By Tim Binnall
A rather sizeable animal print found in Australia has given rise to renewed speculation that there are 'mystery panthers' lurking the country. The intriguing discovery was reportedly made last month by members of a group devoted to exploring the island nation's picturesque Blue Mountains. During one such expedition to what they describe as "the middle of nowhere," the adventurers were surprised to stumble upon a massive paw print that was big as a human hand.
Posting pictures of their discovery on social media, the group explained that they turned over photos of the puzzling find to the Hunting Association of Australia, who indicated to them that the prints likely came from a very large cat. Their post went on to note that the area where the marks were found had been hit with a powerful storm that had essentially rendered the sand a proverbial 'blank slate' before whatever created the prints had come along and left behind the "soft and fresh" tracks.
As is often the case when new potential evidence appears, the discovery of the giant print has reignited a longstanding debate over the possibility that there are yet-to-be-recognized big cats living in Australia. Similar to what has happened in England over the years, sightings of these seemingly inordinately large felines had to the hypothetical creatures achieving almost mythical status. Explanations offered for their inexplicable presence in the country include a circus escape or perhaps a 'lost' animal akin to the thylacine.
Skeptical big cat researcher David Waldron chalked the phenomenon up to folklore rather than reality, citing a lack of what he called anything beyond "third-tier evidence" such as pictures or videos. His stance was echoed by an agricultural agency in Australia which asserted that "to date, there is no conclusive evidence of big cats or panthers being established" in the region. Be that as it may, the newfound print made a believer out of at least one member of the group who found it.
The explorer, who boasts the eyebrow-raising and apparently very real name Kobe Bryant, recalled that "I nearly fell over" upon spotting the print and marveled that it was unlike anything he had ever seen. As for what may have made the print, the man was certain that the apocryphal big cat had left it behind in the sand. "It's definitely out there" Bryant declared, "and it definitely exists." What do you think of the track that the group found in the Australian wilderness? Share your theory for what created it at the Coast to Coast AM Facebook page.