Big Cats Victoria

Big Cats Victoria

Panthers and other predators, including Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger)
"Absence of proof is not proof of absence"
- William Cowper, poet and hymnodist, late C18
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  • Purpose
    • About John Turner
    • About Simon Townsend
  • Photo Gallery
  • Book Reviews
    • Australian Big Cats…An Unnatural History
    • British Big Cats
    • Snarls from the Tea-tree
  • References
  • Contact Us
"The Hunt" was recently invited to submit to the Fortean Film Festival. Based in UK, the festival specialises in all things mystery from around the globe. We are happy to report we scored a few awards!!
  • Best Feature Documentary - Platinum Award
  • Best Cinematography - Platinum Award
  • Best Trailer - Platinum Award
  • Best Nature Film - Silver Award
  • Best Travel film - Silver Award
Thanks again to all the people that came together to make this film, we couldn't have done it without you; Vaughan King // Wildlife, Simon Townsend, John Turner, Stu Ross, Bwe Weston, Ryan Chamley, Madison Sara, Stephen Luby Mark Ruse, Jake Plumridg,e Ben Talbot-Dunn, Bas Hosn, Alex Evans, David Cass, David Waldron, Dave Noble, Gary Plumridge.
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Southern Australia, including south western West Australia, has a history of reports of ‘panther’ like predators dating back to the later half of the 19th century.  The animals were usually described as being of black or tan colouration and with the proportions of a medium sized big-cat such as a Leopard or Puma.  The records can be found in newspaper, radio and television archives, Government reports, a very few books and on the internet.  The historical material is based on anecdotal reportage and has contributed to the mythification of the subject.
Some Government agencies at both State and Local levels (in New South Wales), have collected records of sightings or investigated stock deaths purported to be associated with so called ‘panther’ kills.  They remain understandably non committal due to the lack of a specimen of such a predator of undeniable authenticity.  While other types of unknown predator have been reported in various parts of Australia they are not the concern of this website.
For purposes of economy we, John Turner and Simon Townsend, confine our investigations to western Victoria and south eastern South Australia.
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Bambra, 2005

View of a predated adult female eastern grey kangaroo found by Simon Townsend in State Forest. Her head, left fore limb, shoulder and ribs as well as the heart, lungs and liver were consumed. The carcase was so fresh that, though found at dawn.
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NOT THIS...

Not a panther track as suspected by the finder. This is the spoor left by a macropod, probably a wallaby from the greater Geelong region 10/06/2010.
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Red Hill, 06/07/08

Ewe killed and partially eaten. Unusually, gut contents have been spilled and a portion carried away.
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SIGHTING REPORTS

We constantly receive reports from around Australia about sightings that may or may not be of a big cat. Some include photos too, either of tracks or even occasionally of the animal itself.
See for yourself - click the button to go to a spreadsheet with over 350 reports compiled over the last decade. Obviously these reports cannot be verified without real flesh and bone specimens. However, the consistency of most reports suggest unknown species of large felids are present.
​Seen something yourself? Let us know - contact us
View sighting reports spreadsheet

Our Book

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Fantasy or fact, truly believed or doubted or manufactured, big cat scares have for generations haunted south-eastern Australia. Stories of stock kills and claims of paw-prints have some kind of foundation; rumours of 'beast' attacks feed a persistent mythology ...
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WHO WE ARE

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John Turner
More about John
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Simon Townsend
More about Simon

OUR THANKS

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BIGCATS VICTORIA would like to acknowledge the generous support that FORD Australia, in relation to the new FORD PUMA, has given us for our ongoing search for evidence of big cats in Victoria.

Our SUPPORTERS

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Our VISITOR STATISTICS

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Copyright © 2020 Big Cats Victoria
Website design by Winch Websites
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  • Home
  • Purpose
    • About John Turner
    • About Simon Townsend
  • Photo Gallery
  • Book Reviews
    • Australian Big Cats…An Unnatural History
    • British Big Cats
    • Snarls from the Tea-tree
  • References
  • Contact Us