Here they are:
Um.
Well, here’s the story from The Northern Territory News:
There may be lions galore roaming the Top End. West Australian Mary Ford sent the NT News a photograph showing what appear to be big-cat paw prints.
She said the picture was taken at the entrance to Kakadu National Park in 2008.
But world-renowned experts say the prints show an animal without retractable claws, which means they probably belong to a big dog – or maybe a cheetah?
Three drivers said they had to stop when a lion crossed the Stuart Highway at Pinelands, on the outskirts of Darwin, on Sunday.
The NT News reported yesterday on speculation that the animal had escaped from a private collection in Humpty Doo
An impeccably informed source said: “Surely the good people of the Doo would hear a lion roar and ask, ‘What the hell is that? And then call the police.”
Readers share his scepticism.
Mad Bull of Alice Springs wrote on ntnews.com.au: “Maybe the roar heard was from Green voters because at the next election they will be silenced.”
Humour-challenged Brian of Thailand posted: “You have excelled this time with your crap.”
But Emma, who is intelligent enough to understand that something is humorous without having to be told “this is funny”, wrote:”Hahahahha. Love it.”
And commenter Dick Handcocks, who describes himself as “brother of Leon of The Doo”, said: “I’ve noticed a lot of fat hippos walking down Mitchell Street, especially when the US navy is in town.
“Good old Darwin is full of a variety of animals and plankton. Some breed out of control – their existence is supported by the taxpayer and Centrelink.”
Well. Whatever may have been seen in the Northern Territory, I can say definitively that these are not “lion tracks.”
Your mystery animal is some version of Canis lupus, either Canis lupus dingo or Canis lupus familiaris.
It’s a dog or a dingo.
Which may or may not be after your baby.
Just for comparison here is a dog track:
See how it’s oval shaped and the toes are arranged to a point? See the claw marks?
That’s how you know you’re looking at a dog’s tracks.
This is an actual lion track that is juxtaposed with a human hand:
Even if we ignore the size, the toes range outward. There are no claw marks with the tracks, because lions can retract their claws.
I want to live in Humpty Doo. Best town name ever.
I must aree with a dog of some sort. Even a cheetah has a different paw pad shape. The rear paw pad is shaped like a “W” in a cheetah, where as it looks more “U” like in the photo above which is how dog pads are.
The Northern Territory News specialises in scary wildlife stories, most of them vapid, for the consumption of the tourist public. Usually it’s crocs. Good to see them varying the trash they dish out. I wouldn’t be surprised if the reporter knew these were some sort of dog tracks . . . but figured the tourists would buy it.
Obama received crocodile attack insurance when he was there yesterday.
There was a pygmy hippo that was shot by a pig hunter a few years ago.
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2009/11/16/101241_ntnews.html