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Alien Big Cats ('ABCs')

In your opinion what are alien big cats most likely to be?

  • Escapees from collections, breeding in the UK countryside

    Votes: 57 48.3%
  • A species of endemic British big cat somehow overlooked by science

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Zooform Phenomena - animal-shaped manifestations of paranormal activity

    Votes: 6 5.1%
  • Misidentifications of big dogs, normal cats etc

    Votes: 28 23.7%
  • A big hoax

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Summat else

    Votes: 4 3.4%
  • All of the above

    Votes: 23 19.5%

  • Total voters
    118
I came here to post that same story, but apparently in Belfast this time.
 

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Not sure if I should put this in IHTM or not . . . .

I saw a very clear and very obvious ABC back in the summer of 2009.

I had been travelling back to Chipping Norton late one night on the A429 (I'd estimate the time at being around 10pm if not later) from a camping trip in South Wales/Bristol with my best friend and although I do not remember the precise location on the road of where I saw the ABC, I've imprinted it in my mind at the time that it was around the Northleach (in Gloucestershire) area.

We came over the brow of a hill at quite a low speed (estimate around 30) and as the lights of my car (a Fiat Punto if it helps) settled back down in the road, around (estimated) 50-100 meters ahead of us, stood in the middle of the road was a very clear and obvious large Black Cat. I distinctly remember the curvature in the tail and sleek-ness of the body as we caught it crossing the road from right to left (from my POV). I slowed the car down and my friend and I both swore in unison as we watched it slink off behind a bush into a garden of a house that was on our left.

This was 100% absolutely no dog and far, faaaar too large to be a domestic house cat. I would estimate the height of the animal at around 2ft-ish. Honestly, it simply was a very clear and very obvious Black Leopard.

I'll try to find the specific location on a map search for anyone that's interested, might take a while though!
 
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An ABC ( a footprint ) reported in the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney. Originally posted on Instagram on Feb 16, some say it's a wallaby (on the run) print. I'm no expert on such things, just reporting the story. Can anyone with expertise weigh in?

Giant 'paw print' sparks debate over mystery panther in Blue Mountains national park
For decades, sightings of a giant and mysterious black cat have been reported by residents from Lithgow to Penrith, adding to the long and prevailing myth of the Blue Mountains panther.
While many deny the existence of the big cat, or laugh at the possibility, other say without a doubt, it's real. But how do they know? They say they've seen it.
Last week, a local exploration group, Blue Mountains Explore, claimed to have found fresh evidence, uploading photos of a giant paw-print on their Instagram and Facebook page, reigniting the debate over the mystery.
Kobe Bryant was among the group of explorers that discovered the prints, and he says, there's no doubt in his mind the stories are true.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/aust...ins-national-park/ar-BB10xGnB?ocid=spartandhp

The Original Instagram Post
 
An ABC ( a footprint ) reported in the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney. Originally posted on Instagram on Feb 16, some say it's a wallaby (on the run) print. I'm no expert on such things, just reporting the story. Can anyone with expertise weigh in?

Giant 'paw print' sparks debate over mystery panther in Blue Mountains national park

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/aust...ins-national-park/ar-BB10xGnB?ocid=spartandhp

The Original Instagram Post
I have no expertise in big cats I'm afraid and know even less about wallabies, but I do know that the pads of leopard prints resemble the position of human fingertips (ie the third pad in from the outer is more forward than the others and outside pad is further back than the others).

An interesting article here about leopard sign although it compares them with other cats and animals in Asia Minor and Caucasus: http://www.rewildingfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Leopard-tracks-and-signs.pdf
 
An ABC ( a footprint ) reported in the Blue Mountains to the west of Sydney. Originally posted on Instagram on Feb 16, some say it's a wallaby (on the run) print. I'm no expert on such things, just reporting the story. Can anyone with expertise weigh in?

Giant 'paw print' sparks debate over mystery panther in Blue Mountains national park

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/aust...ins-national-park/ar-BB10xGnB?ocid=spartandhp

The Original Instagram Post


Just looking at it LL, There's no clearly defined heel pad, which all cats do have - rather, it looks more like a wallaby (smaller digits than a roo) on the go, and both back feet have come in close proximity when bounding.

I can be wrong at times, but that's what it looks like to me.
 
Footage of the rare Black Leopard spotted in SA has just been released

Source: goodthingsguy.com
Date: 2 March, 2020

Undisclosed Location, South Africa (02 March 2020) – On the 24th of February, the news broke about a rare African Black (melanistic) Leopard sighting. The last time one was seen, was during 2013. In fact, there have only been 30 sightings from 1952 to 2013.

The beautiful Leopard was seen in a location that is being kept secret to protect it. According to the Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation, the Department of Nature Conservation and one of South Africa’s leading leopard and carnivore experts reviewed video footage of the animal sighted and confirmed that it was indeed a Black Leopard. It was sighted near a residential area.

