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Creatures, Myths & Legends

Giant paw print sparks Australia big cat debate

By T.K. Randall
March 1, 2020 · Comment icon 12 comments

What animal does this print belong to ? Image Credit: Facebook / Blue Mountains Explore
The discovery of a large feline print in the Blue Mountains has reignited speculation of a mystery big cat.
For many years, the legend of the Blue Mountains panther - a mysterious feline that has been sighted by numerous witnesses across a large area of New South Wales - has continued to endure.

Now a local exploration group known as Blue Mountains Explore has claimed that it has found actual physical evidence of the creature in the form of a giant paw print situated in a remote location.

Group member Kobe Bryant remains adamant that the stories are all true.

"It's definitely out there and it definitely exists," he said.

"You can't get out there with a car, so we had to take our bikes and walk. Usually when you go to the more popular tracks you see [shoe] prints everywhere or branches have been cleared. It was very clear no one had been out there."
After documenting the find, the explorers contacted the Australian Hunting Association for advice and were reportedly told that it was unlikely that the prints belonged to a native species.

If there really is an exotic big cat roaming the wilds of New South Wales, it's possible that it (or its progenitors) escaped from a circus or were released by an exotic pet owner.

Some have even suggested that the creature could be a Thylacoleo - a supposedly extinct species of giant carnivorous marsupial that roamed Australia thousands of years ago.

As things stand however, it remains unclear exactly what the mystery creature could be.

Source: 9news.com.au | Comments (12)




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Recent comments on this story
Comment icon #3 Posted by Jon the frog 4 years ago
But a loose big cat is still possible, we got one in Quebec that have been shot by a hunter. I was a zoo escapee Siberian tiger. Nobody was searching it 430 km far from the zoo 20 days after it escaped, but a deer hunter saw it and killed it.  
Comment icon #4 Posted by Gilbert Syndrome 4 years ago
I've never understood the fuss over "alien big cats." There's enough evidence to suggest that plenty of exotic animals were turned loose in plenty of places they're not native to. There's nothing mysterious or paranormal about it.  That being said, most people are complete numpties and end up contacting their local newspapers and paranormal groups because they've just spotted Rita's housecat from next door. 
Comment icon #5 Posted by Jaded1 4 years ago
I was just waiting for someone to mention the fact that the guy's name is Kobe Bryant. On a more serious note though, it'd be absolutely astounding if they found out that it was actually something akin to Thylacoleo Carnifex that made these prints. Realistically though they're bound to have a much more mundane origin.
Comment icon #6 Posted by Timothy 4 years ago
Here’s my ‘big cat’ sighting from a few years ago in Wilson’s Promontory (Most likely a large feral cat, although it seemed to move like a big cat):     Edit: The image compression is a bit janky, but there’s not much more detail in the raw image. 
Comment icon #7 Posted by DieChecker 4 years ago
I was wondering if it was maybe an emu track. But I think kangaroo is a much better match. Or, rather maybe a wallaby, based on size.
Comment icon #8 Posted by Timothy 4 years ago
Yes it just looks like a wallaby hopping footprint.  Two feet making the print close together.  https://rossmannellcomments.edublogs.org/2013/05/03/tracking-australian-animals/  
Comment icon #9 Posted by Timothy 4 years ago
(Can’t find image source, please delete if required)
Comment icon #10 Posted by openozy 4 years ago
Good capture Tim,looks like a big feral as you say.The huge feral cats always seem to be black ones in Oz.
Comment icon #11 Posted by Timothy 4 years ago
Yeah the majority I’ve seen in more remote areas have been black, or quite dark.  And without any real predators, they have free reign. This one wouldn’t have had any issues with wedge tailed eagles or foxes either. 
Comment icon #12 Posted by Robotic Jew 4 years ago
Garfield on vacation. Nothing to see here. 


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