No worries on the misread, I didn't realise even domestic cats would stray so far!
british big cats - your views
- Thread starter Siberianfury
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7791419.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4671402.stm
I have seen a Labrador sized cat leap over a ditch and make its way through a gap in a roadside hedge near Loch Watten in Caithness and one of my good friends saw what he thought was a Caracal making its way across a bit of hill land near the Caithness/Sutherland border. I also accidentally locked what I thought to be a very large wildcat/feral domestic cat hybrid in my shed. When I went into my shed I thought I was going to get attacked by the large hissing ball of wildness that was cornered in my shed. It ran along planks of wood I had in the rafters and leapt out leaving me shaken but unharmed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4671402.stm
I have seen a Labrador sized cat leap over a ditch and make its way through a gap in a roadside hedge near Loch Watten in Caithness and one of my good friends saw what he thought was a Caracal making its way across a bit of hill land near the Caithness/Sutherland border. I also accidentally locked what I thought to be a very large wildcat/feral domestic cat hybrid in my shed. When I went into my shed I thought I was going to get attacked by the large hissing ball of wildness that was cornered in my shed. It ran along planks of wood I had in the rafters and leapt out leaving me shaken but unharmed.
Ever had that primevil instinct awakened where you feel you are being stalked , hairs on the back of the neck standup, you have the erge for flight but something holds you back you quicken your pace focused on the safe ground, then, you can't see the threat but you know it has gone.
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I was out herping late one evening in Kenya a few years back with a friend, it was a good night and I'd just baged my first spitter so was on a huge high. We'd wondered a mile away from the village and I got that primeval feeling, a couple of minutes later we heard the low grumble of a lion really close to us. That was a hairy 20 minutes getting back I can tell you. It's a sound no human is supposed to hear and survive.
My wife is certain she saw a large black animal up here about 10 years ago. Our lab growled, and moved very close to her, the other animal turned and fled into the undergrowth. Could have been the 'beast of bennachie'
Big cats leave traces, It's unavoidable. There would be tracks, faeces, urine, fur, evidence of feeding etc..
Don't read much about these
Pumas are notorious for attacking humans or other food sources.There would be serious problems if they were roaming the British countryside.
I wonder if there have been attempts to reintroduce Lynx. Maybe kept hush to avoid unnwanted attention to give them a chance.
And of course a certain amount of human fantasy.
Don't read much about these
Pumas are notorious for attacking humans or other food sources.There would be serious problems if they were roaming the British countryside.
I wonder if there have been attempts to reintroduce Lynx. Maybe kept hush to avoid unnwanted attention to give them a chance.
And of course a certain amount of human fantasy.
Naefearjustbeer,
This is a good point, we say 'black lab' as that is the closed "normal" thing we can relate to. But, other than the black, there was really nothing lab-like about it, was there?
I inadvertently walked a wildcat -and I don't mean a feral cat- into the corner of a deer-fence. When it decided enough was enough it came out growling and hissing like a Whirling Dervish made of fur, teeth, claws and yellow eyes. I'll never forget those eyes!
It certainly shook me out of happy-cuckoo-land before it vanished into thin air!
This is a good point, we say 'black lab' as that is the closed "normal" thing we can relate to. But, other than the black, there was really nothing lab-like about it, was there?
I inadvertently walked a wildcat -and I don't mean a feral cat- into the corner of a deer-fence. When it decided enough was enough it came out growling and hissing like a Whirling Dervish made of fur, teeth, claws and yellow eyes. I'll never forget those eyes!
It certainly shook me out of happy-cuckoo-land before it vanished into thin air!
How many people would notice an alien species hair and scat though? Especially as it would look like dogs. Plenty of sheep and domestic animals are killed and eaten every year and the carcasses left. It's either unexplianed, blamed on space aliens, or the local fox and badger population. You hardly ever see badger prints even around a sett, so a big cat would go unnoticed by most and even if found, most people would consider it a dog print. The evidence of the possibility of them being out there is massive. Ian Maxwell and even RM have gone to certain areas and tried to track them. Both have gone on record and said they are definately out there.
When there is a sighting people investigate. I haven't read about these things being found by the investigators.
I don't feel there is enough solid evidence only heresay. A bit like Nessie!
But are not most animal deaths by mutilation studyed by at least a local vet, wouldn't they be able to identify a large Cat kill? Bite size, teeth marks and kill profile?
No, too expensive as loads get killed by foxes etc. In larger areas, they may not even be found for weeks.
Ok then, from the cats point of view how much would a pantha or similar sized cat have to eat? How many cubs do they drop in a litter? Of they found mate. Surely in an area with an abundant source of easy to catch food there would be a population growth to the extent of there being a cat in every vally/wood as they grew up and moved out of the family group. Or are we not having them mating in which case what's the normal life span why haven't there been any old dead cats found? Not even one.
How many dead wildcats have you seen? And we know that there is a small breeding population in Scotland. Most animals that you see dead are ones that are lower down the food chain (remains left over from the big cats dinner). The large predators maybe go and hide in a corner to die. As for breeding population and rates I would guess if they are breeding it is probably very infrequently. If there are only a handfull of big cats on the go what are the chances of them bumping into each other at breeding time?
Or put it this way if there were only 100 humans living the uk spread out over the entire country and you were one of them how often do you think you would be getting your leg over?
Or put it this way if there were only 100 humans living the uk spread out over the entire country and you were one of them how often do you think you would be getting your leg over?
