BigCats
BigCats
- Details
Kakadu, Queensland, Date unknown
A DARK night in remote far north Queensland can play tricks on a person’s eyes. But can it play tricks on the eyes of four trained Air Force members and a tracking dog?
A patrol of airfield defence guards had a spine-tingling brush with some of far north Queensland’s more exotic wildlife when deployed to RAAF Scherger for Exercises Northern Awakening and Kakadu.
Stationed at a small observation post near the base’s sand quarry, the ADGs, from No. 2 Airfield Defence Squadron’s No. 4 Rifle Flight, encountered a large and unidentifiable “creature” on two separate occasions, both at night.
Leading Aircraftmen Mathew Cash, Cy Holland and Chris Hey had been sent out to intercept a Mauveland special forces team that had launched a raid on the base and was withdrawing along a creek line near their position.
The three ADGs, accompanied by a dog and its handler, moved from the creek line to the other side of the quarry, planning to intercept the enemy group as they entered the clearing.
Leading Aircraftman Cash explained what happened next.
“We came across the quarry and pulled up, looked around and this creature was sniffing on the ground, following exactly where we’d come through,” he said.
“It pulled up on a mound [about 50m away] and just sat there.
“We had our night weapon sight and our [night vision] on, watching it, and [the creature] was just sitting there sniffing and watching us.”
He said the creature stood about waist high on all fours, had a small head, was spotted and moved like a cat.
Leading Aircraftman Holland couldn’t reach a logical verdict on what type of animal it was.
“The two front legs were bigger than the two back legs, [with] big shoulder blades,” he said. “I would have said it was a hyena, but obviously we don’t have hyenas here.”
Even the trained tracking and attack dog seemed put off by the sight of the unusual creature; it quietly crept to the back of the group and stayed out of sight.
When asked about the creature, RAAF Scherger’s chief caretaker Flight Sergeant Brian Hughes believed he knew the answer.
“That’s the speckled boar,” he said. “There’s a boar that’s white and black and sort of grey colours in the quarry area.
“Unless it’s a dingo – some of the dingos get a really weird colour to them.”
But Leading Aircraftman Hey disagrees.
“No way,” he said. “It wasn’t a pig and it was no dog. Even the dog handler said it wasn’t a dog; it didn’t move like
a dog.
“It was weird looking – it was something that we’d all never seen before.”
After the first sighting, which, coincidentally, occurred on the night of a full moon, some of the patrol members scanned the quarry for signs of the animal and found a large and unusual footprint.
Two nights later, the next time the Air Force dog was with the patrol, the creature appeared again at about 5am
and lingered within 10m of the observation post. Again, the ADGs could not identify it.
Air Force newspaper is offering a prize for the best explanation of the No. 4 Rifle Flight members’ sighting. Entries should include a photograph or sketch of an animal that meets the description and a reason why the creature would be in the area.
- Details
Panther' hunt Inquiry targets Kenthurst cat.
27 May 2003 AUSTRALIA:
By VANESSA MASSEY and MALISSA MILLIGEAN.
Source: PENRITH PRESS 27/05/2003 P1
ANOTHER significant sighting of the Kenthurst panther was made last Wednesday just a day before the State Government announced plans for a low-level investigation into the monster feline. While the announcement sparked howls of laughter and derision from some
parts of the House, it was welcomed by Hawkesbury Mayor Rex Stubbs who called an emergency community meeting on the issue late last month.
The latest sighting was made by Kenthurst resident Vicki Taylor, a neighbour of Luke Walker, the 17-year-old student who was viciously attacked by the cat on March 20.
The attack, first reported in the Hills Shire Times, left the young man with deep lacerations to his right arm which took weeks to heal. Mrs Taylor saw what she believes was a lynx-like animal last Wednesday afternoon on her way home along Pitt Town Rd. "It completely stunned me ... I certainly wasn't going to get out the car," said Mrs Taylor. "I have two small children and I certainly would not like them to be out at night with this thing around."
"It's about time for an investigation ... I hope they catch it so they can put people's minds at rest." Cr Stubbs said he believed there were many panthers as the sightings had increased over the years. "There have been about 130 sightings since it was first reported in the 1940s," Cr Stubbs said. "The number of sightings are increasing which makes me think there must be a breeding ground somewhere."
