There are several other places to get quality skins, panthers are just the easiest and most obvious. I get them in the Kur wolf cave, and at least one of the caves in gaz. I think i've also got some off of mobs roaming gaz in the open.

The panthers are fun now, and I think a good change over all. There shouldn't be such an easy path to make money. If panthers were the only way that someone knew to make money, that's an indicator that something is broken. Many people will follow the path of easy money, and the game is worse for it. Good change.