FEROCIOUS big cats DO live in Britain — after being seen by Forestry Commission rangers.

I live in Peterborough, eastern England, the city's pretty much bordered by countryside, we've got farmland and fenland practically as soon as you get out of the city centre. It'd be very easy for something to hide out there, and there's plenty of rabbits to substantiate some sightings around these parts in the past year. Some even on routes I take every so often out to the country park, now that sends more of a chill down my spine than any paranormal tales!

Anyway, i do think we have enough evidence to suggest that the U.K has a population of panther.

Now that many of us know that this is actually real, im curious as to what else there could be real that is currently thought of as 'myth'. Im not that familiar with the native animals that surround my brothers and sisters from across the pond but im guessing things like wild pigs and foxes are probably common right?

Could there be stories out there of other animals that are being sighted that shouldn't be there?

New evidence is out. An Ostrich that got decapitated in Somerset Zoo - big cats are being blamed.
Source - The Guardian

reply to post by Venit
That is a very poor article! No criticism to you, Venit. The Guardian usually has way better journalism. It's basically a patch piece of speculation and no real evidence for the reader. How was the head removed? What type of teeth marks were left?

I'm not really favoring the 'big cat' angle on this one. A big cat would remove an area of feathers and go for the flesh. Usually, the thigh muscles would be eaten. That a big cat has somehow chewed off the head and taken it away is unlikely.

England has a regrettable history of sick animal attacks. Every year there's a tiny amount of incidents involving horses, ponies and cattle being slashed, shot with air guns or stabbed. Could it be possible that the bird's been decapitated and scavenging foxes have tucked in before taking the head? Given the awful presentation of evidence in that article, anything's possible.

reply to post by Kandinsky


Hey Kandinsky,

Good point mate, although I would just like to add something if I can.

I am from the forest of dean (where these sightings have been confirmed by the forestry guys), and the layout of the county can offer an explaination to why no bones or any physical remains of a dead big cat has ever been discovered.
This area has, up until the last 60 or so years, been a huge mining area. It was the main source of income for thousands of people until all the mines were closed down. Subsequently, the whole area is a maze of disused mines. Now my experience of cats (domestic cats anyway) is that if they are approaching death they tend to move away from the area they are most familiar with, and migrate to enclosed areas.
Therefore, it could be possible that the reason no physical remains have been found is beacause they are in areas that are inaccessable to people.

That said, i'm yet to see so much as a paw print, and ive lived here most of my life, so I could be wrong!

reply to post by Venit


ok - a few of my ` issues ` with this story

1 - the fence : was it damaged / breached ? story does not say - so one would assume no

2 - footptints / entry point : unless the fence was breached - an ABC would have to jump it - that would leave tell tail landing imprints - a 30kg + feline can jump a 2m + fence - but it cannot jump a 2m fence and land without leaving a mark

3 - bite marks ? - if a predator had decapitated the bird - its bite radius would be estimable - ie a panthter could remove the head in one clean stroke - a fox would have to nibble its way through

4 - why stop at the head ? - chopping the head off and leabing is ATYPICAL predator action - a predator that took the time and effort to get into an enclsure would ` make a meal of it ` - IMHO humans are most likley to just take the head and leave

A local kid here in hertfordshire once got mauled by a 'Big Cat'
Had scratches on his face and all, it was in the paper.
Unfortunately, I can't find the article online, so I'm pretty sure this post'll be seen as BS

Why anyone doubts the Big Cats not just in England but Everywhere is beyond me.

Lets face it... the only Animals that will survive now are those that can Outwit, Hide From or Prey on somehow... Humans

Cats of course from day 1 in Africa have been right along side as friend or as enemy for our entire history.

The real question is

Why would you ever doubt a Big Cats ability to stay clear of Man?

Cat adaption 1, cuddly little disease bag that we slave over sometimes... the "cute" Gene

Cat adaption 2, larger smarter Cats that can efficiently evade all of Man's obstacles and travel at night undetected

For all anyone would Know... they might be house Cats in the wild that have become Bigger

There are Owl in New England that Eat small dogs so why would this be unusual?

