Pumas, do they exist?

[Oldbloke]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BelReWvzF6o&sns=em

Who believes Pumas are here in Australia?
I recall seing a bloody big cat near Jamieson about 20 years ago. What have you seen?
See the video, just near the end is the deer hunter who claimed to have shot one. Its BIG.

[NukeBOMB88]

I've never seen one but my uncles swear they shot one near the Curdies river years ago, they were hand-spotlighting and head shot a small roo with the Ruger 1022 and when they approached it they heard a loud, deep growling from the tree line about 50m away and they swung the spotlight toward the sound to see a pair of huge yellow eyes staring them down from they underbrush and my uncle Louie unloaded the rest of the 1022 mag at it and it gave a huge yowl/roar and ran deeper into the bush . Uncle Louie and Roberto grabbed the roo and basically ran home with their tails between their legs

[Combat_Wombat]

The biggest thing that causes me to be skeptical about Pumas/ Bigfoot/ bunyips. Is that unless these creatures have life spans of 150 years or as long as reported sightings then you need a breeding population of at least 100 to be sustainable and stop the negative effects of imbreeding.

A lot more plausible with the Australian Pumas but if there was that many then sightings would be a lot higher.

[North East]

I'm a bit sceptical....but feral cats can get pretty big.

[JOY]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
How much myth Busters do you watch C-W
Plausible or I think you just Busted a good yarn IMHO

[on_one_wheel]

Mith busters good one.

I'm yet to see one, I seriously doubt that there are any out there.

Even if the story about the army mascot getting away is true, I'm with the above comment ... lifespan , breeding stock ... nup

[bigfellascott]

I won't be convinced until I see one myself, I have come across a few rather large feral cats in my travels and I can see how someone might think they are Panthers etc.

[KWhorenet]

stole this photo but it paints the picture as to how they are being 'sighted'

[joker]

Anything is possible in my opinion.

[headspace]

These stories have been doing the rounds for years. Actually the Aboriginal people up our way had their own version of the Yowie, only they called it "Jerraworra". May not be the right spelling but an old bloke who lived up near Washpool told me about it. There's a section of the local State Forest up there with that name on a sign post. The rough translation from Bunjalung means "large hairy man." As far as the big cat is concerned never saw anything like it, but another mate up near the Queensland border had one of his cattle mauled once, the vet came out to have a look and said it looked just like the animal had been attacked by a Lion. We have plenty of wild dogs up here, but they don't leave wounds like that and not on full grown cattle. Weird stuff.
JD

[Gwion]

It was about 20 years ago (probably 22 years) since i saw what i first thought was a dingo because of the size and colour. Then i noticed it's gate and carriage and lack of dog like muzzle; it was definitely a cat. It was also VERY large, the rate it ate up ground and just, well, the size of it. I saw it from a couple of hundred meters away but it was walking through open scrub and i could watch it for quite some time. It wasn't just a passing glimpse.

This was at Jerusalem Creek in Vic. Not far from Old Bloke's sighting near Jaimo.

Animals like these can cover a large territory and i don't think sightings would be all that common. A viable population of 50 individuals with 5 different genetic lines (base line to avoid inbreeding problems) could cover a very large area with overlapping territories. Not saying it's so, just that it is possible.

I've also seen some big ferals and photos of some big ones shot. Like the pic above, though, they are all more the size of a fox than a large dog.

The puma/couga this is a possibility, i think. Not like there's a shortage of food or uninhabited land for them to survive in seclusion.

[Blackened]

I can see there legitimately being one or more decades ago when perhaps a few were brought as exotic pets - back in the days when such things could be done - then later abandoned.

Theorizing the above, don't know of any actual instances of that.

That would explain a sighting or two originally but they'd be long dead. Only rumours surviving now would be my guess.

[BBJ]

stole this photo but it paints the picture as to how they are being 'sighted'

That's my guess.

Size is relative. Like dogs...

