Welcome to Yowie Tracks
Yowie Tracks is an exploration into the mystery of Australia’s unknown animals. Australia is home to many unique cryptozoological mysteries, extending back to the time of first settlement, and beyond that into Aboriginal lore and legend. To the uninitiated, the concept of strange undiscovered animals existing in modern times is commonly placed into the realm of myth and fiction. The concept of these strange animals existing unbeknown to science is almost unfathomable in todays’ society of technological advancement. As it is with similar cases around the world, modern news reports in Australia of sightings and encounters are commonly portrayed as ridiculous and comical, even though there exists an extensive and consistent history of documented reports since the arrival of Europeans to the continent. This information has always been here, but most people just never look. The purpose of his site is to provide an insight into the nature and variety of these accounts, to provoke thought, and provide an introduction into a perplexing phenomenon that is truly worthy of future scientific investigation. This site aims to share many unique accounts collected over many years by myself, family, friends and colleagues to provide a starting point for further thought on the topic away from the ridicule and unfavourable portrayal of the mainstream media. With historical accounts, current news, sightings reports, opinion pieces, stories and yarns, we aim to provide a glimpse into Australia’s own unique cryptozoological mysteries.
As a starting point on understanding the Australian perspective, the predominant sightings in Australia consist of the following cryptids:
The Yowie/Hairy Man/Yahoo: A tall muscular bipedal man-like entity covered in hair that is believed to inhabit the wilderness of Australia. Stories of these creatures existed well before the arrival of Europeans with legends described by the Aboriginal peoples of a “Hairy Man” who inspired both reverence and terror. A phenomenon synonymous with the Sasquatch of North America, the story of the Hairy Man is one that has persisted in Australia, with sightings and stories still a common occurrence today.
The Thylacine/Tasmanian Tiger: What was believed to be the last known Thylacine died in captivity in the Hobart Zoo in 1936. Falsely labelled a livestock killer, the Thylacine was relentlessly hunted to extinction in the State of Tasmania, considered their last isolated shelter in Australia. As fossil records and Aboriginal cave art tell us, the Thylacine was once prevalent on mainland Australia. A dog-like marsupial, which inherited the “Tiger” moniker from its characteristic stripes and the “cat-like” way it hunted. A truly unique Australian animal, possessing a “pouch” like that of it’s marsupial counterparts. Although the Thylacine was officially declared extinct in 1986 due to lack of conclusive evidence, sightings of the animal have persisted in Tasmania and on the Mainland inspiring hope that this once majestic creature has clinged to existence in the vast Australian bush.
The Marsupial Lion/Yarri/Queensland Tiger: Fossil evidence describes a formidable beast, a semi-arboreal hunter possessing an enlarged thumb claw encased in a sheath, whose unique dentition was considered capable of slicing through bone. The cat-like predator Thylacoleo carnifex was no cat, but rather a highly specialised marsupial, considered the largest native carnivore to have ever existed. Studies on the jaw design of Thylacoleo carnifex suggest that it also had the most powerful bite of any mammalian predator, living or extinct. Believed to have suffered a similar fate to other megafauna following the arrival of Aboriginals on the continent, sightings of strange cat-like forms in the Australian bush have been attributed to remnant populations of these marsupial predators.
Big Cats: Sightings of large feline predators matching descriptions of the panther have consistently provoked thought and fear for decades. Australia, having no native feline species due to millennia of geographical isolation, should not naturally have large black panthers roaming the Australian bush. Commonly considered to be the result of circus escapees, feral mega cats, or military mascots released into the bush, evidence shows that the sightings are numerous and may not be as easily explained by the aforementioned theories.
The Bunyip: A truly unique Australian phenomenon. Tales of strange beasts, often associated with an aquatic habitat have been documented since early European settlement. Although possibly explainable in many cases as a misidentification of some real Australian fauna, the concept of the Bunyip was one that fascinated and often terrified the early colonial Australians.
Please read further, explore the variety of information provided as we grow this site and hopefully gain a new unique perspective on the topic.
Yowie Tracks 