When Mount Burr resident Fred van der Heul found a mutilated sheep carcase in the pine forest behind his home yesterday morning, his first thought was of the elusive “black panther”.

Mr van der Heul and his black labrador cross alsatian Roxy were taking their usual morning walk through the forest to the Millicent Golf Course when he spotted the sheep just off the track, still warm.

All that remained of the creature was its head, legs, back strap and stomach, which had been torn away, and a bundle of wool two metres from where it was left.

According to many locals, the panthers were released into Western Victoria when World War Two United States Army troops were found to have smuggled them into the country as mascots.

They were ordered to put them down, but they took up residence in the Grampians.

Mr van der Heul said he had found a footprint about the size of a saucer on the other side of Mount Graham that was neither horse or dog.

He thought the panthers had been pushed down from the Grampians when drought and fires reduced their habitat.

Many people believe the big cats are responsible for slaughtering kangaroos and farm stock across the district for more than 60 years.

More recently, South East residents have reported sightings of the panthers as close to home as the forests around Mount Gambier and Penola.

According to Mr van der Heul, there may not be proof of the panthers’ existence in these parts but he has definitely found evidence.

“What killed that sheep was bigger than a dog or house cat, even a feral cat - you could tell it had been a heavy animal from the amount of fleece left behind,” he said.

“The nearest sheep to here are Mitch Williams’ stock, down near the Glencoe turnoff.

“There is no way the sheep could have got there by itself and it would have taken a lot of strength to drag that one to the other side of Mount Burr.

“I don’t think we need to worry about our pets - there are plenty of kangaroos and deer around, and a dam half way up the hill.

“Hopefully whatever it is doesn’t keep attacking livestock though.”

Phantoms and Monsters
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