Big cat study small on results

The existence of big cats in Victoria is "highly unlikely" a State Government report has found.

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

And the official conclusion is that big cats sighted over the years are large feral domestic cats, according to Victorian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh.

He said his pre-election commitment to run a "desk" study into whether big cats existed was now met, and further investigation was not warranted.

The study did reveal that preliminary DNA evidence could not be dismissed, but it was not conclusive to prove beyond reasonable doubt the identity of the animal in question.

But Toolangi naturalist Bernie Mace described the study as "inconclusive" and said its results did not put him off.

He said sooner or later someone would get the perfect photo or the necessary DNA evidence to prove big cats exist.

Mr Mace, who has been researching big cats in the region for about 30 years, said the investigation had been too short and he believed the cats were out there.

Fate of big cat mystery hangs in balance

The fate of the Yarra Ranges' mysterious big cat hangs in the balance as State Government researchers look into whether the stories are true, according to the Lilydale and Yarra Valley Leader.

This follows numerous reports of big cat sightings and will fulfill a pre-election promise from Nationals' leader Peter Ryan, who said there were enough credible observations to warrant an investigation.

Victorian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh said the big cat study would review literature, reports, correspondence and other evidence. It will also talk to those who say they have seen a big cat in Victoria.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment has directed the Arthur Rylah Institute to conduct a statewide investigation into the big cat mystery.

Evelyn state Liberal MP Christine Fyffe said a big cat would be handled like any other wild animal. She said any non-native animal found attacking livestock would be killed.

Toolangi naturalist Bernie Mace, who has researched big cat sightings for more than 30 years, is among those contacted by State Government researchers. He said the first step was to ascertain if there were big cats, and then how to manage them.

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Iain Harrison writes:

Posted on 5 Sep 12 at 02:47pm

What a waste of scarce government funds. We have schools falling to pieces, hospitals that can't utilise all of their beds, TAFE funding slashed & much more. This is just a distraction from real issues!