Mysterious paw print the size of a human hand on a remote dirt track in the Blue Mountains sparks fears a ‘panther-like creature’ is on the loose
- Four large paw prints were found in a bush track in NSW’s Blue Mountains
- A Blue Mountains local said an expert confirmed the tracks were from a big cat
- There have been hundreds of sighting of big cats in the area but none confirmed
A mysterious paw print found on a dirt track in the Australian bush has led many to believe big cats are roaming the area.
Four large paw prints were found on a trail in Leura, in New South Wales’s Blue Mountains on Sunday.
Blue Mountains resident Kobe Bryant was running through the bush when he spotted the human hand-sized paw prints in the dirt.
He shared footage of his hand next to the paw prints online, sparking dozens of comments from people speculating where they came from.
Some suggested a wallaby, while others believed it could have been from the mythical black panther.
Mr Bryant said that due to the recent rainfall the track was untouched.
‘I thought how nice it was to be on a track with no human footprints,’ Mr Bryant told Daily Mail Australia.
‘We rounded the corner and I nearly fell on it because I was trying not to step on it.’
He said the tracks were each as big as his hand and ruled out the possibility of a dog because they aren’t allowed in national parks.
Four large foot prints were found in a bush track in the Blue Mountains with many speculating they belong to a big cat
The group decided to show the footprints to a member from the Hunting and Shooting Association who strongly believed they belonged to a big cat.
‘We showed him what we found and the length between the strides. We said that some people thought it was a wallaby and he said it definitely was not,’ Mr Bryant said.
‘He said that it was a big cat. The prints had no bottom pad mark, and the reason is that it was obviously chasing after something.’
A Blue Mountains resident was running through the bush when he spotted the large prints that measured as big as his hand
Mr Bryant said there has been numerous sightings of big cats throughout the Hawkesbury and Jenolan Caves regions.
‘They’re shy and very good at stalking. We want to expose the fact that there is cats and cougars and mountain lions out there,’ he said.
He said that in the wake of devastating bushfires that wiped out around one billion animals, the discovery of the big cat species in Australia would be remarkable.
‘The mountains are massive and we believe there are different pockets that hold secrets,’ he said.
Hundreds of sightings of a big cat lurking in the Blue Mountains have been made and rumours of its existence have been circulating for more than a century, but there has never been any undisputed evidence.
A possible panther sighting (pictured) took place near Cox’s Rover in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney in June 2018
There have been hundreds of sightings of big cats in NSW but none have ever been confirmed