BS: Big cats in the UK

Subject: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Shelley C
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 05:26 PM

The 'Ghosts and the Paranormal' thread got me thinking of another phenomenon which might warrant its own thread.
For years there have been stories about sightings of big cats (panthers? pumas?) in various parts of the UK. Possibly excaped 'pets' which have managed to survive in the wild.
Have any of you seen one?
I definitely saw one in October 2000, in a field by the Stratford on Avon Canal near Solihull. It looked to me about the size and colouring of a lynx, and seemed to be stalking something. My partner saw it too and rushed to get a camera (we were on a canal boat - moored up - at the time). Of course, by the time he got the camera the 'beast' had melted in to the undergrowth.
Any other 'sightings'?

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: LadyJean
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 10:42 PM

In Michael Bond's "The Stories of Olga da Polga" there's a story about Olga and the Surrey Puma.

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Sorcha
Date: 23 Jul 03 - 10:58 PM

I've seen TV docs about them,but I'm in US. Sorry. Would like to know if it's true.

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: JennyO
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 12:36 AM

I don't know, but it seems quite possible to me - maybe originally could have been escaped circus animals?

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: GUEST
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 07:11 AM

I work in a genetics lab where we have a plaster cast of a big cat footprint taken from near the village of Walkington near Hull. The cast had hairs in in, unfortunately, there were no follicles attached and it was impossible to get any DNA from them. There is a retired police woman who charts evidence near Hull. Given that it is unlikely that they cross the city, sightings suggest that there are at least three cats situated in areas surrounding Hull. Could just be some one walking round with big cat's feed strapped to their shoes as one does.

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: GUEST,ferret
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 07:14 AM

Sounds like that's probably John then.....

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 08:20 AM

The drought here in Idaho has caused a decline in the deer population, and that has brought mountain lions much closer to the towns -- just about a mile from here one killed and ate several household pets (not joggers, dogs and cats). And while there are trees and such in this area, the area is one of houses and yards.

I'm told that if you take a hike in some of the wilderness areas you'd be wise to pack a gun, but these are REAL wilderness areas -- Frank Church, Lolo, and so on -- north of here and in the mountains where "the hand of man has seldom set foot."

While the laws are such that you COULD pack an unconcealed pistol ("big iron on your hip") even in town, it DOES bring you immediate attention from the police. They take you for a nice drive and ask you pointed questions and then make certain suggestions about your apparel. If you were to tell them that you're packin' a gun because a mountain lion might attack you in town, they might arrange for you to meet a new friend, a real doctor!

Very, very few people worry about it unless they are somewhere where the sun sets between them and the road.

There have been reports for years of black panthers in the midwest -- Illinois, Indiana, etc. And during the late 50s there was a confirmed mountain lion, name of Alfy, who roamed my old Boy Scout camp back in Illinois -- live and let live, and apart from some dirty Boy Scout shorts if you heard Alfy scream, there were zero problems.

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: GUEST,Elfcall
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 08:35 AM

You could try the Fortean Times Magazine or www.forteantimes.com who often collect stories/sightings of ABCs (alien big cats - I think)

It is an interesting read even if you do not find what you are looking for

Elfcall

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Red and White Rabbit
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 12:44 PM

I think I count as a big cat - well I am a catter and have you seen MCFAT - he would count as well!

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Donuel
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 01:16 PM

The UK ferral big cats are said to be dark like panthers but not as big ?!

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Wolfgang
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 01:26 PM

Big cats UK

Scottish Big Cats

Some real stories (escaped animals) with a big additional dose of phantasy, I'd say.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: TheBigPinkLad
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 01:44 PM

I live on Vancouver Island where we have the world's densest population of cougars (mountian lion, puma). I've never seen one, even though I spend a good deal of time in the bush hunting chanterelles in the fall. Two children were killed by cougars about five years back, but they don't often attack humans. They love domestic pets though ...

I grew up in England but the biggest cat I saw there was our neighbour's Arthur-esque giant white tom. My auld fella used to throw coal at it to get it out of his onion patch.

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 02:35 PM

Also British Big Cats Society.

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Shelley C
Date: 24 Jul 03 - 05:17 PM

Thanks, Jon, that's an interesting site.

