THE legend of western Sydneys roaming, black, cat-like beast has begun converting self-proclaimed sceptics of the mythical creature.

This morning Leumeah resident Des Clissold had an encounter with a mysterious panther-like animal during his morning walk near Ruse, south-west of Sydney.

It was 7am when Mr Clissold crossed paths with the creature.

Until this morning, Mr Clissold was a self-declared denier of the “Macarthur panther’s” existence.

He’s now been converted.

“I’m usually a sceptic about these things, but I’m certainly not now,” he said.

“I saw a big black cat on my walk near Smith’s Creek Reserve.

“It was probably 20-25m from me, it was bounding across the fire trail there and disappeared into the bush in a matter of seconds.”

Mr Clissold considered the idea the animal could have been a black wallaby like those he had seen many times on his morning walks through the area during the past two years.

But he was unable to convince himself.

“It didn’t move like a wallaby. It didn’t look like one,” he said.

“It surprised me. It was smaller than a tiger and bigger than an alsation.

“It was a bloody big cat.”

media_camera Gavin Noakes was convinced these paw prints at Orangeville were from the panther-like creature he spotted. Picture: IAN SVEGOVIC

The latest sighting follows the Department of Primary Industries announcing it would investigate reports of “large free roaming cats” on Sydney’s outskirts.

Sightings of a panther-like beast have reported from the Macarthur region, Hawkesbury and Penrith to The Hills district and as far up as the Central Coast.

In 2007 Nathan Tyrer and Mark Flood were stunned to see the green eyes of a large black cat staring back at them from the side of Appin Rd, at Appin, in the Macarthur area.

This sparked an influx of sightings across the region, including two teenagers who captured what they believed was a panther’s tail on mobile phone footage, while trail bike riding in Appin bushland in May 2011.

Residents from the rural south-western Sydney towns of Greendale, Orangeville and Bargo have claimed to have crossed paths with the beast, while those in the built-up suburbs of Airds, Narellan and Harrington Park have also reported sightings.

media_camera A picture of a black cat at Lithgow sparked belief a panther is out there.

Many have speculated about what the creature is as well as its origins.

Some believe the beast is merely a giant feral cat or dog with mange.

Others are convinced it is part of a breeding population after panthers are believed to have escaped from a wild animal park near Mulgoa in the 1970s.

Cryptozoologist Rex Gilroy believes the sightings are part of the evidence a marsupial cat population exists in NSW.

“We need to identify the creature and know its habits,” he said.

“There are populations of this marsupial species all over Australia.”

Animal professional Dr David Phalen, of the Avian, Reptile and Exotic Pet Hospital has confirmed it would not be hard for a large cat or panther to survive in the state’s bushland, with plenty of wildlife for food.

The Department of Primary Industries’ inquiry will report back at the end of the year.