MONSTER OF GUNYAH

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 49, 27 February 1934, Page 16

MONSTER OF GUNYAH

A VICTORIAN MYSTEKY

OUTSIZE IN DINGOES ? A fawn-coloured animal with a catliko head; an agile animal as large as ■a three-year-old calf with eyes that glimmer greenly at night; an animal like a great overgrown dog or dingo, with a peculiar whine; an animal 3ft high and 6ft long, litho as a panther. These aro the descriptions given by different persons, who have 'seen the mystery animal which for three months haa been roaming about on tho fringes of the Gunyah forest in Victoria. Now this "lioness" or' "panther" or "giant dingo" has shown, itself again between Mirboo East anß Boolarra says the Melbourne "Argus." Dairj' farmers and other residents of the district say they are confident that the animal seen by Mr. R. Leplastrier near Mirboo East is identical with that which caused so much anxiety in the Mount Best region near Toora in October. Mr. Leplastrier, who saw tho animal at dusk, says that its green eyes shone among tho bracken near the road, and it hopped on to a log.. It is clear that it keeps during tho day to tho dense bracken undergrowth which abounds in tho Gunyah region, and only emerges into the open spaces at dusk.' It was towards evening that the- animal was seen by two young dairy farmers who were cutting bracken near Mount Best. If was also seen at dusk by Mr. H. Malcolm, who was driving a truck*of timber out of tho Gunyah forest, and by Mr. Thomas Evans, who was out with his dogs in the bush. Mr. Malcolm saw it reconnoitre- furtively before it bounded-across a road, and when it sighted Mr. Evans it scampered back.into the scrub. When Mr. Leplastrier encountered the animal he had a shotgun with him. Noting that it crossed the road in two bounds, and showed evidence of great speed of movement, ho hesitated to tako a shot at the animal. TAKEN FOR LIONESS. Recent descriptions of the mystery animal support a theory that it is an "outsize" in dingoes. In October, dairy farmers inland from Toora thought that it was, a lioness. That theory was based mainly on tho size and configuration of footprints found among the ashes of burned bracken. Tho director of the Zoo, Mr. A.' I). Wilkie, considered, liowevcr, that tho footprints were consistent with tho 'giant dingo theory. What is puzzling farmers, however, is how the animal lives. Beyond the fact that a cow disappeared from a dairy farm at Mount Best, and the. gnawed carcass of a wallaby was found in the same- region, there is little to support the fear that,the animal is likely to raid herds of cattle. It has wandered for weeks in country where all the dairy herds are intact., In the dense Gunyah forest, however, it is possible that the animal has killed and eaten many wallabies. Because of its size, it is thought unlikely, that it would, seek a diet of rabbits. Three persons who saw tho animal say they believe that it would be powerful enough to kill a cow if it became sufficiently hungry. None of the witnesses have said that at any time the animal was fierce. It has. usually been eager to hide itself in the scrub at the approach of men. At Mount Best, however, it showed no fear of the two farmers who were cutting bracken, and walked off leisurely into the bush. , ■ All those who say they have seen the Jinhnal agree on one point—that the animal is of tawny colour, coinciding exactly with the colour of a lioness. It has moved about in an area of 30 square miles. ■ Carrier pigeons in Britain are believed to be losing their flying speed. Where an average speed of 50 miles nn hour was ordinary, this ha*s now fallen to 40 or lower, '