Big Cat

[Dougy]

There was a chap in Fradley near where I used to live had big cats. It was early to late 60s, a law came in stating that owners of these so called exotic pets required a licence.

Many could not be bothered so just let them go. That is what this chap did from Fradley.

As for proof, well as you would guess I'm afraid very little if any remaining.

I knew about this because my grand parents used to own a pub in the village called the Paul Pry which he was known in. And no it was not the ale talking .

Now whether or not any survived to this day I have doubt it. No dead ones ever been found

[Red-dot]

Why didn't you shoot it?

It was behind a Rylock fence and i chose not to. On reflection i maybe should have.

SSS

[CharlieT]

There was a chap in Fradley near where I used to live had big cats. It was early to late 60s, a law came in stating that owners of these so called exotic pets required a licence.

Many could not be bothered so just let them go. That is what this chap did from Fradley.

As for proof, well as you would guess I'm afraid very little if any remaining.

I knew about this because my grand parents used to own a pub in the village called the Paul Pry which he was known in. And no it was not the ale talking .

Now whether or not any survived to this day I have doubt it. No dead ones ever been found

 

Again, there was a small pet shop in a village near me who's owner kept a big cat (panther). He used to walk it round the village on a chain. When the law came in, I know for a fact that he released it into the countryside to fend for itself.

[Hamster]

Three years ago i got a call from a farmer who was losing lambs at an average of two a night and i watched the culprit 150y away for about 45 minutes and it was a labrador size cat with the reddest eyes i have ever seen under the lamp. It was seen in daylight a few days later.

Flanders Moss, Stirling.

 

If he was averaging 2 lambs a night it's possible it looked something like this.

 

The odd thing is how these big cats always manage to evade getting run over by cars or getting shot .

[old man]

 

If he was averaging 2 lambs a night it's possible it looked something like this.

 

The odd thing is how these big cats always manage to evade getting run over by cars or getting shot .

Two lambs per night entirely possible because been told they cache food but not every night.

[Red-dot]

Two lambs are just a snack... Hamster please refrain from being a confrontational gentleman.

Edited April 19, 2017 by Red-dot

[Salopian]

The Shropshire Star Newspaper has run numerous stories and photographs of sightings . Recently around Edgmond ( lots of Sheep farmers) and Trench Lock Telford photographed around the old brickworks .I do find it hard to believe , but we have never found Lucan either?

[tonker]

Those that have seen like me! know what they have seen. There are others that unless they can put their fingers in the nail holes will never believe.

Until they do see one they will always find a reason to disagree. I can't see the air that I breath but I believe it's been around a day or two. lol

[inthedark]

The Shropshire Star Newspaper has run numerous stories and photographs of sightings . Recently around Edgmond ( lots of Sheep farmers) and Trench Lock Telford photographed around the old brickworks .I do find it hard to believe , but we have never found Lucan either?

 

Lucan was sighted in Somerset recently, riding Shergar into a herd of sheep and carrying one off. #truestory

[Red-dot]

^^^^^ i think that is meant to be funny but not many will be laughing. Sometimes it's better not to belittle genuine posters....

[inthedark]

^^^^^ i think that is meant to be funny but not many will be laughing. Sometimes it's better not to belittle genuine posters....

 

TBH mate, it's definately not belittling, and in the unlikely event that anyone is too sensitive to have a little giggle at it, I'd advise them not to vote for the torys. Have a laugh, it's good for the soul

[LeadWasp]

I have a friend a forestry worker who definitely saw one locally close up a few years ago, I believe him.

 

As for evidence, they are not likely to advertise being ambush hunters.

 

As for AOLQ, sure that does not cover it.

 

If you do chance it, make sure its dead with first shot or you are likely to be in a world of pain, infection or dead.

According to 2 people I know who have culled problem Leopards you might be lucky enough to hear it's first cough.

 

Any specialist hunters here?

 

I understand that a Marsh Lynx (?) was run over in Shropshire nr. Richard's Castle and taken for examination at Ludlow Museum.

 

In the 80's and 90's Elstead and Hankley Common in Surrey (any ex Para's here?) were a hot bed of big cat sightings but they seem to have died down now. The Midhurst area has been quite 'active' in recent years.

 

Leopards do hybridise, and are specialist hunters of primates - and I believe they are the only cat to actively practice deception.

 

About 15 years ago I did a stint working on a mate's farm in Kenya. I parked the farm landy up in close country near Nyeri to have lunch, having kept what I thought was a wary eye open for buffalo or anything else. As I sorted myself out to drive off again I saw out to my left less than 30 feet away a leopard resting in shade under a bush. The light was dappled through the bushes and it's camouflage was exceptional so I'm not exactly sure what it was that caught my eye. I'd been parked up for over 20 minutes and had sat with my back to it and all the windows open. Very glad to have been in a vehicle and not got out for a pee - although I'd have checked well first and certainly never went anywhere on foot empty handed. It's amazing how good the human brain is at learning from fear. In the months prior to this I'd only seen one leopard. This certainly got my eye in and I saw far more after that. Mind you I spent a lot of time afterwards expecting to find yellow eyes looking back at me from every patch of cover. Sobering.

