Discovery of enigmatic paw prints in Blue Mountains sparks renewed intrigue in panther enigma

Mysteriously large paw prints found in New South Wales’ Blue Mountains have reignited local theory that there is a panther among the forestry.

In what could be the latest chapter in a story that has bubbled for decades, landscaper Dan Studders stumbled upon the prints in Kenthurst on Sunday.

The prints were embedded in the ground that had been compacted and prepared for turf.

“Compacted enough that I could walk on it and not leave a mark,” he told 9News. 

Studders said the prints did not appear to be those of a domestic dog or cat.

One of the prints was bigger than the other and there was a roughly two-metre distance between each print.

Studders placed his hand next to the prints for a visual comparison. 

“It’s something else quite big and it definitely drew my attention,” he said.

Over the past few decades, many have claimed they have seen a panther from Lithgow to the Great Dividing Range but the sightings were never confirmed.

“There’s been a few nights down the back where you hear things, and it’s not exactly right,” Studders said.