Big Cat Sighting in Australia

From the Geelong Advertiser:

"LORNE visitor Simon Raik-Allen said he would think twice about hiking in Otway forest after having seen a puma-like cat near Erskine Falls.
"Mr Raik-Allen said he was startled by the sighting 100 metres away in clear conditions on Erskine Falls Road at 5.30am.
"'When I saw it I thought what the hell is a panther doing in Australia,' Mr Raik-Allen said.
"He estimated the cat, with long looping tail, was about 1.5 metres long and half a metre high."