Another historical report from Western Australia.
The Sunday Times on November 18, 1972.
Two strange cat-like creatures which have been terrorising properties north of Koorda struck again this week. They rounded up a flock of sheep, stampeding them through fences and killed two lambs.The creatures, not unlike black panthers in shape and size, then backtracked and followed a farmer's wife who was riding a motor bike. Mrs Lilian Moir of Kulja said: "At first light I heard a commotion in the paddock. I drove the motor bike into the paddock and found the sheep had panicked, broken down a fence and got into the barley. It took some time to get them back to their paddock where I found two dead lambs. One had its neck broken and its tongue was eaten out.On the way back to the farm I noticed pug marks over my . motor cycle wheel tracks. The creatures had backtracked and must have followed me for a while."The creatures were first seen around the Kulja farms two months ago. Mr George Moir chased the two creatures in his utility for more than three miles at speeds up to 45 mph. They have been sighted by at least eight people.The descriptions have tallied-cat-like, bigger than an alsation dog, jet black from head to tail, long slim body, a narrow head, a long tail that curls at the end.Fauna warden Don Noble of Wongan Hills, tracked the animals but has been unable to identify the tracks.Another Kulja farmer, Ron Johnson, and Mr Moir say the nearest wild animal they resemble is the black panther. Mr Johnson set a trap 8 ft high and baited it with a sheep carcass. The trap was sprung and the carcass partly eaten but because he did not cover the top, the creature got out.This week plaster casts of the tracks were sent to Perth for identification. The casts were regarded as not good enough to be read because they were taken from a sand print. However, they appeared to be un-dog like and made by a creature much larger than a dingo.Mrs Moir was contacted this week by Mr W. Adams of Cunderdin, who said that 10 years ago he was in the district with a black creature similar to those seen today. He had not reported it at the time because of possible disbelief and ridicule.
