Big Cats in the british countryside

[fullbore]

I dont believe in them, fox hounds would of got a scent of one if they were here.

 

 

How do you know they haven't? did they tell you?

 

What I do believe thou is that there are some wolverines out there,

 

A predator is far harder to sneak up on than a prey animal. I have stalked all over for years, including scotland, I have yet to see a scottish wildcat or a pine marten, both of which categorically exist. Or do they?

[salisburykeeper]

This is starting to make sense! the big cats could be mutants!

[dustyfox]

One of these you muppets

 

[salisburykeeper]

I hope i dont come across one of those dusty, look a bit dangerous

[Ferret Master]

The foxhounds follow the scent of fox or they would be rioting on every scent imaginable in the woods and coverts. Also the hunt it quite loud and any self respecting big cat would do a runner long before there are people to see it.

 

FM

[dustyfox]

ok then where do they get there food then, if I was a big cat I wont go for something that if hard to catch like a deer, I would go for a sheep that if fenced in and dosile. Has many farmers found many sheep dead NO.

 

Its peoples imagination just like when people see ghosts. If it not that it will be the farmer trying to scare the city people out of the countryside.

[fullbore]

ok then where do they get there food then, if I was a big cat I wont go for something that if hard to catch like a deer, I would go for a sheep that if fenced in and dosile. Has many farmers found many sheep dead NO.

 

again a ill informed comment. I used to stalk ground near Straiton in Ayrshire. Farmers were finding that many dead lambs that spring, you couldn't move in those valleys for fox snares. Caught by its nose one morning in the snare was a wild boar Shot and killed with a 270 rifle. Now wild boar dont offiialy exist in Scotland do they?

[njc110381]

The thing my mate claims to have seen was said to be larger than a decent Labrador, but the shape was totally wrong for it to be a dog. To get that kind of size from a domestic cat isn't going to happen! A lot of people are sceptical, but then man on the moon was a load of ******** once wasn't it. Some people only believe what's been proven, other will take a chance and realise we don't know everything yet!

[dustyfox]

again a ill informed comment. I used to stalk ground near Straiton in Ayrshire. Farmers were finding that many dead lambs that spring, you couldn't move in those valleys for fox snares. Caught by its nose one morning in the snare was a wild boar Shot and killed with a 270 rifle. Now wild boar dont offiialy exist in Scotland do they?

 

Well I got a good friend who's been stalking for 20 years and works in Straiton and all over galloway and I used to work in Straiton as well and one day me and him went out to collect a stag that he shot in the hills and we saw a big domestic Tomcat and he said that's what people will mistake for a big cat.

 

What part of Straiton did you go stalking in?

[fullbore]

again a ill informed comment. I used to stalk ground near Straiton in Ayrshire. Farmers were finding that many dead lambs that spring, you couldn't move in those valleys for fox snares. Caught by its nose one morning in the snare was a wild boar Shot and killed with a 270 rifle. Now wild boar dont offiialy exist in Scotland do they?

 

Well I got a good friend who's been stalking for 20 years and works in Straiton and all over galloway and I used to work in Straiton as well and one day me and him went out to collect a stag that he shot in the hills and we saw a big domestic Tomcat and he said that's what people will mistake for a big cat.

 

What part of Straiton did you go stalking in?

 

 

that doesnt explain the wild boar does it. And if you are from around there its easy enough to confirm it made the front page of the local paper with a photo, Kenny the landlord of the Black Bull showed me it. Used to stalk FC and Tillhill land

[trakker01]

i can varify there are big cats,

 

some quite intimidating too ! to see is to beleive, i know of 3 areas with 'big cats', mostly ferral cats, ( similar, but larger & fitter than std moggy ) & also large puma type....witnessed,

 

a bud on here can varify too ! DO NOT APPROACH THESE.

[dustyfox]

again a ill informed comment. I used to stalk ground near Straiton in Ayrshire. Farmers were finding that many dead lambs that spring, you couldn't move in those valleys for fox snares. Caught by its nose one morning in the snare was a wild boar Shot and killed with a 270 rifle. Now wild boar dont offiialy exist in Scotland do they?

