Another New Zealand Mystery Cat

Sightings of a large black feline in New Zealand were reported sporadically over the last few years. Now, someone thinks they've seen a large ginger-colored cat. From the latest news report:

"Folklore suggests that a large, black, panther-type animal is roaming Mid-Canterbury.
"Now, a huge ginger feline has been claimed to be in hill country further north, in the Waimakariri Gorge.
"Four hunters said they saw the cat gracefully padding along the hills above the gorge as they jet-boated upriver during the Christmas-New Year break. They could not believe their eyes, so they used the telescopic sights on their rifles to get a better view.
"They described it as a huge ginger cat slipping easily among the rocks and tussock. 'It was its tail and the way it moved that gave it away,' one of the hunters said.
"They said the cat was about a metre long and above knee-high to a man. Its tail was about 8cm in diameter and long. They were stunned at its size." ...
"They were reluctant to reveal the exact location.
"Conservation Department biodiversity programme manager Mike Ambrose said he would be surprised if there was an 'African plains-type' animal roaming the hills above the gorge.
"It was not unusual, however, to come across some large feral cats, particularly if there was a habitat nearby that treated them well.
"'Feral cats, depending on their home range, can grow large. It would be no surprise to find a few in the Waimakariri Gorge.
"'There has probably been a feral population of cats there for years,' he said.

[Full news posted to StrangeArk archive.]