Large Cats in Forest of Dean!!!!!!!!!

[Bushmaster110]

I have been a survival fanatic for 27 years and in all that time i have never experienced a year like 2006!
In June,i was walking my Neopolitan at 1am,when i saw a leopardess and her two cubs by my garage, here in Ruspidge,Cinderford.
One week later i saw a female Mountain Lion at the same spot.My companion laughed herself silly when i told her. She was trembling with fear the follwing afternoon when she was confroted by a huge male Mountain Lion in her mother's orchard .
I have seen leopards before over the years, mostly on Exmoor where my family originate: never as many as here in the Dean-urban cats!!!!!
We are used to seeing strange people here from time to time ,but the big cat situation is out of control here.
Anyone planning a woodland camp here , please be careful.
Bushmaster110

 

[Tengu]

Big cats are common in Gloucestershire so Ive heard.

(we had one round my village, in N Wilts)

Now all you have to do is convince the likes of the british big cat society there is one; they will never believe you.

 

[hammock monkey]

wow, what are the chances of getting a pic?
- mind you the trouble with that is the cat(s) will end up on someone's trophy wall...

are there a lot of reports of cattle, pets etc being taken?

i'd LOVE to see some paw prints, pictures of scat etc?

i was in Lymington the other day, beautiful forest, made me want to stay for a week and get myself lost in the thick of it....this makes me want to even more...

i appreciate i dont live there, and it doesnt affect me (so i should shut my mouth - but this is a forum after all) but i love the idea that there are bigger beasties than me out there. i wounldnt feel too scared, by all accounts i've ever read they'll only go for cattle if their own prey has declined, and then humans as a last resort.
i bet we taste rank to them...

i'm moving in a month, so i cant plan any trips, but i'll try and make a little jaunt down there in the future...to find and photograph a print would be something special

have a look here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Big_Cats#Paw_prints

keep the accounts coming - i know there are several threads very similar - but its fascinating!

all the best

 

[torjusg]

Very, very interesting.

 

[British Red]

I would also like to see some of the photos.

Failing that, any of the skulls or skeletons that must be fairly common would surely prove conclusive? I wonder where these all go to?

Red

 

[Zammo]

I would also like to see some of the photos.

Failing that, any of the skulls or skeletons that must be fairly common would surely prove conclusive? I wonder where these all go to?

Red

Tut tut, O ye of little faith:

Mountain lion on the 'prowl'

 

[loz.]

Not impressed.

We have better than that in Dublin

- Several species of big cat, plus large mammals such as Rhino, Elephant and Hippo roaming the park.

Conclusive Evidence

 

[Matt Weir]

...by all accounts i've ever read they'll only go for cattle if their own prey has declined, and then humans as a last resort.
i bet we taste rank to them...

Aiye, but once they suss out that we are the slowest runners by comparson (esp when caught up in a hammock ) then I'm sure they would put up with the less tasty 'man-steak'.



Matt.

 

[moocher]

there will be plenty more strange people now looking for them. its not long ago a taxi driver was arrested in cinderford area because he was hiding in bushes trying to survive by shooting rabbits with an air rifle dressed entirely in camo.they thought they found a lair of a cat but it turned out the bones had disenfectant on them and it looked like a sheep rustlers/dog baiters site.

 

[Greg]

There was a big cat spotted down here in Pembrokeshire last year, it made the local rag and radio station, but funnily enough no-one has seen it since.

There was also a sea monster spotted in the Cleddau river near Pembroke, by a bunch of people in a pub no less

 

[Tengu]

Thes cats are quite safe (provided they remember to look both ways) as big cat hunting is a very tricky business.

Sea monsters in this country tend to be leatherback turtle or walrus.

 

[leon-b]

not sure if they are round here, hope they are though lol, does anyone know if there are any big cats in the suffolk area ?
leon

 

[Greg]

Thes cats are quite safe (provided they remember to look both ways) as big cat hunting is a very tricky business.

Sea monsters in this country tend to be leatherback turtle or walrus.

This sea monster turned out to be a dolphin I think, which is quite a common occurence in the tidal cleddau..

 

[twisted firestarter]

any of the skulls or skeletons that must be fairly common would surely prove conclusive? I wonder where these all go to?
Red

Apparently big cats tend to crawl into caves and underground holes when they are dying which might explain the lack of skeletal remains.

 

[Bushmaster110]

In response- I have photo!!!
Since my recent exposure to big cats, i have had the honour to have met and helped Danny Nineham who has studied the big cat problem for decades.Danny has researched human exotic cat sightings and is currently the man the police,armed forces and public turn to when in distress.
Don't call British Big Cat Society-Call the expert Danny Nineham!!!!!!!!!
His scientific methods used to gather the evidedence will astound all.He has the answers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Danny Nineham-07748510167 or 07790667327.
He has photos and skulls.
Unfortunately, as i write this,Forestmen are combing the woods outside my home looking for one enormous black leopard called Boris by Cinderford folk.They have no idea what they are up against.Awounded leop[ard is more dangerous than a lion or tiger!
People may already have been taken.The jury is still out on that one. All the world experts believe it is inevitable That we will soon have a man eater soon.
Thankyou for all the interest,esp..Torjus,Hammock Monkey and Tengu!!

 

[swagman]

Did anyone see the documentry on sky tv were a Canadian trapper
went over to the uk to look for the big cats.?

He found nothing and said all the sheep that have been killed by so called
big cats were in his opinion all done by dogs.

 

[The Joker]

Did anyone see the documentry on sky tv were a Canadian trapper
went over to the uk to look for the big cats.?

He found nothing and said all the sheep that have been killed by so called
big cats were in his opinion all done by dogs.

Isn't that the one where (I think it was this person, if not apologies)Danny Nineham got made to look really stupid by the canadian trappers.

I would be really interested in seeing a photo of a big cat in the UK

 

[Tengu]

Bushmaster you sound like the sort of person that gives cryptozoology a bad name.

You sound like you write for the sensationalist press.

Im a friend of Loren Coleman, who is `not` sensationalist, Ill find out what he says about this.

(but you are right, a man eating leopard is great fun and what this country needs.)

Swagman, what would a canadian trapper have to do with big cat expertise? Theres not many cats in Canada, after all.

Better find a cat expert (true cat experts are rarer than maltese tigers) or someone who is experienced in dealing with sheep worrying.

 

[twisted firestarter]

Im a friend of Loren Coleman, who is `not` sensationalist, Ill find out what he says about this.

Maybe you had better explain who Loren Coleman is ? sounds like an authority on the subject?

 

[Hunter_zero]

the big cat situation is out of control here.
Anyone planning a woodland camp here , please be careful.
Bushmaster110

I'm not wholeheartedly sure about the so called big cats.

Don't get me wrong, I know some professional hunters (yup the do exist) who believe that there have been instances of big cats in and around their land.
Yet, none of them have ever successfully shot a big cat.
I have spent most of my life outdoors, shooting and camping, yet I have never seen a big cat. I have seen many things that could be a big cat. For example badgers in the distance when using NV kit. Or lurchers three fields away.

I have stalked the area of dean, and tracked a few places in the forest.

If you see these cats on a common bases, then I'll put this to you. Give me a PM, I'll PM you my mobile number. Next time you have a spree of sightings, then give me a ring. If I can obtain conclusive evidence of the cats I'll pay you £500 ! IF I can shoot a wild "big" cat in the orchard I'll pay you £1000!

My guess is that my money is safe

John