 

Well I got a good friend who's been stalking for 20 years and works in Straiton and all over galloway and I used to work in Straiton as well and one day me and him went out to collect a stag that he shot in the hills and we saw a big domestic Tomcat and he said that's what people will mistake for a big cat.

 

What part of Straiton did you go stalking in?

 

 

that doesnt explain the wild boar does it. And if you are from around there its easy enough to confirm it made the front page of the local paper with a photo, Kenny the landlord of the Black Bull showed me it. Used to stalk FC and Tillhill land

 

Well I have moved up to dumbarton and the next time I go down I will see, but I been told by the FC staff that he is a bit of an ****, but I will ask him if he is ever in. I remember some people seeing a big cat but unless I see one I will not beleive there is one.

 

The only things that I have known to be in Galloway forest is red deer and a some fallow but not many and mountain goat. nothing like a boar. I phone my mate up as he is the FC stalker.

[fullbore]

I'm not asking you to take his word, check it with the local paper and the photograph that was on the front cover

[Blackbart]

There has been big cat sightings since the fifties along with nessie, aliens,bigfoot and the list goes on some going back a lot longer than the fifties.There has been hundreds if not thousands of sightings of big cats in the uk,so can anybody tell me how long a big cat lives?surely out of these hundreds of big cats roaming our countryside quite a few of them would have died of old age by now.Now either they have discovered the secret of eternal life or they have learned how to bury themselves after they have died.

[fullbore]

There has been big cat sightings since the fifties along with nessie, aliens,bigfoot and the list goes on some going back a lot longer than the fifties.There has been hundreds if not thousands of sightings of big cats in the uk,so can anybody tell me how long a big cat lives?surely out of these hundreds of big cats roaming our countryside quite a few of them would have died of old age by now.Now either they have discovered the secret of eternal life or they have learned how to bury themselves after they have died.

 

 

so what are you suggesting happened to the carcasses of the ones that the police freely admit were released into the wild by people who legally owned big cats before the introuction of the dangerous wild animals act. I follow your argument but no one has found one of these released "domestic" big cats have they?

[ss12]

just found this through google, don't know how accurate it is but there are quite a few records of big cats being shot, snared etc.

http://www.scottishbigcats.co.uk/escapeandcaptures.htm

 

ss12

[Blackbart]

just found this through google, don't know how accurate it is but there are quite a few records of big cats being shot, snared etc.

http://www.scottishbigcats.co.uk/escapeandcaptures.htm

 

ss12

 

And loads of cranky people making stories up

 

The most recent one is a good one 3 different people swore it was a puma,1 even examined it then went to get his camera and it turned out to be a dog and the owner was informed

[fullbore]

just found this through google, don't know how accurate it is but there are quite a few records of big cats being shot, snared etc.

http://www.scottishbigcats.co.uk/escapeandcaptures.htm

 

ss12

 

And loads of cranky people making stories up

 

The most recent one is a good one 3 different people swore it was a puma,1 even examined it then went to get his camera and it turned out to be a dog and the owner was informed :o

well there's sceptical and sceptical, so why haven't you answered my question as to the carcasses of the released former "pets"

[Blackbart]

just found this through google, don't know how accurate it is but there are quite a few records of big cats being shot, snared etc.

http://www.scottishbigcats.co.uk/escapeandcaptures.htm

 

ss12

 

And loads of cranky people making stories up

 

The most recent one is a good one 3 different people swore it was a puma,1 even examined it then went to get his camera and it turned out to be a dog and the owner was informed :o

well there's sceptical and sceptical, so why haven't you answered my question as to the carcasses of the released former "pets"

 

What released pets?which police?where?witnesses are called what?

 

Like i said in my last ost 3 people swore it was a puma.....and this wasnt a fleeting glimse,this was them standing over it dead on the side of the road!!!There is millions of people in this country who couldnt tell you what a badger looks like never mind a puma.I am not saying all of them people are making it up(even though some of them have been found to have been)and people will have seen things that they think is a big cat,but like i said there is lots of people who have never seen a real live badger or a feral cat.