There's a wealth of info on this site and a number of photos, few of which, if any, are substantiated. http://bigcatsinbritain.org/
I'm not convinced the following is what I saw... http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/kellascatspicevidence.htm ... as I would estimate my sighting from higher ground onto a pasture sloping at about 10° and about 250 yards distant. It was a sizable animal with a gait that suggested substance. It was in clear view for a good minute.
There's no way I'd confuse a black lab for a similarly shaped mongrel a quarter of its size! Carriage, stride and rhythm would be entirely different. And I know what a dog looks like!
Too many farmers around my way are refusing to be fobbed off with the opinion that they're imagining somethings killing their sheep. They know a dog-kill when they see one!
http://www.themorningstarr.co.uk/2010/01/07/big-cat-paw-prints-found-in-kent/
and quite an interesting, if inconclusive article... http://www.messybeast.com/big_cat.htm
Cheers, bedtime.
I'm not convinced the following is what I saw... http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/kellascatspicevidence.htm ... as I would estimate my sighting from higher ground onto a pasture sloping at about 10° and about 250 yards distant. It was a sizable animal with a gait that suggested substance. It was in clear view for a good minute.
There's no way I'd confuse a black lab for a similarly shaped mongrel a quarter of its size! Carriage, stride and rhythm would be entirely different. And I know what a dog looks like!
Too many farmers around my way are refusing to be fobbed off with the opinion that they're imagining somethings killing their sheep. They know a dog-kill when they see one!
http://www.themorningstarr.co.uk/2010/01/07/big-cat-paw-prints-found-in-kent/
and quite an interesting, if inconclusive article... http://www.messybeast.com/big_cat.htm
Cheers, bedtime.
With regards to breeding that's my point exactly, how if there are supposedly a few locations where these sightings happen are they perpetuating the species if they sent mating? These sighting have been going on for years, so either someone is releasing a cat every few years or there is a breeding population or there are no big cats larger than the wild cat, and a lot of mistaken people.
I must appologise for not having read all the previous posts.
So if what I'm about to ask has already been discussed, please forgive me.
Is it possible that what is being reported are large feral cats, rather than an exotic species?
I ask this because I know how large feral cats can get.
My largest to date was a Ginger Tom that was taken whilst spotlighting in 1984 and measured 1.07 metres (approx 3 foot 6 inches) from the tip of its' nose to its' anus.
Kind regards
Mick
So if what I'm about to ask has already been discussed, please forgive me.
Is it possible that what is being reported are large feral cats, rather than an exotic species?
I ask this because I know how large feral cats can get.
My largest to date was a Ginger Tom that was taken whilst spotlighting in 1984 and measured 1.07 metres (approx 3 foot 6 inches) from the tip of its' nose to its' anus.
Kind regards
Mick
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Personally, I believe they're there but not in the numbers that have been suggested.
I think people sometimes want to see one and perhaps a big dog fox sloking along at dusk or maybe even a muntjac could be imagined to be something it's not.
Also, foxes do take adult sheep contrary to what some other people may say.
I think people sometimes want to see one and perhaps a big dog fox sloking along at dusk or maybe even a muntjac could be imagined to be something it's not.
Also, foxes do take adult sheep contrary to what some other people may say.
There you go mate, a common native species recognised by every infant, and the point you've made is that there is no agreement even there.
What percentage of people in the UK do you think have ever had a fox trot along quite happily 25 yards in front of them on a country track, recognise its scat or seen one kill a rabbit, let alone distinguish its tracks from a dog's?
Even in natural environments, professionals have serious issues when attempting to find the signs of something like a panther, and to my knowledge photos taken by professionals are rather thin on the ground, as are most forest predators.
How many times have you come across a dead domestic moggie other than roadkill? They must go AWOL in their thousands every year and they do die in undergrowth, under hedges and cover. But you rarely find them!
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Well if the theory is large cats were let loose when some legislation came in during the 60s then if there are any around there has to be a breeding population. If there is surely there would have been more sightings and evidence. Otherwise there has to be more releases happening like someone said earlier. Also how big does a population have to be to enable a successful breeding solution? Wouldn't a small, isolated population raise genetic defects and possibly the end of the population? You hear of species dying out because of less than 50 of them existing. Does that mean you need more than 50 in an area to keep perpetuating the population? I find it daft really. If there is a large predator out there in these areas of the sightings then IMHO there would be something caught or found to prove it. We are not in a country like the jungles of Borneo or wherever they found those supposedly extinct animals. We are in a man-made countryside.
If anyone saw something I apoligise for casting doubt on your sighting. You did see it but I suspect you did not identify what you did see. Eye of the beholder and all that. The minds eye can make fools of us all. Of course I'm still waiting for someone to catch the Yeti in the south downs. I've heard there's been a few spotted down there. 
Lets concentrate on keeping the big cats we do have (Scottish wildcat) and give any research funding spent on the "big cat sightings" over to preserving the animals we do have and not some wildcat chase. Afterall with it cross breeding with feral domestic cats and its areas being diminished it is in a bad state. Perhaps it is already lost. If you want to see other big cats can I suggest Chester Zoo. There have been confirmed sightings in there.
If anyone saw something I apoligise for casting doubt on your sighting. You did see it but I suspect you did not identify what you did see. Eye of the beholder and all that. The minds eye can make fools of us all. Of course I'm still waiting for someone to catch the Yeti in the south downs. I've heard there's been a few spotted down there.
Lets concentrate on keeping the big cats we do have (Scottish wildcat) and give any research funding spent on the "big cat sightings" over to preserving the animals we do have and not some wildcat chase. Afterall with it cross breeding with feral domestic cats and its areas being diminished it is in a bad state. Perhaps it is already lost. If you want to see other big cats can I suggest Chester Zoo. There have been confirmed sightings in there.
