SIGHTING, New Zealand: Picton couple claim to have seen elusive black panther

Rumours of a South Island black panther have resurfaced after a sighting on Friday night.

Picton couple Juliearna Kavanagh and Warren Lewis claim they've seen the mystery beast on the prowl near Ward, while driving on State Highway 1.

There have been about 10 reported sightings since the 1990s and MPI aren't ruling out a case of mistaken identity, but Ms Kavanagh, an entrepreneur and hotelier, said she knows what she saw.

"It was a great big thing with a head that was a cat and then a long body... sleek, black and with a very long black tail. It was about the height of my knees, maybe a bit taller than my knees," she said.

"It was in full flight, running about 10 meters from us in the headlights."

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