September 22, 2008
1933: Puma Hunt in Oz
For those that think that “panther safaris” and “puma hunts” are recent happenings in Australia, here’s an old one.
The Courier-Mail, Brisbane, Australia, November 25, 1933:
IS IT A PUMA?
Mystery Animal.
SEARCH ORGANISED.
MELBOURNE, November 24.
A party armed with heavy rifles will make a thorough search tomorrow in an endeavour to clear up
the mystery of the strange animal, which has been lurking In the rugged bush country near Briagolong, Gippsland, and has been alarming settlers for some “time.
Unlike the mystery “lioness” seen at Mount Best, near Toora, the Briagolong mystery beast has not
been caught sight of, but numerous sets of its tracks have been seen. Footprints which were 3ft apart from front to hind paws were each 6in long and 4in wide. They resembled the footprints of a cat.
After comparing the footprints with those illustrated in a book on animals a local resident is of the opinion that the beast is a puma. Recently a large number of sheep were found dead in peculiar circumstances on various properties in’ the district. The only marks of violence were two holes
punctured in the sheep’s throats, from which the blood appeared to have been sucked.
Thanks to Jerome Clark for this archival story. He adds: “As I’m sure most of you know, pumas are not native to Australia. — J. Clark.”
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
Email • Facebook • Twitter •
Filed under Alien Big Cats, Cryptomundo Exclusive, Cryptotourism, CryptoZoo News, Cryptozoologists, Cryptozoology, Mystery Cats, Year In Review