Yowiehunters Forum

I regularly travel by 4WD to a beautiful swimming hole on the Nyboida river west of Coffs Harbour.
The last 2 trips I have see large jet black , juvenile cats .
It is obvious that they would be between 3-6 months of age based on the appearance and vitality.
The size is bigger than a full grown domestic cat but not Panther size .
My question or should I say questions is this .
1 - how many generations would it take if a normal domesticated cat were to be released into the wild to eventually produce Panther sized brethren.
2 - is black a colour that becomes dominant in cats reverting to their wild genetics.
I know that cats gone wild can reach quite a large size. I have seen and dispatched them my self in far western NSW .
What I have recently seen I have no doubt is still in its early juvenile stage and is already as big or larger than the large wild cats I have seen in the past .
Back in 2008 I had the same sort of sighting , juvenile large black cat heading up to Gleninnes just before the top of the Gibraltar range.
It was almost identical if not slightly larger to what I have recently witnessed.
Perhaps and most likely the young ones aren't to careful or as yet educated in stealth.
I dont have much experience in this area of crypto so any thoughts and contributions would be greatly appreciated..

Hey Al
I'm not 100% sure on how many generations cats would take to get big, but I known pigs will start to show the "razorback" traits after 2 or 3 generations from domestic.
I'm guessing it would be similar for cats, it all depends primarily on natural selection.
I don't think in general domestic cats would reach panther size on average males reach 4-6kg and females less but larger ones have been recorded.
For a domestic cat to grow to panther size you would have to look into the dwarfism/gigantism phenomenon but genetically I don't think they could.
Colour again comes down to natural selection and very environmentally dependant. The cat with the best colour to camouflage in the environment gets the food and breeds. Generally ginger in the arid areas, tabby/brindle in bush and black is common but i wouldn't think a norm as a regressive colour broken and mottled colours better suit camouflage.
I personally always keep a look out as there has been plenty of sightings of large cats in WA. The only way to know for sure is to catch a specimen or photograph and obtain genetic material like hair with a root or blood/flesh
A juvenile capture might be the way to go especially if you know where they are but watch out for mum.....

Thanks Slats
I will give a cat trap a go .
A young one may just be silly enough to take the bait so to speak !
The black colour is quite brilliant and shiny and their yellow eyes are a real standout as well.
Any suggestions as to what I would do with it in order to have it formerly identified ?
I wouldn't want that process compromised by a group or government agency with a suppressive agenda !

I know you can do DNA testing at most vets fairly cheaply, but I don't know if a vet would want to do a feral cat or possible big cat, the cat fights in cartoons come to mind hey.
You can by dog and cat DNA testing kits online, if you're brave enough to take a cheek swab or maybe Google a local big cat research group they might have contacts.

Thanks again Slats
I am an absolute novice on this topic but it is very interesting especially when I have had a few possible sightings my self
Cheers

No worries
I'm more a Yowie field researcher but I keep an eye out for anything that's unusual in bush you just never know hey.