[fullbore]

What released pets?which police?where?witnesses are called what?

 

No wonder you dont believe you dont listen to anything, What released pets? The ones the Police (as a body over the whole country from Exmoor to Scotland) and the authorities regularly cite as an explanation as to why there are large feline predators loose in our countryside/ The witnesses are many and various, including well respected people. How much research have you done yourself before you started poo pooing this, or is it just your own opinion which from listening to you, no-one else is allowed to have one if it doesn't agree with yours, that's why I say you are closed minded

[fullbore]

just to help your research (if you can be bothered) here's a few sites

 

http://www.britishbigcats.org/

 

http://www.scottishbigcats.co.uk/englishsightings.htm

 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...03_bigcats.html

 

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/20...03_bigcats.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/yorkslincs/...sightings.shtml

 

I believe these also answer your questions, of Which Police and what are the witnesses called

[fullbore]

From KENT BIG CAT RESEARCH (01634 302572):

 

Word has reached KENT BIG CAT RESEARCH that two female pumas (mountain lion's, cougars) have recently been released into the Kent countryside. Although the location cannot be disclosed, as to deter hunter's, but we have established that both animals are young and healthy, and also prove that people are still able to obtain such animals which in turn will bolster the abundant population that already roams the county.

Despite scepticism towards the existence of these animals, Kent Big Cat Research, this year alone, has already received more than 65 eye-witness reports of large cats ranging from black leopard to lynx and are aware of two female pumas, lynx and black leopard being released into the wilds previously, although such releases do not account for sightings which were recorded as far back as 1545.

 

The two cats released will certainly be used to humans, but should anyone come in contact with any kind of large, exotic cat they should not approach, but neither run, but instead back of slowly.

 

Although large cats are now fully established in our countryside, such cats are also still being released. During the '70s a Clouded Leopard escaped from Howlett's Zoo and despite 'experts' claiming it would not survive in our climate, it was on the prowl for 18 months before being shot.

 

A black leopard was also shot on the 1930s on the North Downs, and another eas released in Gravesend during the 1970s as well as numerous smaller cats, and there have been alleged attacks on humans on the outskirts of London and Gravesend although such cases are very rare.

 

During our investigations we are still uncovering numerous pens and illegal enclosures where large cats were once housed and also released so this recent incident is by no means nothing new.

 

 

And that one answers you so how come none have been shot question

[fullbore]

There seems to be more evidence supporting their existence than your evidence (or rather lack 0f it) to the non existence

 

 

[edit] History and origins

Many stories have arisen over the years to explain how such animals could be living in the British countryside, ranging from allegations of fakery and mistaken identity, to proposals of surviving Ice Age fauna, or even that the cats have a supernatural origin. Some of these ideas are considered to be more credible than others, and some receive much more publicity than others. These are the major theories so far put forward:

 

 

[edit] Survivors from the prehistoric past

The leopard became extinct in Great Britain at the end of the last Ice Age, around 12,000 years ago.

The Eurasian lynx was originally thought to have become extinct in the UK before the Romans arrived, but some bones in Scotland have been dated as from around AD 180. This means that small numbers hung on in remnants of the Caledonian Forest for longer than previously thought. More recent research by David Hetherington dates a skull found in Yorkshire to around 500 AD.

The wildcat became extinct in England and Wales in the 19th Century, but still exists in Scotland in relics of the Caledonian Forest. However, wild cats are unlikely to be confused with big cats in any case.

 

[edit] A form unknown to science

It has been suggested that reported sightings of big cats could be due to feral hybrids of domestic cats and either wild cats or a small exotic cats such as jungle cats or caracals. The Kellas Cat of Scotland is an example of this. Also suggested are hybrids of escaped exotics such as cougars and leopards, which have been produced in captivity and are known as a pumapards, but they are prone to dwarfism and none survived to breed. Although female hybrid big cats are fertile, males are sterile and a breeding population would be next to impossible.

