IN North East Victoria they are known as the Oonapoona – a creature thought to be descended from panthers.

Although the stories vary, the general consensus is that if they exist, the Oonapoona was released into the bush in the late 1800s - though reports conflict if it was by soldiers, sailors or a circus caught up in an offshore storm.

News of black panthers roaming the countryside surfaced again last month with video footage, captured out of Sydney, showing a black cat stalking through grass.