If someone has a Chihuahua they think a Kelpie is big.
If someone has a Kelpie they think an Alsatian is big.
If someone has an Alsatian they think a Rottie is big.
And so on...

If someone has a little house cat they think a big feral is a "puma".

[headspace]

I don't really think that's going to fly, most hunters have a pretty good idea of game size, so they're unlikely to compare it to the poodle at home, (If they have something like that.) However a bushwalker or any non hunter that doesn't think in terms of range and relative size of animals at distance could easily make the mistake. I tend to keep an op[en mind about these things. The Australian bush can hide some odd stuff.

[Oldbloke]

You could hide a herd of elephants in some SF & NP.

[North East]

You could hide a herd of elephants in some SF & NP.

"When you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise. If you down to the woods today, you'd better go in disguise."

[Apollo]

I take it that the topic is or should be, is a Puma found in the wild in Australia...?? Quite possible if it escaped from captivity and not reported, or bred and as a kitten escaped since there are quite some numbers of Puma's in Australia. Even in open area type Zoo areas.

A number of years ago I was in Mildura, Vic and visited an open area wildlife park which had a number of Puma's from young to elderly. They were normally caged but not restricted to be a very close distance from the public where you could call them up to the cage and pat any number. Quite often they were led around just like a dog and interacted with the public.

One time I was there with my 8yo Son and introduced him to one of the Puma's on a rather windy day which was upsetting to the animals. The young Puma was quite happy being patted, rolling over but all of a sudden decided to stand up and rest it's front paws on my shoulders. Well, instantly from the pure impact and weight I was pushed over. The Puma was not in a good mood and had to be pulled off by the keeper. An interesting experience.

A very beautiful big Cat....

My Son and I went back to it's cage later and patted it after it settled down. Just a youngster about 90kg and 2.0m odd tall.

Puma, Cougar, Mountain Lion or Black Panther.....pretty much the same thing. Beautiful animals and quite often kept as pets.

[Browning]

I don't really think that's going to fly, most hunters have a pretty good idea of game size, so they're unlikely to compare it to the poodle at home, (If they have something like that.) However a bushwalker or any non hunter that doesn't think in terms of range and relative size of animals at distance could easily make the mistake. I tend to keep an op[en mind about these things. The Australian bush can hide some odd stuff.

Agree with the open mind on this.. Seen some weird things out there, especially up in the sky as well..
Relative size is one thing; footprints at a certain size is another... Good for thought anyway...

[Noisydad]

I reckon the govt. wouldn't ever admit they did exist ( I have an open mind on it) because then they'd have to do something about them.

[FuzzyM]

Both of my parent's claim to have seen them, they are pretty down to earth people who both grew up with dogs and cats.
Around the Monbulk/Macclesfield/Silvan area.

Some sightings can be ruled out as big feral cats.
Some not so much.

[KWhorenet]

I don't really think that's going to fly, most hunters have a pretty good idea of game size, so they're unlikely to compare it to the poodle at home, (If they have something like that.) However a bushwalker or any non hunter that doesn't think in terms of range and relative size of animals at distance could easily make the mistake. I tend to keep an op[en mind about these things. The Australian bush can hide some odd stuff.

I doubt most bogus claims are from hunters though?

Wouldn't the "it was huge and black and must have been, I mean WAS a Panther !! NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, I FEARED FOR MY POOR POODLES LIFE, AND MY OWN FOR THAT MATTER ARHGHGHGHGHGH !!!!. How much for my story ? " be more from city folk or simple bull-shitters?

[1290]

of course Pumas exist, I say a government grant for an extensive hunter-led research project involving all national park, state forests is called for, $10million should be enough, and after 5 year project we can definitively answer the question of whether or not another 5 year /$10million is required to further the research (isnt that how it works!)

