Hey folks

Remember up until about that late sixties/early seventies there were always stories floating around on the news about the elusive Emmaville black panther.

All sorts of people were alleged to have seen it and back in the early 1900's a guy is alleged to have sent a skin to Sydney for tanning that they reckoned was a black panther.

Then there was this one that appeared in the newspapers up that way


Quote:

newspaper article, March 11, 1969 pp 258-259 by Keith Willey The Beast that Lives in the Ranges Arthur contemplates the one that got away ..."... I'd set one trap ... ... as I walked up, this thing charged at me. It just missed my left arm and I jumped sideways very promptly. It sprang at me again but luckily the trap .. by which it was held ... was well pegged in the ground. I was thunderstruck; I'd never seen or heard of anything like this." "The beast was caught by the right leg. I reckon it was about the size of a large Alsatian dog. It was cat-like but under it's tail it had the distinct hump which is characteristic of a marsupial." "The museum in Sydney sent me a drawing of a thylacine, but it wasn't that. This was something new. It had sharp claws about one and a half inches long which it could poke in and out like a cat. It would produce them from nowhere and they were beauties too." "It had a long nose, sharp and slightly turned up at the snout. The mouth came right back under the ears - six inches back. It would take your leg into its mouth quite easily. Those tremendous jaws were full of teeth, including four great fangs, two on top, two on bottom, each a couple of inches long and curving slightly backward." "I've seen panthers and leopards in the zoo and it wasn't one of them. As for native cats and tiger cats, there was just no resemblance - even apart from the size." "The animal was dark brown with black stripes and the stripes were more prominent at the rear. They sort of faded into the fur in front. Leading down to the tail, the stripes had feathered edges. The tail was striped for part of the way and it ended in a tuft of hair." "The body seemed to be lower in front than at the back. It was shaped something like a kangaroo when it's down feeding, only it was deeper chested. It had big paws. The front legs were thick and strong and it bounded about on all fours. The ears were triangular, more peaky than a 'roo's, and it would twitch them backward and forward. As it sprang at me, it would make a noise in its throat like a flock of parrots taking off." "I grabbed a long stick and belted the thing. The stick was thicker than my arm but the beast splintered the end like it was nothing. It would strike with its feet and teeth. I've got a good eye but I had a lot of shots before I got one home. I belted and belted it until it had blood pouring from its nostrils." "I was sure it was dead and I dragged it onto a log. I tell you it was heavy. I had a good look at the thing as it lay there with its blood dripping on the ground. Then I went away to get a horse so I could take the body down the road. ... ... The thing must have recovered, because by the time I returned, it had disappeared. I followed a trail of blood spots up to a big heap of rocks." "For a week I went back to that place with a 0.32 rifle. I was determined to get this thing. ... ... I'd been there half an hour, sitting on a log with the rifle across my knees. I had the hammer cocked and was holding it with my thumb so I'd be quick. Suddenly I saw one of these brutes on a low rock no more than 50 yards away. This was a different one because it was quite uninjured." "It saw me at the same time. With a quick, tremendous leap of at least three yards it disappeared down a crevice. I never saw one of them again. These animals are fast and slinky and will go for their lives on sight. But, believe me, don't corner one - they are fast and dangerous." Arthur allowed he was not much of an artist but he drew a sketch of his marsupial panther. Artist Rod Scott drew this image from a rough sketch by Arthur Davies.

This is his sketch
http://www.thylacoleo.com/desertcats/emmaville/emma22.jpg

Makes you wonder.

Any thoughts.



Derek

Here is another article


Quote:

THE EMMAVILLE PANTHER According to the Inverell Times 1902, Harry Leader and his brother were camped on Horse Stealers Gully a few miles east of Keera. One night they heard a blood curdling roar and for a brief moment they saw an animal in the fire light. One of the brothers shot it. They then sent the slain animal to Sydney for tanning. The tanner informed them that it was a panther. The first sighting in the Emmaville District was by Mr Don Clifford in 1958. He was walking along a path in the Gulf area looking for his horse which had strayed when he came across a long black creature, sitting on the path. He doesn't claim it was a panther but says that it was cat-like and would have been at least 6 foot long and was jet black. In the same year, politician, Stan Wyatt, saw a big black animal like a panther near Tenterfield. Others who have sighted the animal include Rev Canon W. J. Pritchard of Guyra and Doctor R. S. Patterson of Glen Innes. Mrs A. M. Potter and her son, Peter, have seen it twice. The first time was near Bunzulla, a few miles outside Tenterfield in 1963 and in February 1968. Mrs Potter looked out her window at 6am and saw the panther walking quietly out of a creek 200 yards from the house. She called her son, Peter and wife, Cathy, and watched the cat through binoculars for some few minutes. Peter described the animal as a large black cat about 5ft long and about 18 inches to 2ft high. It was about this time it was reported as many as 40 sheep were killed over one weekend and many other animals were reported to have been killed and claw marks were found on what remained of the carcases.

Derek
Back in the 1960's I went to country dance in "Deepwater" a small country town in the New England of N.S.W and I seen this old Sheila who had a stole around her neck. I thought it was a very large dingo x breed. (very dark)  I was told later it was a cat skin taken many years before.
Whether it was one skin or many sewn together I will never know.
(PS..The skin or the old Shelia that is something I will not divulge) I was about 20 at the time.( No I don't  have the skin)
muzz

NEWS FLASH
THE EMMAVILLE PANTHER was sighted just west of Nebo last week with a fully grown kangeroo in it's mouth by a local politician

Reckon I shot him a few weeks ago. Seen leaving campsite at Warwick with Camp oven in mouth complete with saddle of roo. Would have taken a few snaps but camera jammed and batteries were flat.
Meal was saved
skiproosel