Alien Big Cats ('ABCs')

[hokum6]

Dead Big Cat?
Should take about 5mins to identify.

Yeah, exactly my thoughts...

The tail was the only part kept and was 65cm long. The photo is a bit deceptive because the hunter is actually standing a fair way behind the carcass.

Why does this always happen? Why, if you'd just shot an 'urban legend' would you then only keep the tail and take a very crappy photo. He's either making it up or he's a bit thick.

 

[PeniG]

I vote for "a bit thick" and "faking," since he apparently expects us to believe that he went deer hunting on a motorcycle. Which certainly explains why he didn't haul back any carcasses...

 

[nataraja]

That's not a puma. No puma has ever been caught, or even seen, that was jet black. In fact, IIRC the only jet black felines are leopard, jaguar, domestic cat and domestic cat hybrids (eg the Kellas cats, which are thought to be domestic/Scottish wildcat hybrids).

If that cat really is a big cat, it's a leopard - the only species which comes in black and has a slender enough build to be that carcass. On first sight i thouht it was definitely a leopard - however, on looking at it more closely, there are several factors which point IMO to it actually being a domestic cat and a fake/forced perspective photo:

1) There is nothing to accurately indicate scale in either of the photographs - in the first one, the hunter is standing well behind the carcass, in the second it's strung up from the porch, again with an uncertain distance between it and the objects behind it. Typical forced perspective tricks...

2) The head being completely blown off by one shot from an ordinary rifle is highly unlikely if the animal was a leopard or puma (considering their heads are comparable in size to human heads... that wouldn't be obliterated, like in these pictures). On the other hand, it's plausible if the animal's head was as small as that of a domestic/feral cat...

3) The head being missing is also convenient in that it removes the most obvious feature (if size is unknown) to distinguish between "big" and "small" cats - a domestic or feral cat's very short, flattened face would be very clearly not that of a leopard or a puma.

4) The paws also look a bit small and the legs a bit long, comparatively to the tail and body, for this to be a leopard/panther IMO (the tail looks long for a domestic cat, but short for a leopard or puma).

IIRC feral cats in Australia grow quite a bit bigger than domestic/feral cats normally do - not anywhere near leopard size, but maybe something like bobcat size - so it's possible such a feral cat could have been genuinely mistaken for a "panther", and then its body posed to look bigger than it is just to make the pictures a bit more impressive... or it could be a complete and deliberate fake. Definitely not a puma tho...

 

[hokum6]

Never seen that pic before. What the hell did he shoot it with, a howitzer??

Am reminded of that Monty Python sketch with the two hunters taking down a mosquito using assault rifles, bazookas and hand grenades.

 

[evilsprout]

Forced perspective or even photoshop. And how do we know he hasn't got hold of a leopard's tail seperately and handed that over for analysis? And even if he did go deerhunting on a bike, why didn't he leave it and get someone in a truck to go and find it?

If you had a gun powerful enough to blow a leopard's head off at that distance, there wouldn't be much deer left, so maybe he could take it home on the back of a bike

Did anyone else notice the man examining a highly contested and possibly fake Fortean photo was called Mr Roswell?

 

[DougalLongfoot]

New claim here: link

Dad shot a big cat, too
By KELVIN HEALEY
16oct05

NEW evidence of big cats roaming wild in Victoria emerged this week, fuelling debate over mystery felines.

In yet another twist to the big cat riddle, retired businessman Dale O'Sullivan unveiled a stuffed puma, which he said was shot by his father at their Woodend property in the 1960s.
The revelation came after the Sunday Herald Sun last week published a photo of a big cat shot by hunter Kurt Engel in June.

DNA from the cat, which Mr Engel said he killed in Gippsland in June, has been sent overseas for examination.

Other developments this week included:

A theory that US airmen used a compartment in Vultee Vengeance dive bombers to smuggle the cats into Australia in WWII.

Geelong woman Helen Gundry reported seeing a big cat while on holidays in Darwin in July.

Revelations of multiple sightings of big cats in the Otways.

A Gippsland hunting store owner offered a $10,000 bounty for a big cat shot with a bow and arrow.

Mr O'Sullivan, who said he was a teenager when his father shot the cat at their cattle stud, said the puma was stuffed and stored in a back room and forgotten about for nearly half a century.

"Nobody could give a damn about a big cat back then," Mr O'Sullivan said.

"He (his father) got it mounted, but it just got put in a back room and forgotten about. I can vouch for the fact it was shot here."

Big cat researchers Bernie Mace and Mike Williams examined Mr O'Sullivan's cat and said it was definitely a puma.

Mr Mace said it was a young animal and helped prove that big cats bred in the wild after WWII.

