Does this photo show a panther in Australia ?

[UM-Bot 10,984]

A Melbourne carpenter has posted up a photograph he took of a large black cat near the Mornington Peninsula.

https://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/news/343313/does-this-photo-show-a-panther-in-australia

[HandsomeGorilla 7,863]

Finally one that's not obviously a house cat. I'm just judging by the stalks, it does appear fairly large, bigger than a tabby. Interesting. Big cats get around, for sure

[esoteric_toad 722]

Looks like a black lab.

[Nnicolette 2,153]

25 minutes ago, esoteric_toad said:

Looks like a black lab.

The body does look more doggish but the tail looks panther and if they saw that is was clearly feline than It probably is a panther. They seem to survive in just about any climate!

[Jon the frog 2,898]

The picture is more convincing than a lot of others lately, we can compare it to this one. Size judging is still somewhat elusive... Maybe just a big domestic cat. P. australis (the reed) reach 4m usually, so the size if the reed is mature, is at least 50cm at the shoulder probably more. A jaguar shoulder height is around 63 – 76 cm.

But melanistic leopards and jaguars are uncommon, with some studies estimating that at most 6(jaguar) to 11(leopard) percent of these animals have this coloration. It's just so strange that we see only black ones... maybe only black escape exist because with some normal coloration individuals loose, a breeding would have a lot more of standard coloration than black.

Edited January 24 by Jon the frog

[Abramelin 7,181]

 

[Nobu 393]

I’m still going large domestic cat gone feral.

Looks small to me.

[Jon the frog 2,898]

36 minutes ago, Nobu said:

I’m still going large domestic cat gone feral.

Looks small to me.

Sizing is always quite hard without a definite reference... the domestic cat is still more plausible.

Edited January 24 by Jon the frog

[Twin 150]

Assuming the trail is made by tire track, the creature seems large enough. But, I'm going with a black dog.

[TomO' 23]

I don't know... I blew it up as much as my computer would allow (800%) and it looks as though the image may have been manipulated. It loses its proportions, but maybe the lack of good resolution does that when magnified. I don't play around with photos enough to really know for sure.

[Resume 1,233]

. . .  No.

[jmccr8 25,466]

7 hours ago, Jon the frog said:

The picture is more convincing than a lot of others lately, we can compare it to this one. Size judging is still somewhat elusive... Maybe just a big domestic cat. P. australis (the reed) reach 4m usually, so the size if the reed is mature, is at least 50cm at the shoulder probably more. A jaguar shoulder height is around 63 – 76 cm.

But melanistic leopards and jaguars are uncommon, with some studies estimating that at most 6(jaguar) to 11(leopard) percent of these animals have this coloration. It's just so strange that we see only black ones... maybe only black escape exist because with some normal coloration individuals loose, a breeding would have a lot more of standard coloration than black.

Hi Jon

Interesting markings first time I have noticed this

jmccr8

[Jon the frog 2,898]

2 hours ago, jmccr8 said:

Hi Jon

Interesting markings first time I have noticed this

jmccr8

Yep, the marking are usually still there and visible but under some lighting we cannot see them, a lot of time jaguar and leopard are in the shadow under the canopy.

[jmccr8 25,466]

2 minutes ago, Jon the frog said:

Yep, the marking are usually still there and visible but under some lighting we cannot see them, a lot of time jaguar and leopard are in the shadow under the canopy.

Hi Jon

Many years ago I went to a zoo in Moose Jaw which has long since closed but they had mules and I saw a dark brown one with zebralike markings with a dark grey not quite black stripes.

jmccr8

[MrBene 1,039]

It looks like a dog to me. 

[Jon the frog 2,898]

1 hour ago, jmccr8 said:

Hi Jon

Many years ago I went to a zoo in Moose Jaw which has long since closed but they had mules and I saw a dark brown one with zebralike markings with a dark grey not quite black stripes.

jmccr8

Yep, in zoo you can often have zebroid. Good chance that it was one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebroid

[jmccr8 25,466]

11 minutes ago, Jon the frog said:

Yep, in zoo you can often have zebroid. Good chance that it was one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zebroid

Hi Jon

Thanks and to be honest it was the first time I thought about it in 50 years or so.

jmccr8

[psyche101 46,460]

Anyone remember the Gippsland cat about 15 years ago?

[the13bats 15,324]

Good one

So i get to toss my

It has a dog look except tail but jon posted a pic that to me could be it, same tail posture and dog-ish body.

However, i dont know the size of that grass but i do have a general idea of the size of the lorry path and the creature looks too small to be a "big" cat yet too big to be a feral tabby so i will ride the fence on this one,

hey Openozy what do you think?

[openozy 3,222]

It is a difficult one but it looks more like a dog, the body looks too short in comparison to height to be a cat but some of the big ferals here are pretty leggy. It is a good mystery pic.

[psyche101 46,460]

17 minutes ago, openozy said:

It is a difficult one but it looks more like a dog, the body looks too short in comparison to height to be a cat but some of the big ferals here are pretty leggy. It is a good mystery pic.

 

1 hour ago, the13bats said:

Good one

So i get to toss my

It has a dog look except tail but jon posted a pic that to me could be it, same tail posture and dog-ish body.

However, i dont know the size of that grass but i do have a general idea of the size of the lorry path and the creature looks too small to be a "big" cat yet too big to be a feral tabby so i will ride the fence on this one,

hey Openozy what do you think?

The one shot in Gippsland was 1.5 meters long and 35 kilos. 

Here feral cats are getting larger than expected.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-11-28/tests-reveal-super-sized-feral-cat/750340

[qxcontinuum 1,129]

I'm sorry but it is very obvious comparing to the size off the crops that the creature presented it's actually tiny catlike size.

[openozy 3,222]

51 minutes ago, psyche101 said:

 

The one shot in Gippsland was 1.5 meters long and 35 kilos. 

Here feral cats are getting larger than expected.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2005-11-28/tests-reveal-super-sized-feral-cat/750340

I remember that claim but it was a bit like the one that got away, or a paranormal experience. I'd have to see to believe the 35kg estimate on that one but they are getting bigger all the time, usually black as well. I believe they will get big enough to take down a decent roo eventually. Sort of interesting that Oz may have it's own big cat, top predator in the future.

[psyche101 46,460]

9 minutes ago, openozy said:

I remember that claim but it was a bit like the one that got away, or a paranormal experience. I'd have to see to believe the 35kg estimate on that one but they are getting bigger all the time, usually black as well. I believe they will get big enough to take down a decent roo eventually. Sort of interesting that Oz may have it's own big cat, top predator in the future.

They had the tail for DNA testing and agreed it was very large 

This bloke says one is taking Wallabies in Victoria already.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7243409/amp/Victoria-man-shares-images-claiming-big-cat.html

[openozy 3,222]

54 minutes ago, psyche101 said:

They had the tail for DNA testing and agreed it was very large 

This bloke says one is taking Wallabies in Victoria already.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7243409/amp/Victoria-man-shares-images-claiming-big-cat.html

I've got an old farm cat around 5kg that would catch and eat full grown rabbits about half it's size, almost every day at one point so I could imagine what a 15kg one could kill and eat.

Edited January 25 by openozy