 

 

[edit] Escaped or released animals that have gone feral

Cats could have escaped from traveling circuses in the Victorian era.

Cats could have been released by people who attempted to create a population for hunting or some other purpose in Victorian times, when many animals were released into the countryside. This was legal until the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Cats could have escaped during the 1960s and 1970s when it was easy to keep dangerous animals without breaking the law of the time.

Cats could have been released after the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976[1] came into force. Many owners did not want to have their animals put down or taken away, so they released them in remote locations where they established feral populations. This is probably the most likely explanation, and is the most often heard. The British Big Cat Society claims to have evidence of at least 23 releases of big cats in Britain.

 

[edit] Supernatural creatures

Some people believe that the reported big cats are supernatural creatures or ghosts that haunt remote areas, or are in some way associated with the "Devil Dogs" or Barghests (such as the Black Shuck) of other areas of England.[2] A similar belief is that they are ghosts of cats which lived in the area in the past.[3]. Other people take the similarity of big cat sightings to reports of supernatural events to be evidence for their nonexistence, and suggest that such sightings typify cultural mythologies.

 

[edit] First sightings

The first regular sightings of big cats in Britain were in the 1960s, and since then they have been gradually increasing over the past 40 years to the present. In fact sightings go back some considerable time. The oldest report was found by David Walker who has a report from The Times in 1827 of a "lynx" being seen.[4]

 

There is a medieval Welsh poem "Pa Gwr" in the Black Book of Carmarthen which mentions a Cath Palug "Palug's cat" or "clawing cat" which roamed Anglesey until slain by Cei. In the Welsh Triads, it was the offspring of the monstrous sow Henwen. [5]

 

 

[edit] Evidence

Although much evidence has been put forward over the years, none has led to official acceptance of the cats' existence. Many of the pictures were either taken from such a distance that it is impossible to make out the animal, or the picture is of poor quality. A few examples of hoaxes have also been exposed.

 

 

[edit] Captures and remains

"Felicity the puma" was captured by farmer Ted Noble at Cannich, Inverness-shire, Scotland in 1980, after a string of sightings from the area, and they continued after her capture. She lived out her days as a tourist attraction at the Highland Wildlife Park, Kingussie. There remains some controversy over whether she had ever been "wild" for any period of time. After her death she was stuffed and mounted and is now on display in the Inverness Museum, Inverness, Highland.

In July 2005 a farmer in North Devon discovered a large cat's skull, which has since been identified as a puma's. It was apparently taken for scientific analysis, though no results have ever been released. It follows many reports of cats in the area (Beast of Exmoor), and even a report of a farmer shooting and later burying a puma. [6]

A Eurasian lynx was shot in summer 1991 near Norwich, Norfolk. It had killed around 15 sheep within two weeks. The story was only reported in 2003, and the lynx is apparently now in the possession (as taxidermy) of a collector in Suffolk. For many years this incident was considered to have been a hoax, particularly by the hunting community, But in March 2006 a police report confirmed that the case was true. It was probably an escapee from a facility in the area that bred animals including Eurasian lynxes.[7]

A clouded leopard, a rare cat species of southeast Asia, escaped in Kent in 1975. She was shot nine months later and had fed on rabbits and lambs in the meantime.

A jungle cat (presumably killed by a vehicle collision) was found at the side of the road near Ludlow, Shropshire, in 1989. It was rumoured that the cat mated with farm cats in the area and produced offspring, including a cat, called "Jasper", who had all the characteristics of a hybrid.

A leopard cat was shot by Stuart Skinner on the Isle of Wight after mistaking it for a fox taking his poultry. However it was not reported immediately because he thought he had shot a protected species.

A Eurasian lynx was captured in Golders Green, Greater London in 2001 after a witness reported "a leopard sat on her garden wall". The lynx was captured and later taken to London Zoo.

A Eurasian lynx was shot by an RUC marksman in Fintona, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland in 1996. Its body is currently in the freezer of a museum in Belfast.