 

I'm open minded about the whole thing. The case of the Pettinger's/Pottinger's? in the SW in the late 80's was interesting. The sheep farmers and foresters round here all say no about big cats, yet my immediate neighbour claims to have seen one in her fields. There's a guy I know from Leicestershire who is adamant they're on his ground, and talks of changes in other animals behaviour when they're about and a very distinctive smell.

[achosenman]

Tongue in cheek mode on:

 

So what would be the reason to shoot it on sight? AOLQ does not mean you go round shooting something just to prove it exists.

 

I don't remember anyone getting killed by one, so they are not a danger to the public.

 

I have seen thousand of cats/dogs over the years. Even more now I use thermal and night vision for fox control, but perhaps it's really puma's and wolves I'm seeing.

 

IMHO it's a bit like Bigfoot, UFO's and all the rest. A crappy photo by an untrained observer and wild anecdotal stories. In countries where big cats are found, there is incontrovertible proof and evidence of their presence. Funny how men in black seem to go around erasing proof in the UK.

 

Tongue in cheek mode off:

[Mice!]

Help

[LeadWasp]

naw - that's just a funny coloured Maine Coone.....................

[Mice!]

I think i would at least be firing into the air, about the same time i wet myself

[achosenman]

I think i would at least be firing into the air, about the same time i wet myself

 

Just to check, would that be firing a center fire, high powered rifle bullet into the air?

[Hamster]

Tongue in cheek mode on:

 

So what would be the reason to shoot it on sight? AOLQ does not mean you go round shooting something just to prove it exists.

 

I don't remember anyone getting killed by one, so they are not a danger to the public.

 

I have seen thousand of cats/dogs over the years. Even more now I use thermal and night vision for fox control, but perhaps it's really puma's and wolves I'm seeing.

 

IMHO it's a bit like Bigfoot, UFO's and all the rest. A crappy photo by an untrained observer and wild anecdotal stories. In countries where big cats are found, there is incontrovertible proof and evidence of their presence. Funny how men in black seem to go around erasing proof in the UK.

 

Tongue in cheek mode off:

 

You're going to be accused of being confrontational if you're not careful you know, asking for proof and stuff.

[Mice!]

 

Just to check, would that be firing a center fire, high powered rifle bullet into the air?

Early on thread started with fella saying he was goose or duck shooting so one barrel in the air and hope like hell it runs away

[Mice!]

Was bishop on the geese xx

[Walker570]

About twenty years ago a large feline was seen to leap across our lane(12ft wide) in one bound. The lady who saw it is a country lass and no idiot. It was not reported to news media. A week or so later a local farmer saw a very large cat like animal walk across one of his fields. A day later another very sensible person saw a large feline animal jump across the other lane approaching our village and just one field from where the farmer had seen it, 24hrs before. All three people, country folk, no need for publicity and knew what they saw. It was not someone's pussy cat for sure. I am pretty convinced that in the late eighties and early nineties there were a fair few big cats roaming free. I have spent many hours hunting and walking at all hours in the Texas brush, where cougar were known to exist in numbers, also in northern Mexico, over a period of some ten years and I have never seen one. Bobcats by the dozen and every other weird animal you can think of, but cougar are so able to sneak around without being seen. I doubt very much if those cats released back then have survived and can understand no reports of them being shot.

[inthedark]

Was bishop on the geese xx

 

I didn't know he was French

[Vince Green]

Elstead and Hankley Common in Surrey (any ex Para's here?)

 

Hankley Common! my god yes I remember it well. I tried to find it on google maps but thought it was spelled Hinkley. Thank you for that. Yes I'm ex 562 Para REME 44 Brigade

 

Edited April 20, 2017 by Vince Green

[Mice!]

We were at Blackpool zoo today, watching the lions and tigers I've read a good few books on Africa where they describe a leopard attack lion or tiger( not Africa I know) or animals attack progs in America with a puma attacking people, think I would be thrilled to see a big cat in the wild but as I said above, Pee my pants stalking a rabbit and find a big cat 😥

[Vince Green]

I doubt very much if those cats released back then have survived and can understand no reports of them being shot.

A lot of them were tracked down and shot in the 70s, I have no doubt.

 

The Surrey Puma was caught by the London Zoo after baiting it for weeks.

 

Its just that the authorities chose not to go public on what was a potentially embarrassing episode given that it was their legislation caused them to be released in the first place.

Edited April 21, 2017 by Vince Green