Black cats

[Benthejockey]

It's been mentioned on another thread to do with all those sheep getting killed so rather than go off on a tangent on that thread I thought I'd start a separate one.

 

What's everyone's thoughts on a viable large cat population in the countryside? There's supposed to be black cats round here, lots of smallish woods ex and current army that you're not allowed in incase of unexploded ordinance. Several reputable sources had told me their tales of seeing them. Apparently hounds marked one in a tree with one pack and another pack were hunting and 3 witnesses saw one run the length of the cover as hounds went in.

I always wanted to believe but like most people I was only ever half convinced until lamping one night, sat on a hill near one of the aforementioned covers by the army base with my then fairly new girlfriend - she now loves lamping and comes most of the time!

There's an overgrown access track separating two fields, it's approximately 10ft down from the field to the bottom of the track and its lined with big tall trees and scrub. It runs from the road 500yds down onto the camp, along the side of a wood and out onto the main base track, it's basically a fox motorway, I was sure I could hear growling on the track, occasional a sheep would curl up and die in there so being a manly man trying to demonstrate my hunter gatherer skills to the new Mrs Ben, I climbed down into the track with the lamp and gun expecting to see a couple of farm dogs or badgers fighting over a sheep skeleton....but nothing. The growling stopped when I was on the track. But I noticed the big oak tree was rustling quite high up. It was full in leaf so I couldn't see up into it so I got off the track back to the car, as I got back in the growling started up again followed by a thud like something jumping onto the ground then the rustle of leaves as something bounded away. Obviously being the rough tough manly type in front of the good lady I played it cool but truth be told it was just a bit unnerving!

[Lloyd90]

It's been mentioned on another thread to do with all those sheep getting killed so rather than go off on a tangent on that thread I thought I'd start a separate one.

 

What's everyone's thoughts on a viable large cat population in the countryside? There's supposed to be black cats round here, lots of smallish woods ex and current army that you're not allowed in incase of unexploded ordinance. Several reputable sources had told me their tales of seeing them. Apparently hounds marked one in a tree with one pack and another pack were hunting and 3 witnesses saw one run the length of the cover as hounds went in.

I always wanted to believe but like most people I was only ever half convinced until lamping one night, sat on a hill near one of the aforementioned covers by the army base with my then fairly new girlfriend - she now loves lamping and comes most of the time!

There's an overgrown access track separating two fields, it's approximately 10ft down from the field to the bottom of the track and its lined with big tall trees and scrub. It runs from the road 500yds down onto the camp, along the side of a wood and out onto the main base track, it's basically a fox motorway, I was sure I could hear growling on the track, occasional a sheep would curl up and die in there so being a manly man trying to demonstrate my hunter gatherer skills to the new Mrs Ben, I climbed down into the track with the lamp and gun expecting to see a couple of farm dogs or badgers fighting over a sheep skeleton....but nothing. The growling stopped when I was on the track. But I noticed the big oak tree was rustling quite high up. It was full in leaf so I couldn't see up into it so I got off the track back to the car, as I got back in the growling started up again followed by a thud like something jumping onto the ground then the rustle of leaves as something bounded away. Obviously being the rough tough manly type in front of the good lady I played it cool but truth be told it was just a bit unnerving!

Farmer by me on edge of forestry in Wales swears blind he seen a big black cat sat out in the field just catching some sun, called his Mrs and she seen it too.

 

If said it was there for a good 30 mins and if he had known that he would have called the local paper.

 

Don't know if I believe it but I don't see why it isn't possible. Although I think the theory is they escaped or were released around the time of the war. Surely to continue being around they would have to breed and carry on their lines. With this increased population I think we would probably see more and more encounters ?

 

I think there's a higher chance that the smaller big cat breeds could be living in the wild, something like a ocelot or mix that doesn't require large amount of food, can scavenge birds and small prey and goes by pretty unnoticeable.

[Vince Green]

I have never seen one but when I lived in Hertfordshire years ago I was very friendly with a man who was a badger warden at Ashridge and he had lots of stories about the big cats then. That was over thirty years ago though, I do believe a lot were released or escaped when they were fashionable pets ( and legal ) in the 60s and 70s.

