Any wildlife experts among us?

[Pepper (Steve)]

Found these prints in the dirt outside my obs door on the weekend.
I’m loathe to say it’s a dog print as they displayed no claw marks which would have easily been seen.
Was heavy enough to push the gravel into the dirt, when I tried it needed quite a bit of pressure.
Prints are close to 10cm in diameter. 2 sets, one a touch smaller than the other.
I’m trying to keep an open mind, but I am swaying toward a big cat.
Anyone help identify these?

[JA]

Given the size of the paw prints your thoughts of it being a big cat would mean it would need to be a BIG CAT, so I would have thought unlikely unless we're talking escaped zoo animal. More likely, perhaps the print is from a dog with well clipped nails or the nail marks are somewhat imperceptible or washed/worn away. Have a good look around for more prints and/or call the local park ranger / council wildlife officer or the like.

Best
JA

[Pepper (Steve)]

We had a slight shower that morning. The prints appeared in the fresh soft earth thenight after the shower so they are pretty pristine prints. I can even see the fingerprints.
I found about 14 prints in all. Had a good look around but the surrounding terrain is grass and limestone gravel so unfortunately no more to be found.
Whatever it is I hope I don’t bump into it at 4am coming out of the obs!

[xelasnave]

I can assure you it is the extinct bunyip ... However on a serious note I have had similar and we could not work it out .. possibly a wombat but you would think it would show claws...
Alex

[mura_gadi (Steve)]

Hello,

I've seen a several generational feral cat around Canberra, those things are exceptionally big. The one I saw had a lot of body hang over either end of a fairly large strainer post top. Far far away from the local tabbies you see cruising the edge of bush/suburb boundary.



Steve

[multiweb (Marc)]

Looks like a bic lighter to me but I'm not an expert in wild life.

[RB (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by multiweb

Looks like a bic lighter to me but I'm not an expert in wild life.

Marc's right and it looks like the redback variety.

[drylander (Peter)]

definitely a panther. Lots seem to have made it to the bush and bred up according to many 'experts'. Funny how they always escape in pairs. Or maybe the bunyip. Oh wait its most likely a Tassie Tiger....rarer than a bunyip.
Pete

[gary]

Most likely a feral cat.

Referring to the identification chart in my copy of Tracks, Scats And
Other Traces - A Field Guide to Australian Mammals, Barbara Triggs, the
best match I make is for a cat.

Nothing else comes close.

I can also tell you from the identification charts it is not a dog, fox or wombat.

Triggs, along with photos, also offers the following notes :-

Originally Posted by Tracks, Scats And Other Traces - A Field Guide to Australian
Mammals, Barbara Triggs, Oxford Press

A cat's toe pads are arranged almost in a semi-circle of the large central
pad. The footprints are rounder than those of a dog or a fox.
The claws do not usually show in the prints.

See ABC article here for examples of how big plain old domestic cats can get once feral :-
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-07-...ralia/11307684

[Pepper (Steve)]

I’ll be getting a camera to put outside the obs.
Gary, If it’s a cat it’s got to be a whopper. Hopefully it comes back when I get the camera up.
Marc & Andrew, it’s ok, the red bellied bic is tame. I’m more worried about the Daruka Beast that may or may not exist. Maybe a covered and caged walkway between the obs and house is on the cards.

[RB (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by Pepper

Marc & Andrew, it’s ok, the red bellied bic is tame.

Steve, I'm glad you saw the lighter side of our reply.

[mura_gadi (Steve)]

Hello,

I think the only real thing to do now with all the interest stirred up is to try and get a picture of the bugger. Or see if the local park ranger might be interested in trying trap the "thing".


I'd be careful about red belly bic's, they can flare up and do funny things towards the end of life.



Steve

[Boozlefoot]

Nemingha Lynx, last seen Moonbi Ranges 1943.

[MortonH]

Install a camera then tie up a goat outside the observatory.

[Boozlefoot]

Stalking north of Tamworth
Noel Sadler has seen a big black cat in north of Tamworth twice in his lifetime, both in the 80s.

The first was in the hills west of the Bendemeer area.

“We saw it from the other side of a hill,” he said.

“We walked down to where it was and saw big footprints. A news crew came out and did a story on it, and got vision of the footprints.”

The second time was hunting on a property at night. He even tired to design a motion-triggered camera to capture an image of the illusive beast.

“I build the box but I never finished it – as you can imagine in the 80s, such a thing would have been very expensive,” he said.

“In the 80s there were a large number of sightings in the area at that for about 10 years.”

[Pepper (Steve)]

Originally Posted by MortonH

Install a camera then tie up a goat outside the observatory.

Got a spare?. I’m all out of goats, they keep disappearing….


Thanks boozlefoot for that info.
Now, I don’t think I come from a line of loonies, but my dad has seen the beast mentioned in that article. I grew up between Tamworth and moonbi at a place called Tintinhull. I still live in the area at the foot of the divide.
It was common knowledge of a panther like creature back in the 80’s.
a bloke up the road from us was heavily invested in finding it.
I used to sweat bullets riding my pushie around at night.