1935-1936

A tiger, the Director of the Zoo (Mr. A. Wilkie) is convinced is the mysterious animal that has been killing sheep and wild game in the dense bush country beyond Briagolong, states the "Herald."
     In the past 18 months the animal has killed 20 sheep. Many others have disappeared, and the remains of kangaroos and wallabies have been found.
     Dogs have fled from thickets with their tails between their legs and hair bristling.

Description of Animal.

     Mr. R. A. Estoppey, the paper adds, in a letter to Mr. Wilkie, says that since November, 1933, the animal has been seen four times by different persons.
     It is yellowish, with distinct black stripes, and measures 5ft. 6in. from nose to tail, is from 2½ft. to 3ft. high, and has a 3ft. tail.
     In soft ground it has left tracks 5in. long and 3½in. wide. Once they measured 6in. by 4½in. On wet ground the animal had apparently slithered, leaving distinct grooves from claws. On firmer ground the claw marks were, not seen.

Nothing Like It Here.

     Mr. Wilkie said on Saturday: "From the description I absolutely have no doubt the animal is a tiger. How it got there is problematical, but we have no animals in Australia, except the Tasmanian wolf, even resembling the description. The Tasmanian wolf is almost extinct and is much smaller. "
     A tiger, and all members of the cat family, sheath their claws except when they are loosing their foothold and need) to hold on. That tallies with the description of the Gippsland animals footprints. The footprints themselves, apparently, are tremendous."
     Mention is made of a mysterious animal seen in the bush near Briagolong.
     Fifty years ago a definite dingo-mastiff cross was known to be well established in the rough country between Morwell and Walhalla. About two years ago, an animal was killed in the Morwell district, and its skin exhibited in a Melbourne furriers. It showed distinctive characteristics of this cross. It had the broad head and powerful jaws of the mastiff, and the tawny coloration of the dingo, excepting that it was marked with black stripes, not regular as on a tiger, but resembling the "brindle" often seen in mastiffs.
     Other animals resembling this have been reported from time to time, and, apparently, the one seen lately, is similar. The fact that this powerful and dangerous cross persists is surely evidence of the risk of a possible cross between the dingo and Alsatian. This latter would be even worse than the dingo-mastiff, the Alsatian being both swifter and cleverer than the mastiff.

Yours, etc.,

W.N.L., S. St. Kilda.

This "Gippsland Tiger" business is getting beyond a joke! For nearly two years we have heard from time to time of one tiger, and recently the Curator of the Melbourne Zoological Gardens, after having examined the available evidence, which included measurements and descriptions of certain pad-marks found in soft ground, expressed a firm opinion that the mysterious beast certainly was a member of the tiger tribe, though, beyond stating that nothing of the kind was indigenous to Australia, he offered no explanation as to why a tiger should be wandering at large in the vicinity of Maffra and Briagolong. This expert pronouncement was disturbing enough, but worse has followed. The report of a perfectly reputable and sober Briagolong farmer, received to-day, suggests that the tiger must have a mate, and that the pair are bringing up a family in the wilds of Gippsland. This deponent says that he has heard two distinct "roars," one of which sounded as that of an adolescent tiger. Measurements of footprints are adduced in support of this belief. Another farmer in the same district, who lost four sheep a week ago, lately found a sheep which obviously had died from natural causes. When he went back next day to retrieve the skin he found the carcase missing, and saw footprints so large that he "hardly could span them with his hand" on a sandbank, close by. If this sort of thing goos on we may expect the Victorian Tourist Bureau to advertise tiger hunting in Gippsland as an inducement to Inter-State and overseas tourists.