A puma was shot in 1987 by police officers near to the Greenwich Observatory, Greater London.

A jungle cat was killed as it crossed the road at Hayling Island, Hampshire in 1988.

In 1988 a leopard was shot and killed by a farmer at Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Dartmoor, Devon.

In May 1980, a dead lioness was found in a lake near a disused railway quarry in St Helens, Lancashire. However, this story may be false due to allegations that the animal had been deliberately drowned.

In the late 1970s, a puma was caught near the Civic Centre in Barnstaple, Devon.

 

[edit] Video and photographic evidence

Many photographs have been taken of "cats" over the years, and countless have been proved as fakes or simply forgotten. In recent years evidence has also come from CCTV cameras.

 

The legendary "Fen Tiger" was filmed by Mr. William Rooker in Cambridgeshire in 1994. The video lasts for around 2 minutes, and it remains the best video footage to date. The video probably shows a black panther stalking a field.

A photograph of a large black cat was taken on the Kent marshes in 1998. The animal in the photo is definitely feline, very dark brown in colour, but not a black leopard. It is difficult to judge the size of the cat in the photo, and some have said that it shows a jungle cat.

Two pieces of video footage, one from Cornwall in 1999 and one from the Isle of Wight in 2001 appear to show large black cats.

A probable puma was caught by CCTV cameras at a car park in Hertfordshire in August 2005.

A probable black panther was recorded on a CCTV camera in a working brickyard near Telford, Shropshire in the summer of 1999.

A photo of a large, black cat at Bexley, Kent was taken in February 2006. Sightings had been reported there since 2003.

On more than one occasion, police helicopters have tracked what are thought to be big cats on infra red surveillance cameras. However, many of these animals are soon lost amongst dense woodland.

In June 2006 a large black cat was filmed in the countryside of Banff, Aberdeenshire. Footage of the cat was broadcast by the BBC on 24 May 2007[8]. The cat filmed has been assumed to exemplify the characteristics of a small panther or lynx and meets the accounts given in separate sightings.

 

A Eurasian Lynx

[edit] Livestock kills

Many accounts of famous animals stem from livestock kills, mostly to sheep. The Beast of Exmoor and the Beast of Bodmin are examples. In recent years, cows, sheep and even horses have been attacked.

Between April 2004 and July 2005 there were five reported attacks on horses and 37 incidents regarding sheep kills.

Deer kills are also noted, and have been recorded on Roe deer in Somerset and Shropshire. A deer carcass was found stashed in a tree in Somerset in 2004.

Livestock kills have been noted in many counties, but they are centred in Devon.

In January 2004 a farmer with pastures in Stoke St Michael near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, reported that he had lost four ewes to predatory animal attacks but what was more surprising was a fatal attack on a six-month-old Aberdeen Angus calf that weighed more than twice the weight of an average adult human. The bodies of the animals had large puncture marks around their throats and heads and in some, their stomachs had also been eaten. He described how these attacks had affected the behaviour of his remaining livestock, with animals that were fairly friendly before becoming nervous and almost aggressive after the incident.

 

The area around Cheddar Gorge in Somerset has become a hotspot for big cat sightings.

[edit] Sightings

It is impossible to establish how many people have seen big cats in the UK, as many go unreported.

 

Upon seeing a big cat, many advise that it be reported immediately to the land owner and the local police, although there is no legal requirement to report it to anybody. A number of organisations exist that monitor these animals, these vary in size from one individual to a group with 40+ members. Most will happily share their data with other workers in the area if they don't have a local worker. If reporting your sighting to a group, particularly if you want advice, confirm that they have a local member that you can contact - it saves time with describing the geography of the area, etc. Sightings can be reported via many of the websites below.

 

Police often advise against trying to shoot the cats where sightings have occurred to deter "big game hunters". However, nobody has gone public to date about actively setting out to shoot one with any success.

 

As of 2007, the only county in England where no sightings have been reported is Greater Manchester.

