By VANESSA WILLIAMS.
31 January 2003
Herald-Sun
VICTORIA'S legendary big cat has again stirred excitment at Healesville. Retired car worker George Jurriaans and his wife Ruth saw what they believe was a black panther last Saturday. "I've seen feral cats before and it was too big to be one of those," Mr Jurriaans said.
The feline was resting under a bush on his 2.4ha property. Mr Jurriaans said the creature's tail, with a rounded end, looked as long as its body and danced and bounced as it moved. The creature showed no fear when it noticed the Mr Jurriaans and his wife.
The sighting follows two Queensland boys' close encounter at their grandparent's Healesville property on December 28. Chris McLaren, 15, said the animal was smaller than a horse but bigger than a dog and made cat-like sounds as it attacked another animal.
The legend of a big cat has circulated in Victoria since the end of World War II. One story has it that US servicemen released a female panther and cubs into the Victorian bush. But another legend says the big cats escaped from circuses or zoos.
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