We did have in Tasmania "Tasmania Tigers"
marsupial dog like things. They became extinct in the 1930's. Although like bigfoot many still see them.
These were also on the mainlaid but died out when aboriginals brough their dingoes in. Dingoes were just domesticated/half wild dogs that they brought with them. We also had giant wombats kangaroos and other stuff around then that strangely died out when aboriginals arrived. It is politically incorrct to say their arrival had anything to do with it of course.
In this area we have Tiger Quolls - they are a bit bigger than a domestic cat and are a marsupial I think. They can be pretty wild but you never ever see them. Occasionaly they will break into someones chookpen and bite the heads of all the chooks.
First one I ever saw was in the San Diego Zoo.
We also in this area are home to the "Kangaroo Valley Panther" Supposedly visiting American servicemen during ww2 had one or more as amascot and they esacaped. There were a lot of sightings of it about 15 years ago.
I think it's a load of rubbish but this old bloke that works up past us saw something crossing the road. Now he is an old bushie sort of and would know a feral cat, a wombat, a quoll, or a half bred dingoe if he saw one. He didn't blab about it to everyone but kept it to himself. I don't believe there is a panther but what he saw does make me wonder.
This urban myth also exists in Victoria and a few other places around Australia. Always the same story about an escaped mascot too.
I also had a black cat called panther, mean bugger but he would catch full sized rabbits easy enough. Looked more like a feral cat the way he was built. Our current cat only goes for baby rabbits.
A year or so ago I had a bit of a copetition with him to see who could get the most. I'd go out shoot a rabbit - that night he'd bring one back. I think he ended up with about 17 or so over a few weeks.
Asd for shooting feral cats we don't have too many here. I have to be careful because if I shot a cat it would most likely end up being a reatives cat.
As for not being able to shoot game when you come accross it in a car - with rabbits - who needs a gun - old mr Dunlop does the job very well. Although I've had 2 rabbits with miraculous escapes recently
Don't try this with wombats however. You will be worse off. Although a 4wd ute is ok - a bit bumpy though (it was accidental).
I'll have to get a permit to cull some though - there are heaps around at the moment. I'll get my friend who is liscenced to use explosives to help out. After seeing a few demonstrations I'm addicted to them.
Now if the good people of SLO were to attempt to run away from the big cats, then they're fair game.
