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Panther sightings spike

20 Aug, 2008 04:00 AM
A LARGE black cat surprised a Glenorie woman last week on her 50-acre property, the latest in a spate of ‘panther’ sightings across the north-west of Sydney.

Cheryl Gilbert, who runs her essential oils business Balanced Essentials from her bush acreage, saw the animal, which she described as “bigger than a labrador”, while jogging on her property.

“It was black-brown and looked dappled in the light, with a slight leopard look, a reasonably sized tail…it sort of curved up a bit,” she told The Gazette last week.

Ms Gilbert was too frightened to continue her jog and called her husband to come and get her so she would not risk running into the cat again. “This is really serious. It should be dealt with, and quickly. When you can’t even walk on your own property because you’re terrified…it’s not good at all,” she said.

“We’ve contacted a lot of people...police, zoos...it concerns me that we’ve had no help whatsoever. We used to have a lot of wallabies and now we have none.”

A similar cat-like animal has also been sighted throughout the Hawkesbury and as far afield as Berowra, Kenthurst, Maraylya and Middle Dural in the past eight years.

Readers can report all big cat sightings to Chris Coffey by calling 4572 1291 for inclusion in a confidential database.

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Date: Newest first | Oldest first
My grandaughter and I also saw the 'Panther' at approx 1am on Stevens Rd Glenorie,on 3rd Aug 08,it ran in front of our car and was as big as our Golden Retrievers, my son also saw it cross Stevens Rd in the evening a few weeks before that, same description.
Posted by Wendy, 20/08/2008 4:46:03 PM
I have also seen the panther in glenorie where we live...it came right up to me at our back house paddock gate around dusk. It was snarling like a cat but looked like it was well fed and possibly somewhat used to humans in the way it approached me...only to about 10 feet or so. maybe some idiot is feeding them? I yelled and bashed a tin bin close by and it surried away.
Posted by max, 19/09/2008 6:23:21 PM
I had the privelege of observing a young panther (it's ears and tail were very distinctive, the size of a labrador) playing in the grass, pouncing around on all four like a young kitten for approximately 20 minutes neaby my house at dusk on 18th June, 2008 and again late September/Oct on my neighbour's property I saw a larger more mature animal from a distance, possibly the same animal Cheryl witnessed on her second sighting.
Posted by Sandy, 8/12/2008 10:33:51 AM
My family and I spotted what looked like an extremely large and muscular black cat crossing the highway just outside of Cullen Bullen on Saturday afternoon. Its body was about the size of a medium sized dog, had a long thick tail and was jet black in colour. It didnt seem concerned by the approaching car as it slowly crossed the road in front of our approaching car. We observed it for about 10 seconds before it disappeared into the bush.
Posted by Keith, 15/12/2008 9:47:35 AM
my brother and his mates went out to bents basin which is not far from glenorie early hours of the morning to catch snakes when they heard little animals getting aten then they heard a loud roar and seen a fast animal believed to be the panther
Posted by sam, 9/01/2009 12:37:45 PM
have seen the same panther 11 years ago his desciption is very much as the same one as i seen. hunting pigs a long time ago he would have bin in his prim then . he would have to be at least 15 years old now . seen him black springs near oberon .good to know im not going mad he looks more like a mountan lion than anything. or jag and it seems to be able to jump or lornch a fair distance. from shane
Posted by ratts, 18/03/2009 5:23:42 PM
3rd July, Friday night 11.00pm myself and my house mate saw a large animal moving in a paddock. It was slinky in movement as a cat would move, looked very feline in its body, long shoulders, possibly a similar height and length of a larger doberman (prob 1.25 size of a doberman). It definately moved like a jaguar so it confused me as the pony was at the fence so it wasnt him and as we watched it we realised it was possibly a dangerous situation for us even though we were in the vehicle and took off from there - we were both shocked. Told Castle Hill police next day and they said they have had many similar reports and also mainly from Glenorie and Kenthurst. We were in Glenorie - but also last week in Arcadia something scared the horses late at night while i was out there & it was the older horses who rarely spook - there eyes were like saucers, they were very unsettled. Also 2 years ago, I was sleeping at my ex's house in Castle Hill and we were woken up by very very very strange growling sound - like a lower pitched tiger growling than suddenly an animal yelping as if caught by something. We were both stunned and didnt know what could make that sound as we said it sounded large cat family like but it just didnt make sense.
Posted by Samantha, 6/07/2009 9:06:10 AM
3rd July, 2009 Friday night 11.00pm myself and my house mate saw a large animal moving in a paddock. It was slinky in movement as a cat would move, looked very feline in its body, long shoulders, possibly a similar height and length of a larger doberman (prob 1.25 size of a doberman). It definately moved like a jaguar so it confused me as the pony was at the fence so it wasnt him and as we watched it we realised it was possibly a dangerous situation for us even though we were in the vehicle and took off from there - we were both shocked. Told Castle Hill police next day and they said they have had many similar reports and also mainly from Glenorie and Kenthurst. We were in Glenorie - but also last week in Arcadia something scared the horses late at night while i was out there & it was the older horses who rarely spook - there eyes were like saucers, they were very unsettled. Also 2 years ago, I was sleeping at my ex's house in Castle Hill and we were woken up by very very very strange growling sound - like a lower pitched tiger growling than suddenly an animal yelping as if caught by something. We were both stunned and didnt know what could make that sound as we said it sounded large cat family like but it just didnt make sense.
Posted by Samantha, 6/07/2009 9:06:47 AM
LOL and they called you crazy.. Well I certainly don't and I 100 and 10% believe every story here why? Well I too have had incidents with these beasts..I tell you one of them Ok large cat spotted in area..big deal.. Scats appearing on bosses mulch pile..big deal.. Dogs howling and hiding when the beast is in the area..big deal Two sheep dragged over fences wool jarred on fence..big deal well getting bigger.. Bosses dog attacked large rake marks across it's side, gash opened up shoulder on other side..hmm could it be? 1.5K away Cows mauled ribs eaten out.. The end of Bosses street and 40 meters away from sheep kill smells like the zoo cats cage (wreaks of cat piss) for a good 20 meters at least,down the street. Finally arrived at bosses darkish not too late with a mate..boss not home and what is that strange howl growl..hmm sticks braking.. hmm another climbing down from tree.. hmm...last knock on bosses front door As we turn to see those gleaming eyes and high shoulders in the dark very close so close in fact it got belted with metal buckets and anything on my bosses porch but strangely it did nothing to the beast, it barley twigged. I will never ever forget those eyes.
Posted by Daniel, 22/08/2009 1:16:03 AM, on Hawkesbury Gazette
If everyone is so scared of this cat, why doesn't someone shoot it? Just a thought, just a thought ...
Posted by Chrissi189, 23/09/2009 10:48:00 AM, on Hawkesbury Gazette
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Feline frenzy: Large black cats like this jaguar are being seen all over Sydney’s north-west.
Feline frenzy: Large black cats like this jaguar are being seen all over Sydney’s north-west.

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