Pollies on prowl for panthers
Canberra Times, Page: 16. Friday, 17 July 2009
You know they’re out there in the dark. The NSW Government has issued a report which says there is no firm evidence to prove wild panthers stalk the bushlands around Penrith or Lithgow. Rumours of panthers living outside Sydney ‘s western suburbs have done the rounds for years, complete with sightings of mysterious black catlike creatures. Urban legend says the panthers were released into the wild by zoos or army troops. Panther frenzy reached new heights earlier this year with recent reported sightings by a Shooter ‘s Party (hint, hint, Carmel Tebbutt). Premier Nathan Rees could appoint a Minister for Panthers. Will Primary Industries Minister Ian Macdonald join the hunt or take the chance for a long Blue Mountains lunch? But it ‘s better than the Great Basra Badger Hunt of 2007, when the British Army were forced to deny they had released giant man-eating badgers into an Iraqi city, allegedly terrorising local inhabitants. 12-year-old Glenorie boy “who did not wish to be named”. Hawkesbury MP Ray Williams even demanded the Government release the results of its panther inquiry or have “blood on their hands” if children were mauled by the beasts. Now a NSW Department of Primary Industries report says the Government should continue collecting panther sightings. And it recommends setting up a “whole of government” taskforce to tackle the problem if the cats do emerge from the forest.
Home > Media monitoring > 2009 > Pollies on prowl for panthers