Tantanoola Tiger 1907

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Melbourne, January 20.

While Misses A. and T. Christenson were driving last Thursday through the Whipstick scrub, about 16 miles north of Bendigo, they saw an animal which they at first thought was a fox. The animal, however, came slowly towards them to within a few yards and then turned into the scrub. The close inspection which they were enabled to make convinced the ladies that they had been faced by a panther.

Whether or not the Tantanoola tiger, some spooks, or an Australian banshee attacked the Broken Hill "express" some time during the night is uncertain, no facts of any such onslaught having come to hand. But, anyhow, something or another most certainly must have frightened the locomotive and it evidently bolted, with the result that the train steamed into the Sulphide street station this morning with-out a bone broken and - wonderful to record! -up to time. Blue-nosed cabmen, who for some time past have given the "old girl" till about half-past 9 or 10 to show up, had to knock the ashes out of their pipes and [???] their astonished horses; incredulous porters rushed for their field glasses and swept the horizon to test the rumour that "she was coming along;" milkmen on their homeward journeys reined in their horses at the sidings, fearful that they wouldn't have time to cross the rails before she passed; what the mob of goats on the outskirts of the city thought it is impossible to say. In she came, her engine puffing hard like a strong man who has suddenly awakened from a horrible dream. The front of her boiler stood out proudly even as the breast of a ??? pigeon, as if to say, "Alone I did it."

A story of remarkable endurance on the part of a cow is told by Mr. J. Speen, of Tower Hill-park. He lately missed one of his dairy cows from the herd, and although an exhaustive search was made, no trace of it could be found. Just a week afterwards Mr. Speen's son was astonished to see a portion of a haystack moving about. He prodded the stack, and came to the conclusion that some large living animal was imprisoned under it. Visions of the Tantanoola tiger and mythical stories of straying panthers crossed his mind. With due caution, however, he removed a portion of the hay, and beheld to his surprise the head of the lost cow. The animal was quickly released. She had been in the hay for seven days. Doubtless, the hay kept her alive, but for that period she was without water. She is now doing well. The cow marked her liberation with a lively demonstration of pleasure.

The owner is of opinion that the cow sought shelter in the lee of the stack on a stormy day, and that it was blown over upon her.

WELLINGTON, Tuesday.

A slight scare happened here, owing to two or three reports that a tiger is roaming about the district. First of all the tiger is said to have been seen at Stuart Town, and later on made his appearance in the Lincoln district, where losses of sheep occurred. One land owner is reported as having offered £50 for the capture, dead or alive, of the animal.

DOOKIE, Thursday. -- A surprise was created this morning when news was brought into the town that the Tantanoola tiger had been seen at the foot of Mount Major about two miles from the township. Mr. Adams, head carpenter at the Agricultural College, who was proceeding to his work at about 6 o'clock, was attracted by a number of horses attempting to jump the fence. The animals were very excited. Mr. Adams noticed the supposed tiger a few chains from the place, walking in a circle. Mr. Adams described the animal as about the size of a calf with a blunt nose, sharp ears, and a curled tail. Having no means of defence, Mr. Adams was afraid to venture too close. Several residents intend going out early on Friday morning in search of the "tiger.”

SHEPPARTON, September 7.
About a fortnight ago an employee of the Dookie College, a carpenter named W. Adams, was riding to his work on a bicycle just about daybreak, and when leaving the Old Cashel township he saw some horses in a frantic condition trying to get over a wire fence. In the haze he saw "a strange looking animal" walking round in circles. It appeared to be about the size of a poddy calf, with a head and tail like a dog. He rode to a rabbit trapper's camp, and after telling his story asked for the loan or a gun. The sceptical rabbiter advised him to "go home and sleep it off." As Mr. Adams is well known, the residents decided that he could not have been mistaken. A keen watch was kept, with the result that Mr. Charles Cochrane discovered a huge deerhound or stag hound lying dead. The beast seemed to have been shot recently, and its strange actions were accounted for by the fact that it had been blind and was in a starving condition.

SEYMOUR, Monday. -- The Tantanoola tiger has made its appearance in the district. On Saturday last Messrs. W. and H. Duell received a scare from the animal. They were digging out rabbits on Mr. Stewart's Habbies Howe property, when they saw it chasing sheep. In its course it cleared a fence and finally disappeared into a cave on the Hughes Creek, near the cutting. Messrs. Duell left their work, and went home. They feel certain the animal was a tiger. So convinced are they that they have for the present not to return to work in that particular part.