"This is a juvenile animal, possibly about 18 months old.

"I have no doubt about the veracity of Dale O'Sullivan and I consider it a definitive piece of evidence."

Meanwhile, Mr Engel rejected criticism of his photograph and questions about why he disposed of the carcass.

The Noble Park hunter said he never intended to publicise the incident.

"That's the way it happened -- I can only say what I saw," Mr Engel said.

Just a few points I'd like to make:
1. He may have been hunting deer for the "sport" and not for food, therefore would only have kept the heads for trophies. thus allowing him to hunt from a bike.

2. The head was not "blown off" or completely destroyed from the reports I heard, but it was damaged and its value as a trophy was destroyed.

3. Those with an interest in the field will are obviously amazed at the casual attitude of Mr Engel, and see in it evidence of fraud or deception, but don't forget, not everyone has the focus or information that many who read this board will have. The news reports indicate that many here in Australia accept completely the "circus escapee" or "American Service Mascot" theory, making the cats no more than a very exotic feral, and not therefore requiring the rigorous scientific proof that we would like.

4. Where the hell would he have got hold of a leopards tail?


edited by TheQuixote: created hyperlink

 

[FelixAntonius]

From the Biggleswade Chronicle of the 21st October:-

Lynx cat spotted.

Have you seen the Beast of Biggleswade?
A pensioner was given paws for thought when he spotted what he claims was a wild lynx cat on the prowl in his garden late one night.

Terence Gilliland says he saw the animal during a visit to the bathroom last Thursday morning when it jumped on to his shed roof.

Mr Gilliland, 75, of Lime Tree Walk, Biggleswade said: "I saw a movement and thought it was an ordinary cat at first but it jumped on the shed roof and stood facing the light.

"It's eyes were lit up like headlights and I was amazed because it had got a very small face and two big ears that stood vertically upright and were pointed at the top."

Lynx cats are found in the wild in Canada and Alaska and in Spain and Portugal in Europe.

A second person has also come forward after seeing a large cat-like animal off Windemere Drive in Biggleswade.

Source:-link


edited by TheQuixote: created hyperlink

 

[oll_lewis]

I can't remember weather I posted this here at the time or just at the CFZ message board, so, because it's relivent for the follow up I'm going to post directly after here's a press release from the south wales police at the end of october.

Police investigate discovery of dead goat in the Port Talbot area : Thursday 27th October : 10:45
Thursday 27th October 2005. Last updated: 10:45

South Wales Police is investigating the discovery of a dead goat in the Baglan area of Port Talbot.
It was discovered in an area a short distance from woodland where there have previously been unconfirmed sightings of a large cat by members of the public.

Due to the nature of the injuries to the dead animal, which has been buried by its owner, it has been decided to exhume the goat in order for experts to determine how it died.

Superintendent Cliff Filer, divisional commander for Neath Port Talbot, said: "We would ask the public to be vigilant and report any sightings of a large cat to us immediately.

"In view of all the previous reported sightings and the significant nature of the wounds to the goat, arrangements have been made to exhume the carcass to establish how it died.

"Until the full circumstances of the incident are known we are making contingencies to deal with any potential further incidents."

Anyone with information should contact South Wales Police on 01792 456999 or their nearest police station.

http://www.south-wales.police.uk/fe_new ... ewsid=1750

 

[oll_lewis]

The police in Baglan are, it would seem, taking this case very seriously if a story on ITV news wales (22/11/2005) is to be belived. Sadly there's no online souse for the story as ITV wales only put up about 3 news stories a week on their website but i had the sense to take notes when the news story was read out so got the main points:

-An off duty policeman was out walking his dog and saw a large black cat on the path (the report was not spesific about just how large the cat was, so it's impossible to say anything about possible species from that, may well have been zooform phenomina who knows?)

- The beast was seen by another local resident who discribed it rather oddly, he said it was brown and flat faced. (I wouldn't discribe any type of cat as flat faced).

- The police claim to have made a plaster cast of a paw print.

- Finally the police offered the advice to the public not to aproch the beast but to report any sightings to them without hesitation.

 

[DougalLongfoot]

From ABC news online:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/20 ... 518331.htm

Tests reveal super-sized feral cat
DNA tests on the remains of a giant cat shot this year in Gippsland, in south-east Victoria, show it was a super-sized feral domestic cat.

Melbourne deer hunter Kurt Engels shot the cat near Dargo and kept the tail as a trophy.

He estimated it was more than 1.5 metres long and weighed about 35 kilograms.

A scientist with a 30-year interest in big cat research, Bernie Mace, sent the 600 millimetre long tail to Monash University for testing.

He says the results prove feral cats in the Australian bush can grow far bigger than ever imagined.