That part of the world was full of the sort of poncey people and houses that would have kept them. I used to shoot a lot round there, and drink in the pubs. It was common to hear references made to them in conversations. I thought they were an accepted fact of life

Edited March 9, 2016 by Vince Green

[ozzy518]

I had what I would describe as a big black cat type thing run out in front of me whilst at RAF Honington Suffolk. It was at night in a remote part of the airfield, just a few small buildings and junk. I was with my shark on the lead aka police dog. The cat was equal in height to the dog with a long tail. The dog went for it nearly dislocating my arm with the lead.

One thing though that surprises me about big cat theories , why do none get found dead, either of old age, hit by cars or even shot?

[Blackpowder]

I had what I would describe as a big black cat type thing run out in front of me whilst at RAF Honington Suffolk. It was at night in a remote part of the airfield, just a few small buildings and junk. I was with my shark on the lead aka police dog. The cat was equal in height to the dog with a long tail. The dog went for it nearly dislocating my arm with the lead.

One thing though that surprises me about big cat theories , why do none get found dead, either of old age, hit by cars or even shot?

+1

Blackpowder

[la bala]

I had what I would describe as a big black cat type thing run out in front of me whilst at RAF Honington Suffolk. It was at night in a remote part of the airfield, just a few small buildings and junk. I was with my shark on the lead aka police dog. The cat was equal in height to the dog with a long tail. The dog went for it nearly dislocating my arm with the lead.

One thing though that surprises me about big cat theories , why do none get found dead, either of old age, hit by cars or even shot?

Agree with everything you say apart from the shot part, I think any shot ones would be quickly buried and nothing said, I think going public could open a can of worms. Just my thinking.

[fenboy]

I think they are spread all over the country.

I also think there are yeti's in Snowdonia

[Penelope]

No, they are just welshmen, easy mistake to make though, I suppose.

 

I think they are spread all over the country.

I also think there are yeti's in Snowdonia

[robbiep]

One thing though that surprises me about big cat theories , why do none get found dead, either of old age, hit by cars or even shot?

 

 

Really ?

I can think of several instances where big cats have been shot or hit by cars. The puma skull found by a farmer in Devon/Cornwall is another one that springs to mind

[Vince Green]

I had what I would describe as a big black cat type thing run out in front of me whilst at RAF Honington Suffolk. It was at night in a remote part of the airfield, just a few small buildings and junk. I was with my shark on the lead aka police dog. The cat was equal in height to the dog with a long tail. The dog went for it nearly dislocating my arm with the lead.

One thing though that surprises me about big cat theories , why do none get found dead, either of old age, hit by cars or even shot?

The big cat websites say that dead cats have been taken away by DEFRA or whoever in the past but then nothing more is heard back. Vanished without trace.

 

Depends which side of the fence your beliefs lie. Like all conspiracies, you either believe or you don't.

[tonker]

They're about, seen 2 in my time, one with my mate lamping, it got to within 75yds of us before my mate lost his bottle and legged it around the disco climbed in and wouldn't get back out again. Oh course had to join him with no lamp to see with

 

The other was seen by me and a dozen others on a golf society day at Wells golf club, when I asked the steward about it during our evening meal, he said a plaster cast paw print had been taken and sent off for identification the day before.

 

Both slightly longer than a lab, about 18'' tall, and a long curved tail. I know what I saw and need no convincing, but can understand peoples doubts if they have never seen one, because I was a doubter myself.

[Hendrix's rifle]

I take my dogs up to Macclesfield forest every night and every other morning and I've seen 1 plenty of times. Never usually take a phone as there's no signal. I watched it eating a sika that I'm presuming it caught. I've seen it, my old man, my other half, my dogs gave chase to it once and many local farmers have seen it. Il see it a couple of months in the year then don't see it till the next year around the same time. I do however have pictures of its tracks when I was stalking it, will try and add when I figure out how. I'd like to also point out that a couple of people didn't believe me until I showed them. Half 9pm is the usual time up here :L 5 people wont be going back up to the forest

[Rimfireboy]

Meow...

[SimpleSimon]

Funnily enough I was discussing this whilst out lamping the other night. I remember a newspaper article from a while back where police had raided a property in West Yorkshire and found several caged Lynx in a barn. I think the intention had been to release them for hunting...

