spotted near Glenorie by a 12-year-old

boy who told the Hills News he saw the

animal while walking near Old Northern

Road.

The boy, who did not wish to be

named, ran into his neighbour's house,

where he told them he had spotted a

black cat that was about a metre high.

``I was walking down the driveway and

I heard something in the bushes,'' he

said. ``I saw this massive black thing sit

ting, it had its tail flicking around. I got a

bit scared.''

The boy's mother said it's not the first

time she has seen a large cat on the

property, with recent sightings leading

her to believe there may be cubs.

All her sightings have been in the late afternoon and dusk, with the tails different to a wallaby. ``I probably believe that [the panther's] out there, she said.

``I like living here but you certainly don't do the same activities because I just think what if you are out there by yourself and what if something happens?

Premier Nathan Rees said last year the

State Government would investigate

alleged panther sightings.

``I don't think it's necessarily an urban myth,'' he said.

``There are too many people reporting

sightings.

Hawkesbury MP Ray Williams said it was an issue both he and his constituents were concerned about.

Mr Williams recently asked questions to both Mr Rees and MP Verity Firth, who represents Primary Industries Minister, Ian Macdonald in the lower house.

Mr Rees said the inquiry into reported sightings of a panther or jaguar-like animal was still underway. Mr Macdonald said he had received a report from the Department of Primary Industries about panther sightings, with the sightings analysed and forwarded to Mr Rees.

``The Premier should make the report public,'' Mr Williams said.

``If [the government] don't release it, and something happens to someone, they have blood on their hands.

At the time of the Glenorie incident,

there was also a sighting at Winmalee

and on Saturday morning, Kurrajong

resident Chris Coffey, who keeps the database of panther sightings, heard ``cat-like

screams'' outside her property.

``It was so loud I could have sworn it

was under my house,'' she said.

'`As soon as it got light, I went down with my husband, and the tree that it normally climbs was freshly scratched.''