(UK) Girl claims to have been stalked by a panther

Another big cat sighting out of the UK.

Girl, 15, tells of terror after being stalked through forest by a big cat she claims was a Panther

A 15-year-old schoolgirl has told of her terror after being chased by a big cat she claims was a 'black panther' in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.

Kim Howells was enjoying a walk through the woodland on her 15th birthday with her cousin Sophie Gwynne, eight, when they came across the animal lying beneath a tree.

Ms Howells, who described the 'panther' as about the size of a Great Dane dog, with big eyes, paws and a long tail, said the creature began following them after they spotted it at around 8.30pm on Monday night.

Nothing to go on but her word, so we don't know for sure what she saw. But, it is another report of big cats in UK.

My neice and her friend were walking on the grounds of our local high school a couple of years back when 2 black panthers bounded out of the shrubbery and chased each other over the grass before disappearing in the darkness. The pair had been spotted numerous times and were thought to be mother and large cub. Fife, Scotland. No doubt about it, They were big cats.

They're all over the UK and I think it's great they can hide away so well they've almost become legend.


I haven't seen any evidence that anyone's been hurt by these animals so if I ever come across one I'd never give away it's whereabouts till it's had time to move on. Would love a couple of photos though.

I think it is widely accepted now that there are Big Cats in the UK, especially in the rural communities. Strange though that one has never been found either dead or alive.

Hmm, interesting and a bit exciting.

Probably someones eccentric pet that got away. Funny, here in florida if you said you were being stalked by a big cat, the general response would be "so?".

up north, you have a very real chance of being face to face with a bear

I think its good to feel the occasional frailty of our species when face to face with other animals in nature...puts things into perspective...we are on top for our brains, certainly not our strength.

Interesting story. I live in the South East and we have Wallabies in the wild, apparently they escaped from a zoo in the 60s.

Am I the only person that was shocked when I looked at the link and saw the 8 year old wearing lipstick?

reply to post by SaturnFX


You should consider yourself lucky yo have the abundance of wildlife that you have in the US. Unfortunately, in the UK where I live, most of it has been eradicated for sport.

reply to post by jokei


Heh - you made go back and look at my link. When I first saw the article I didn't catch the fact that the sister is 8. I just looked at the picture thought she was a teen as well. Egads.

In any event, similar panther sightings here in the US. In the forests of the southeast US locals will tell you there have been panthers around for ages. However, it is always denied by officials.

I'm sure there must have been some evidence along the way that has gotten long since lost. I remember as a boy a local deputy hit and killed one with his cruiser late one night. It was longer than his cruiser was wide (including its tail). This was in the 70's think a big, wide, old car. Like an old model crown vic.

reply to post by wigit


quote
"I haven't seen any evidence that anyone's been hurt by these animals ......"

here's one that happened in 2000 in Monmouthshire

quote

"Gwent Police are warning the public to be on their guard after a black, "leopard-like" animal attacked an 11-year-old boy in Monmouthshire. "

news.bbc.co.uk...

The lad's face looks bad, but he was very, very lucky!

I have an aunt who lives in west Wales, and approx 10 years or so ago, her neighbor's dog (terrier) was killed and eaten by a large cat, it was caught on her neighbor's home cctv camera's, after showing the police, an army team was sent to search for the cat, and that's the last anyone ever heard of it, no more sightings, no mention if anything had been seen/shot or caught by the army, the trail just goes cold from there! I have not seen the cctv footage, but my auntie has, and she is not one for telling tall tales, she is a horse breeder and was very concerned about her foals possibly being attacked.

Peace

Proof that large cats have been trapped and shot in the UK.

quote

"It comes as a newly-released police report revealed a lynx was shot by a gamekeeper in 1991 near Norwich, after it started chasing his gun dog."

quote

"In 1980, one fed-up Scottish farmer decided to trap the beast which was mauling his livestock using a cage complete with sheep's head.

A female puma reported by the press as "snarling and vicious" was found.

Christened Felicity, she ended her days at a wildlife park, where she was described as overweight but very tame. She now lives, stuffed and mounted, in the Inverness museum. "


source

news.bbc.co.uk...

peace

reply to post by Myrddin Wyllt


Thanks for the link

The Southwest has jaguars that have repopulated from Mexico and Central America. They domestic Jaguar was eradicated by farmers and Ranchers in Americas SW over a hundred years ago.

reply to post by Extreme Pilgrim


There was a puma shot by a farmer in Norfolk in the 70's or 80's.

Originally posted by wigit
They're all over the UK and I think it's great they can hide away so well they've almost become legend.

Anyone know if this is a native species, or if privatly owned animals have been let go, or perhaps escaped circus animals..

Protection of Animals Act, passed back in 1911.. do you know if many animals where let go back then.. could this be descendants of animals let go at this time.. ??

Do the UK have any native big cats, such as perhaps the Lynx wich we have in Scandinavia ?

[edit on 28-5-2010 by SilverSurfer]

reply to post by SilverSurfer


During the 70's Britain changed its laws on owning exotic animals, they had to be registered and caged safely. Supposedly lots of people released their animals into the wild instead of registering them.
There are a small number of wildcats in scotland but these are like slightly bigger domestic cats.




[edit on 28-5-2010 by Kurokage]

reply to post by Kurokage

There is also the Kellas Cat which is a hybrid between a wild cat and a domestic cat - en.wikipedia.org...

Maybe they are more hybrids out there?