"The animal was big enough to be a significant threat to perhaps some of the small wallabies and I think the knowledge that feral cats grow to this size in our wild regions has got to be taken seriously and understood from an ecological point of view," he said.

That is very interesting. :shock:

 

[nataraja]

As i said in my previous post feral cats in Australia are known to get quite a bit bigger than "normal" domestic cats (possibly as a result of having bigger ranges and lots of relatively "easy" prey to catch), but 1.5m? that's nearly 5ft...

i could imagine them getting say bobcat size, but that's within puma size range...

actually, this brought back a memory of a documentary about the problems caused by introduced species in Australia i saw as a kid, from which i remember someone talking about feral cats "up to the size of a Labrador dog"... i think i thought that maybe Australian labradors were smaller or something, but 1.5m total length must indeed be about labrador sized...

 

[oll_lewis]

new story on the Baglan Beast from the Evening Post (Swansea's local paper):

BAGLAN BEAST IS REAL

PAUL LEWIS
[email protected].

10:00 - 30 November 2005
This could be the face of the Beast of Baglan. Police believe they have identified it at last and say it is either a mountain lion or a lynx.

Experts have confirmed that the beast is for real, but say there is no reason for people to be alarmed. In fact, the cat is more afraid of people than the other way around and is likely to run off once it realises it has been seen.

Police, however, still want residents to be cautious and have urged them not to approach what is, after all, a wild animal. Instead, they want them to report any sightings and - if they have a camera or even a mobile phone camera with them - to try to take its picture.

There have been numerous sightings of giant cats in the Baglan and surrounding areas, some of them dating back 30 years.

But this month an off-duty policeman reported seeing a creature while he was walking his dogs on a mountainside area of the village.

Officers were then able to make a plaster cast of a giant paw print which they found. An expert from Aberystwyth University was called in to examine the print, while hairs discovered in the cast itself were also DNA tested.

Now the results have come back - and prove the sightings were for real.

Acting Inspector Huw Griffiths, of Port Talbot police, said today: "We have been told it is not a puma but either a mountain lion or a lynx.

"Apparently, these animals can live in the forestry for a long period of time.

"They are quite self-sufficient and will roam an area of around 40sq miles.

"It has been coming down out of the forestry into Baglan a few times, but for what reason we have no idea."

Police were called in some weeks back after a goat was found dead from injuries that suggested it may have been attacked by a big cat.

By the time police managed to study the body, which the owner had buried, it was too badly decomposed to offer any clues.

"We can only surmise that the cat did attack the goat," said Mr Griffiths. "But there is nothing to suggest it is hostile to humans. In fact, the experts tell us it is more afraid of us than we are of it. Even so, people need to be cautious."

The cast and hairs have been taken away by Defra, the Department of the Environment, Fisheries and Rural Affairs, for further investigation. As for what happens next, Mr Griffiths said the police did not want the animal killed but ideally wanted it captured and taken to a place it could live out its days happily and safely. We had a team up there from dawn trying to track it down but to no avail," added Mr Griffiths. "People can help by reporting any sightings immediately."

link
© Swansea Evening post

There was a story on BBC wales yesterday too but it's not on the bbc news site yet.


edited by TheQuixote: created hyperlink to stop pagebreak

 

[Mal_Adjusted]

greets

beast of baglan sounds more scary than the Pussy of Port Talbot.

less ambiguous though

look forward to more info on this!

 

[Anonymous]

Beast of Bagaln

This report is very strange - I don't doubt that there have been many big cat sightings in the area, and domestic livestock MAY have been taken but:

1. It was rather lucky finding hair in the plaster cast, and hair from which DNA could be successfully extracted and analysed

2. "We have been told it is not a puma but either a mountain lion or a lynx." Er - actually mountain lion is a synonym for puma (one of over 100 such synonyms from the Americas)

3. I can't see how a DNA analysis of the DNA concerned could give such a wide alternative - the lynx and the puma in genetic terms are fairly widely separated. Some work done back in the 1980s suggested that the puma split from the lynx line over 5 million years before present and that is a lot of time within a mammal family for the DNA to mutate (and become markedly different). Bear in mind that humans and chimpanzees probably had a common ancestror 5 - 7 million years before present, and look at how the DNA and the animals have changed since!

4. Surely sightings of the animal might indicate whether it was a lynx or puma if the DNA is in doubt - the mark one eyeball can discern (usually) the presence or absence of a long tail.

5. The police do seem very positive about the public's tracking abilities - they (the police) are reported as having "had a team up here from dawn to dusk trying to track it down, to no avail." They do though urge residents to be cautious and not to approach the animals.. however they are encouraged to take pictures,... even with a mobile phone camera..

