Comments on: New Zealand’s Kaiwaka Lion

By: nzcryptozoologist

nzcryptozoologist — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:35:12 +0000

You are correct 3 species though one species is now extinct. I also looked as if New Zealand had a small species of mouse like rodent 16 to 19 million years ago.
Two jaw bones and one thigh bone have been found among fossil deposits.
Journal Reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (vol 103, p 19419)

By: sschaper

sschaper — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 23:15:04 +0000

If I’m not mistaken, the only native placentals in New Zealand are bats.

By: cryptidsrus

cryptidsrus — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:39:48 +0000

Good story.

New Zealand has always been a “must visit place” for me.

Hopefully more sightings or definitive proof will come along.

By: nzcryptozoologist

nzcryptozoologist — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:15:36 +0000

DARHOP
Yes there have been cougar sightings in the South Island of New Zealand and by pretty reliable withnesses - the Lindas Lion is just one such sighting.

By: nzcryptozoologist

nzcryptozoologist — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 21:12:52 +0000

This amazes me as things of this nature are never handled properly in this country. No search was made for tracks, with all the people there you would hope there would be more witnesses and someone would have at least had a camera to photograph tracks or evidence.

I find it strange there have been no carcases found as a large predator like that needs to eat.
Going by what the reports said I would in this case have to agree that a feral cat could be responsible and this is a case of misidentification. Feral cats can grow large her 14 kg is not uncommon in some areas, as they have been seen in the area it seems the most likely explanation at this stage.
The area of Kaiwaka is pretty much open, hilly farmland country I would have expected more sightings before now.

By: red_pill_junkie

red_pill_junkie — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:44:53 +0000

Intriguing. Especially the part about the minister’s sighting 10 years ago.

By: shumway10973

shumway10973 — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:25:33 +0000

You mean to tell me that no one has taken the time to do a composite drawing of what kind of lion it could be? I mean we have so many different varieties in the lion family. Does it look like an American cougar or puma, or one of the African big maned cats? Perhaps it is a descendant of the Persian lion that use to wander thru the middle east. He couldn’t even describe it better than a big cat, or I’m sure it was a lion. Give us some help here. If someone had described the creature I might be able to come up with a sketch.

By: DARHOP

DARHOP — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:20:10 +0000

Do they have Cougars in New Zealand?