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More evidence is needed before the stories of a legendary giant cat on the South Island can be believed, says an associate professor of ecology at the University of Lincoln.
Mark Orr’s vision of an animal he believes was a black panther on the Perseverance Bike trail near Hanmer Springs.
Photo: Supplied / Mark Orr
Christchurch osteopath Mark Orr was mountain biking at the Perseverance trail near Hanmer around noon Sunday when he swears he saw a black panther prowling the road in front of him.
You are not the first person to claim that they have seen the legendary big cat … there have been many alleged sightings since the 90s.
So could it really be a panther? Where did it come from and what was it?
Lincoln University ecology scholar James Ross wasn’t convinced the cat calls were piling up.
“I mean these things weigh 200 to 250 pounds (90-114 kg), standing on their hind legs, they’re eight feet off the ground; I think it would have made more of an impression.”
It’s hard to know what people are really seeing, he said.
Wild cats can get quite large, but there is a big difference between something that weighs between 8 and 10 kilos compared to something that weighs more than 100 kg, Ross said.
He said the big question is what would he be living on.
“These things eat deer, they eat large animals, you would think they would have predated cattle, even people’s pets would disappear or something … they are carnivores, they eat a lot of meat, you would think there would be reports that something was happening in the area that I would corroborate “.
Ross said the only way a big cat could roam New Zealand would be if it had been illegally introduced.
“So someone would have to have brought it in illegally and whether or not it escaped … considering how particular we are around the borders, it would be quite difficult to do.”
Ross said those who reported it definitely saw something and it would also be concerning if there were some large wild dogs on the loose in areas like Fiordland.
He said more proof would be needed from the sites where people have said they have seen big cats before he is ready to believe the claims.
Ross said he would want the claims to be verified by visiting the sites where people believe they have seen animals that would produce excrement or fur that could be analyzed for DNA, if they existed.
“Usually, although what happens is not that after you see one of these, there are also many reports that you see something similar.”
But it doesn’t rule out the fact that people think they’ve seen them.
“They’ve definitely seen something, it’s different, they’re not sure what it is.”
