What The Heck Was That?

I was walking down the path from picture above. I heard some movement across the little water ditch. So I look over and I see something big and black sleeking along the edge of the water then deftly go up the bank and swiftly out of sight in the brush. It was so smooth and quick I couldn't make out what it was. I know this sounds crazy but the movement struck me to be like that of a cat. Maybe a black panther. And its coat was black and had kind of a crushed velvet sheen to it. There are some bear out there probably, but I don't thinks its furr would look that way, nor would a bear move so smoothly.

The picture is zoomed in on the bank where the animal was. It was only maybe 25 feet away from me when I heard then saw it briefly. You can kind make out an imprint. Who know what it was - could have been Big Foot...