 

My personal opinion is that most, but not all, sightings are either misidentification or pure hoax. I've spent enough time squinting at things when I don't have my binoculars to know that not everything is immediately obvious. If you're of a certain mindset anything can look like a big cat (or a UFO, ghost, yeti). That said I do believe in some cases that large cats are genuinely being seen. My best guess as a source would be hybrids of "exotic" releases/escapees with one another or with domestic cats to produce oversized ferals. I know that feral domestic cats are quite common in some areas.

I don't believe in any conspiracy theory involving DEFRA cover ups or such like. I'd imagine most keepers or farmers wouldn't fancy the attention and if they are shooting cats they're keeping quiet.

 

Edit: by "exotics" I mean cervals and the like, not black Panthers and pumas. The descriptions given of the "Panthers" are almost always far too small for a true big cat. A Labrador isn't the size of a big cat.

Edited March 9, 2016 by SimpleSimon

[Hamster]

There are hundreds of them out there but they're all vegetarian, don't drink water, don't have lairs, never die of old age, don't attack humans and/or dogs and are devoid of scent so your dog will never even smell it whilst it's standing there being all hallucinatory like.

[Bobba]

There are hundreds of them out there but they're all vegetarian, don't drink water, don't have lairs, never die of old age, don't attack humans and/or dogs and are devoid of scent so your dog will never even smell it whilst it's standing there being all hallucinatory like.

 

Oh you doubting Thomas.

 

"The Truth is out there"...................

Signed

Fox Mulder and Dana Scully

[mattyg1086]

I have never seen one but when I lived in Hertfordshire years ago I was very friendly with a man who was a badger warden at Ashridge and he had lots of stories about the big cats then. That was over thirty years ago though, I do believe a lot were released or escaped when they were fashionable pets ( and legal ) in the 60s and 70s.

That part of the world was full of the sort of poncey people and houses that would have kept them. I used to shoot a lot round there, and drink in the pubs. It was common to hear references made to them in conversations. I thought they were an accepted fact of life

also rammed full of deer round there isnt it but suring the day there are alot of dog walkers

[bruno22rf]

Pretty much certain that Sabre Toothed Tigers roam around Yorkshire and I have actually seen a complete skull to prove it, in that village full of Vikings......somewhere in York.

[Harnser]

With out giving away any location I have twice seen a melonistic leopard and my farmer friend and his neighbour have both seen it as well . When my farmer friend first saw it he had cattle calfing and was concerned that the cat would take one of the calfs. The stockman and myself and the farmer took it in turns watching over the cows untill they had finished birthing .

 

Harnser

[Hamster]

With out giving away any location I have twice seen a melonistic leopard and my farmer friend and his neighbour have both seen it as well . When my farmer friend first saw it he had cattle calfing and was concerned that the cat would take one of the calfs. The stockman and myself and the farmer took it in turns watching over the cows untill they had finished birthing .

 

Harnser

 

I had to google melanistic , any ideas as to their diet seeing as they don't like easy to catch calves ?

[Dekers]

The chance of viable big cat populations in the wild in this country is tiny.

 

There may well have been a few escapees or released but..................

[955i]

It is believed that a number were released when the DWA licence was brought in to avoid going through the process

[garygreengrass]

I saw a large black cat about the size of a labrador about two years ago when out lamping.I could of shot it as I was looking at it about 150 yards away with my scope and a white lamp, it was not doing any arm so why shoot it. The farmer saw it 2 days later but was not happy that I did not shoot it. I wish I had a camera not a gun with me when I did see it.

[vampire]

I had what I would describe as a big black cat type thing run out in front of me whilst at RAF Honington Suffolk. It was at night in a remote part of the airfield, just a few small buildings and junk. I was with my shark on the lead aka police dog. The cat was equal in height to the dog with a long tail. The dog went for it nearly dislocating my arm with the lead.

One thing though that surprises me about big cat theories , why do none get found dead, either of old age, hit by cars or even shot?

I spent a few weeks building the dog runs and that brick dog loo at the base,we used to have lunch in your hut crapping our selves when that big german shepherd came in,but it was soppy not like some of the bitches,we never went near them.Now owned two myself,i call the breed long haired german crocodile.

Back to the thread,never seen one,though my best mate and a group of his work mates saw a lynx.

Why do all you guys eat porridge cooked in microwave for lunch !

[loriusgarrulus]

Have a look at this Savannah cat. They come in a variety of colours including black and weigh around 24lb.