Hix, i don't believe exotic big cats have established a breeding population in Australia, i believe that there are marsupial lkions still in existence in Australia, no chance of cross-breeding with introduced cats as they aren't placental mammals, but their adaption over hundreds of thousands of years has meant they melt into the bush like leopards melt into the jungles of India.
Most of the herbivorous mega-fauna died out within 20000 years of human settlemetn in Australia, but it stands to reason that n elusive predator wouldn't have been considered a prey item by early avboriginal populations, why hunt a killer, when you can hunt a giant wombat?
As happens with these things, due to restricted populaitons and an overall reduction in the physical size of prey items, means that over time, smaller more secretive cats would survive, so rather than the lion/tiger sized marsupial lions that we know from fossil records, they are more likely to be smaller, puma/leopard sized cats by now.
It is a leap of faith for many, but we have to remember there is SO much about this country that is still unknown, new species are still discovered every year, all a budding zoologist need do is look hard enough and they'll find one!
And as far as colouration goes, a marsupial lion could be black, no one has ever realised they've seen one.
I find the possibility quite exciting and hopefully i'll be able to camping in the Colo valley later this year, where a large majority of recent sightings have been made, i'll be taking the camera and the bow and maybe we'll get some proof.
Most of the herbivorous mega-fauna died out within 20000 years of human settlemetn in Australia, but it stands to reason that n elusive predator wouldn't have been considered a prey item by early avboriginal populations, why hunt a killer, when you can hunt a giant wombat?
As happens with these things, due to restricted populaitons and an overall reduction in the physical size of prey items, means that over time, smaller more secretive cats would survive, so rather than the lion/tiger sized marsupial lions that we know from fossil records, they are more likely to be smaller, puma/leopard sized cats by now.
It is a leap of faith for many, but we have to remember there is SO much about this country that is still unknown, new species are still discovered every year, all a budding zoologist need do is look hard enough and they'll find one!
And as far as colouration goes, a marsupial lion could be black, no one has ever realised they've seen one.
I find the possibility quite exciting and hopefully i'll be able to camping in the Colo valley later this year, where a large majority of recent sightings have been made, i'll be taking the camera and the bow and maybe we'll get some proof.
