Big black cat? (1 Viewer)

walwyn

Well-known member

• Sep 25, 2003

• #1

with the news of a big cat being searched for in Co Antrim
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3136206.stm

I thought I'd write about a sighting I had in Warwickshire last sunday.

Now I'm not prone to imagining things, I don't see UFOs, Pixies, or Sasquatch, at least not without chemical assistance. But last sunday I was driving back home and coming down the hill from Barby Nothamtonshire into Warwickshire and admiring the view when I saw what looked to be a large black cat galloping away down and across the pasture land.

Well I stopped the car and leapt out for a better look, and you know what?


Rooks!


What I'd seen was one of the Rooks taking off. From behind the flapping of the wings as it took off had looked just like the haunches of a cat running.

 

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Sep 25, 2003

• #2

Catbird?

 

seb_seb

Well-known member

• Sep 25, 2003

• #3

So whats everyones thoughts on big cats roaming the british countryside?

 

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Sep 25, 2003

• #4

Mass hallucination.

 

James Armstrong

Flowerpot Man

• Sep 25, 2003

• #5

Saw one late at night by the light of the headlights in the Brecon Beacons a couple of years ago. Geraldine was with me. It crossed the road ahead of us. It was very big. Not a dog, bigger than a dog, cat shaped - definitely a big cat and we hadn't been drinking or drug-taking!
:eek!:
james

 

Andrew

wibble wibble

• Sep 25, 2003

• #6

Ah so that's where the Beast of Exmoor went!

 

James Armstrong

Flowerpot Man

• Sep 25, 2003

• #7

I see that Nina mentions one in her recent Dorset posting!

james

 

walwyn

Well-known member

• Sep 26, 2003

• #8

There have been reports of big cats roaming the UK for getting on 20 years now. Has there been a photo of one? Has one been captured? A carcass found? Bones? Have there been any zoos missing a few? Animal dealers with missing stock?

 

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Sep 26, 2003

• #9

They're about as elusive as the Loch Ness Monster, Walwyn.

 

walwyn

Well-known member

• Sep 26, 2003

• #10

Perhaps there is a conspiracy!

 

L

logos

Well-known member

• Sep 26, 2003

• #11

I thought it was now fairly well established that there are a number of large cats on the loose in the British countryside, perhaps something to do with tightening up of legislation relating to the holding of dangerous animals and people letting them go?

Don't forget too that there was a colony of wallabies in the Peak District for several decades after WW2, I believe they escaped from a zoo in Manchester after it was bombed.

Chris Packham did an in depth investigation into British big cats some years ago and came to the conclusion that it was very likely that several were out there. In the same series he convincingly showed that Nessie could nor exist because Loch Ness has insufficient biomass to support it/them.

Spud

 

Michael Frankis

conehead

• Sep 26, 2003

• #12

Actually, there have been some roadkill carcasses of medium/large exotic Felis spp. found, and past records of escaped and recaptured lions, etc., though in the recapture cases, the recapture was within hours of the escaping. No carcasses of any Panthera spp yet though.

And a good reason why there should be exotic cats roaming around Britain - the introduction of legislation restricting ownership of dangerous animals, with releases by unscrupulous people unwilling to put up with the license fees and restrictions imposed.

I reckon they do exist, though there's not as many as the popular press would have us believe. And most of them are probably not black, either.

Michael

 

CJW

Hit-and-run WUM

• Sep 26, 2003

• #13

logos said:

Chris Packham did an in depth investigation into British big cats some years ago and came to the conclusion that it was very likely that several were out there. In the same series he convincingly showed that Nessie could nor exist because Loch Ness has insufficient biomass to support it/them.

Spud

Click to expand...

Didn't see the programme, but I wonder how much of it was based on supposition? i.e. "assuming Nessie is approximately 'x' tons in weight"

 

Michael Frankis

conehead

• Sep 26, 2003

• #14

'Nessie' is very probably decomposing pine logs - New Scientist did a serious article on the subject several years ago

Michael

 

L

logos

Well-known member

• Sep 26, 2003

• #15

As an aside, and as this is a community of people who habitually go around with high powered optical equipment, how many BF members have ever seen, or better still digiscoped or photographed, an extra-terrestrial spaceship?

Spud

 

M

marcus

Well-known member

• Sep 26, 2003

• #16

140 square miles? Shouldn't it say square kilometers? But then again, where is Antrim?

 

Michael Frankis

conehead

• Sep 26, 2003

• #17

Hi Marcus,

Antrim is a county in the north-east of Ireland, north of Belfast

Michael

 

Woody

Well-known member

• Sep 26, 2003

• #18

One of my friends is a wildlife artist born and brought up in South Africa. He has knowledge and experience of tracking large cats and when he tells me that he has seen the tracks of these predators in this country I have no hesitation in believing him.

Woody

 

M

marcus

Well-known member

• Sep 26, 2003

• #19

OK, thanks Michael. I thought it was over there.

 

PhilM

Active member

• Sep 26, 2003

• #20

Check out this site
http://www.britishbigcats.org/