Australian Mystery Attack
Farmers in the Geelong district paddock continue to suspect that big felines are responsible for attacks on livestock, including a recent attack on a foal. A veterinarian could not rule out a wild dog pack as the culprit. (News source.)
posted by Chad Arment @ 8:29 PM
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I examined this foals remains the day it was found at the invitation of the owner. It had been collected and preserved before any carrion eaters could get to it. Despite the report by the vet earlier in the day the foal displayed trauma to the throat and the back of the head, the atlas bone being clearly pushed away from the base of the skull. The eyes were forced from their sockets similar to a car impact accident victim. Birds were not involved or the eyeballs would have been removed completely. It did not resemble a kill by dogs at all as it was neat and tidy and the shear marks on the ribs were done by substantial carnasial teeth. Within 2km adult healthy sheep have contiued to be taken, killed and eaten, about every week to ten days right through this winter. I maintain a photographic record of stock and wildlife kills and the nature of these supposed "panther" kills quite distinctive. On a couple of occaisions in recent as well as more remotel times, a "black panther" has been seen in this general vicinity, not wandering or wild dogs which local farmers and hunters(including me)would have brought to account early on. This phenomenon is widespread in southern Australia but poorly documented. My own records run into the scores however, as I have been documenting this phenomen for thirty years now, since my youth. Only a specimen or series of them properly vouchered and maintained in a public collection will solve this issue.
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