UK Wildcat Call?

[Tarp]

Hi Guys,

I think i spotted a Wildcat tonight

I was up the top of a hill in the Surrey area with my brother, testing out his new Ghillie Kettle and we kept hearing what sounded like a big branch creaking. But in a short burst.

Then another creak started responding to the original one but about 25m away.

The sound slowly got closer to us, so i lit up the area with my torch to see two eyes shining back at me!

The cat it's self was much bigger that a domestic cat, roughly x3 bigger but still lean, with dark grey markings and a very long bushy tail with a white spot on the end.

Obviously i've seen many'a farm/feral cat to rule these out, and the location was far from any house or farm.

Has anyone ever heard a big(ish) cat with this kind of call before?

Regards

 

[Adze]

Wildcats in Surrey? Definitely not native mate... have a read of this: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=68914

 

[redandshane]

no you didn't

 

[Robbi]

no you didn't

very helpful indeed

 

[redandshane]

sorry but I don't think it would have been a big cat
I believe there are big cats in UK but tracks are actually more conclusive evidence than a reported sighting

 

[Shewie]

Wasn't there a deer killing in Surrey recently which was put down to big cat? Natural England and police wildlife officers were involved I think.

 

[redandshane]

Apologies for my shortness earlier but its the time of year for this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_DqEZos-m0

by far the more likely explanation and a great thing to listen out for at the moment

or it might be a big cat

 

[Tarp]

Thanks for the replies guys.


JonathanD's thread is a great read!

No need for the apology Redandshane, if i saw a newbie claiming to see a big cat in an unusual area i would probably be just as skeptical!

I've grown up with foxes calling and i was only 10m away, so i could see it in good detail. unless foxes are now mating with domestic cats to give them unique markings! lol

I was hoping that perhaps the call would be more of the give-away as it's certainly nothing i've come across before.

 

[Tarp]

...I believe there are big cats in UK but tracks are actually more conclusive evidence than a reported sighting

We did have a look for tracks but it was on leaf litter, so there wasn't anything conclusive.

 

[blacktimberwolf]

I don't think it was a wildcat as in Felis silvestris as they are only about one & a half times the size of a moggie & the tail tips are usually black.....

 

[Bowlander]

Wild boar?

 

[vizsla]

Theres been quite a few possible sightings within a couple of miles of me and also a sheep was left dead with sighns of a big cat attack.
Never seen anything myself tho, i no alot of people kept them in the 60/70s but they wouldnt be alive now so unless therw arw breeding pairs remaining i wouldnt think its likely but who knows

 

[blacktimberwolf]

As you're in the S.E........http://kentbigcats.blogspot.com/

 

[DavidJT]

I glimpsed this big guy in Essex yesterday...

In fact there were two of them, near Colchester...

 

[Robbi]

I glimpsed this big guy in Essex yesterday...

In fact there were two of them, near Colchester...

you are a fool !

 

[Tengu]

And remember, hes talking about two of them.

not a lynx...not a panther...what could it be?

 

[DavidJT]

Siberian Tigers, near Colchester, it's not that difficult!...



(Cost me £10 entry though)

 

[BushrangerCZ]

wildcat has black tip of the tail, no white spot, sorry

 

[Tarp]

thanks for the input guys, yeah i've ruled out Felis silvestris after looking through lots of images on google.

It wasn't a wild boar or a fox.

I'm going to head back up there tomorrow with my DSLR to see if i can see any tracks or scat.

Closest thing i can think of to match it aginst is the Snow Leopard at Marwell Zoo, but not as hench... to be continued

 

[Bowlander]

That NatGeo documentary was great where they brought a tracker over from the US - every kill, pug mark, sign was quickly identified as dog.

There are so many lurcher 'enthusiasts' about nowadays that stock worrying is commonplace. A pony had to be destroyed near here after being savaged by 2 bull cross lurchers.