Really doesn't take much... people move in 11 species of Owl go extinct... except for one or Two Really damn BIG ones that then Mate

30-40 years later, Mr Owls back and he wants your ugly Chihuahua for a snack

Cats on Isles could date back to Roman Times

Tell me if you were a caged Cat and got loose over a Millennium ago, would You let yourself be caught again?

Don't be surprised if in 30 years there is a version loose that sometimes slinks in your house and devours you and hides the body... it's The Greatest Predator Mammal on land after all


What did evolution halt because we understood that it happens?

Natures job is to invent things that usurp genetic monopolies... not saying it will be a cat,

i'm just sayin... it will be something

reply to post by batch


Where abouts in Cheshire? i've heard reports on Runcorn having a Panther lurking around

archive.thisischeshire.co.uk...

There's some reports there..

I used to work as a courier travelling overnight all over the UK. I once saw a large cat silently walking along the grass verge at the side of the A17 not far from airfield at Cranwell. It was a warm clear night, about 2.30am, and at first I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It didn't seem overly large, about the size of a Labrador, black with a very long tail with a fluffy end to it. I reckon I passed within ten feet of it.
The funny thing was that it didn't seem to be scared of the lights of the van! I can't understand why they aren't seen more often considering that they don't seem to be shy or scared of people or their vehicles.

Nevermind, the info i was going to post is already on ATS lol

[edit on 3-2-2009 by Grock]

Originally posted by bvproductions
The Sun is the source? Hmm...
I'd like to see if there is any information about this, but from a reliable site that is trustworthy.

What if the NY times suddenly posted something that turned out to be false or a hoax?

Would we then not believe anything within the paper from here on out or always look at it with question because prior readings revealed something to be untrue?

We can't just keep saying that everything the sun posts is auto-false.

Some of these things have to have some credibility.

big cats used to live in Europe. That Rampant Lion isn't based on fantasy after all.

Originally posted by ignorant_ape
reply to post by Venit

 

ok - a few of my ` issues ` with this story

1 - the fence : was it damaged / breached ? story does not say - so one would assume no

2 - footptints / entry point : unless the fence was breached - an ABC would have to jump it - that would leave tell tail landing imprints - a 30kg + feline can jump a 2m + fence - but it cannot jump a 2m fence and land without leaving a mark

3 - bite marks ? - if a predator had decapitated the bird - its bite radius would be estimable - ie a panthter could remove the head in one clean stroke - a fox would have to nibble its way through

4 - why stop at the head ? - chopping the head off and leabing is ATYPICAL predator action - a predator that took the time and effort to get into an enclsure would ` make a meal of it ` - IMHO humans are most likley to just take the head and leave

Do you know how high a big cat can jump?

The estimation changed not too long ago.

I know this because in my city the lion cage is quite high. When a zookeeper tossed some meat in it got caught on the top, and one of the cats JUMPED UP ONTO THE TOP OF THE CAGE to get it. Then jumped back into the cage.

Upon which they changed the configuration of the cage on top.

Big cats can jump very high. They don't need to damage a fence to move on by.

On the other person about the cat eating just the head:
Anyone who has owned a mouser knows that cats often eat heads before eating the rest of the animal. Particularly if the kill isn't for them, but for (in my case) a favourite human or their young.

[edit on 2009/3/31 by Aeons]

I thought i'd add this to this thread, rather than starting a new one but ...

Bear Spotted in Suffolk

Now, although the image is very blurry to say the least, i dont think that shape could be anything other than a bear?

Originally posted by Skepticalskeptic
I thought i'd add this to this thread, rather than starting a new one but ...

Bear Spotted in Suffolk

Now, although the image is very blurry to say the least, i dont think that shape could be anything other than a bear?

That is way too blurry, and has no scale. Frankly, it doesn't look much like a bear to me. Wrong shape for an Asian bear, wrong shape for an American one too.

originally posted 8/2/2012 on daily motion video of BIG BLACK CAT in Gloucestershire

www.dailymotion.com...

reply to post by Grock


Not surprised in the slightest. Aside from the Romans bringing animals over, did you know that the Tudors had a thriving trade in exotic animals?

I think its totally possible.

Until recently, No one thought the Jaguar was still alive and well in the southwest, AZ/NM.


We have the wicked spotted ones.

And those are some big cats.