Picton NSW panther military confirm/deny mission

[PAF]

A few months ago I was introduced to someone and we now have become very close friends and catch up a couple times a week. He is 36 and a high ranking officer in the military. Even though he is originally from Melbourne, the majority of his training and stationing was in Sydney and various parts of NSW. He is now permanently back in Victoria and after getting to know him very well for a few months now I finally asked him of "animals not accounted for but known by the military" and he had a very interesting story about his time in Picton.

There were apparently a very large volume of sightings one year in the area that caused a big reaction and fear amongst the people. He was sent to the Sydney zoo with a few other higher ranking officers for 3 days to study big cats as there was to be an official mission carried out to see if a panther could be located.

After their 3 day educational session with the big cat experts at the zoo they were sent back to Picton with a whole bunch of gear including thermal cams, night vision goggles, traps, powerful firearms and so on. The mission was to spend a few nights patrolling the surrounding areas of Picton and return to base with either a confirm or deny statement.

I was listening to him waiting for a big conclusion but unfortunately it was a big deny response although he believes they are there even though they didn't see or find anything.

When I then brought up the topic of the Yowie he just laughed and said that it is always someone in a suit playing jokes and nothing like that is out there. Wasn't completely sold by his answer followed by a quick change of topic.

[horserider]

Hi, was it the Govt that sent them out on the mission?

[PAF]

Don't know who sent them. What I wrote is all I know.

I believe he kept a bit of information to himself when telling me the story anyway.

[horserider]

okay cool ta

[PAF]

I am meeting up with my mate in about an hour

I will bring up the topic again and see if I can add anything to the story

[horserider]

awesome

[PAF]

Nothing to add

No change in the story or new information.

He generally gets cranky when the same thing is repeated too often, even in a plain old generic conversation, so I didn't want to test his patience with a topic like this and keep pressing.

Looks like a dead end.

[horserider]

okay thats cool, thanks for asking again

I imagine the boys must have this happen to them quite often when pressing for information

What i tend to do when asking someone things is bound & gang & torture till i get what i want just kidding!!! But yeah i have had the ones that get cranky when i have pressed too & i back off straight away also.. you dont want to appear as an irritating person so you tend to learn to just quit it than & there lol

[PAF]

Yeah true

I wouldnt mind pressing someone for info if I was never going to see them again and didnt care, but I see this guy 3 or so times a week now and go out on weekends together, so very close.

Im sure something else will come up in due time...

[horserider]

Get some wine into him tee hee

[PAF]

He actually did have 4 glasses of a strong red too haha

[horserider]

so he isnt a hopeless drunk than dam it