It will be interesting to see what DEFRA have to say after they have investigated the cast... if anything!

Chris. M. Moiser

 

[oll_lewis]

Hello, I thought you might all be interested in this story in the Penarth Times about the penarth mystery cat:

Mystery creature may be nothing more than an overweight moggie

UNVEILED: What is believed to be Penarth's mystery cat.


A FORTEAN zoologist believes he has solved the Penarth big cat mystery - but the overweight pussy at the centre of the saga looks no more predatory than cartoon character Garfield.

Oll Lewis, Welsh representative of the Centre for Fortean Zoology, said: "I was wandering around Penarth taking photographs in the Purcell Road area, around where the mysterious bird-like thing was spotted, and you can imagine my surprise when I came face to face with what could be the Penarth mystery cat!

"Luckily I had my camera with me and this 'fearsome' beast was obliging enough to pose for photos.

"If this is the cat then it is sadly not a Racoon dog (Tanuki) as I thought but instead a domestic cat as Hazel Marsh suggested in her letter. The cat is quite large for a domestic cat and has the white bands on the tail mentioned in the original letter by Evan Davis."

http://www.thisispenarth.co.uk/penarth/news/NEWS4.html

© The Penarth Times/ Newsquest Media Group

Here's the photo I took of the portly chap:

the bricks in the picture are very large by the way, also it was taken as there was still snow on the ground so the cat is cwtched up to keep warm in the photo, but he is quite a large tomcat. Handsome chap too.

(there will be a full write up in the next issue of the CFZ journal 'Animals and Men')

EDIT: It won't be in the next issue of A&M as it was considered of suficient quality to go in the CFZ year book (which is like a purely cryptozoological version of Fortean studdies and published mostly anually by the CFZ)

 

[nataraja]

another story on the "beast of Baglan": link

once again demonstrating the inability of the average journalist to distinguish between a lion, puma and lynx...

however, doesn't "3 decades of sightings" indicate a breeding population? AFAIK i don't think any big cat (usually) lives to be over 20 years in the wild...


edited by TheQuixote- created hyperlink to stop pagebreak

 

[oll_lewis]

Chris Moiser spotted this article and mentioned it to me so kudos to chrism72 It's a very interesting article indeen and from the looks of it the plaster cast isn't that good as evidence at all and no hair's been found.

Big cat 'proof' rejected Dec 3 2005




Tomos Livingstone, Western Mail


INVESTIGATING experts have dismissed reports claiming proof had been found of the existence of big cats roaming the Welsh countryside.

It was reported conclusive proof had been found by experts after an off-duty police officer walking his dog near Baglan, Port Talbot, claimed to have seen a beast.

But specialists from the National Assembly have denied there is proof of a "Baglan Beast."

An Assembly spokeswoman said, "There has been no confirmation a big cat is at large in the Baglan area.

"A member of the Welsh Assembly Government Wildlife Management Unit visited the site this week and was given a plastercast of a paw print by police.




Story continues

ADVERTISEMENT


"There was no hair from the animal available from which to take a DNA sample.


"The paw print plastercast is of poor quality and unlikely to prove the existence of a big cat."

link

That said it could be an exersise in panic eduction by the assembly, who knows? they certinly didn't seem that conserned about it in october when it only apeared on the police's website.


edited by TheQuixote: fixing link

 

[nataraja]

big cat eats small dog?

http://www.hemelhempsteadtoday.co.uk/Vi ... ID=1268796

'BIG CAT' SAVAGED DOG
Sunday,November 27: A HORRIFIED horse rider has told how she saw a little terrier being ripped to bits by a big cat in Ashridge Woods.
Nurse Chris Garvey, of Beaconsfield Road, Tring, said she was out on her horse, Burr, earlier this monthand was just 30 feet away when she saw a strange puma-like beast darting out of the undergrowth and attacking the small dog.
Chris said: "I heard a dog barking and there was a blood-curdling roar before the attack. There wasn't any sign of the dog's owner.
"The cat was like a panther or puma and twice the size of a Labrador. It had short, black hair."
Chris watched, helplessly, as it pounced on the black and white dog, then tore it apart in the attack at 2.40pm.
She said: "I just couldn't believe it, but what's more worrying is that whatever it was, it showed no fear of me being close by."
Chris cantered to the Livery Yard, Stocks Farm, Aldbury, and reported the attack to police. So far police have not had any report of a missing dog fitting the description.
Chris said she had witnessed several other strange incidents nearby recently.
She said: "I've seen a dead sheep. The carcass was left there. Then within two days, completely stripped."
Graham Canon, estate manager at the National Trust Ashridge Woods, near Berkhamsted, believes foxes are the culprit for the dead sheep.
He said: "It's common for sheep to be killed by foxes. We've had no physical evidence regarding this cat creature."
Graham said he has received around five reports of seeing this animal but Chris' encounter was the most serious one.
He said everyone who reported sightings was adamant they'd seen something, but whether it was a muntjac deer, a dog or a panther, he doesn't know.
Danny Bamping, who founded The British Big Cats' Society to Prove and Protect' the Big Cats roaming Britain, said that this year alone, it has received more that a dozen bits of video footage.
He said Chris' sighting was one of the more serious.
Danny claims a number of Big Cats have been released in the British Isles over the last 30 years or so with reports of sightings on the increase.
In 2002 the Society had reports of five sightings in Hertfordshire and between April 2004 and July 2005 there were nineteen.

