A VICTORIAN man has come forward with a night image of what he believes is a big cat sighted in West Gippsland.

media_camera Luke Bartholomew took this photo of a huge paw print near Warburton. Picture: Supplied

The man, who did not want to be named, said the photo was taken last August and shows what appears to be a large puma-like cat wading through water.

It was supplied to Leader after recent reported sightings by two Yarra Ranges residents who said they had seen big cats in December and April 2016 (Leader, April 18).

He saidthere had been many sightings of big cats over the years by farmers, police, rangers and state government officials but authorities wanted the fact kept secret to prevent shooters from running wild.

Leader received more than 30 emails from people across the country after the latest big cat sighting in Warburton East.

HAVE YOU SPOTTED ONE? Tell us your big cat story at lilydale@leadernewspapers.com.au

But the government has refused to say whether they will reopen its investigation into the existence of big cats.

Big cat sightings Big cat sightings

Don Macrae from Warrandyte said he saw a big cat sauntering past his backyard clothesline on New Year’s Day.

“I reckon its head and body would have been close to one metre, and then there was its long tail,” Mr Macrae said.

“It was dark brownish grey — it looked like a big cat, as seen at the zoo and in books.”

Alicia Bartle said she spotted a big cat about 5.40am on December 20 on Kelletts Rd, near Wellington Rd in Rowville.

Dimitri Panteli said in an email he and a friend were camping in the Jamieson State Forest when they saw two black panther cubs.

“They were cubs in appearance with a jet black coat, pressed face like a cat and a long tail, with very wide eyes,” Dimitri said.

“My first instinct was to get out of my car to record the animals but as soon as I opened my car door the two cubs shot off the mountain track in either direction.”

Other people claimed they saw big cats interstate near Richmond, Georges River National Park, Booral and Moama in NSW.

Victorian locations included Don Valley, the Grampians, two sightings on the Calder Freeway, the Warby Ranges in Wangaratta, Kernot in South Gippsland, the Great Ocean Rd, Mallacoota, Reefton, Hepburn, McMahons Creek and two sightings on the 1000 Steps in Ferntree Gully.

Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning spokesman Nick Talbot said the department had occasionally received phone calls from people reporting big cat sightings.

In 2012 the State Government found the existence of big cats in Victoria to be “highly unlikely”.

The Arthur Rylah Institute called off the investigation, citing a lack of hard evidence to verify wild big cats in the state.

The conclusion according to the former Victorian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh was big cats sighted over the years were large feral domestic cats.

Long-time member of the Yarra Ranges-based Australian Rare Fauna Research Association Dorothy Williams said she did not doubt the existence of big cats.

“There are plenty of people convinced and statistically the sheer number and background of those giving reports … they’re not silly people, Ms Williams said.

“I have no doubt about big cats because of the cries I heard, which matched the sounds we had recorded on cd.”

She said there had not only been reports of black cats but also brown

“One report from a local gentleman claimed to have seen a black and brown cat mating,” Ms Williams said.