National Parks and Wildlife Service senior ranger Chris Banffy said an investigation was needed to determine the existence of the panther. However, he said he was sceptical any such evidence would be found. Cryptozoologist Rex Gilroy has been collecting data which he says substantiates the existence of a panther-like creature in Australia for 40 years. In mid-April, Mr Gilroy took plaster casts of six massive paw prints measuring 10cm in diameter found near the site where Mr Walker was attacked.
He welcomed news of the investigation but said it should be conducted by scientists, not politicians. Cryptozoology is the science of "hidden animals", which in Australia includes the bunyip, big cat and yowie. Mr Gilroy says he believes that the Kenthurst cat is a subspecies of a marsupial lion called Thylacoleo Carnifex which inhabited Australia thousands of years ago.
On Thursday, Regional Development Minister David Campbell, who represents Agriculture Minister Ian Macdonald in the Lower House, told Parliament there had been 60 separate reports of a large cat-like animal attacking livestock and people in Sydney's west, north west, the Blue Mountains and Lithgow over the past 30 years. He said in 2001 the NSW Agriculture Protection Unit and National Parks and Wildlife Service had conducted a low-level inquiry into the sightings butfound no conclusive evidence.
Source: HILLS SHIRE TIMES 27/05/2003 P1
Hunt puts new twist in tale of `panther'.
27May2003 AUSTRALIA:
THE hunt for that mysterious monster moggie, the Penrith panther, is back on.
The State Government has reopened low-level investigations into the terrorising tom in response to the latest reports of sightings and attacks in Sydney's north-west.
Luke Walker, 17, of Kenthurst, suffered severe scratches to his arm during an alleged "panther" attack in March. Regional Development Minister David Campbell, who represents Agriculture Minister Ian Macdonald in the Lower House, told Parliament over the past 30 years there have been 60 separate reports of a large cat-like animal attacking livestock and people in Sydney's west, north west, the Blue Mountains and Lithgow.
He said in 2001 the NSW Agriculture Protection Unit and National Parks and Wildlife Service had conducted a low-level inquiry into the sightings but found no conclusive evidence. In January last year the State Government officially wound up the investigation.
"It seems the panther is back," Mr Campbell said to the howls of derision from the Opposition benches. NSW Agriculture will spend the next few weeks reviewing any new available evidence.
This will include analysing any hair and paw prints, and seeking help from residents in affected areas. "For the record, it is unlikely there is an escaped panther or large cat from a circus, as some people have speculated," Mr Campbell said. "However, we take this issue seriously because the presence of a large cat or cats has not been disproven."
Mr Campbell said large areas of the Great Dividing Range represented an ideal habitat for "such animals" and, if they existed, were a threat to humans and animals.
© Copyright AYR
Australian Yowie Research - Data Base
www.yowiehunters.com
- Details
07 Aug 2000 AUSTRALIA:
Intrigue over black beast caught on video.
By NATALIE SIKORA.
Big cat mystery deepens
HAS the mystery big cat that has haunted Victorians for decades finally been captured on video? A video of a big black cat has raised the eyebrows of some hardened sceptics, including the Melbourne Zoo. But the remote location where this big cat was captured on video and the man who taped it are being kept secret.
The animal is said to have been tracked down following the latest reports of mauled sheep. Two months were spent attempting to film the animal by following the kill sites. Melbourne Zoo director of conservation and research Peter Temple-Smith said the video footage was intriguing, but he would expect to see more evidence. "The chap who took the footage seemed genuine," he said. "If I was in his position I would be trying to get some more information, camping out there and looking for other signs."
Thousands of sightings of the creature have been reported over the years. Kyneton Guardian editor Don Gunn said the video was the strongest evidence he had seen of the cat's existence. "It's out there somewhere," he said. The cat story is shrouded in myth, mystery and half-truths. Tales of the legendary black feline date to the 1880s.
One theory suggests it is the descendant of six young pumas smuggled into Australia by US servicemen during World War II. When their secret was discovered, the US airmen, based near the Grampians, are said to have set them free rather than destroy them. Mr Gunn said sightings had ranged from the Kyneton area through to Castlemaine, up to Maryborough, down to Ballarat and around to Daylesford and Macedon.