LINK: British Big Cats Society website, click here http://www.britishbigcats.org/

LINK: To to to website of an American Big Cats group, click here http://www.cathouse-fcc.org/

 

[oll_lewis]

A better site for alien big cats than the BBCS is http://www.cfz.org.uk/cats/

(I'm not just saying that because i'm in the CFZ compare the 2 websites and the information there-in).

 

[Graylien]

Walker comes face to face with wild cat
By Sara Nelson

A DOG walker was given paws for thought when he came across a wild cat.

John Costin has a tail to tell following the encounter near Churchfield Woods, Bexley Village.

The 64-year-old had just let his dog Mickey off the lead when he saw the curious creature crouching in tall grass.

The father-of-three said: "When it saw me, it stood up and kept very still.

"The first thing I thought was this is not an ordinary cat' then it crossed my mind cats like this had been spotted in the area before I thought it must be a wild cat.

"It was standing in the grass so it was hard to tell, but I would say it was about a foot high and around a foot and a half from nose to back legs, like the length of a small whippet. I didn't notice its tail."

The retired civil service technician added: "I was struck by how sleek its fur was.

"It looked like a sort of tortoiseshell pattern. To me it looked like a small lynx or a bobcat and it had pointy ears.

"There was just something different about it at first it crossed my mind it might just be a huge domestic cat, but looking at it I felt it had to be wild. The shape of it and the size of it were very striking."

Over recent years, a panther-type cat the so-called Beast of Bexley has been spotted across the borough.

Danny Bamping, of the Big Cats Society, said: "This sighting could be one of a lynx or bobcat, as these breeds of cats have pointy ears.

"However, lynxes are about four feet long and this man says the animal he saw was less than half this length. Also, big cats do not tend to have tortoiseshell markings.

Mr Bamping says the sighting could also have been of an exotic, domestic cat.

He added: "If this man has got his measurements wrong, it could well be a lynx or a bobcat."

What do you think the creature is? Write to News Shopper, Mega House, Crest View Drive, Petts Wood, BR5 1BT or email newsroom@ london.newsquets.co.uk

7:08am Wednesday 11th January 2006
source

It sounds like a feral moggy to me, but then what do I know? Danny Bampling's comments strike me as rather odd, though. I thought witnesses were prone to exaggerate the size of an unfamiliar looking animal rather than underestimate it?

 

[Niall114]

ABC in West Lancashire returns

He's back!

Jan 26 2006

By Clifford Birchall, Skelmersdale Advertiser

WEST Lancashire's big cat is back on the prowl.Danny Dawson caught an early-morning glimpse of it after two years doubting whether his son had seen it, too."I never believed this because my son said he had seen one at Harrock Hill a couple of years ago. I said 'No way.' But this morning I have seen something totally different."There is no way it was a domestic cat or dog."

What he saw in Cobbs Cloughs Lane, Lathom, last Thursday, makes him determined it was a big cat."It was the actual length, and the speed, and the height of it. I would say it was about a metreand-a-half long. It flew across that road. It was about 14 inches tall to the shoulder."It was out of the ordinary. I have seen it for myself now, so I'll tell my son I have seen something, too," said engineer Danny, who saw the cat around 4.50am on his way from home in Parbold to his work in Whiston.

The beast ran across the road which leads up to Skelmersdale's recycling centre on Glenburn Road and disappeared in the direction of the Pilkingtons part of Lathom, where the road crosses the Tawd."It was dark in colour," said Danny, who said street-lighting in that area is very good, affording him a clear view. "You see quite a bit of wildlife on the road at that time of the morning. When you see something like that it does bring it home to you. There is something knocking around, but where it is hanging out and what its radius is I don't know."*

It is 12 months since the big cat was last seen in West Lancs. Have you seen it? Where has it been? Call us on 01695 572501 or email [email protected]

 

[OneWingedBird]

Print 'proof' of big cat presence

Police believe they have the first conclusive proof a big cat, dubbed the "Beast of Balbirnie", could be on the loose in Fife.

