Location: Lowanna, New South Wales
Event: Sighting
Date: April, 2011
Time: 10pm
Hi Dean,
Two months ago I was driving along Bushmans Range Rd which is near Lowanna in northern NSW. It was about 10pm when on the road in front of me I saw a black animal standing side on to me.
At first I thought it was a cow but as I slowed down and got closer I saw this was not so. It was about 4 feet high at the shoulder and at least 8 feet long- the road was narrow at that point and the animal was across most of it. When I realized it was no cow I knew exactly what I was seeing- the fabled bush panther. But I tell you there's no way it was a panther or any type of cat.
As I approached it turned to face the car and I could see it's face. It's head was massive and unlike anything I'd seen before. It roared at the car and I saw it's teeth were huge both top and bottom.
It's head was broader and shorter than a cat's and it had a much deeper and wider chest. I was trying to pull the car up on the gravel road when it turned and ran down road ahead of me. I say ran but it actually bounded just like a kangaroo. It's first leap carried it at least 20 feet and then it settled in to a loping, bounding pace of 10kmh.
From behind I could see it's body tapered toward the rear and it's tail which it carried horizontally was much like a kangaroo's. I followed about 30 meters behind for 800 meters before it dived off the right hand (eastern) side of the road and disappeared. I slowed where it left the road but didn't stop in case it decided to rush the car as it looked easily capable of smashing it's way in.
Despite the fact I followed it at close range instead of stopping I was fairly well crapping my pants.
When I got home I made notes and the next day I went out with a mate and took measurements and looked for prints. The most vivid thing I remember was it's mouth open when it roared at me- it had a huge gape and it's teeth were likewise huge, not just long but broad as well.
It was
grotesque and the way it moved was utterly alien. I've heard stories and read stories about "panthers" before and some that described something like a marsupial lion noted similar features to what I saw. I talked to the neighbors and was surprised when one couple described seeing something which must be the same animal only this one not so large. I'm writing this now because the same animal or one of it's kin was seen tonight by my mate on the Twelve Sixty Rd which runs from Glenreagh up to Lowanna.
Where he saw the animal would be roughly 20 km's from where I saw it as the crow flies. He described much the same thing except by the way he
was shaking you'd reckon he'd seen the Devil himself and he swears he's never going out in the bush again. What is this animal ? I find it hard to believe that an animal of that size and obvious destructive powers could be unknown to anyone.
I'm going to set up some cameras and a couple of traps similar (only bigger and stronger) to the ones used to catch feral pigs alive. Anyone with any information would help.
I've had a good look around but have found no tracks or other sign. We have had a monumental amount of rain here which hasn't helped. I've asked around but there's been no stock losses from what I've heard. Most people look at you like you're off your rocker when you ask about it and say it was probably a wild dog or pig (there's heaps of both here which might explain what it eats).
Don't get me wrong I'm not thinking about killing but proof it exists. When I thought about it, it would be near impossible to rig something that would hold it where I'd want to put it.
It's pretty rough ground here and tricky- if you don't know what your doing you could walk 50 meters off the road and never find it again. I thought the best way would be to leave a carcass in a likely spot with a motion sensor rigged camera but I reckon it hunts at night so that's a drama.
I just think people should be aware it's out there so they can take precautions. It's a good thing it seems to a avoid humans if it can. No I've never heard a roar like it made not even a horny koala comes close. Scared the shit out of me. The bloke I spoke to who said he'd seen one reckons he was told by an old logger and miner that they come out of the Wild Cattle Creek area and that's why there's still a lot of old growth forest there because nobody wanted to go in there and get it.
I'm not too savvy with computers so I'm not sure how to send a private message so if you don't get one from me could you post a reply with how it's done.
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