NSW Agriculture Report on information available on the reported large black cat in the Blue Mountains.
Prepared by: Bill Atkinson, Agricultural Protection Officer.
Still - Footage 2001 - Lithgow Cat
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Over the last 100 -150 years a large number of people have reported seeing large cats, up to lion size, in the Australian bush. These sightings have included animals like the Emmaville panther, the Kangaroo Valley panther and' the Grampians puma. Some believe that these animals are descendents of puma brought to Australia by American goldminers during the Australian gold rush in the mid-nineteenth century. This may explain why these sightings are generally made along the Great Dividing Range in eastern Australia and in the south-west of 'Western Australia where most of the early gold mining activity took place.
Kenthurst Animal Attack
Still - Footage 2001 - Lithgow Cat
Mr LYNCH: My question without notice is to the Minister for Regional Development, representing the Minister for Agriculture. What is the Government's response to community concerns about an alleged animal attack in the Kenthurst area? Mr CAMPBELL: Over the past three decades there have been some 60 separate reports of a large cat-like animal attacking livestock and people in Sydney's west, north west, the Blue Mountains and Lithgow. The animal has been described as being like a panther. Sightings have been reported to NSW Police, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Moss Vale Rural Lands Protection Board and NSW Agriculture. These sightings range from distant glimpses to close encounters.