There have been numerous reports of big cats in the Kingdom in recent years.

Now officers have had a plaster cast of a paw print verified by experts who believe it is of an 18-month-old exotic large cat.

Fife Police's wildlife crime officer, Mark Maylin, said it was most likely to be a print of a black leopard.

Mr Maylin said: "There had been several sightings at one time on the Balbirnie Estate near Glenrothes of a big cat so we went down and discovered this print.

"At the time there was a local man who said he had been walking his St Bernard dog in the area but I was convinced it had come from a big cat so I took a plaster cast of it to two experts who said immediately it was from an exotic cat.

"They couldn't be species-specific because there wasn't specific clarity in the heel pad but said judging by the size the animal was 18 months old and was the offspring of an animal released illegally in the 90s.

"I am resigned to the fact we are going to have to live with this big cat in the area. It hasn't hurt anyone in the past. I would urge people to refrain from shooting it because an injured animal is a very dangerous one."

Exciting news

Rob Martin, The Cat Survival Trust manager who verified the cast was that of a big cat, said it was "exciting news".

"It is definitely a big cat because there were no claw marks and the pad shapes are consistent with a cats.

"It's exciting to think big cats are living wild in Scotland but they will eventually die off. It's most likely to be a leopard."

Police sent the paw print off for analysis by experts

George Redpath, Fife's big cat researcher, said he was "delighted" it had finally been confirmed.

"I have always believed there are big cats in Fife after seeing black leopards on four different occasions.

"But it is great that finally we have the proof and that an expert has come forward to confirm it is the footprint of a big cat.

"Nobody should be unduly concerned because these cats have been here for years. they won't bother you if you don't bother them."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4671402.stm

 

[Niall114]

Big cat memory Feb 2 2006




Ormskirk Advertiser


THE Advertiser's story last week about the return of the big cat, thought to be a black panther, brought back memories for Billy Lewis.

Eleven years ago he was returning home at around 6-15am after a 12-hour shift in Whiston when he got the shock of his life.

He had come through Up Holland travelling on Skelmersdale's Stannanought Road as if he was going on the motorway, near the slipway by St Richard's High School, which was still there at the time.

"It just came out of the side of the bushes. But what I saw looked like a grey matted sheepdog, but then, as I got closer, it crossed the road," said Billy, who lives at Firbeck on Skelmersdale's Birch Green estate.

"It was still matted and dog-shaped but it had the walking characteristics of

a cat! "It went up the bridge embankment as though it was going on up the Beacon. It was in front of me and I was concerned - I locked the car door and watched it go up the embankment to the bridge.

"It is hard to believe. There is something but I don't think it is a cat."

In his younger days Billy used to camp out on the Beacon and surrounding areas and says that in Lees Lane, Dalton, he saw traces of an animal.

"There were paw prints but they were big. One of the lads thought one of the farmers might have an Alsation but they didn't look like dog paw marks. I think there is something around, but I don't know what it is."

The latest sighting of the animal was in CDobbs Cloughs Lane, Lathom.

Danny Dawson from Parbold, whose son also saw it two years ago at Harrock Hill, said: "It was out of the ordinary -I've seen it for myself now."

Dog walker sights beast

A MAN walking his dogs has seen the big cat near the site of St Rich-ard's School in Skelmersdale.

But Michael Dougherty glimpsed it only last week! It was on Tuesday night when he was exercising his two Irish terriers that he went along a path leading to open ground.

"The dogs were 20 yards away from me and this black thing came out of the bushes by the private houses on the left-hand side.

"At first I thought it was a bin bag. The next minute it ran past me. It must have been 2 1 /2ft tall and about 3 or 4ft long."

Mr Dougherty, who lives on Ennerdale in Tanhouse, added: "I could have touched it. It had gone dark and some of the lights were out. I put my torch on and could see the length of it then. It was longer than my dog."

More from this weeks' Ormskirk Advertiser

 

[Niall114]

Could this be merged with the ABC thread?

 

[Niall114]

Big cat fright for dog rescuers
Feb 9 2006 - Skelmersdale Advertiser
A DOG rescue volunteer was opening her car door to round up a stray when her companion told her to stay inside.

What was in the car headlights was certainly not a dog.

Now the two believe they have seen West Lancashire's mysterious big cat.
They sighted it in Vale Lane, Lathom - close to where it was spotted two weeks ago.

Hilary Hignett and her friend Martine Hunt were close to the Glenburn recycling centre in Skelmersdale when it was spotting running across the road.

Their experience appears to confirm that it has been in the area for some time as they saw it on Hallowe'en, 2004.

