More at ... https://www.9news.com.au/national/blue- ... b693023a22For decades, sightings of a giant and mysterious black cat have been reported by residents from Lithgow to Penrith, adding to the long and prevailing myth of the Blue Mountains panther.
While many deny the existence of the big cat, or laugh at the possibility, other say without a doubt, it's real. But how do they know? They say they've seen it.
Last week, a local exploration group, Blue Mountains Explore, claimed to have found fresh evidence, uploading photos of a giant paw-print on their Instagram and Facebook page, reigniting the debate over the mystery.
Kobe Bryant was among the group of explorers that discovered the prints, and he says, there's no doubt in his mind the stories are true.
"It's definitely out there and it definitely exists," he told Nine.com.au.
Like most locals from Katoomba, Mr Bryant had heard stories about the legendary panther but had never seen it himself.
The day he stumbled on the prints, he and three fellow explorers had taken a journey out to one of the more remote locations in the Mountains.
"You can't get out there with a car, so we had to take our bikes and walk," he said.
"Usually when you go to the more popular tracks you see prints everywhere or branches have been cleared. It was very clear no one had been out there."
"I even remember thinking how nice it was to be somewhere where there weren't any prints," he said.
When he first saw the giant paw-print embedded in the sandy soil, Mr Bryant said he was shocked. "I nearly fell over," he said. "I've never seen anything like that."
The group documented their discovery and sought expert advice by contacting the Australian Hunting Association who allegedly confirmed the print was from a non-native big cat.
Nine.com contacted the Australian Hunting Association however they declined to comment.
These sightings are hardly a new phenomenon, in fact the latest evidence is part of a long legacy dating back almost 200 years.
Several people spotted and photographed a large black cat (Panther) where I used to live.