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Bert
Date: 25 Jul 03 - 03:01 AM

It's Old Shuck I tell ya, It's Old Shuck ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 25 Jul 03 - 09:52 AM

I'm a natural skeptic, human perception does play tricks, especially judging size at a distance (you ladies know how we men exaggerate size...). There's a black domestic cat I sometimes see in my woodland walks. I took a photo of it one day and captioned it "The Berkshire Puma". If I'd sent it to the local paper some people would have believed it.

RtS

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Dave Bryant
Date: 25 Jul 03 - 11:11 AM

I think that Lanfranc would count as a big UK Cat.

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Gareth
Date: 25 Jul 03 - 12:16 PM

Well Rodger, I thought it was only with Movile Phones that men boasted about how small thier's was, but seing as its the "Silly Season", herewith a report from BBC Wales Click 'Ers

Gareth

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Chief Chaos
Date: 25 Jul 03 - 12:36 PM

Seems to me that if they're eating joggers we should encourage them.

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 02:14 AM

Like the Big Pink Lad, I'm domiciled on Vancouver Island, which as he says has the highest concentration of cougars on Earth. I live more or less "in the bush" and on the edge of human population, have done so for ten years, and Ive never once clapped eyes on a cougar. In saying that, I know damn' well that THEY have seen ME! That cougars are close by I have no doubt; I have at least one good friend who makes part of his livelihood by hunting them, and he assures me that over the past couple of years one big cat has travelled past my abode [within some hundreds of yards] every two weeks as regular as clockwork. The point I am making is this [and I think the "Pink Lad " was making the same point }---let no one automatically assume that because "cat" sightings in the U.K. are few and far apart that reports are from cranks or hysterics. There may well be some "story-tellers"---but if thousands on Vancouver Island can live a lifetime and never see a cougar, that doesn't mean that there are none!

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Metchosin
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 03:32 AM

Another Vancouver Islander here too and I agree with Boab's remark. I've actually been on a few unsuccessful cougar hunts, when I was young, back in the days when there used to be a bounty on them here.

Hunts, even with good hounds, were not regularly "successful" even on an island with a substantial population. Most of the "successes" came with my father being on call for Fish and Wildlife and the local police, regarding problem animals. Any cougar that was seen near habitation was considered a "problem". The only cougars I ever saw then, were dead ones.

Recently is another story. About 10 years ago, we had a large male cat eyeing our pony for a few days. He was absolutely beautiful but not very welcome. We regularly have sightings in our area and my daughter and I had another nerve wracking experience a couple of years later, when riding on one of our local trails.

I had dismounted to answer nature's call, when my horse started acting up and my pants were around my ankles. My daugter kept telling me to hurry up and when I finally managed to get my pants back up, get on and get my horse under control a good way down the trail, I found that on a rock above where I had stopped to pee, a cougar was sunning itself and purring loudly.      

So maybe the key to an encounter is to stop deliberately looking for them. (....and pee in the bush a lot.) Despite the consternation they have caused me, I would still rather see them alive than dead.

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 06:08 AM

If you read the UK internet sites of the big cat buffs you find a mixture of genuinely interested people and cranks who better fit into the cryptozoology community.

If I was a polic officer and got a call someone has seen a big cat I'd place my money on observational error but I'd send out a car nevertheless for I'd rather err many times on the side of safety than once in the opposite direction.

The occasional big cat at large in the UK I have no difficulty to believe. But a breeding population of a considerable size amounting to a now indigenous population of big cats of several species and new hybrids as is hypothesized in some links of the UK big cats sites that is still too my much for my imagination.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 26 Jul 03 - 06:14 AM

I'm with wolfgang. A big difficulty I have in accepting that we have any established populations is the matter of food.

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: Hrothgar
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 03:54 AM

Are they keeping the UK kangaroo and wallaby populations down?

Subject: RE: BS: Big cats in the UK
From: sian, west wales
Date: 28 Jul 03 - 05:08 AM

My cousin has seen one at the top end of Dyffryn Ceiriog in N. Wales. He farms there, and was with a group of people in the village when they all saw it crossing a nearby field. He says it was about 4 foot long, and blonde.

There's one up in the hills here in Carmarthenshire too. Haven't seen it, but there was a big search on a few months back. And one of the witnesses (one of many) was a local policeman.

sian