Recent reports include:
A METCALFE woman claims she has a large black cat on her property. She says it lazes in the sun near her dam.
BALD Hill motor mechanic Richard Murray said he saw a large animal behind his house about five months ago.
KYNETON electrician Kevin Marshall saw a cat-like animal near Malmsbury Reservoir.
NORTH Drummond horse trainer Russell Robinson last November discovered his 31-year-old horse had his rug ripped off his back and was left with back wounds, torn skin and scratches. Malmsbury police officer Sen-Constable Bob Sheridan said dozens of sheep had been killed in the area over the years, many going unreported. "It's out there and it takes sheep now and then," he said. "The sheep have been ripped apart in such a way that it's not done by dogs. "Local farmers have been putting up with it for years. There's nothing they can do about it. They just bury what's left." For many years, residents in the Macedon-Lancefield area have maintained the existence of a big cat in their area.
© Copyright AYR
Australian Yowie Research - Data Base
www.yowiehunters.com
- Details
Panther inquiry dropped.
09Oct2001 AUSTRALIA:
Source: DAILY TELEGRAPH (SYDNEY) 09/10/2001 P13
THE Lithgow panther mystery is no closer to being solved with the NSW Department of Agriculture protection unit dropping its case.
After a three-year inquiry into panther sightings across NSW, which included analysis of faeces samples, the department has stamped the evidence inconclusive. Lack of funding has caused the department to abandon the search.
Graeme Eggleston, project manager for agricultural protection, said despite video evidence, opinion remained divided over panther claims.
© Copyright AYR
Australian Yowie Research - Data Base
www.yowiehunters.com
- Details
24 Jan 2002 AUSTRALIA:
Three-year search but no panther.
By RACHEL MORRIS.
Source: DAILY TELEGRAPH (SYDNEY) 24/01/2002 P17
THEY tried infrared technology, traps and good old fashioned looking - but it all proved to be in vain. The three-year search for the elusive Lithgow panther alleged to be roaming bushland southwest of Sydney is over officially, despite experts being unable to disprove its existence.
This is in spite efforts by groups including NSW Agriculture, the Moss Vale Rural Lands Protection Board, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, local government and Taronga Zoo. Motion-activated infrared cameras were installed and wild animal traps were set up without success. The NPWS even sent in an experienced wild dog tracker, but this also failed to turn up evidence.
The tracker could neither confirm nor deny the existence of a rogue large black cat. Taronga Zoo set up two small cameras but no video footage of any suspect animals was obtained and the equipment was removed.
But NSW Agriculture has left the door open for a new investigation should any information come up. Bathurst MP Gerard Martin said the final decision to wind up the investigation was taken only after all avenues to confirm the existence of and locate the animal were exhausted.
"You name it, we tried it," Mr Martin said. "The cat has proved to be extremely elusive - it's as simple as that." Mr Martin said to keep the investigation going would require an enormous amount of time and resources with no guarantee of success. "NSW Agriculture has informed me however, that if further evidence of the animal does comes to light - that warrants a full investigation - it will be followed up thoroughly," Mr Martin said. "After all, it has not been proven that something is not out there. There is the film, from which exotic animal experts couldn't make any firm conclusions, as well as the findings of the tracker who could not rule out the existence of the Lithgow panther."
NSW Agriculture has for several years received reports of an unidentified large black cat in the Gross Vale area of western Sydney including video footage of a similar animal at Lithgow. Some people claim the animal resembled a black panther, a kind of leopard, puma or jaguar. The animal has been held responsible by some residents for stock losses.
Main players in the investigation * NSW Agriculture attempted to identify the animal by motion-activated infrared video camera that failed to record anything like the animal in question * STAFF from Taronga Zoo installed two similar cameras with no result * NSW Agriculture's exotic animals expert viewed home video footage of an unidentified cat couldn't make an identification *
THE NPWS sent an experienced animal tracker into the area to investigate. He could neither confirm nor rule out its existence.
© Copyright AYR
Australian Yowie Research - Data Base
www.yowiehunters.com