Wild Cats (Pumas?)

[caffeine]

Have any of you seen the beast that's roaming about? (Im in the UK btw and pumas are not native)

IDK if there's more than one but I can confirm 100% there is some wild cat roaming about between Cleobury Mortimer and Bridgenorth

I spotted it about 3/4 years ago on the way back from a friends house ... was about 2/3am in the morning and as I came to a dip in the road (about 15m in front of me) a huge black cat darted off into some woodland adjoining the road. (Definitely not a domestic cat as it was as tall as my bonnet and had huge distinctive puma looking tail)

I know since I spotted it (through talking to people) that im not the only person to have witnessed it, I just wondered if anyone here has seen or heard about it?

 

[wattsy]

you can't confirm it 100% until you have a dead panther/cougar in front of you. seeing a black shape dart into the woods at 3 0'clock in the morning (darkness in other words) does not constitute proof

 

[Dartmoor navigator]

It does happen from time to time


http://www.britishbigcats.org

 

[Dan J]

Maybe,

When i was at school there was lots of rumours about one living in mortimers forest not far outside ludlow. The school music teachers wife claimed to have spotted it and she did a re-enactment for a tv program on the subject.

 

[Shewie]

Some interesting reading here ...

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=80100&highlight=big+cats

 

[Silverclaws]

Am pretty sure I saw one on the road from Dozmary pool in Cornwall, I was on my Honey moon in winter on Bodmin and driving a very hippified VW camper and saw this black thing hoofing it across the field to the left hand side, it jumped the wall at the left hand side of the road, belted across the road in front of me making me hit the brakes and then it cleared the next wall and was a way off over the fields to the right. Later we mentioned the sighting at a local pub and were told yep, that thing has been seen by many, it is almost a regular sight and not scared of humans as anything else wild would keep well out of the way and not be seen.

But cool something bigger than a fox here again, as to them being a threat, are they, I doubt it as they most likely to take down ill or old creatures not humans.

I used to live near a safari park and in my youth there was regular scares of big cats being out and about, but he one I particularly remember was when a monkey eating eagle got loose and it was reported that thing was going for domestic moggeys and small dogs before it was captured, mind the red kites in the Chilterns have been known to go for them as well.

I lived in a place in Britain where I could quite honestly say at night we could here the mooing of lions.

 

[Dartmoor navigator]

Sightings really aren't sufficient though. There would be some additional evidence. About 12 years ago I remember the police getting all 'jizzy' about a lion sighting on the south of Dartmoor by scouts. Nothing was ever found although the usual local wildlife pundits were wheeled out to give their opinions and views (including that bloke that Matt Damon just did a film about)... But there arent any gralloched carcasses lying about the place, or prints, tree scrapes etc etc etc.... Nada, nothing, zilch, zero.... bu993r all

 

[santaman2000]

...But cool something bigger than a fox here again, as to them being a threat, are they, I doubt it as they most likely to take down ill or old creatures not humans....

In California they are attacking joggers on at least an annual basis. Not old or injured cougars but perfectly healthy ones capable of hunting wild prey.

 

[santaman2000]

I think the best evidence that it is NOT a cougar or puma is the simple fact that you did indeed spot it. They are way to adept at stealth to be seen by humans (unless and until they attack) If they are in the area however, they will be seen on trail cams or game cams left unattended near livestock feeders or deer feeders. And their tracks will be in evidence.

 

[Silverclaws]

Now drystone walls common in Cornwall, I know of know animal that can leap over them at speed, a back short hair German Shephard maybe, but it was lithe, fast and could jump drystone walls with ease and did. Such animals are about, but they if they have any ense, keep themselves hid from the likes of man that likes to do all manner of things exept live and let live when it comes to much of nature.

 

[santaman2000]

Now drystone walls common in Cornwall, I know of know animal that can leap over them at speed...

How tall are those walls?

 

[Adze]

I know of know animal that can leap over them at speed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vaUNnR9V_g

Woof!

 

[caffeine]

if i'd been much faster i would've hit it this was on an A road ill try and find an approximate location

im not posting this to scare you I just wondered if anyone else had spotted it ;0)

its outline was the spitting image of sherkhan from the jungle book and someone said stealth ... i was driving @ the speed limit on the road 50mph (i think with my lights dipped) the road was on a long curve that tightened to the right .... there were also four people in the car with me ... only one of them saw it, the other two were arguing in the back ... as soon as it was aware there was a car it vanished into a large cat sized opening in to the woods we stopped reversed and had a look but it was pitch black and couldnt see anything it was all we talked about on the way back and glad someone else saw it at the same time

52.446486, -2.417228 here is an approximate location

i want to try and use street view to confirm it ...

but would it survive the winter here if it was a puma ?? we had a pretty harsh winter 2 years ago

i know some cats are suited to colder conditions (the only reason i keep calling it a puma was because it was black no stripes no spots)

@silverclaws yes i've spoke to about 3-4 people now that have seen it / them

here's a picture of one from near cleobury mortimer
http://www.ludlowadvertiser.co.uk/news/9617850.Couple_s__big_cat__sighting_near_Orleton/

^^^ that also confirms it could survive a harsh winter

 

[British Red]

Or this....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ley7Iile9G4&feature=related

 

[Expat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vaUNnR9V_g

Woof!

Ah yes.... but they were AMERICAN dogs.....

 

[santaman2000]

...but would it survive the winter here if it was a puma ?? we had a pretty harsh winter 2 years ago...

i know some cats are suited to colder conditions (the only reason i keep calling it a puma was because it was black no stripes no spots)...

A puma is one of the most adaptable cats in the world. It's natural range covers 2 continents: In South America it ranges throughout the amazon rain forest, the Argentinian Pampas, and the coldest of the Andes Mountains. In North America they originally ranged from the Florida/Georgia swamps, to the Eastern mountain ranges, the highest and coldest Western Mountain ranges, the Canadian Rockies (at least up to the Arctic Circle) the deserts of the Southwest, and the Great Plains. A UK winter would be no problem and in fact wouldn't even be outside it's normal comfort range.

BUT!!! They don't come in black. that's a color phase of jaguars.

 

[caffeine]

was most definitely not a deer lol ... search on youtube wild cat sighting uk there are a surprising amount of videos ..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHXh-y6UYGI << well covered here

 

[caffeine]

BUT!!! They don't come in black. that's a color phase of jaguars.

interesting

 

[santaman2000]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vaUNnR9V_g

Woof!

That's why I asked the height of the fences. My boxer (a wee bit smaller than the blue dog in that video) jumps from a standstill onto the top of my stockade fence and balances there a second like a house cat before juming down the other side. The fence is 6 feet tall (72 inches) and the top of the stockade pickets that she balances on are a half inch thick. Ordinary house cats jump up onto the fence from a standstill and run along the top like a footpath. I would think a wide and solid stone wall would make a much better landing platform for them.

 

[santaman2000]

interesting

Yes and jaguaurs' ranges have normally been limited to warmer habitats, unlike pumas/cougars/mountain lions. "Panther" is a term that has been applied to both cats.