Couple sees 'cat-like' mystery animal bolting from scrub near Ferntree Gully National Park

A LARGE mystery animal described as "cat-like" was seen bolting from scrub near the Ferntree Gully National Park.

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A LARGE mystery animal described as "cat-like" was seen bolting from scrub near the Ferntree Gully National Park.

Ferntree Gully couple Carol and Michael McNamara were going for a walk at 6am recently when their little shih tzu poodle, Jack, darted off, hackles up, toward a long black animal that was sitting underneath scrub across the road.

The Olivebank Rd couple described the sighting as "bizarre" and said the animal did not look like a dog with its jet-black sleek body and long cat-like tail.

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"I'm not saying it was a panther or the mystery big cat but it didn't look anything like a dog."

Leader has reported many sightings of the big cat around Knox and the hills.

Last year, the State Government called off the investigation for wild big cats citing a lack of hard evidence to verify their existence in the state.

But Toolangi naturalist Bernie Mace said the study was "inconclusive" and said sooner or later someone would get evidence to prove big cats existed in the area.

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