state if the player had caught the panther.

User u/SensitiveHedgehog225 warns the player about the panther in Pavel's dialog.

Many users took a gist and quoted YouTuber DarkViperAU's dialog when he encountered a cougar during a mission in Story Mode.

Several other users also claimed to have seen the panther's cage in an open state multiple times during the mission, but none of them have encountered it to date.

---

Rockstar Games guarantees the Panther Statue in Cayo Perico Heist to GTA+ members

The most recent weekly update has also added new benefits for GTA+ members. Rockstar Games launched the month-long Heists Event in Grand Theft Auto Online and increased the benefits for paid users. The most contentious is the guaranteed and recurring Panther Statue reward in the Cayo Perico Heist.

According to Rockstar's official newsletter,

“your first attempt to rob Cayo Perico every week during the Heists Event as a GTA+ Member is guaranteed to include the Panther Statue on display in El Rubio’s inner sanctum.”

In a tweet, popular game data miner Tez2 provided additional information about the Panther Statue.

According to the Tweet, GTA+ members will not be subjected to the three-day in-game cooling period for Cayo Perico Heist and will have a higher chance of getting the Panther Statue than regular users.

The chance rates for loot rewards in the mission are as follows:

• Sinsimito Tequila - 0%
• Panther Statue-10%
• Pink Diamond - 20%
• Bearer Bonds - 30%
• Ruby Necklace - 40%

This has upset regular players because the Panther Statue is the most valuable asset in the Cayo Perico Heist. Many players even accused Rockstar of creating a pay-to-win scenario in Grand Theft Auto Online.