Mr. R. Estoppey and other Briagolong residents, who have maintained their belief in the existance of a tiger in the neighborhood, were no doubt gratified to learn that Mr Wilkie, director of the Melbourne Zoo, is of the same opinion. During last week-end further corroboration was obtained. Two residents of the district escorted a visitor from the city on a hunting expedition to the hills at the back of Valencia Creek, and on their way out they shot a couple of hares and other game. Not wishing to burden themselves, they left the game under a tree, and proceeded with the day's sport. On returning about dark, they received a shock that has put the visitor off the Gippsland bush for life. A strange animal was in possession of the carcases, left earlier in the after noon. The hunters beat a hasty retreat, and on reaching home found that their dogs had beaten them home by several hours and had sought shelter under the house. In the course of a telephone conversation, one member of the party said it was too dark at the time to definitely identify the animal, which was making a peculiar noise. "Did it resemble a tiger ?" he was asked. "We did not wait to find out!" he replied.

--"Spectator."

MAFFRA, Thursday.
The strange animal seen in the Briagolong district some time ago is reported to have reappeared. It is described as fawn in colour, about 3ft. in height, and 5ft. to 6ft. in length. It was seen at dusk about 100 yards from the home of Mr. T. Prowd, who is interested in tobacco cultivation on a property three miles out from Briagolong on the Dargo road. The stampeding of cattle directed attention to the presence of the animal, which quickly disappeared. Mr. R. A. Estoppey, who had organised search parties when the animal was seen previously, examined several spoor marks, and had difficulty in spanning them with his hand. Mr. Estoppey is convinced that it is the animal seen some time ago.

Occasionally we hear stories of strange monsters in, the Gippsland bush. I have just collected these vague, incoherent facts from bush telegraph messages relating to a further disturber of the night's peace and quiet :

It was somewhere between here and Calder Junction.
One man followed it for over half a mile in pyjamas (his not the animals's).
It howled something like a dog or fox caught in a trap.
Several people who heard it, and have beaten about the bush all their lives, said it was neither.
Those who saw it dimly in the night heard no trap rattling.
It went along by "thumps" like a wallaby.
Someone suggested "hops" would be nearer the mark.
No dogs could be induced to go near it.
It took rabbits out of several traps, but the thief left no "fingerprints" in the earth near them.
It was obviously in pain.

Well, news travels slowly, but no conclusions seem to have yet materialised as to its identity. If an amateur may be allowed to help experienced bushmen, I suggest that the howls of agony were due to indigestion following a heavy meal of rabbits. Perhaps the thing inadvertently swallowed one, trap and all. Anyway, the animal hasn't eaten.

That mysterious animal, generally known as the "Briagolong tiger," which, caused so much excitement in South Gippsland last year, has been heard of again. A well-known resident of Briagolong reports that recently he heard and saw a large animal with "a coughing roar like a lion or a tiger" prowling through the scrub near the township. He assesses the size of the strange beast as comparable to that of a young heifer. Last year it was suggested that the animal might be an outsize wombat, but from tracks found and descriptions the Director of the Zoo (Mr. A. Wilkie) came to the conclusion that it must be one of the larger carnivores, such as a puma, lioness, or tiger. The beast, whatever its nature, appears to have caused extensive destruction of sheep. This fact has suggested a large dingo, but experts familiar with the methods and ways , of the dingo discount this theory. It has usually been sighted between sunset, and dark, or shortly after dawn, when the half light has rendered an accurate description difficult. From accounts received it is capable of eating a sheep at a meal, which is beyond the capacity of a dingo or killer dog.

MELBOURNE, June 6.
     The Briagilong"tiger" is roaming the hills north-east of Maffra, Gippsland, once more. It was last heard of in January, when it killed several sheep. Now it has appeared within a few hundred yards of homesteads. It has been seen in the gathering dusk by settlers and their wives and their families.
     It has a cough, and its roaring and growling always ends with a long low cough, just as the zoo tigers always end up a growl with a cough.
     Dairy herds at Briagalong have stampeded on the approach of the animal, which residents say is as large as a heifer.
     Mr. Thomas Prowd and his wife and their grandson saw the beast 100 yards from their house. It was next heard of 27 mlles away, where it terrified horses, dogs and cattle. Then it appeared 2½ miles from Briagalong, and sheep began to disappear.
     Search revealed a heap of wool in a patch of bracken — all that was left of the sheep. Bones showed that the animal must be tremondously powerful. One man says he has heard two tigers, one old, and one much younger.
     Residents made a pilgrimage to the Melbourne Zoo, and there heard a zoo tiger make the same noises. They are convinced now that Briagalong's strange animal is a tiger.
     The zoo director (Mr. Wllkie) scouts the idea that a wild dog could eat a whole sheep, but he says a tiger could polish one off in one meal. So It must be a tiger.

