Big cat expert offers theory after viral ‘panther’ footage goes viral

An Australian big cat expert has weighed in after a clip of a supposed “panther*” went viral on social media early last week.

The footage, which has had over 2.5 million views, shows a large, jet black cat strolling along a road in Victorian bushland.

Some viewers were quick to call it “proof” of Australian big cat folklore*, but former Australian Zoo big cat keeper and expert Vaughan King has shared his theory on the animal captured in the viral video.

“It’s almost certainly just a healthy-looking black feral* cat with its winter coat,” Mr King told news.com.au.

For years, people have believed that Australia’s vast, untamed bushland could be hiding more than just kangaroos and kookaburras.

In late April 2024, prospector* Angus James filmed what appeared to be a large, jet‑black feline near Ballarat, Victoria.

At the time, he told news.com.au that he spotted the animal in his paddock as he was driving past.

“I pulled up and went to zoom in on it with my camera. And then it sort of took off,” Mr James said.

“It was obviously a big cat – massive – bigger than your average house cat, that’s for sure,” he said.

Several online databases track “big cat” sightings across Australia. Among the most common descriptions are those of large, black or tan-coloured cats resembling panthers or pumas*.

Big cat origin* theories are almost as plentiful as the sightings themselves.

Some theories suggest that the so-called big cats are escapees from private zoos, circuses, or exotic pet owners.

Federation University Ballarat historian Dr David Waldron told ABC RN in 2018 that the possibility of big cats being another introduced species” was “not particularly absurd”.

Dr Waldron researched government and media archives* to uncover evidence of the early exotic animal trade in Australia, including instances of escaped circus animals.

“I came across one case in NSW where disgruntled* performers let three tigers loose when they quit,” he said.

Another theory is that today’s cats might be descendants of mascots abandoned by World War II American soldiers.

“There definitely have been individual big cats in the bush out there from time to time, even quite recently; that’s documented,” Dr Waldron said.

“Particularly in the 19th century, where you didn’t have quarantine regulations like we have today.”

Indeed, reports of big cats go back to the 1800s. A more recent 2001 Deakin University study concluded that evidence of big cats in the Grampians was “beyond reasonable doubt.”

In Vaughan King’s documentaryThe Hunt: In Search of Australia’s Big Cats, the big cat expert teamed up with veteran researchers John Turner and Simon Townsend to investigate the sightings.

The film investigated multiple reports across the Otways in Victoria, the Hunter Valley in New South Wales and south‑west Western Australia.

Mr King used long‑range camera traps, thermal drones, DNA sampling and intensive field investigations but did not find conclusive evidence.

In NSW, there have been over 560 reports of big cat sightings in the Hawkesbury, Blue Mountains and Lithgow areas since 1998.

In response, the Department of Primary Industries held four separate inquiries in 1999, 2003, 2008 and 2013.

In a 1999 letter to then National Parks and Wildlife Service director-general Brian Gilligan, Department of Agriculture head Kevin Sheridan warned: “The reports are becoming too frequent for us to ignore the possibility. To … do so could bring into question government’s duty of care.’’

Wildlife ecologist* Johannes Bauer was then asked to provide expert opinion.

“Difficult as it seems to accept, the most likely explanation of the evidence is the presence of a large, feline predator*,’’ he said.

“In this area, (it is) most likely a leopard*, less likely a jaguar*.’’

The 2008 report concluded: “There is no scientific evidence found during this review that conclusively proves the presence of free-ranging exotic large cats in NSW, but a presence cannot be discounted*, and it seems more likely than not on available evidence that such animals do exist in NSW.”

However, the 2013 inquiry returned bad news for folklore lovers. Invasive species* expert John Parkes called 500 eyewitness accounts “at best prima facie* evidence’’, saying “large dogs, large feral cats or swamp wallabies’’ were the likely candidates.

But eyewitnesses continue to disagree.

In 2020, professional photographer Amber Noseda captured a series of photos of a large, sleek black cat strolling into the bush in southwest Victoria in 2020.

That same year, TV host Grant Denyer revealed he had seen what he believed to be “sheep-sized” panthers on his Bathurst NSW property.

“I’ll give you an exclusive, and don’t think I’m crazy, but I am on the panther bandwagon* right now,” Denyer told news.com.au at the time.

“I’ve seen the panther twice on the bottom of my farm and I have video to prove it — although blurry and zoomed 10 times on my iPhone,” he said.

Whether stories of panthers quietly roaming the Australian bush are true or not remains unknown, but witnesses and researchers won’t give up the hunt for answers.

WAS THIS 2018 BLUE MOUNTAINS SIGHTING FOR REAL?

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GLOSSARY

• panther: large wild animal that belongs to the cat family, usually black, can live up to 25 years
• folklore: stories, myths, tales shared among a particular group of people
• feral: wild animals not owned or controlled by anyone
• prospector: someone whose job is searching for gold, oil, or other valuable substances
• archives: collected documents showing the history of a place, organisation or family as well as the place where these items are kept
• disgruntled: unhappy, annoyed, and disappointed about something
• pumas: large, brown wild cats found in North and South America
• origin: beginning or starting cause of something
• ecologist: scientist who studies the natural relationships between the air, land, water, animals, plants
• predator: animal that hunts, kills and eats other animals in order to survive
• leopard: large wild cat that has yellow fur with black spots, found in Africa and southern Asia
• jaguar: large wild animal of the cat family that lives in Central and South America
• invasive species: aggressive introduced species which spreads and dominates its new location, competing with and often replacing native species
• prima facie: at first sight, at first appearance or view
• bandwagon: activity, group, movement, etc. that has become successful or fashionable and so attracts many new people

EXTRA READING

Australia’s big cats’ cubs bonanza

Omar, that’s a big cat!

Zoo poo test puts glitter in kitty litter

QUICK QUIZ

1. What was big cat expert Vaughan King’s theory about the animal in the viral video?
2. How many times has the video been viewed so far?
3. Dr David Waldron came across one case where circus performers did what?
4. How many reports of big cat sightings have there been in NSW since 1998?
5. What tools did Mr King use when filming his big cat documentary and what did the team find?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Big cat debate
After reading all the evidence from multiple sources in this Kids News article, write the facts for and against the existence of big cats or panthers around Australia.

Evidence supporting the existence of big cats and location

Evidence against big cats existing within Australia

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Geography, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
If big cats do exist in various parts of Australia, but have remained well hidden, how do they survive in the bush?

What precautions should a person take if they come in close proximity with this type of animal?

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
Stretch your sentence
Choose one of the animals mentioned in the story and write it down.

Add three adjectives to describe them better.

Now add a verb to your list. What are they doing?

Add an adverb about how they are doing the action.

Using all the words listed, create one descriptive sentence.