Big Hares in the Forest???

[BOD]

I was enjoying a slow mid afternoon walk in the forest when I was startled by a noise of an animal bolting just metres on my right where it had been lying in the leaf litter.

A short brown coat and a bit of white was what I could see before it became a blur. Then another freeze frame of coiled haunches then it disappeared.

“A hare” I thought, “Big one”.

I then realized it had stopped moving.

I slowly walked around a tree, I was on a path not leaf litter and could be quiet.

As I rounded the tree, Whoosh it was away again.

This time I could see this was not a hare at all.

Why on earth should I have thought it was a hare? Well, I have had this happen to me while walking across a field in the UK well over a hundred moons ago so I guess my mind went back to a default setting and confused me.

Silly me. I confused a much larger animal with a smaller one. One that is the size of a large dog and preys on muntjac deer.

What did I see?







Catopuma temmincki

It is easy in poor conditions to confuse animals and scale them up or down especially at dawn or dusk. It happened to me about 2-3pm.

If I hadn’t got the third glimpse, I’d be telling all my mates down the pub that I saw a hare in the equatorial rainforest!

They’d be dubious and ask me for a skull and skeleton for proof but I’d tell them, “I know what I saw. Someone must be releasing pets into the wild”.

 

[British Red]

Brilliant post

I agree that people see what they expect / want to see much of the time

 

[safetyman]

can the picture be verified, the leafs of the surrounding trees and root system of the tree to the left of the feline look eqatorial

 

[JonathanD]

can the picture be verified, the leafs of the surrounding trees and root system of the tree to the left of the feline look eqatorial

It is. Bod gets about quite a bit.

 

[John Fenna]

can the picture be verified, the leafs of the surrounding trees and root system of the tree to the left of the feline look eqatorial

Check out his location.....

 

[BOD]

Oh No. I hope no one thinks this is a fake photo!

It is obviously not the Catopuma I saw which did not stop to pose but one taken by a camera trap in that area. I used it since most of what you find on the net are zoo photos. This shows the correct environment, leaf litter etc. Originally I was going to link to a website but the photos there did not show the animal moving. I did mention the equatorial rainforest in the OP though.

The story is entirely true though written in a satirical way and is a bit of a mischievious dig at the Big Cats in Britain thread.

For a moment I did think it was a hare because of the sudden bolt and dash. It struck me much later that this is how mistaken sightings can occur.

As John said check out the location. The Sundaland Paleotropics is that portion of the Old World tropics formed by Sumatra, Java, Malaya and Borneo and many islands in between like Singapore, Riau etc. and is the region where I live and work.

I will return to this area in 2 days time and will probably do a post on the conservation work.

 

[Tengu]

Thats a very clumbsy cat

 

[MSkiba]

Brilliant post

I agree that people see what they expect / want to see much of the time

I see bradd pitt in the mirror every morning!

 

[Paul_B]

If I hadn’t got the third glimpse, I’d be telling all my mates down the pub that I saw a hare in the equatorial rainforest!

They’d be dubious and ask me for a skull and skeleton for proof but I’d tell them, “I know what I saw. Someone must be releasing pets into the wild”.

Over here we probably have it the other way. People say they have seen a puma or large cat and probably only saw the local domestic cat or something. Still it creates stories like the beast of Bodmin and the like. The theory is that people are releasing pet pumas intot he wild, domestic pets. Its not often we get to do things bigger in the UK but it seems we make half glimpsed things come out bigger and you make them smaller!!

Only winding some people up who think they have seen big cats!!

Oh a trolling I must go!!

 

[Paul_B]

I see bradd pitt in the mirror every morning!

Is he standing behind you trying to brush his teeth too when you see him?

Personally I prefer not to see the mirror at all in the morning, it ruins my whole day!!

What a thing to see? An ambush predator isn't it? So my question is how stealthy are you that an ambush predator was startled by you on a simple wlk in the woods?!!! There's a new super predator in the woods and its called a BOD!!

They're good things to have the old camera trap kits. Did anyone see that tiger thing about how they were found higher up in the Bhutan hills? That was a good show. They caught them in these sorts of traps and that evidence could go towards widening the tiger corridor protection scheme. Afterall something like only 300 odd tigers in the wild!!!!

 

[BOD]

... An ambush predator isn't it? So my question is how stealthy are you that an ambush predator was startled by you on a simple wlk in the woods?!!! ...

Fair question. It was 2-3pm, the time when most animals are resting and avoiding the heat. Just like you get sleepy on a hot summer afternoon.

He was snoozing. I would have been had I been back at camp.

I was alone and walking slowly but not trying to be stealthy. I was on a small foot trail used just enough for leaves to be compressed. There had been rain the evening before so freshly fallen leaves were damp and not crackly.

The cat was complacent. I think the only thing that would harm him would be a tiger or panther if he strayed into their area.

I'm sure he learnt his lesson. He probably told his mate over a drink down at the stream about this HUGE FAT ambush predator that almost got him!

 

[BOD]

THis poor fellow almost ended up in a cooking pot!

http://www.google.com/hostednews/af....38a36d808f46d5f16d552366b7d47662.701&index=0