The Vic gov discussed the matter a few yrs ago;

Melbourne-based big cats researcher Michael Moss said he had been telephoned by a DSE scientist wanting copies of his research and who asked him to keep the contact secret.
care of the Herald-Hun;
"Melbourne-based big cats researcher Michael Moss said he had been telephoned by a DSE scientist wanting copies of his research and who asked him to keep the contact secret.
There is no doubt they (big cats) are out there," Mr Moss said, adding that the recent rediscovery of the Tiger Quoll in the Otways again proved how easy it was for animals to remain undetected in wilderness area for long periods of time."

If it bring income to remote forest towns great!, isnt that the reason for Nessy? only decade and decades later locals admitted the sightings were a con...

We did have African Lions in Vic years ago, they either caught or shot one out around Ballarat (or was it Bendigo) as I recall.....

[BBJ]

I don't really think that's going to fly, most hunters have a pretty good idea of game size, so they're unlikely to compare it to the poodle at home, (If they have something like that.) However a bushwalker or any non hunter that doesn't think in terms of range and relative size of animals at distance could easily make the mistake. I tend to keep an op[en mind about these things. The Australian bush can hide some odd stuff.

Said bushwalkers and non-hunters were who I was referring to

[brett1868]

Not sure about Puma's but there's plenty of Adidas running wild in Bankstown & Lakemba

[1290]

Not sure about Puma's but there's plenty of Adidas running wild in Bankstown & Lakemba

Plenty of Adis running around?? Old Herr Dassler was indeed a prolific breeder... may his soul rest in peace

[KWhorenet]

Not sure about Puma's but there's plenty of Adidas running wild in Bankstown & Lakemba

Is there a bounty on those ferals yet ?

[bluerob]

Not sure about Puma's but there's plenty of Adidas running wild in Bankstown & Lakemba

Is there a bounty on those ferals yet ?

x 50, but, I'll get into trouble off someone.

[headspace]

of course Pumas exist, I say a government grant for an extensive hunter-led research project involving all national park, state forests is called for, $10million should be enough, and after 5 year project we can definitively answer the question of whether or not another 5 year /$10million is required to further the research (isnt that how it works!)

The Vic gov discussed the matter a few yrs ago;

Melbourne-based big cats researcher Michael Moss said he had been telephoned by a DSE scientist wanting copies of his research and who asked him to keep the contact secret.
care of the Herald-Hun;
"Melbourne-based big cats researcher Michael Moss said he had been telephoned by a DSE scientist wanting copies of his research and who asked him to keep the contact secret.
There is no doubt they (big cats) are out there," Mr Moss said, adding that the recent rediscovery of the Tiger Quoll in the Otways again proved how easy it was for animals to remain undetected in wilderness area for long periods of time."

If it bring income to remote forest towns great!, isnt that the reason for Nessy? only decade and decades later locals admitted the sightings were a con...

We did have African Lions in Vic years ago, they either caught or shot one out around Ballarat (or was it Bendigo) as I recall.....

I think that a very good idea. If some clods can get grants for things like how big is a ball of string, then a conclusive expose on the mating habits of black panthers in the Australian bush would be a natural progression.
JD

[North East]

No pics ever!!...no bodies....no hair samples....all sounds like Loch Ness to me.

[Die Judicii]

I have never seen one, but I do believe there are "big cats" out there.
About 4 year ago my daughter was on her trail bike and I was on the Quad, riding through scrub on a 4WD trail.
We saw in the damp soft sand approx. 15 or so foot prints that were definitely feline, and about 4 1/2" across and 3/4" deep.

So we are firm believers that big cats do in fact exist.
I used to own property that bounded that scrub, and saw other things that only supported my belief.
One day I found a dead eastern grey roo about 40 metres in from the fence, and apart from no other injury, it was missing its head.
The next morning I went to take pics of it, and found that it was now on the scrub side of the wire netting fence.
The netting was anchoured in the ground so it had to have been taken over the fence.
It had the rib cage opened and only the heart and liver had been taken.

Apart from the fact that we didn't have a wild dog problem, that was not a signature kill of wild dogs either.