Big Cat sighting in New Zealand

[Kismit]

Reports of a big cat roaming south Marlborough have emerged online. Stuff reporter Alice Angeloni went to check out the "insane encounter", with a healthy dose of scepticism.

The last thing I expected to be doing on Monday was chasing a so-called large cat around the rolling hills of rural Marlborough.

With little hope of finding the beast itself, I was sure the local farmers of Seddon and Ward, about 30 minutes south of Blenheim, would laugh me off their properties.

 

Full story

[Jon the frog]

Another release of captive animal ?

"Lucky I was doing 70[kmh] because if I was doing 80 or 85, I would have hit it."

Would have been better to hit it...

Edited April 29, 2019 by Jon the frog

[oldrover]

1 hour ago, Jon the frog said:

Another release of captive animal ?

"Lucky I was doing 70[kmh] because if I was doing 80 or 85, I would have hit it."

Would have been better to hit it...

Would it? In what way? I think hitting a substantial animal at 85 KPH would be bad for all concerned. 

Although I doubt it was anything more substantial than a domestic cat. 

Edited April 29, 2019 by oldrover

[Jon the frog]

1 hour ago, oldrover said:

Would it? In what way? I think hitting a substantial animal at 85 KPH would be bad for all concerned. 

Although I doubt it was anything more substantial than a domestic cat. 

If it's a released big cat, it will bring havoc on the local wildlife until it dies... better dead than loose.

[oldrover]

1 hour ago, Jon the frog said:

If it's a released big cat, it will bring havoc on the local wildlife until it dies... better dead than loose.

That's true. 

[Kismit]

New Zealand is a predator free country. Domestic cats are already far more harmful to their natural fauna than a big cat would be. 

Still plenty of rabbits around for it to live on

[openozy]

46 minutes ago, Kismit said:

New Zealand is a predator free country. Domestic cats are already far more harmful to their natural fauna than a big cat would be. 

Still plenty of rabbits around for it to live on

And Kiwi's.

[Kismit]

Just now, openozy said:

And Kiwi's.

No, not many of them left and certainly not Around Nelson. Rabbit,tah, and wild boar, perhaps deer. But I suspect the rabbits would be easier game

[Jon the frog]

58 minutes ago, Kismit said:

No, not many of them left and certainly not Around Nelson. Rabbit,tah, and wild boar, perhaps deer. But I suspect the rabbits would be easier game

If it eat only rabbit and  cat it's okay 

Edited April 29, 2019 by Jon the frog

[openozy]

I think we are going to see more exotic animals released as people become wealthier,get them, then find them too much.Even though border security is tighter than ever, $ talks.

[Seti42]

I like how the panther in the photo above looks like even he (or she) doubts the story.

Edited May 4, 2019 by Seti42

[Seti42]

On 4/29/2019 at 6:17 PM, openozy said:

I think we are going to see more exotic animals released as people become wealthier,get them, then find them too much.Even though border security is tighter than ever, $ talks.

I'll never understand that trend. I mean, if I were a multi-millionaire I'd buy art, and/or a really cool toy car like a Lamborghini Hurrican. I'd probably do a lot of traveling too. I'd never buy an "exotic" pet. That's just about the height of animal cruelty and shortsightedness. If you love big cats, donate to or found a charity that helps preserve them and their habitats. IMO, the wealthy who purchase such creatures should be fined $1 million per animal, and those fines should be directly donated to the WWF, the Humane Society, or some similar organization.

Edited May 4, 2019 by Seti42

[Herr Falukorv]

On 2019-04-29 at 11:57 PM, openozy said:

And Kiwi's.

And dwarfs

Edited May 4, 2019 by Herr Falukorv

[Aten]

Jeez why do we always have to jump straight to killing 'whatever it is' blah blah if it was in your neighberhood you wouldn't want it etc, how about we catch it instead and re-home it, yes I know everyone is gonna say it would'nt be possible, China says/motto 'People first' well I disagree..sigh, there is no hope for anything that is not human on this planet, let concrete over everything and be done with it.

[openozy]

5 hours ago, Seti42 said:

I'll never understand that trend. I mean, if I were a multi-millionaire I'd buy art, and/or a really cool toy car like a Lamborghini Hurrican. I'd probably do a lot of traveling too. I'd never buy an "exotic" pet. That's just about the height of animal cruelty and shortsightedness. If you love big cats, donate to or found a charity that helps preserve them and their habitats. IMO, the wealthy who purchase such creatures should be fined $1 million per animal, and those fines should be directly donated to the WWF, the Humane Society, or some similar organization.

I don't think compassion is a noted attribute in the mega rich.

[MordorOrc]

On 4/30/2019 at 4:06 AM, oldrover said:

Would it? In what way? I think hitting a substantial animal at 85 KPH would be bad for all concerned. 

Although I doubt it was anything more substantial than a domestic cat. 

I've seen some fairly substantial feral cats near where I live that would definitely make people think they were panthers if they didn't know what they were looking at. Feral cats, if they're fed well, can get surprisingly large. Across the ditch, they have found feral cats as large as some dogs, which if you're not used to large cats and have no good size references, one could easily claim they saw a panther. 

I do believe she saw a cat. I don't believe she saw a panther. But a feral cat the size of a spaniel wouldn't be outside of the realm of possibility.