Big cat enthusiasts are encouraging Grampians residents that have seen any in the area to contact them, with one reporting an increase in reports in the past few years.
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Sarah Alsop, of Geelong, is a citizen investigator that runs the Strange Creatures of Victoria facebook page.
Since 2016, she has used this as a vehicle to research reports of panthers and pumas across the state. At the moment, she is working on two reports from the Grampians, on the outskirts of Stawell and Dunkeld.
"I got out and research whether there have been sightings, whether that be just in the parks or on private property, or experiencing stock predation that doesn't fit foxes and pigs," she said.
"One I'm working on in the region at the moment is of a black animal. I've got a camera on the lady's property but can't check it at moment, so fingers crossed there is some good footage. I've also collected a hairball from the property.
FROM 2015: Grampians Puma sighted
Ms Alsop said based on her research to date, there was "definitely something out there". She said if it was a big cat, it was most likely a melanistic (black) leopard or a puma.
She said she had seen big cats in Victoria at her property in the Pyrenees and the Otways.
"The last report I got in the (Grampians) came in only a few days ago," she said.
Ms Alsop sets up game cameras on properties to see what animals are going through the area of the report. She said in the Grampians, a mix of hikers and landowners made reports to her.
"Sometimes it might just be foxes or a wild dog, and you communicate with people what to look for - if animals are playing up, for example. It's been hard to this year (to get out), obviously," she said.
She said there was a long history of sightings in the Grampians, and that this was one of several "hotzones" statewide for big cat reports. She said most of the reports of big cats in the Grampians she received came from the outskirts of Stawell and Dunkeld.
"There would an increase (in reports) Victoria-wide this year," she said. "I share my data with other reporters, because it helps putting the pieces of the puzzle together, corroborating stories and the like.
"Definitely over the last couple of years there have been more sightings coming through. Whether that's just because people are getting to know what I'm doing I'm not sure."
Ms Alsop said some sightings ended up being proven not to be big cats, but there was more to mapping sightings than just taking people at their word.
"One sighting made it to the news a few months ago, and I could tell from the photo it was a feral cat from the appearance," she said.
"But I like to take the photos back to use for size scale, and then take a photo from the same spot as where the photographer was, so you can get the feel of the size of the animal. The reason why this one looked bigger was the backdrop was a different colour. You have to look at the circumstances behind the images taken as well.
"When people don't have an image, you try to narrow it down to what they have seen, and get them to describe it from head to tail.
"It's kind of like winning tattslotto: It's just a chance meeting for you and that animal to be in the same spot at the same time."
Ben Beed, of Tweed Heads on the New South Wales-Queensland border, is also seeking Grampians residents, as he continues his 'Missing Panther' podcast series.
Mr Beed said episode six would be about Victorian sightings. He said anyone wanting to get in touch with him about sightings could visit www.missingpanther.com.au.
He has already spoken to a student of Deakin University that participated in a study on pumas in the Grampians in the 70s, and to Halls Gap teacher Leanne.
She suggested big cats could have been smuggled into the region - and released there - by World War Two American soldiers staying at the Myrtle Bank guest house.
Parks Victoria allows people to report feral animal sightings in their area through FeralScan, an initiative by the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions. It does not mention panthers or pumas in its description of feral animals in Victoria.
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