Lions vs Panthers
Other coats of arms were soon incorporated into common use by the ruling dukes of Bavaria. In particular, the blue panther was introduced when Heinrich XIII, Duke of Lower Bavaria, acquired lands in and around Ortenburg-Kraiburg east of Munich. Interestingly, the panther isn’t the animal we know today but instead is a creature that has the claws of a lion, the neck of a horse, and the head of a fire-breathing dragon.
Similar in appearance to the blue panther of Ortenburg-Kraiburg, but different in origin, is the blue lion from Veldenz. This lion appeared in the coats of arms of various Wittelsbach family members over the years, culminating in King Ludwig I incorporating it into his official coat of arms in 1835.