Terrified teen's torchlight revealed monster cat, 1.25m long

Gympie region sighting: Torch light reveals monster cat, 1.25m long covered in black shiny fur with razor sharp teeth estimated to be at least two-inches long

A terrfied teen says he has come face to face with the Glenwood panther.

WHEN he heard his dog madly barking in the middle of the night, James Fowler went outside his Glenwood home to investigate.

CLICK HERE: Big cat caught on video

There, he came face-to-face with a beast which unbeknown to him, was somewhat of a local legend.

READ MORE: Truckie mauled in feral cat attack at Kybong

James Fowler saw the panther-like creature at the driveway of his Glenwood home. Pictured with partner Zavanna Larkin and dog Buffy. Picture: Annie Perets

His torch light revealed a monster cat, about 1.25m in length covered in black shiny fur with razor sharp teeth which he estimated to be at least two-inches long.

He firmly believes it was the Glenwood panther, which, over the decades, has been touted as the descendant of a big cat which escaped from the circus in the late 1800s and bred with local feral cats.

James, 16, said the sight of the monstrous cat genuinely made him fear for his life.

"It looked like it was ready to pounce," James said.

ATTACK: The 'clinical and clustered' scratches found on this horse at Lower Wonga are thought to be from a big cat. Picture: Contributed

"I don't run from anything, but I ran from it."

James said even Buffy, his tough guard dog, "s*** herself" when confronted by the intruder.

He was educated on the Glenwood panther, a mysterious feline which is said to prowl through woods behind Tiaro when he told others of the experience.

ATTACK: The 'clinical and clustered' scratches found on this horse at Lower Wonga are thought to be from a big cat. Picture: Contributed

He said he did not believe it was an ordinary feral cat, because "cats don't get that big". The encounter, which lasted about 30 seconds, happened about 1am on Tuesday.

But the shock of the experience refused to abate until later, especially as he could hear the animal growling into the night.

"It had a really high-pitched distinctive sound," James said.

"I wish I had seen its claws."

James, who says the animal should be shot before someone is hurt, thinks he also saw a smaller version of the panther, potentially its kitten, earlier in the night.

He's worried there are more out there.

His partner's mum, Carla Larkin, said her family had lived in the region since 1980, and despite hearing about it over the years, previously believed it was a myth.

They said they contacted authorities after the sighting, including police and the Fraser Coast Regional Council to report the animal, but claim they weren't believed. They'll be keeping their pets inside for the time being for safety.

The big cat stories just keep coming. Picture: Contributed

But they're not the only ones who have had an encounter with the Glenwood panther.

A sighting near Mungar of a "big cat" that was "dark in colour" with a "very long tail" was reported last month, as listed on the Australian Big Cat Research Group website which is dedicated to documenting sightings.

Earlier this month, a Gympie truckie was left bloodied and bruised after being attacked by a large black cat.

The Gympie region has previously been dubbed a Queensland hotspot for big cat sightings by former Australia Zoo big cat handler Vaughan King.

Gympie Regional Council said there had been two sightings of big cats in the past year.

A black panther. Picture: Contributed

"Reports have described the animal as being 'as a large black cat' and 'like a panther'," a council spokesman said.

"Apart from occasional reported sightings, council have not been able to collect evidence or images of such animals in the Gympie region and therefore there is no immediate cause for alarm."