I'd be a little less ambitious in that estimate.
Any particular reason to doubt the field worker's estimate?
I'd be a little less ambitious in that estimate.
Any particular reason to doubt the field worker's estimate?
Yes, I've no particular reason to believe it. It's unattributed for a start, the quote from the field worker says only that it's 'enormous', which is a very relative term. I don't trust the BBC's nature/science reporting. And frankly nothing there looks like anything particularly huge to me, but although mine's a subjective unqualified opinion, so is the estimate in the article until it's quantified.
I presume they are aware of the size of the tree trunk where they set their camera up, which would surely give a pretty good indication of length?
Another quote, that may or may not be helpful:
Dr Paul O'Donoghue, chief scientific adviser on the project, said they believe there is a population of around 13 pure wildcats in the area.
He said the large cat caught on camera was in excellent condition and he had never seen anything approaching its size in the past.
Most wildcats average about 3ft.
Phantom cats, also known as Alien Big Cats (ABCs), are large felines, such as jaguars, cougars, and leopards, which allegedly appear in regions outside their indigenous range. Sightings, tracks and predation have been reported in a number of countries and states including Canada, Britain, Australia, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, Finland, Denmark, the Eastern United States, Hawaii, Italy and Luxembourg.
Well, for what it's worth, I've seen one - and it wasn't a thylacine or a feral cat or a thylacoleo or a dog
Didn't you get some photos of it's footprints Mungo?
That's a really interesting overview of how Australian ABC reports and reports of possible 'extinct' marsupial sightings go hand in paw. The 'punctuation' is a product of my wistful hope there are still some beasties in the wild places somewhere.
Grim discovery of monstrous carcass jammed in Fife tree
by Leeza Clark
May 18 2018, 4.40pm
The macabre scene Susan David stumbled across.
Mystery surrounds a macabre discovery made by a west Fife dog walker.
Susan David from Dunfermline was horrified to spot a bleached carcass of what looks like a horse – halfway up a tree.
“It was horrible, really horrible,” she said.
Ms David was out walking her dog near Kingseat when she made the grim find on a popular dog walking route near the former mining village of Lassodie.
“You can walk straight up to where the old pit used to be.
“A lot of dog walkers walk up there. I was just on the path walking towards the old pit when I saw it – it was awful.
“I was just glad there wasn’t any kids with me. You could still see where its eyes were.”
While animal bones are a common sight in rural communities, what is perplexing in this case is the location of the bones, including a skull, spine and ribs.
“It was very weird. I just thought how could it get up there?
etc
I put this in here because there have been a lot of ABC sightings in Fife over the years and there may be a connection but if the lovely Mods want to move it, feel free.
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/new...rim-discovery-of-carcass-jammed-in-fife-tree/
Mysterious cat-like creature caught on film in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney - but what it could be?
A mysterious giant cat has been caught on camera in an area long-rumoured to be home to a black panther.
The possible puma sighting took place near Cox's Rover in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney on the weekend.
Steven Muiser managed to film the massive black feline, and said it was 'definitely not a feral cat' and 'as wide as the bonnet on my ute', speaking to the Today show.
14 hrs ago
Are big cats really on the prowl in Dorset? This wildlife expert certainly thinks so...
By Nicky Findley
Bournemouth-based wildlife expert Jonathan McGowan is certainly convinced that they are.
He has been studying sightings for most of his life and says he has amassed lots of 'evidence' over the past 30 years including big cat paw prints, faeces, fur samples and territorial tree markings.
"Every week there are several big cat sightings including leopards, pumas and lynx all over the UK but mainly in Dorset, Hampshire and the New Forest.