By NOEL MURPHY
A FEAR of luring cowboy shooters into the local bushland keeps farmers from reporting more sightings of big cats and Tasmanian tigers, according to Freshwater Creek’s Harry Cook.
Recent reports suggest both animals may be found through the Otways but definitive evidence remains scarce.
The Independent has reported multiple claims in recent years – including a striped, wolf-like creature at Apollo Bay, a large animal with a hyena gait, wolfish head and strange colouring on Anglesea Road and scats from Wensleydale DNA-tested as black Asian leopards.
But Mr Cook, who claims to have sighted a metre-high striped creature near his own property, insists reports are few and far between compared to actual sightings and activity by the animals.
“There’s been a lot of people who’ve seen both animals but they won’t come forward because they’ll cop a lot of ridicule and bullying so they’re keeping quiet,” Mr Cook said.
“First time I went public I was told off by the locals. They said they don’t want cowboys shooting at them.”
Mr Cook said he’s been told of big cats and thylacine sightings by numerous people across the district and further afield: Moriac, Bambra, Anglesea, Gherang and more.
“One girl told me she’d seen a big cat crossing the road at Alvie, a girl from Bambra saw one at a milking shed, they come to dairies and lick up the milk.
“These people tell you they hear them all the time out in the bush. They say the cat sounds like a woman screaming. It puts the hairs up on the back of your head.
“One man in the Forrest area told me he saw one jump over a huge culvert in one bound and disappear.
“But if you say you saw something the locals will say you’re mad, we don’t talk about it because we don’t want the cowboys coming in and shooting at them.”
Researchers Simon Townsend and Dr David Waldron contend that wealthy 19th century squatters and others set up menageries with lions, tigers and other large cats imported from overseas. They believe the legendary bush puma to be melanistic Asian leopards brought to Australia by acclimatisation societies from colonial days.
“Big cats have a huge range, about 200km, you can see them here today and tomorrow up near Colac,” Mr Cook said.
“It’s a whole new story for us. We just think there are kangaroos and echidnas out there rather than something that can eat you.”
