Big cat at Beechworth

Just had an encounter with a big cat in beechworth. 29/01/2013. Time was round abouts 2:30 pm. Roughly 500 metres downstream from Kangaroo crossing. The critter was on the beechworth side. I was in the gully, 20-30 meters further downstream. My partner was in the car on the other side parked where we had driven down a track from the main track. we were there for 2 hours before she saw it. Staring at her from across the gully. It was in front of a large tree. It was about 4 metres back from the edge of the gully. It was 20 to 25 meters directly across from her. She locked eyes with it for 2 seconds and it bolted upstreamward. Her description matches a Panther. She described it as black, large, muscles, cat like. large head. Smooth black fur.Yellow eyes. Very large dog sized as far as size goes or easily the width of our car. No , didnt have time to get the phone n take a picture, nor as we were driving back quizing her on just what she has seen did I go up the gully to have a look around. The yellow eyes were the clincher, oh and the size of it. Her actual description had it as beautiful. Though dangerous looking. She then yelled out to me as it took off. I was totally unaware of it or anything larger then the 1 large grey spider I saw. On a side note our day at Bendigo was much better and seemed to have much more prospects then our time spent at Beechworth.

Can remember shooting several very large cats in Kakadu national Park in the very early eighties whilst working there as part of a government scientific expedition. Alas the Biologists of the team said that they were just very large moggies, one was black with yellow eyes only white on it was its whiskas!

G'day TheLion, came across a cat print out west of NSW that was compared with a lens cap 55mm across, chasing a roo with a print measuring 150 mm long, they were both going like the clappers and the cat print was approximately 80mm across with a depth of approximately 25mm...Have you ever seen a moggie with paws that big, which weighed that much and that could chase down a roo, maybe 5foot tall. I would appreciate your answer, from your experiences. Jon

Its a shame that you didnt measure the distance of the Moggies stride a much better and more reliable method, depth of print is a problem as well hard earth soft earth etc etc. Not saying there isnt such beasties, My father was adamant that he saw an animal that resembled a Tasmanian Tiger in dense eucalypt forests in Victoria in the early sixties,

I have seen very large pawed cats though and my brother who is 5 foot six had a cat in Melbourne that could put its paws on his shoulders and look him in the face, it used to regularly beat up the neighborhood dogs!

G'day TheLion, I looked around for any other prints associated with this print and couldn't see any forward or backwards. The reason was that soil either side was massive clay, but where the print was was a bit of alluvial sand and clay...I'll add the photo. Jon[img][/img]

Never seen a cats paw that big before, the clincher would have been stride length, one of these days someone will have a rifle handy and take one of these big cats out, When I shot feral cats they were never actually on the ground, but hiding in the trees. I will if I can have some one who has a little experience with cats have a look at it, he owns a lion and a tiger or two as well as an ocelot! he might have a clue or two! He does however go over seas a lot so he may or maynot be available, hes also more into Crocodiles than cats!

Here's a different view.

And another

Never seen a cat with 5 fingers or toes. Zoom in the picture and check the indents.



G.B.

I agree G.B., so I googled lion paw print and got these.