 

The "top ten" counties or regions of Great Britain between April 2004 and July 2005 were:[9]

 

County Devon Yorks Scotland Wales Gloucs Sussex Cornwall Kent Somerset Leics

Number of Sightings 132 127 125 123 104 103 99 92 91 89

 

These figures though are seriously disputed and one of the biggest study groups maintains that Yorkshire has far more sightings than any other county.

 

The numbers of sightings by region between January 2003 and March 2004:

 

Region or Country The Midlands South East (includes London) Scotland Wales South West East Anglia The North Northern Ireland

Number of Sightings 368 329 226 102 430 246 288 62

 

 

[edit] Paw prints

Many paw prints have been photographed over the years - some have even been taken as a plaster cast. However, some people have found tracks thinking they are of big cats to find they are of other animals, such as dogs, foxes, badgers, and in one case even rabbits.

In March 2006, Warwickshire Museum put a cast of a huge paw print on display. The cast was taken by a farmer from Barford in November 2004 and donated to the museum. The farm's gamekeeper had watched what he believed to be a large black Leopard, hunt and catch a pheasant and noticed the fresh print in the mud. The print can still be viewed at Warwickshire Museum, England.

Golfers using a course near Bewdley, near Kidderminster in Worcestershire have grown used to finding large paw marks in the bunkers. They claim that the marks appear every two or three weeks and have been a regular occurrence for several years.

During heavy snowfall in Droitwich in Worcestershire in the winter of 2002-3, a woman living on the Chawson estate reported seeing a large, black cat in her garden, followed by the discovery of large paw prints. This story differs from other big cat reports in that it takes place in the middle of a residential area rather than a rural area. The countryside around Droitwich is thought to be home to a population of big cats, and a local farmer has even purchased two llamas to protect his sheep.

Large paw prints were found near to Huddersfield in 2005, which prompted the local paper 'The Examiner' to offer a £500 reward for photographic images of the animal that made them. The cash is yet to be claimed.

February 2006 saw Police claim that they had found the first conclusive proof a Scottish big cat that had been dubbed the "Beast of Balbirnie" after sightings of it in Fife. Officers took a plaster cast of a paw print which was later verified by experts as that of an 18-month-old exotic large cat, most likely the print of a black leopard's paw. After several sightings at once on the Balbirnie Estate near Glenrothes the police investigated and discovered the print. Experts could not be species-specific due to a lack of specific clarity in the heel pad but believed that judging by the size of the print, the animal was around 18 months old.

 

[edit] Skulls

Three hoax skulls have been found in the UK, all in Devon and Cornwall. They were found on Dartmoor, Bodmin Moor and Exmoor. They were all sent to the Natural History Museum, where they were all found to have been mounted on hunting trophies or rugs. However, in July 2005 another skull was found in North Devon. This skull is thought to have come from a puma, though it is still to be confirmed as to whether it is genuine.

 

 

[edit] Hair samples

As with paw prints, many hair samples have proved to be from other animals, but between April 2004 and August 2005 six samples were found across the country and are currently being analysed.

In the 1990s, puma hairs were positively identified on Exmoor.

 

[edit] Tree damage

Cats often sharpen their nails on wooden objects, and trees thought to have been damaged by big cats were discovered in Britain in Gloucestershire in 2001, Yorkshire in 2002 and Kent in 2003.

 

 

[edit] Hoaxes

This short section requires expansion.

 

Many fakes have been exposed over the years, and although most are obvious, some can go on for some time before being proven. One such example is of a stuffed toy in Wales being taken seriously as conclusive evidence for several months before being exposed as a publicity stunt.[10]

 

 

[edit] Photos

Many photos have proved to be fake. Famous fakes have included a stuffed toy in Wales, and a cardboard cut out on Bodmin Moor[11] The picture of the cuddly toy in Wales was originally confirmed as genuine by the British Big Cat Society, who later, without explanation, did an about turn and then said that it was a fake, using another researchers' data. In discussions with a South Wales newspaper they even claimed to employ that researcher. The same make of cuddly toy was later used in another hoax, having been photographed using a mobile 'phone camera in Yorkshire.[citation needed]

