Post by youcantry on May 3, 2008 13:11:30 GMT 10
Okay - two reports in a week 
A different friend today recounted their brother's big cat experience near Tidbinbilla Station, Canberra. It occurred at "the back of Paddy's River" (I don't know if that's a proper name or a place or just a reference to someone's property) about 10 years ago.
The witness was in a clearing in some scrub, on a picnic blanket when he heard thumping coming towards him. Then a big black cat ran through the clearing. He is 6'2" and solidly built but said it was big enough to have scared him. He reckoned if it had turned on him and attacked him he'd have been gone ("ripped to pieces").
He was well experienced with the bush, being a frequent bushwalker, a member of the SES and often out fishing. He knew wildlife and there was no mistaking this for anything other than a big cat. He felt it was just an enormous feral domestic, not a panther, etc, but he said it was solidly built and "unbelievably muscular".
Size-wise he compared it to a blue heeler dog.
We know from Engel's cat that feral domestics can get to leopard-like sizes, and this seems to fall within that size range.
Chris.
A different friend today recounted their brother's big cat experience near Tidbinbilla Station, Canberra. It occurred at "the back of Paddy's River" (I don't know if that's a proper name or a place or just a reference to someone's property) about 10 years ago.
The witness was in a clearing in some scrub, on a picnic blanket when he heard thumping coming towards him. Then a big black cat ran through the clearing. He is 6'2" and solidly built but said it was big enough to have scared him. He reckoned if it had turned on him and attacked him he'd have been gone ("ripped to pieces").
He was well experienced with the bush, being a frequent bushwalker, a member of the SES and often out fishing. He knew wildlife and there was no mistaking this for anything other than a big cat. He felt it was just an enormous feral domestic, not a panther, etc, but he said it was solidly built and "unbelievably muscular".
Size-wise he compared it to a blue heeler dog.
We know from Engel's cat that feral domestics can get to leopard-like sizes, and this seems to fall within that size range.
Chris.