You may laugh….. but many people claim to have seen big cats in the Strathbogies. I’ve seen quite a few wild cats in these ranges, though not half as many as some, and they’ve all been small to medium-size animals, some tabby, some black, or coloured.
However, many folk have seen ‘cats’ that are much larger than even a large feral cat and quite a few residents believe in the ‘panther’, though it seems no one completely knows what it is, or much else about it. Among residents and visitors, there are many first-hand, credible reports of ‘big-cat’ sightings. But without evidence the accuracy of the such observations can always be questioned. Though plaster casts and blurry photos do exist, no genetic material, nor photographic image exits to prove the existence of an unknown/new species of large carnivore.
I say large carnivore, because there are some who suggest/hope that at least some of these sightings could be of Pumas, Thylacines, or even Thylacoleo (the extinct marsupial lion). I guess the controversy will continue until a specimen (living or dead), or other incontrovertible proof is presented.
In recent months The Granite News has published several first-hand accounts of big cat sightings ..
Strathbogie Ranges - Nature View 