 

 

[edit] Misidentification

One problem regarding sightings of big cats is that people "see what they want to see" - for example people living on Exmoor may glimpse an animal, not fully focus on it, and "think" that they have seen "one of those big cats". Also a surprising number of people have confused domestic cats with the "real thing". Animals such as dogs, badgers and foxes should be dismissed before reporting a sighting. New breeds of domestic cat where genes from other species have been introduced into them are sometimes bigger than ordinary domestic cats and have caused big cat scares in a number of areas. A Bengal cat (a domestic with spots containing leopard cat genes), was shot in Lancashire by a game keeper when it attacked pheasants.

 

When the Beast of Exmoor story first came about, many people thought it may have been a dog. This may have been the case to a certain extent, as some dogs are can kill sheep and do so regularly. Generally dogs will harass the whole flock of sheep, but cats will single out a sheep and kill it with injuries to the neck. Cats will also generally eat most of the carcass, but dogs will kill for the sake of it. Cats may drag the body to a special "hiding place" or even store it in a tree. Feral dogs and dogs used for poaching make this more confused, and sheep that die naturally may be scavenged by foxes, buzzards, and other animals to make it look as if the sheep has been killed by a predator.

 

 

[edit] The cats

Black panthers are the melanistic form of leopards and jaguars. They are large black cats with long tails. They are the most commonly reported species of cat. "Black pumas" do not exist in this country. Potential prey for them includes Roe deer, red deer, sheep, rabbits, pheasants and chickens.

Lynx were once native to Great Britain. They are relatively small (compared to other large cats), brown and spotted in colour and have a very short tail. They have been reported from East Anglia, Kent, Wales and the Scottish Borders. Their diet includes Roe deer, rabbits, rodents and gamebirds.

Cougars (also known as Pumas, amongst many other names) are large, brown cats. They are very adaptable and could easily survive in the UK. Reports have mainly come from the South West (Devon, Somerset and Cornwall), the West Midlands and Surrey. Their potential prey includes red deer, Roe deer, sheep, rabbits, gamebirds and rodents.

Caracal are lynx-sized cats. They originate in Africa, and are identified by their light brown coat and very pointed ears. They are very agile cats and can climb trees and jump high enough to snatch birds out of the air. They are capable of taking small deer, sheep and gamebirds. They are only occasionally reported.

Jungle Cats are medium sized grey-brown cats with a short tail. They are only capable of taking rodents, rabbits and amphibians. Seven jungle cats have been found dead in the UK.

Wild cats are native to Britain, and are still present in Scotland. They prey on rabbits, hares, rodents and birds.

Kellas cats are stereotyped hybrids between wild and domestic cats that have been recorded in the Scottish Highlands.

Other Cats: Species that have been noted only occasionally include the leopard cat, which are the size of domestic cats but with leopard-like spots, a clouded leopard, a specialised species from the tropics which was captured after living wild in Kent in 1975, and there are even extraordinary cases of lions being reported in Devon and Somerset [12].

 

A melanistic jaguar, sometimes called a black panther

 

 

 

[

"The Beast of" followed by the location is the most common name given.

 

Cath Palug, Isle of Anglesey, medieval

Beast of Exmoor, Devon and Somerset, 1970s - Present [11]

Beast of Bodmin, Cornwall, 1992 - Present [12]

"Felicity" the Puma, Inverness-shire, 1980 [13]

Surrey Puma, Surrey and Hampshire, 1959 - 1970 [14]

Fen Tiger, Cambridgeshire, 1950s - 1990s [15]

Clouded Leopard, Kent, 1975

Wrangaton Lion, Devon, 1998 - 1999 [16]

Beast of Riber, Derbyshire 1970s - Present

The Beast of the Chignals, Essex, 2004 - Present

Bucks Beast, Buckinghamshire, 1995[13] - Present

 

[edit] Attacks

Claimed attacks on people by big cats are very rare, and no fatalities have been blamed on wild big cats in Britain.

