For the NRL rugby league team of similar name and location, see Penrith Panthers
In Australian folklore, the Blue Mountains panther or Lithgow panther is a big cat said to exist by residents of the Blue Mountains area, west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, or over a century.
Theories suggest the animal may be a descendant of big cats released by World War II US soldiers, which had been used as military mascots.[1] Alternatively, accounts of big cats released by travelling circuses, or which had escaped circuses, exist; as well as rumours that big cats were available for black market purchase in New South Wales in the 20th century.[1]
Over 500 sightings in 20 years have been reported of the panther.[1] In 2018, Grant Denyer and his wife, television producer Cheryl Rogers, reported to have sighted the cat on their property.[2] Photographs have also been recorded in Gippsland and Hawkesbury.[3] In 2002, a Kenthurst teenager Luke Walker was attacked by what he stated to be a large feline; he suffered deep lacerations.[4] Sightings have been made by a NSW Police Force detective, an officer of the Department of Agriculture, and Rural Fire Service personnel, as well as pilots.[4]
Encounters continue to be reported upon in national newspapers as of 2020, when video footage was allegedly recorded in the grounds of Sydney Adventist Hospital, Wahroonga[5][6] Most recently in April 2020, the Go Pro-associated Instagram collective bluemtns_explore shared photographs of alleged big cat tracks discovered during a mountain trek.[7] The Grose Vale Group, which has collected reports of sightings since 1998, claims it collects 20 to 30 sightings a year.[8]
^ abc"Amid sightings and claims of a cover-up, could the Lithgow panther actually exist?". www.abc.net.au. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
^Bucklow, Andrew (12 November 2018). "Grant Denyer claims to have spotted the Blue Mountains panther". NewsComAu. News.com.au. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
^"Aussies share more sightings of big cats in backyards". NewsComAu. 10 December 2019.
^ ab"Hunt for the black panther". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 February 2005. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
^"Peep This Crystal Clear Footage Of What Looks To Be A Fucking Lithgow Panther In Sydney". Pedestrian TV. 23 July 2020.
^"Black panther caught on video in Sydney's North Shore". NewsComAu. News Corporation. 23 July 2020. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
^Loomes, Phoebe (26 April 2021). "Influencers find evidence of big cats". news.com.au. News corp. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
^"Amid sightings and claims of a cover-up, could the Lithgow panther actually exist?". ABC News. 12 June 2018.
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