Lion Concludes

Announcing the killing of the Yengarie "lion," which really was a "lioness," the Maryborough Chronicle of July 23 prints the following interview with Mr Christian P. Moes, Maryborough-Aramura mail carrier, who shot the beast early on Friday morning last:

"I was travelling along the road when suddenly I saw this animal," Mr Moes said. "I realised it was something unusual. I immediately got a bead on it with my .303 and fired, hitting it in the head.

"I don't mind telling you I was terrified when it got up after that and tried to make towards me. I lost no time in reloading and put another bullet through its skull. That settled it. The animal looked ferocious, and would have frightened the most hardened bushman.''

Asked what he thought thc animal was, Mr Moes replied : - "Candidly I do not know. She (it was a bitch) was far bigger than the biggest dingo I have ever seen, and I have seen some big ones, including crosses.

"She is too long in the hair for a dingo. Her pelt is more like fur. Yet she has a bushy tail. She was very big in the head and chest with long hair under the neck. She was not proportioned like a dingo, being more of a blocky type and very sturdy.

"She was of a ginger colour, and with her head turned sideways looked for all the world like a lion. Her spoor was at least four and a half inches."

Stating that he was confident that the animal was that known as the Yengarie "lion," Mr Moes said it was possible that it was a cross between a dingo and/or an Alsatian with a Collie dog.

Mr Moes discounted the theory that the animal might be a cross between a dingo and/or an Alsatian with a fox, adding that he had heard various opinions expressed on this matter. Personally he did not believe that a dingo would mate with a fox.

Mr Moes said that he measured the animal after it had been killed and before it had been skinned. It measured 6ft from tip to tip and was a shade over 2ft 6in. high. "I did not weigh her but she was about 170 pounds. She was in splendid condition and very fat," he added.

Asked whether the animal would be capable of killing calves, Mr Moes said; "She was big enough to kill a half grown bullock. In fact when I opened her she had half a fair sized calf in her, and there were the remains of at least one "fowl."

Mr Moes said feat many experienced bushmen had seen the animal, but none could actually say what it was.

The spot where the animal was shot was about 10 miles across country from Yengarie where the "lion" was first sighted.