Massive paw prints discovered Warmer welcome for Carmody

MASSIVE feline paw prints found north of Bowen have raised eyebrows and sparked the question – does Bowen boast its own mountain lion?

Juru Enterprises employees made a double take when they stumbled across the 11cm long prints in a gully, embedded in soft mud near Mt Luse, just north of Abbot Point last week.

They were carrying out weed- management activities in the area at the time.

Juru’s Kevin Aldridge said he had never before seen paw prints that size, and he is keen to hear if anyone else in the area has come across tracks.

“This is a huge track and, if it belongs to a feral cat, that is one huge cat,” Mr Aldridge said. “The animal must be substantial in size and carrying some weight because the tracks have sunk quite deep into the mud,” he said.

“An 11cm track, measured from the rear of the print to the tip of the claw, is almost the length of an iPhone ( pictured).

“Compare that against your domesticated pet cat curled up on your bed.”

Mr Aldridge said employees were now very much on alert, wary that they may be working within proximity of a feisty, hungry “big cat”. NEW Chief Justice Tim Carmody ( pictured) will be welcomed with a public ceremony next month, following criticism from Labor and unions that his closeddoor swearing- in yesterday was reminiscent of the dark days of the Bjelke- Petersen era.

Justice Carmody, QC, was accompanied by his wife Robyn and their three children for the ceremony, conducted by Court of Appeal judge Kate Holmes.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk on Monday compared the closeddoor swearing- in to Sir Joh Bjelke- Petersen receiving his controversial honorary doctorate in 1985 – a criticism repeated yesterday by union bosses.

But yesterday, Justice Carmody revealed the timing of his swearing- in was out of necessity, not personal choice: it had to be held immediately to coincide with outgoing Chief Justice Paul de Jersey’s resignation taking effect – and almost all Supreme Court judges are this week at a conference in Darwin.

And after the closed- door ceremony he revealed: “We will have a public event in the not- too- distant future.”