Signs the Solution

Signs the Solution

BIG cat spotters have rejected Premier Nathan Rees suggestion of a formal investigation, instead demanding signs be erected warning of the safety threat the mysterious mammal poses. Just two weeks ago, the newly-elected premier said he would consider an investigation into the cats presence.


The first reported big cat sighting was reported in the Times in 2003.

There have now been hundreds of sightings of the large feline which started in 2003 (Greg-ctually Rex tried for 25 years to have an article on the panther in the Hills Shire Times without success, but after more sightings they wanted stories) when a young man contacted the Hills Shire Times starting that he had been slashed by the animal.

Hawkesbury State Liberal MP Ray Williams has rejected Mr Rees idea and come up with one of his own. After 380 sightings I dont think we can accept that this is an urban myth, Mr Williams said. This presents a threat to children because large cats prey is about the size of a young child.

Maraylya resident Greg Illingsworth spotted what he believed was an adult panther in the Hawkesbury region earlier this year. At the time I was in a state of primal fear, Mr Illingsworth said. Unless I had a hallucination it was a full size panther, it looked about 80kg.

Mr Illingsworth wants government intervention to avoid the risk of human casualties. We need greater surveillance, such as using thermal imaging cameras. The possibility of an attack on people is slowly mounting, he said.

Big cat researcher Chris Coffey has spotted five big cats and now contributes to a website database that has tallied 380 cat sightings. The Grose Vale resident wants more public warnings about big cats.

They are a breeding population with no physical boundaries. We need to be vigilant about this, Mr Coffey said.