That video footage has now been released so those excited by the news of the sighting can see it too!

“It’s the stuff that urban legends and folklore get built around. A phantom, an illusion, a shadow so rare that most people believe they don’t actually exist. Fewer than 35 sightings of wild black leopards have ever been scientifically documented in South Africa in over half a century, and clear pictures or video evidence are virtually non-existent – most people having spotted these elusive phantoms crossing a road or disappearing into the bush without the chance to take a picture.” – Wild Heart Wildlife Foundation

Black Leopards can be seen in captivity where they are bred and kept to lure in the public but it is so rare to see one in the wild that they have only been seen 35 times in recent memory.

https://www.goodthingsguy.com/environment/footage-rare-black-leopard/
 
Black Leopards can be seen in captivity where they are bred and kept to lure in the public but it is so rare to see one in the wild that they have only been seen 35 times in recent memory.
Ha. They should try coming here, they are seen all the time!

The thing that strikes me about the footage is the TAIL It really doesn't look like the little puddy tats that usually get posted as ABCs.
 
Just looking at it LL, There's no clearly defined heel pad, which all cats do have - rather, it looks more like a wallaby (smaller digits than a roo) on the go, and both back feet have come in close proximity when bounding.

I can be wrong at times, but that's what it looks like to me.
I thought the same about the heel pad, but I'm only familiar with domestic cats. Don't know anything about wallabies - wrong part of the world for me:)
 
I thought the same about the heel pad, but I'm only familiar with domestic cats. Don't know anything about wallabies - wrong part of the world for me:)

We've got something here Brownmane - too many people have seen it to lightly discount it - we also had an archaic marsupial form of a large cat which brings out a small percentage of people to claim some odd claims...

In saying that, as a 14 year old, I saw a large Leonine form for a period of time, with the animal coming close...so I'd better be careful of what I say, but these tracks are a bit iffy.
 
We've got something here Brownmane - too many people have seen it to lightly discount it - we also had an archaic marsupial form of a large cat which brings out a small percentage of people to claim some odd claims...

In saying that, as a 14 year old, I saw a large Leonine form for a period of time, with the animal coming close...so I'd better be careful of what I say, but these tracks are a bit iffy.
Could it be that the toe pads maybe pushed the dry sand back into the rear/hind pad if the subject was travelling at speed - it does look like ground could be sloping which could help this happen? I dunno, I might be clutching at straws.
 
Ha. They should try coming here, they are seen all the time!

The thing that strikes me about the footage is the TAIL It really doesn't look like the little puddy tats that usually get posted as ABCs.

iIt was the first thing that struck me Min - the length, and the way it is carried - as you say, very different to next doors Moggie.
 
I merely pass this on, with no opinion. :)

16 Pictures Showing That Scary Panthers Are Simply Oversized Cute Black Cats


Source: catsoncatnip.co

Black panthers are big felines characterized by black fur or black spots on their coat. They are most commonly found in south-western China and south of Malaysia's Isthmus of Kra than.

Like any other wild animals, and believe us -they are wild animals, they have complex social, behavioral, nutritional, and psychological needs. They are not suitable to be pets, their natural habitat is wilderness, and their instincts are pretty strong.

And when you combine strong instincts and great agility and strength – hardly a cat you would want to keep as a pet.

But, we can't but notice that they look incredibly similar to ordinary domestic black cats. We have collected some photos as proof. Check them out and remember – do not try to get a black panther for a pet.

https://catsoncatnip.co/blogs/cats/cute-panther-pics
 
I merely pass this on, with no opinion. :)

16 Pictures Showing That Scary Panthers Are Simply Oversized Cute Black Cats

Source: catsoncatnip.co

Black panthers are big felines characterized by black fur or black spots on their coat. They are most commonly found in south-western China and south of Malaysia's Isthmus of Kra than.

Like any other wild animals, and believe us -they are wild animals, they have complex social, behavioral, nutritional, and psychological needs. They are not suitable to be pets, their natural habitat is wilderness, and their instincts are pretty strong.

And when you combine strong instincts and great agility and strength – hardly a cat you would want to keep as a pet.

But, we can't but notice that they look incredibly similar to ordinary domestic black cats. We have collected some photos as proof. Check them out and remember – do not try to get a black panther for a pet.

https://catsoncatnip.co/blogs/cats/cute-panther-pics
Well, it is often a problem to get scale right without points of reference. This is an issue for bird watching.

Now that I think of it, some alien big cats might be... just cats.
 
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Well, it is often a problem to get scale right without points of reference. This is an issue for bird watching.

Now that I think of it, some alien big cats might be... just cats.
I agree, black leopards are by far the most reportedly seen. It has been argued that this is because in daylight sightings they are easier to spot than puma or lynx and also non-black cats seen at dark times will often appear black. With black coloured objects detail, size and even shape (due to shadows) can be hard to determine - so yes, I agree that most black big cat sightings are of the common garden variety.
 
