Are big cats loose in the South Island of New Zealand?

For years, South Islanders have been hearing stories about stock going missing in the high country, of black panthers prowling the outskirts of Christchurch, of American mountain lions seen by experienced cougar hunters in Central Otago. Ian Wishart published a massive investigation of the big cats in New Zealand in Investigate magazine and you can read it here and another one here.

We talk to MIKE WILLIAMS, author of the book Australian Big Cats, which devotes a chapter to New Zealand’s panther mysteries.

Judge for yourselves – do these pictures, taken by hunters from 400 metres away, show a black panther making its way into scrub land at the foothills of the Southern Alps? It made the hair rise on the backs of their necks, particularly when you see the muscular haunches.

And for those who remain skeptical, explain this video shot by TV3′s Geoff Mackley and Bradley Ambrose during a South Island snowstorm. The paw prints, and distance between them, is about four or five times the size of a domestic moggy:

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 Then check out this report from 7News Australia a couple of years ago: