first post, possible big cat in Western Aust?

[Dragonwind]

Ive worked with natural resources departments that trap feral cats and seen some monsters. A feral cat can easily grow to the same size as a puma. The size is not the issue - the head and facial features of a puma are very different. Everyone always talks about seeing a big cat but no-one yet can produce evidence of an actual puma or proper big cat. Need a good photo of the head.

[rampaging redneck]

Hi all,

Just recently went on a hunting trip in an area close to where I had my possible sighting. A good friend of mine, who is a local in that area says there are regular sightings of ABCs out there, really has me aching to catch one on camera to finally put this thing to bed.

[DKO]

Would be good. Countless people have tried but only come back with large feral cats. Just take a camera with you at all times haha.

[Ashotep]

Welcome to UM. The conservation dept said we had no Cougars here even with lots of sightings. Finally someone killed one and now they believe it.

[Dragonwind]

Just take a camera with you at all times haha.

This is what I can't understand - all these 'sightings' but no-one can properly record anything on a camera or phone.

[-d00Fus-]

This is what I can't understand - all these 'sightings' but no-one can properly record anything on a camera or phone.

Mind you, if they did we would probably all claim it's fake :-D

Every time someone has taken a photo of a so-called big cat everyone says "oh, that's just a normal cat".

I still reckon they're both right - it is a "normal" cat, just a bloody big one!

[DKO]

Mind you, if they did we would probably all claim it's fake :-D

Every time someone has taken a photo of a so-called big cat everyone says "oh, that's just a normal cat".

I still reckon they're both right - it is a "normal" cat, just a bloody big one!

Yes I reckon most likely all these sighting are just very large feral cats. Like in the picture I posted a few pages back, they can get huge.

[rampaging redneck]

Thinking I should maybe start a thread on the pine forest and other similar places in the "Urban legends" section. Thoughts?

[Overdueleaf]

i wouldnt be so fast to dismiss the claim off as a large feral cat. I live in OH and years ago there were sightings of lions in my area.. not mountain lions but African Lions. Now of course those that didnt want to believe laughed it off as nothing more than mistaken identity. Come to pass there was a man that had over 60 exotic animals including lions, tigers, jaguar, bears and a plethera of other species that lived just on the outskirts of town in the area which the sightings had occured. The lions that everyone had been seeing were escaped lions from this mans collection, a collection that became famous in 2011 when he decided to let them ALL loose on the general population. So.. for me when people claim to see a big cat i for one do not dismiss them outright... but that is just me ...based on my experience. After all it is easier to relate/believe when there is an experience that takes place that is similar.

[DKO]

Thinking I should maybe start a thread on the pine forest and other similar places in the "Urban legends" section. Thoughts?

Yeah for sure. Can be very creepy at night, myself I haven't really seen anything that far out but maybe other members have. Because of this thread I found out there were a few members on here that are from Perth, maybe there are more.

[chopmo]

Here's a video apparently showing panthers in the bushland. I think they just look like large feral/wild cats to be honest.

The question I've always had about this topic: If they are just feral cats, why are they all jet black in every piece of footage? Wouldn't the average feral cat be mottled colouring? BTW I believe these sightings are most likely very large feral cats it's just always puzzled me.

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There is folk lore in Cairns, Nrth QLD about them being panthers from a circus that crashed on the gillies range a very dangerous mountain round in its hayday. I personally haven't seen one but have 3 friends all on the Coppaloade Dam road different occasions very seperate circles as well these people don't know eachother. One was at the look out and heard and seen a glimpse of one running off, another was chased to his car and the last one was chased as he was luging on a huffyslider down the Dam's mountain range like roads. I've read a little "hoo-hah" from up on the tablelands area of Queensland Tigers, which were simply more robust forrest dwelling Tazzie Tigers, obviously they were all over Australia because they existed in Victoria and NSW officially. It's no wonder why they haven't been found either there's a very full ecosystem in the far north with ALOT of very large nation parks and ranges and forrest that the only thing close to habbitation would be the possibility of Aborigini Tribes still living their way of life. I think it's also quite possible that they could've been interbreeding with ferrel and wild cat's over the last 100 Years and that's why we are seeing the size increase of these cats all over Australia tbh.