I agree, black leopards are by far the most reportedly seen. It has been argued that this is because in daylight sightings they are easier to spot than puma or lynx and also non-black cats seen at dark times will often appear black. With black coloured objects detail, size and even shape (due to shadows) can be hard to determine - so yes, I agree that most black big cat sightings are of the common garden variety.
Cats with an obvious "cat" color pattern are always identified as such, something that doesn't necessarily happen with full black ones.
 
James Stephenson, from the Cornwall village of Callington, close to Dartmoor, raised the alarm after his dog Marley was found with bleeding claw marks on its shoulder.

This is actually the town where I live. The moors are about six miles away and on the other size of the river Tamar.
This isn’t the first incident of a big cat sighting in this area. A few years ago another large cat was spotted in a wooded area next to a river on the outskirts of the town.
I also remember that there were sightings of a full size kangaroo about fifteen miles down the road from me. Apparently it jumped in front of a car and hopped off down the road.
 
I have a personal theory about some ABC cat sightings, 'my' cat Chico is a small black and white british shorthair type , he is a dedicated hunter so much that his profile is different to normal moggies, the muscles around his shoulders are built for pouncing which makes his shoulders stick up like a big cat and he holds his tail a certain way, so from a distance has a real big cat look, if he was all black and in the open with nothing to reference his size plus his killer walk you would think ABC.
 
I have a personal theory about some ABC cat sightings, 'my' cat Chico is a small black and white british shorthair type , he is a dedicated hunter so much that his profile is different to normal moggies, the muscles around his shoulders are built for pouncing which makes his shoulders stick up like a big cat and he holds his tail a certain way, so from a distance has a real big cat look, if he was all black and in the open with nothing to reference his size plus his killer walk you would think ABC.
I saw a cat that fitted that description from the bus about a week ago and it made me think ABC even though I could see perfectly well it was a normal cat. That video of the black leopard in post 1241 above is really useful as the actual difference is pretty noticeable even in a brief fuzzy video.
 
I have a personal theory about some ABC cat sightings, 'my' cat Chico is a small black and white british shorthair type , he is a dedicated hunter so much that his profile is different to normal moggies, the muscles around his shoulders are built for pouncing which makes his shoulders stick up like a big cat and he holds his tail a certain way, so from a distance has a real big cat look, if he was all black and in the open with nothing to reference his size plus his killer walk you would think ABC.
I've mentioned 'my' feral cat elsewhere here - he is so black he looks like a hole and has the shape you speak of. With no reference to scale it's really only the shape of his head and length of tail that would give him away as a domestic cat.
 
I've mentioned 'my' feral cat elsewhere here - he is so black he looks like a hole and has the shape you speak of. With no reference to scale it's really only the shape of his head and length of tail that would give him away as a domestic cat.
Chico is feral ( with everyone but me - we get on so well because he thinks I'm feral too ), so I think in feral cats the muscles needed in full time hunting develope differently to the muscles of a domestic cat, I also like his 'swagger' when he's carrying a big dead rat - it's serious.
 
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Chico is feral ( with everyone but me - we get on so well because he thinks I'm feral too ), so I think in feral cats the muscles needed in full time hunting develope differently to the muscles of a domestic cat, I also like his 'swagger' when he's carrying a big dead rat - it's serious.
Yep, feral cats are solid although there's at least one other local cat that tears chunks out of him occasionally. Our Jimpy gets the odd rat and tries to catch squirrels too. Last year he had a stoat and a polecat but didn't manage to bag a mink when we had a pair at the pond a couple of weeks ago.

Edited for a typo but I'd like to add that I hate it that he kills wildlife (except for the rats) and particularly that he takes out our goldfinches so quickly in the season.
 
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Something odd spotted in Cambridge, England.

'Large wildcat with big claws' spotted in central Cambridge
The 'big cat' has been compared to the size of a fully grown Labrador dog.

cat.jpg


A man has spotted a "large wildcat with big claws" roaming around his garden in central Cambridge.
The wildcat, which has been compared to the size of a fully grown Labrador dog, was seen near Coldham’s Lane earlier this morning (April 11).

A resident who lives in the area said it wasn't the first time the 'large cat' has visited but this time they were able to get a picture showing the unusual animal exploring the garden.
"It was around 8 or 8.30am this morning when I saw the animal from my kitchen window. I think it somehow keeps coming to this place to hunt rabbits or other small animals", he said.
The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said he thought the animal was a certain species of wildcat but when he looked closer it was far too large.


https://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/wildcat-spotted-cambridge-fen-tiger-18078609
 
Difficult to gauge the exact size from that picture, but it does look to be a fair bigger than the average household moggie.
 
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