"At the time I was getting out of the car because my friend and I are dog rescuers and we keep a spare lead in the car. I thought I saw what looked like a large Labrador and I was getting out of the car to see.
"Then it moved from the field to the road directly in my headlights.
My friend saw it and grabbed me and said 'It's not a dog!'
"We had a clear view of it. I started the engine and tried to get closer to it and it moved off across the farmer's field."

Hilary, who lives on Ashurst in Skelmersdale, said she and Martine, from Parbold, were disconcerted by their experience.

"It was not at all concerned. It was about 20 metres ahead of me. I think it is used to people."

Hilary added that another friend had also seen the animal on a separate occasion.

She had contacted a website devoted to big cat sightings, which said that large cats kept a territory of around 10 square miles.

 

[Niall114]

Big cat on the prowl - Ormskirk Advertiser February 23rd 2006

THERE is one granddad that won't be taking his grandchildren for walks around Ashurst Beacon anymore - in case they come across the big cat.

Tom Mclean, of South Dene, Kirkby, was visiting family in Skelmersdale when he had his frightening encounter.

Tom Mclean said: "I've seen it on the road to the beacon. It was in December. I'd just taken the grandkids to the shop for some sweets.
"At first I thought it was a Labrador. It had its head in a cardboard box. It looked like it was eating something in it. Then it just picked its head up and looked at me. It wasn't scared it just looked at me. It had a round face and big pointy ears. I didn't see its eyes shining though.

"I said to the kids did you see the size of that? It was a about 2ft 6ins tall I'm guessing.

"I've always had cats and one of them is a big black tom, it's a very muscular thing and not at all soft, but you could pick him up. You wouldn't try that with this thing.

"I turned around and went back but it was getting dark and I thought I don't really want to be looking for it in this. It's like seeing a UFO. I thought no one would believe me, but then I saw it in the paper and realised I wasn't the only one. I don't know if I want to see it again. I'd be scared to be there with the kids. I don't know what it could do to them."

 

[Niall114]

How you can spot the Big Cat - without getting mauled
March 2nd 2006 – Source: Ormskirk Advertiser

THE Big Cat of West Lancs has now been spotted over four times in the last month.

Danny Dawson first put the cat among the pigeons when he caught a glimpse of the beast in Cobbs Clough Lane, Lathom, in January He was on his way home from work at around 5am when the creature ran across his path.

Towards the end of the month Michael Dougherty, from Tanhouse, was walking his dogs when he saw the animal skulking around some bushes near St Richard's School in Skelmersdale.

The beast has been seen twice by Ray Rigby of Skelmersdale's New Church Farm Estate. Both times have been around Ashurst Beacon where Mr Rigby walks his boxer dog.

Andy Drake and his 18- year-old son were the next to see the Big Cat near Tawd Vale High School.

Now living in Wiltshire, Mr Drake saw the feline while on a late night walk across the Tawd, which he took after a meal with friends on February 11.

But should you be fortunate, or unfortunate, enough to come face to face with the Big Cat of West Lancs, expert Merrily Harper recommends following the following advice.
* If you are walking a dog, put it on a lead immediately.
* As with most animals don't turn your back and run off, you should slowly back away keeping your face on view to the cat at all times. Running can trigger the natural attack instinct of the cat.
* If you do go out walking in one of the areas where sightings have been reported, keep your eyes peeled for unusual activity and "wildcat,” type sounds. And of course take a camera!

If you do manage to photograph the Big Cat of West Lancs, then please send your photo to [email protected]. or phone 01695 587715

 

[rynner2]

Despite the title, I think this probably belongs in the ABC thread:

WHAT EXACTLY IS 'THE HELLHOUND OF HELSTON'?

09:00 - 02 March 2006
Walkers have reported seeing "the Helston Hellhound" overlooking the Coronation Park boating lake.

The West Briton has been contacted by two people who claim to have seen the beast, which they say is "the size of a donkey and with a large tail".

Although nobody has got up close to the creature, which sits at the top of the hill, some locals say it is already becoming a part of modern folklore.

"It's been seen several times by a few people and we're calling it the Helston Hellhound," said one woman.

"It just stands there looking down at the lake and then goes off.

"A few people have seen it but it always disappears just when you look up at it.

"It could just be a very big dog. At one point we thought it was a donkey because it was so big."

Several years ago experts said they had the most conclusive proof that creatures such as big cats exist in the wild in Cornwall after a man out for a stroll near his home captured a creature on video.

The man spotted the large animal, described as about the size of a golden retriever dog, prowling across the edge of a corn field.

Some of the most notorious sightings of creatures such as "big cats" around the UK, including the Beast of Bodmin, have been in Cornwall.

However, the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says there is no proof that the animals are roaming the British countryside.