[DKO]

There is folk lore in Cairns, Nrth QLD about them being panthers from a circus that crashed on the gillies range a very dangerous mountain round in its hayday. I personally haven't seen one but have 3 friends all on the Coppaloade Dam road different occasions very seperate circles as well these people don't know eachother. One was at the look out and heard and seen a glimpse of one running off, another was chased to his car and the last one was chased as he was luging on a huffyslider down the Dam's mountain range like roads. I've read a little "hoo-hah" from up on the tablelands area of Queensland Tigers, which were simply more robust forrest dwelling Tazzie Tigers, obviously they were all over Australia because they existed in Victoria and NSW officially. It's no wonder why they haven't been found either there's a very full ecosystem in the far north with ALOT of very large nation parks and ranges and forrest that the only thing close to habbitation would be the possibility of Aborigini Tribes still living their way of life. I think it's also quite possible that they could've been interbreeding with ferrel and wild cat's over the last 100 Years and that's why we are seeing the size increase of these cats all over Australia tbh.

Yeah I've heard of a few theories on why they could exist here. Apparently the US military brought some cougars over as mascots during WW2 and dumped them when they left, escaped circus animals and or exotic pets that were released or escaped.

Everyone seems to know someone that has seen them haha, myself included.

[chopmo]

Too true, if it's not a yowie and it's not a min min light it's a big cat someone has seen

[Subdued]

For anyone interested in the "yanchep cougar" I can confirm there is definitely something out there in this area..I work at the golf course in yanchep and from time to time theres been kangaroos that have been mauled to death. But recently it's been happening more frequently which spiked my interest n i found this forum. Been roos torn apart and heads literally decapitated and I'm talking big roos not little ones.. and kangaroos are pretty strong animals. Another worker also got pictures of massive paw prints, I will get photos n get some when another one pops up

Don't know if it is just a massive feral cat or a cougar or what but whatever it is, is an animal that isn't noticed and it's bloody big and powerful!!!!!!! I have seen big feral cats in the area recently but only twice the size of a normal cat this thing must be like ten times the size.. I have read a story where a massive cat was killed and their DNA matched to that of a domestic cat!

As for this one who knows

[DKO]

For anyone interested in the "yanchep cougar" I can confirm there is definitely something out there in this area..I work at the golf course in yanchep and from time to time theres been kangaroos that have been mauled to death. But recently it's been happening more frequently which spiked my interest n i found this forum. Been roos torn apart and heads literally decapitated and I'm talking big roos not little ones.. and kangaroos are pretty strong animals. Another worker also got pictures of massive paw prints, I will get photos n get some when another one pops up

Don't know if it is just a massive feral cat or a cougar or what but whatever it is, is an animal that isn't noticed and it's bloody big and powerful!!!!!!! I have seen big feral cats in the area recently but only twice the size of a normal cat this thing must be like ten times the size.. I have read a story where a massive cat was killed and their DNA matched to that of a domestic cat!

As for this one who knows

Hey mate welcome to UM.

What about some dogs? I've heard the damage dogs can do from many country guys.

The Victorian Government did an assessment on the presence of large non domestic cats in Australia. Here's the page if you're interested. http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/agriculture/pests-diseases-and-weeds/pest-animals/assessment-of-evidence-for-the-presence-in-victoria-of-a-wild-population-of-big-cats

By the way, do you know what was at that 'animal sanctuary' or whatever it was on Two Rocks rd, halfway between Yanchep and Two Rocks?

[thewatchman7]

I actually stayed at yancheps club Capricorn recently, lovely place. Anyway, the reporting of the mutilated roos does sound like wild dogs.

[STIRyourMIND]

Hey RR, I'm not in army or anything but been to bindoon training grounds a fair bit with army cadets, where abouts were you when you had sighting, because I know they do a lot of live firing exercises there, wouldn't that scare of most animals.

Cheers, stir

[psyche101]

Hi folks, this is my first post to this forum, its good to see so many other people with the same interests in cryptozoology, I have been very interested in the subject for years and have read more books on it than I can be bothered to count.

Anyway, here's my story.