 

One recent alleged "attack" is the story of how during January 2002 a man from Gravesend, Kent, claimed that his hand was scratched by a Eurasian lynx after approaching it in order to rescue a pet rabbit from its jaws. His original thought was that the animal was a fox, but as he got nearer he claimed it was actually a lynx. The victim suffered a three parallel lacerations to the back of the hand. However, the wounds did not appear to be typical of a lynx attack [14], and lynx are not known to spontaneously attack humans.

 

 

“

Defra has published a list of cats that they know have definitely escaped, although most of them have been recaptured (See [17])

 

[Cats in Britain

The Centre for Fortean Zoology

Dorset Big Cats

Scottish Big Cat Trust

BBCS Big Cat Identification

KENT BIG CAT RESEARCH

UK Big Cats

Nomad Cat's Journal

BBC News Release

BBC News Release

BBC News Release

BBC News Release

Bucks Free Press news

Attempting to capture Big Cats on Camera

The Cryptid Zoo: Alien Big Cats

Five's Big Cat Search

Fortean Times

Big Cat Monitors

 

[edit] References

^ [1]

^ An example of this idea is found in Bord, J & C. "Alien Animals" (Granada 1980), p.204.

^ http://www.ufodigest.com/news/1206/alienbigcats.html

^ [2]

^ [3]

^ [4]

^ [5] BBC News

^ [6] 'Big cat' sighting on video, BBC Scotland, 24 May 2007]

^ BBC Wildlife Magazine, April 2006

^ [7]

^ [8].

^ [9]

^ Bucks Examiner 23rd June 1995

^ [10]

[fullbore]

Exotic cats held in UK as pets, December 2006

Common name or names Number of specimens held in the UK

Cheetah 2

Caracal 7

Jungle Cat 1

Wild cat 16

Ocelot 7

Serval 5

Lynx 18

Bobcat 4

Clouded Leopard 8

Geoffroy's Cat 2

Lion 12

Jaguar 5

Leopard 5

Leopards (melanistic) 7

Leopard (Amur) 3

Leopard (Persian) 3

Tiger 8

Siberian Tiger 6

Leopard Cat. 9

Fishing Cat 1

Puma 6

Snow Leopard 19

TOTAL 154

[fullbore]

Here's another witness name, and a credible qulified one too who appears to be doing loads of research on the subject

 

 

Professor Alayne Street-Perrot, who travelled to the United States to study big cats after her horses were attacked six years ago, says the animals may be breeding in the wild.

 

"It's very difficult to see what can be done, in that the government has let the situation get this far," she said.

 

"A lot of these cats were released after the Dangerous Wild Animals Act in 1976 and if the problem had been nipped in the bud then, we wouldn't have the problem we do now.

 

Caution advised

 

"Unless they are still being released, they must be breeding.

 

"In locations with a lot of wooded cover, where cats are being seen regularly, people do have to be careful."

 

A lorry driver reported another sighting last week near the Co-operative Creamery at Llangadog.

 

Armed police were called after the driver reported seeing the cat near vehicles at the creamery in the early hours of Wednesday.

 

The cat was not traced, but Dyfed-Powys Police have been viewing CCTV tapes from the area.

 

 

Prof Alayne Street-Perrot

"It sounds to me like a panther, which is a black leopard."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See also:

 

 

09 Jan 03 | Wales

'Puma-like' animal spotted again

 

07 Jan 03 | Wales

Armed stake-out for big cats

 

03 Sep 02 | Wales

Air and land search for 'big cats'

 

28 Aug 02 | UK

Big cats 'on the increase'

 

26 Mar 02 | Wales

Tiger-at-home plea is rejected

 

05 Feb 00 | UK

'Big cat' on the prowl

 

26 Aug 00 | Wales

Catalogue of Wales' weird cats

 

Internet links:

 

 

Big Cats - Are They Really Out There?

British Big Cat Society

Dyfed-Powys Police