About Big Cats Victoria
We, John and Simon the owners of this website, have both seen animals answering to the description given in our Big Cats Victoria website, here in Australia, in the wild, at close range. These experiences are described in our short biographies. We devote our limited personal time and capital to the pursuit, with the aim of collecting for positive identification a specimen of the unknown predator.
We are well aware of the existence of hundreds of eyewitnesses to the existence of these animals and their kills of wildlife and stock, from all parts of the community across the country. In part, we seek to vindicate those witnesses bold enough to come forward and brave ridicule from armchair experts who pontificate on matters relating to the uncertain science of wildlife and its distribution. However, the primary purpose of this website is to invite visitors to provide information to us that may ultimately lead to the collection of at least one and preferably more specimens for the purpose of positively identifying the species involved.
While we have both had very valuable experience as hunters, and have successfully pursued everything from Water Buffalos to Sewer Rats, we have no interest in the collection of the mystery ‘panther’ as being any form of ego driven trophy hunt. Rather we treat the whole exercise as a systematic attempt to gather irrefutable evidence as to what unknown species of animal is killing stock and large wildlife in south-eastern Australia. For legal purposes this must constitute a physical specimen. Photographs, since the advent of digital photography, are capable of manipulation and so are valueless as evidence. It is our desire to see any specimen of this animal that may come to hand by lawful means lodged in an appropriate scientific public institution such as the Museum of Victoria.
We do not care to speculate on the origins of the so called ‘panther’ and believe that topic to be beyond the scope and purpose of this website at this stage. Should a population of large unknown feline predators in Australia be self sustaining the ecological effects are of great consequence over time, as are losses relating to livestock production and human health and safety issues. In short predators eat meat; wildlife, stock and sometimes unfortunate people. The ramifications of proving the existence of a population of large potentially lethal predators at large in southern Australia would be enormous and of serious concern and major importance to all Government agencies that are concerned with wildlife, stock and human welfare.
We do not have any grievance with any Government agency nor subscribe to conspiracy theories or Governmental cover ups of information as are occasionally mooted in relation to the matter of ‘panthers’ in Australia. However, we do believe that the State Government Departments with the greatest interest such as Primary Industry, Sustainability and Environment and the National Parks Service do not have the will, the allocated resources or possibly the competence to identify the species of animal involved. Our intention is to persist in this job of work till completion.
We are well aware of the existence of hundreds of eyewitnesses to the existence of these animals and their kills of wildlife and stock, from all parts of the community across the country. In part, we seek to vindicate those witnesses bold enough to come forward and brave ridicule from armchair experts who pontificate on matters relating to the uncertain science of wildlife and its distribution. However, the primary purpose of this website is to invite visitors to provide information to us that may ultimately lead to the collection of at least one and preferably more specimens for the purpose of positively identifying the species involved.
While we have both had very valuable experience as hunters, and have successfully pursued everything from Water Buffalos to Sewer Rats, we have no interest in the collection of the mystery ‘panther’ as being any form of ego driven trophy hunt. Rather we treat the whole exercise as a systematic attempt to gather irrefutable evidence as to what unknown species of animal is killing stock and large wildlife in south-eastern Australia. For legal purposes this must constitute a physical specimen. Photographs, since the advent of digital photography, are capable of manipulation and so are valueless as evidence. It is our desire to see any specimen of this animal that may come to hand by lawful means lodged in an appropriate scientific public institution such as the Museum of Victoria.
We do not care to speculate on the origins of the so called ‘panther’ and believe that topic to be beyond the scope and purpose of this website at this stage. Should a population of large unknown feline predators in Australia be self sustaining the ecological effects are of great consequence over time, as are losses relating to livestock production and human health and safety issues. In short predators eat meat; wildlife, stock and sometimes unfortunate people. The ramifications of proving the existence of a population of large potentially lethal predators at large in southern Australia would be enormous and of serious concern and major importance to all Government agencies that are concerned with wildlife, stock and human welfare.
We do not have any grievance with any Government agency nor subscribe to conspiracy theories or Governmental cover ups of information as are occasionally mooted in relation to the matter of ‘panthers’ in Australia. However, we do believe that the State Government Departments with the greatest interest such as Primary Industry, Sustainability and Environment and the National Parks Service do not have the will, the allocated resources or possibly the competence to identify the species of animal involved. Our intention is to persist in this job of work till completion.