Warrnambool photographer Paul Croft captured a large feline on video at Thunder Point last week after it appeared in front of his car.

“I thought, ‘Where did that come from?” the 25-year-old said.

“It’s obviously not a massive cat like a puma but it is much larger than the average house cat.

“I thought I’d get a shot of it in case it is something hectic.

“I wasn’t going to approach it.

“(Big cats are) something I’ve been hearing about since I was a child, all through where I’ve lived.”

The Department of Environment and Primary Industries (DEPI) said there were negative impacts on natural ecosystems when domestic and feral cats roamed wild, requiring all land managers and pet owners to manage issues sensitively and appropriately.

Feral cats are true carnivores, surviving solely on the nutrients found in animal flesh, but also carry diseases which can affect humans and other animals.

The undomesticated felines pose a significant threat to the survival of many native animals, with about 80 endangered and threatened species at risk from feral cat predation, according to Australia’s environment protection & biodiversity threat abatement plan.

The national economic loss inflicted by feral and domestic cats, based on bird predation alone, has been estimated at $144 million annually.