“I am familiar with the cat family and I’m 99 percent that this was of similar size to a panther.”
black panther sighting – black mountain – Queensland
Year: Estimated between 2013 – 2016
Location: Mulligan Hwy – near Black Mountain – 25 km south of Cooktown, Queensland.
Environment: Savannah woodland.
Witness was travelling from Cooktown to Mareeba for work at approximately 3.15 am in the morning travelling about 80 km/hr. Witness describes “as I drove down the road just out of Black Mountain on the first big curve going left, my headlights struck what I am sure was a large black cat eating roadkill, and it immediately dodged into undergrowth on the side of the road.” The witness stated “I am familiar with the cat family and I’m 99 percent that this was of similar size to a panther“. The animal said to be “crouching and slinking, but was larger than any of the feral cats in the area and black as“.
Witness also describes a more recent incident while travelling north of Cooktown on a 1250 cc motorcycle at approximately 2030 hrs. The witness came over a rise at about 80 km/hr and encountered the animal body (large black cat) stretched across half the road. Witness couldn’t change direction and hit the dead animal, though managed to stay on the bike. The witness returned to the site the following morning, though there was no trace of the dead animal. Witness described the length of the black cat as approximately 160 cm.
Yowie Tracks 