About two months ago now I was on a military excersise in a training area approx 2 hours north of Perth in very thick bushland. It was about the third night, about 2300hrs with plenty of ambient star light. I was keeping watch with night vision equipment while my pit buddy slept. Now, night vision goggles and lack of sleep makes you see some crazy s**t, such as houses in the bush, monkeys and flying saucer landings, but you know you're merely hallucinating at the time. But this time, honest to god, I saw some movement in vegetation about 100 metres from my position, and then observed a massive black feline shape dart from right to left, for about 20 meters, into a small valley. This isn't the first time a creature like this has been encountered in the area, one of my NCOs told us a story of a feline creature that would make an appearance for split seconds at a time and generally scare the crap out of soldiers on guard duty at the armoury near the accommodation blocks (where there is no lack of sleep and NVGs aren't used) by making the most blood curdling screaming howling type sounds. Anybody else heard of any large felid sightings in Western Australia?

For the record, I am also an experienced hunter and bushman and know a feral cat when I see one, this bad boy was no feral cat!

How come none of you have had a shot at one?

[surroundx]

For anyone interested in the "yanchep cougar" I can confirm there is definitely something out there in this area..I work at the golf course in yanchep and from time to time theres been kangaroos that have been mauled to death. But recently it's been happening more frequently which spiked my interest n i found this forum. Been roos torn apart and heads literally decapitated and I'm talking big roos not little ones.. and kangaroos are pretty strong animals. Another worker also got pictures of massive paw prints, I will get photos n get some when another one pops up

Don't know if it is just a massive feral cat or a cougar or what but whatever it is, is an animal that isn't noticed and it's bloody big and powerful!!!!!!! I have seen big feral cats in the area recently but only twice the size of a normal cat this thing must be like ten times the size.. I have read a story where a massive cat was killed and their DNA matched to that of a domestic cat!

As for this one who knows

I saw a very large black feral cat run from the bush side of the road to the Yanchep golf course, between the St. Andrews entrance and the fuel station, about 6 months ago. Size is hard to estimate as I saw it in the rear-view mirror, but I'd say 1+m long and 35-40cm tall. I remember the big cat being mentioned in one of the local papers, could probably search their websites for the articles (will do that now actually).

There's also the Gingin panther, which I heard of from a mate at work (we no longer work together). Would be interesting to collate all the stories of big cats from say Yanchep to Lancelin and out to Gingin/Muchea etc.

[Hawken]

I often wonder if people who get exotic pets when they're young will grow to mature adults

and become difficult to handle so they release them in the wild.

[mullet89]

hey forum I was out riding today on my dirt bike in gnagara Moore river state forest and yeal nature reserve when I was coming down a straight limestone track on my left pine plantations on my right native bush when I seen a big black cat about 100 metres up the trackI gained about 50 metres on it before I lost vision on it it was as long as my bike and about 1 metre tall run from the pine plantations into the native bush with a half grown emu in its mouth I only had vision on it for a few seconds but I know what I saw wasn't a feral cat and I couldn't see a feral cat carrying the emu with such ease iv never been a believer of big cats in Australia but I am now I believe it was a panther

[Horta]

hey forum I was out riding today on my dirt bike in gnagara Moore river state forest and yeal nature reserve when I was coming down a straight limestone track on my left pine plantations on my right native bush when I seen a big black cat about 100 metres up the trackI gained about 50 metres on it before I lost vision on it it was as long as my bike and about 1 metre tall run from the pine plantations into the native bush with a half grown emu in its mouth I only had vision on it for a few seconds but I know what I saw wasn't a feral cat and I couldn't see a feral cat carrying the emu with such ease iv never been a believer of big cats in Australia but I am now I believe it was a panther

Have you had a look for tracks mullet89?

Hi folks, this is my first post to this forum, its good to see so many other people with the same interests in cryptozoology, I have been very interested in the subject for years and have read more books on it than I can be bothered to count.

For the record, I am also an experienced hunter and bushman and know a feral cat when I see one, this bad boy was no feral cat!

How about yourself rampaging redneck, did you have a look for sign of this cat, tracks?

Fascinating topic OOP big cats, seems to be reported regularly in various places around the world. Unlike cryptids in general, at least we know these creatures exist.

Edited September 6, 2015 by Horta

[Realm of Unknown]

Large black felines seem to dot the globe, maybe its something other than a creature, who knows?..

[GeistOnerz]

Maybe it's just a few savanna cats that have grown up wild. These cats are growing to be more popular with the wealthy here in the states especially among the wealthy. Given the size of these cats it's easy to mistake them as a jaguar because of the pattern and heavy build, much much larger than a house cat more the size of a dog.