Britain's 'big cat X files' revealed

www.telegraph.co.uk...

Quote from source:
There have been more than 100 sightings of exotic and unidentified animals in England since 2005, according to a dossier compiled by Natural England.

They are the stuff of rural legend - but for decades, alleged sightings of big cats stalking the British countryside have been dismissed as hoax or fantasy.

Yet now the head of a Government agency responsible for investigating such incidents has declared that he believes these mysterious creatures do indeed exist.

His comments follow the release of a dossier by Natural England which lists more than 100 sightings of exotic, non-native and unidentified animals in England since 2005.

Of these, 38 were "big cats". In some cases, members of the public claimed to have seen the creature itself; on other occasions, they reported finding farm or wild animals which had been attacked or killed.

The documents - Britain's "big cats X Files" - show the extent to which Natural England takes the reports seriously.

The agency has launched several investigations, involving site visits by officials and the drafting in of specialist vets to examine injuries.

Big cat sightings have been reported all over England. In some areas they have spawned legends, such as the so-called Beast of Bodmin in the south west.

I don't really know what to think of the photo so I thought I would post it here. It looks like a cat, I guess but it could really be anything like that. The tail to me is the only thing that looks catish.

It looks big, though I am not too sure how big house cats can get.

Any thoughts?

Pred...

Am about to get myself branded... anyway, was going to post a thread about this last week then looked at the local news and didn't think it a big deal, well my partner and I where out walking the dog last week, and our last walk of the day is around 11pm and we saw a big black cat, larger than a Labrador run right past us into the woods.

When looking on the local news quite a few had seen this cat in and around the woods here abouts, probably out rabbit hunting.. there are records of big black cats on the Southdowns going back at least 100 years... I have no idea what type of big cat it was, just bloody fast and big...

I have to admit that it was really exiting.. not sure what I would have thought if it was running at me!!!!... Anyway there is my big black cat experience from last week I am now a true believer in big black cats in the UK

Um, it looks like a labrador with an undocked tail. I would know, I had one once.

And even if that was a cat, it's not all that unreasonably sized.

But my vote is black lab.

I seen that picture in news years ago it must be redone . it was in uk papers 10 years back ,i think they are short of news big cats are all over uk but this pic is old

There are certain exotic animals that can survive the English climate, and which have probably been released here.
But (rationally) I find it quite incredible, how predatory “big cats” can survive in this crowded country of just over 60 million people, sitting on just over 60 million acres, at least not without coming into conflict with mankind more often.

Nevertheless: on a very dark night (about two days after the firework celebrations, of New Years Eve, 2000) I did a dog walk through some grassing fields, anyway there was a vary large, dark, shadow like, being, which I first assumed to be an escaped calf. But this creature seemed to be stalking us, it wasn’t even there until about half way through the walk. The darkness caused by it’s body outline, came quite close, so only a shallow grazing, fence (a micture of wood and barbed wire) separated us. So at one point I got out my lighter and lit it up, to see if the creature would bulk. It didn’t bulk, and although I could hardly see it, it didn’t look as I’d expect a calf to either. So I called my dog, and began to run (she was already freaking out, by trying to go run back ahead of me). Later that same night, when I watching television, my dog got of the chair and sat in the corner of the room, making this squeaking sound. I have no idea what she detected, but she never did that before or again.

Even so, much of this countries land (including our area) has vegetation that was either purposely planted for hunting, or maintained with hunting very much mind. After all even though the English public rarely owns guns, most farmers do.
So if you’re a big cat, why don’t these places make attractive death-traps?

Whatever exists, the way it does so subtly makes me wonder if it’s super natural? But there was also a dead sheep I found the same year with it’s rib cage and various other bones completely smashed out, and obviously missing-consumed. So I’d say they probably eat something!!!

Originally posted by pondrthis
Um, it looks like a labrador with an undocked tail. I would know, I had one once.

And even if that was a cat, it's not all that unreasonably sized.

But my vote is black lab.

I think this is a lab as well. (We don't dock their tails here) That being said. I am a huge fan of the black cat stories in the UK and America and watch every show about them that comes out about these and other related events. I will be watching this thread to see what happens. Thanks for posting!

reply to post by Wolftotem


Possibly a black lab. My mother has one so I know what they look like. I also never thought anyone ever docked a black labs tail though.

The only thing I have about that is the tail is way too long. It looks more like a cat tail to me. Dogs are known to have shorter tails, and cats have longer one for balance.

I am going to have to say questionable if it's a black lab.

Pred...

Actually that picture is a still from video footage shot by a police officer in helensburgh last year.
thescotsman.scotsman.com...
news.stv.tv...
and it's not a labrador, although that is clearer in the videos. The only thing up for debate is just how large the cat actually is.
There are far more 'unknown' cats in britain than we realise, I was recently STUNNED to discover that legends of giant black cats actually go back hundreds of years in this country. I had always thought it was just released pets from the 70's.