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Luke is Male
11-11-2006, 01:21 PM   #1

Big cats wild in the UK?


After reading my new love, Fauna Brittanica (excellent BTW-great information and amazing photographs!) there was a part on large cats..and some intersting information about 'reported wild cats in the UK', i have also been browsing the web for a long time now reading about these reported sightings, and wondered what you all thought too it?
Do you think we have big cats roaming the British Countryside?



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dinahsmum's Avatar
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11-11-2006, 01:50 PM   #2

Re: Big cats wild in the UK?


I think there are some (not many) which are zoo/collector escapees. Whether there are actually any breeding groups, rather than singles, I doubt.



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Naomi's Avatar
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11-11-2006, 03:31 PM   #3

Re: Big cats wild in the UK?


As DM says, possibly zoo/collector escapees but I suspect there are very few.

I know that a couple of the 'big cat legends' round here has been proved to be false. One was just a really large domestic cat and another of a 'Black Leopard' also turned out to be fake (someone had managed to get a life size panther cuddly toy, plonked it in the woods close to their home and took a photo )



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Donna's Avatar
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11-11-2006, 03:49 PM   #4

Re: Big cats wild in the UK?


I think this is more likely than man walking on the moon LOL but again I agree that it would be the odd one or two and not groups.



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Catsey Veteran
 
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11-11-2006, 05:30 PM   #5

Re: Big cats wild in the UK?


No there arent any.
Dawn



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Kazz's Avatar
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11-11-2006, 06:53 PM   #6

Re: Big cats wild in the UK?


Quote:
Originally Posted by borderdawn
No there arent any.
Dawn
Why do you say that Dawn what makes you so certain?

I think there may be wild cats about the size of a Scottish wild cat ie larger than a normal moggie but not Puma size.



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Tanya's Avatar
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11-11-2006, 07:43 PM   #7

Re: Big cats wild in the UK?


Apparently there has been sightings of a 'big black cat' where my mum lives. There are regular reports in the local paper. I have never seen it, but many people believe that its around. Quite scary really!



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Naomi's Avatar
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11-11-2006, 08:25 PM   #8

Re: Big cats wild in the UK?


Tanya if that's the 'Baglan Beast' (pressuming it is cos i notice you've got Swansea on your location) a couple of years ago it was on the news and it was suggested that it was just a large moggy. They had a news reporter on the hillside and they showed where the 'big cat' apparently became obscured from view behind a clump of grass, it was only a small clump of grass, just about big enough for a large domestic cat to hide behind so there was no way that a 'big cat' would become obscured by it.



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11-11-2006, 08:26 PM   #9

Re: Big cats wild in the UK?


Come on guys think about it. Black Leopards roaming our countryside, and apparently breeding? yet they are the most difficult Cats to breed in captivity, black ones (melanistic) I mean, 2 normal Leopard can produce one, but not often do 2 black ones, but we are supposed to believe that they are here, yet not one definitive sighting and no real concrete evidence, except dodgy photos of some 20yrs old!

I find it amazing that if they are here, we arent seeing Deer, Sheep etc.. trussed up in trees, which of course is where they eat and store their prey. I also cant see how one person can track and find one animal across a desert or jungle of some thousand and thousands of miles, yet all the hunters etc here cant find one Cat in our tiny (by comparison) country!

Scottish wild Cats have been around for years thats all they are, larger tabby Cats nothing special, and they freely mate with ferals too, cant see a Puma doing that!

Dont get me wrong, I'd love to see proof of them being here, but its not going to happen, there isnt any!

Thats me though
Dawn.



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Sadly Missed
 
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11-11-2006, 09:14 PM   #10

Re: Big cats wild in the UK?


I have an open mind on this one. Where I live there are fairly regular reports of 'large cats' which I view with sceptism, BUT a couple of years ago our neighbours had an odd experience. They have two Jack Russells which normally will chase anything and everything, also two cats and a horse.

Late one night the JR's began barking like mad but didn't go out through the large catflap they usually use and the cats came in like streaked lightening and the horse screamed. Everyone dashed out to the stables and found the horse in a terrible state, it took them 1 1/2 hours to settle her to anything like normal and they took it in turns to stay with her through the night. Now ....what had spooked the dogs, normally quite agressive, the cats and the horse. Certainly not a fox, they are regular visitors, not deer, they too wander around frequently - can you think what it could be? the general opinion was that it could have been that elusive big cat. It does make you wonder doesn't it? Logoes



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