The organisation Big Cats UK says the number of "big cats" in the UK is running into many hundreds and they have fully evolved to living and surviving in the British countryside.

Regardless of whether the sighting deserves its Helston Hellhound name, it is hoped the possibility of such a beast living in the town may encourage tourism if word spreads.

"We might have people coming from miles around to see it," said one woman.

http://tinyurl.com/raeys

A mate of mine sails model boats there - I'll have to ask him about it!

 

[Pietro_Mercurios]

http://www.britishbigcats.org/

LATEST NEWS - 15th March 2006
EXCLUSIVE BBCS REPORT REVEALS STARTLING
NEW EVIDENCE FOR BIG CATS IN BRITAIN.
The latest report from the British Big Cats Society not only reveals startling new evidence for big cats in Britain, but also that the numbers roaming our countryside could be increasing. The report, covering research from April 04 to July 05, is to be published exclusively in the April issue of BBC Wildlife magazine on sale16 March 2006 (£3.25).

The BBCS report reveals that 2,123 sightings of big cats were reported between April 2004 and July 2005. The South West once again proved a hot-spot for sightings, with Devon, Cornwall and Somerset all featuring in the top ten big cat locations. Scotland came in third, seeing almost a 50% drop in sightings reported, and was replaced at the top by Devon. Wales was 4th on the list with 123 reported sightings and incidents. Almost 60% of all the sightings reported were of black cats, and 32% were of brown or sandy coloured ones, which the BBCS believes to be pumas. Another 6% were lynx type cats.

New evidence published includes a skull found by a Devon farmer in July 2005 that has now been identified as that of a puma; three reported attacks on horses; over 35 incidents regarding sheep kills; several confirmed paw prints of which plaster casts were taken; and 17 reports of a big cat with cubs – an increasing trend, which suggests that the animals may be breeding. During the study over half a dozen hair samples, now awaiting analysis, were also collected.

The BBCS has also gathered evidence of at least 23 releases of big cats into the wild since the Dangerous Animals Act was passed in 1976, including a panther, pumas, lynxes and a host of exotics including caracals, ocelots and jungle cats. Many of the original owners are now owning up to their past misdeeds.

...

There was a report about it on the BBC Radio4 Today Programme, this morning and they're looking for the listener's own photos of British big cats.

 

[ramonmercado]

SW claws to top of big cats list
The numbers of big cats being seen roaming the countryside around Britain is increasing, a report says, with South West England being a hot spot.
Devon, Cornwall and Somerset feature in the top 10 locations, according to the British Big Cats Society.

Devon has replaced Scotland as the top area for sightings. Scotland still came in third, and Wales was fourth.

Almost 60% of sightings were of black cats, and 32% sandy-coloured or brown, which the BBCS believes are pumas.

Another 6% were said to be lynx-type cats.


The thought of big cats roaming the British countryside has captured many people's imagination
Sophie Stafford, BBC Wildlife magazine


The British Big Cats Society (BBCS) report includes research to be published in the April issue of BBC Wildlife magazine.

The BBCS reveals that 2,123 sightings of big cats were reported across the country between April 2004 and July 2005.

Despite coming in third, Scotland saw almost a 50% drop in sightings. Wales was fourth on the list with 123 reported sightings and incidents.

New evidence of big cats includes a skull found by a Devon farmer in July 2005 that has been identified as that of a puma.

Continuing research

Other evidence includes three reported attacks on horses, over 35 incidents regarding sheep kills, several confirmed paw prints of which plaster casts were taken and 17 reports of a big cat with cubs-an increasing trend, which suggests that the animals may be breeding.

The BBCS has also gathered evidence of at least 23 releases of big cats into the wild since the Dangerous Animals Act was passed in 1976, including a panther, pumas, lynx and a host of exotic animals including caracals, ocelots and jungle cats.


Defra does not believe that there are big cats living in the wild in England
Defra

Sophie Stafford, Editor of BBC Wildlife magazine said: "The thought of big cats roaming the British countryside has captured many people's imagination, but until now proving their existence has been impossible.

"With fresh new evidence and sightings on the increase, the British Big Cats Society is now tantalisingly close to being able to provide conclusive proof of their presence."

The BBCS is hoping for national support from the government.

However, a Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs spokesman told BBC Wildlife magazine: "Based on the evidence, Defra does not believe that there are big cats living in the wild in England. We do not have a remit for animals in the wild in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland."

The BBCS said it intended to continue its research and obtain hard evidence by using camera traps that were triggered by animal movement helping them to "Prove and Protect" the big cats roaming Britain, determining species and possibly numbers.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/e ... 811820.stm

Published: 2006/03/16 08:36:06 GMT

© BBC MMVI