Our old friend, the wandering tiger, is about again in Victoria. A report from, Briagolong says the beast is prowling about, growling and cough ing and devouring sheep, and folks go in terror. No wonder, for a famer who caught sight of it declares it was as big as a heifer, and in order to confirm the fact , that tigers cough a visit was paid to the Zoo, and a resident tiger "obliged" by duly coughing, which satisfied the listener that the Briagolong animal was a "dinkum" tiger and not grandfather suffering from an extra acute attack of bronchitis! Let us hope some big game hunter will be able to shoot it before it takes toll of human life.

Yours truly,
Mrs. WIGGS.

Mr. R. A. Estoppey, of Briagolong, is still convinced that "a large animal" with "a coughing roar like a lion or a tiger," is roaming the hills near the township.
     The director of the Zoo (Mr A. Wilkie) said on Saturday that if descriptions given of the animal and its habits were correct it must be one of the large carnivora, such as a puma, a lioness, or a tiger, states the "Herald."
     Mr. Wilkie has received further in formation about the animal from Mr. Estoppey.
     "The tiger is still about and causing scares," says Mr. Estoppey, "and with the destruction of more sheep the tension has increased.
     "About the end of January it was seen by Mr. Thomas Prowd, his wife and their grandson, about 100 yards from their house. The stampeding of their dairy herd drew their attention.

"Big As Heifer"

     "It was seen between sundown and dark. It came along a flat which was very clear, and Mr. Prowd told me that it was nearly as big as a young heifer. He told me that some weeks before he twice heard it coughing just
like a lion. When it coughed, he said, it coughed no more than three times. When it makes its full-throated roar, it calls out once or twice, but no more than three times, and it can be heard more than a mile away.
     "Sometimes it makes a moaning noise, with a cough or two at the end of it.
     "At Christmas a strange animal was reported at Cobbannah, about 27 miles north. More recently, a few days after the tiger was seen at Mr. Prowd's place, a strange roar was heard at Cobbannah, four nights in succession, and it terrified the horses, dogs, and cattle. Whatever caused the noise hung round this place for a week.
     "About the middle of February my wife and Jim, my oldest boy, 11 years, went out into the forest about 200 yards from the house to pick black- berries. On a ridge, about 200 yards away, covered with long grass and bracken, they heard a moaning ending in a cough.
     "They hurried home. About six weeks ago my wife and the two boys went to the Zoo and heard a tiger make the same kind of noise.

Whole Sheep Gone.

     "Recently Mr. Dunsmuir, who lives about two and a half miles east of here, complained that something had been killing his sheep. I went over and found a heap of wool in a patch of bracken.
     "Close to the wool I found the bot- tom jaw of the sheep, cleaned off. A couple of feet away were the remains of the skull, and on the ground was small pieces of sheep bone.
     "Whatever chewed up this sheep must have had tremendous jaws.
     "When the dingoes kill sheep they do not eat the large bones and they pull the sheep about and scatter wool everywhere. Would a tiger eat a sheep in one meal?
     "How it got here and where it came from is a hard nut to crack. Several residents think that there is more than one of these animals. Mr. O. Regan, who has heard it several times, told me that on one occasion he heard two animals, one seemed to be either smaller or younger.
     "Persons who have camped out in the forest say that they have been disturbed by a large animal prowling at night."
     Mr. Wilkie considers that a tiger would eat a whole sheep in one meal. A dog never could.