Since the mid 1800s, big cat spotters have made hundreds of reports of mysterious large black cats roaming in bushland across Australia. Despite these reported sightings and alleged video evidence, a black panther has never been caught in Australia.
Vertebrates. Currently only dogs, cats, rabbits, horses and selected species of birds from approved countries may be imported as pets and only when strict conditions are met. No other vertebrate animals are approved for import into Australia as pets.
The myth of black panthers roaming Australia has persisted for decades, with sightings reported in various regions across the country. From the Blue Mountains and Lithgow to the Otway Ranges, the Grampians, and Gippsland, these alleged encounters have ignited debates about the existence of these mysterious creatures.
habitat. Black panthers live chiefly in the hot, dense tropical rainforests of South and Southeast Asia. They are mainly in Southwestern China, Burma, Nepal, Southern India, Indonesia, and the southern part of Malaysia.
There are wild big cats in Australia
Large (sometimes black) feral dogs and dingoes, foxes and even wallabies explain some 'big cats' sightings, but not all of them. Australian big cats aren't just represented by eyewitness accounts and hazy photos, but by some pretty good photos, and also by a number of dead bodies.
Since the mid 1800s, big cat spotters have made hundreds of reports of mysterious large black cats roaming in bushland across Australia. Despite these reported sightings and alleged video evidence, a black panther has never been caught in Australia.
The Dingo is Australia's largest terrestrial carnivore, though it occasionally eats plants and fruits. They're opportunistic hunters, but will also scavenge food.
Melanistic leopards and jaguars are uncommon, with some studies estimating that at most 11 percent of these animals have this coloration. Confirmed sightings, however, are less frequent, and confirmed sightings of black leopards, especially in Africa, are rare events.
It is believed that black panthers do not exist in the wild anywhere in the United States, and tales to the contrary are often regarded as folklore or attributed to a mistaken identity. However, individuals who believe they have had encounters with them will tell you otherwise.
Jaguars have the most powerful jaws of all the big cats. Best estimates indicate only 600 black jaguars exist in the wild today.
They are most commonly referred to as panthers, a blanket term used to reference the dark/melanistic colour tone of leopards, jaguars and pumas. The most common theory about their arrival involves American military serviceman during World War Two, who supposedly brought pumas to Australia as their mascots.
A lifelong love of animals led Ben Britton to set up the Wild Cat Conservation Centre over 10 years ago. Today it is home to a number of endangered species of wild cats including cheetahs, clouded leopards, caracals and servals. It is the only centre in Australia where you can see clouded leopards.
The eastern cougar is known by many names-panther, painter, puma, mountain lion, or carcajou. It is officially listed as an endangered species by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) and receives full protection in Nova Scotia.
New evidence revealed recently provides yet more proof that big cats could be on the loose in Britain. Hair samples taken from a barbed wire fence near the site of a dead sheep in South England tested positive for black panther DNA after a documentary film crew followed the sample to a laboratory.
Really, the term black panther is refering to a melanistic (black) member of the Panthera family, or big cats. This means it could be a leopard, jaguar, lion or tiger. There were commonly black tigers until the turn of the 20th century.
In big cats, black panthers are actually jaguars or leopards. If you look closely enough, or have enough bright light, you can see spots amongst the dark fur. There has never been a confirmed or documented case of a melanistic mountain lion in the United States.
Black Puma
There are no authenticated cases of truly melanistic pumas. Black pumas have been reported in Kentucky, one of which had a paler belly. There have also been reports of glossy black pumas from Kansas and eastern Nebraska.
Black panthers tend to be far more aggressive and unpredictable than their colourful counterparts. They are also brilliant at hiding in the shadows of the jungle, using their dark coat to blend into the environment.
Contrary to popular belief, there are no black panthers in North America; no one has ever captured or killed a black Mountain Lion. Mountain Lions are also called cougars, pumas, panthers, painters, and catamounts. For more information see: Mountain Lions of Texas (PDF 235.5 Kb)
A white panther may then be a white cougar, a white jaguar, or a white leopard. Of these, white leopards appear to be the most common, although still very rare. In Greensboro, NC they have recently spotted a white panther and believe it was brought from France.
Panthers cannot be domesticated, as they are wild predators with strong instincts and behaviors. Attempting to keep a panther as a pet is not only dangerous but also can be illegal and impractical in many locations. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device.
Although in some cultures people believe that black panthers are dangerous animals, this isn't true. Panthers only attack if they feel threatened, so if you leave them alone, they will leave you alone.
The great white shark, the Australian cobra and crocodile are formidable predators and pose dangers to humans. But on average, all the people killed each year by snakes, crocodiles and sharks can be counted on just one hand.
Monarto Safari Park is home to one of Australia's largest lion prides. With three adult females, three sub-adult females, three adult males and three cubs, the lion habitat is always a hive of activity! The females within the pride consist of sisters Nia and Husani, who were born in April 2013.
Great White Sharks
Great white sharks are more common in the waters around Australia, but you will find them in New Zealand too. These incredible creatures are one of the world's apex predators and unfortunately, there have been fatal incidents in Aotearoa. The most recent of these was in 2021 in the North Island.