Big Black Cat - Possibly Puma, in the Fens

[melon24]

I have just driven along the Twenty Pence Road (B1049) between Cottenham and Wilburton and myself and my son saw a large Black Cat standing by the entrance to Old Australia Farm. It looked like a Puma (googled big black cats); kind of flat headed, looked to be a bit bigger than a labrador dog (taller and longer) - I saw its eyes first caught by the headlights. Both me and my son said did you see that? at the same time. There were several cars behind us and one coming towards us. The one coming towards us slowed as if they saw it as well. Don't know what else to say really. Scary that this thing is out there!

 

[PeteByrdie]

Pumas aren't black. Could it perhaps have been a panther?

 

[Pietro_Mercurios]

There's a piece about, 'black pumas', on Karl Shuker's blog.

The Truth About Black Pumas - Separating fact from fiction regarding melanistic cougars

Mostly about N.America, but plenty of pictures for comparison. And a story about a black puma at London Zoo.

 

[PeteByrdie]

Thanks! I haven't read that article since it was first posted.

Even in places where pumas are common, black pumas are exceedingly rare to the point they're almost unverified, and they have noticeably lighter underparts. Could it perhaps have been a melanistic leopard or jaguar, or even a kellas cat?

 

[melon24]

Puma / Panther

I don't know what type of big black cat it was - I just googled and the best picture said Puma - flat head quite a long body, taller and longer than a labrador dog. Could have easily been a Panther - big black cat glimpsed momentarily - could have been any kind of big black cat.

 

[PeteByrdie]

Well, your sighting certainly has precedent. There have been stories of a big cat in the Cambridgeshire Fens for many years, but until I Googled today, I hadn't realised there appears to have been a huge amount of sightings in recent years.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...n-Tiger-reported-police-just-three-years.html

http://www.fenlandcitizen.co.uk/news/latest-news/is-the-fens-big-cat-back-1-5843985

http://cambridge.tab.co.uk/2014/01/03/cats-out-the-bag-cambridge-cops-reveal-fen-tiger-sightings/

I'm still far from convinced that panthers prowl our country in any numbers. I have wondered recently whether (and don't laugh) feral populations of moggies are being selected by environmental pressure to favour a larger size and darker colour, after many generations. Perhaps also a more muscular build. But, who knows? One thing's for certain; sightings of mysterious felids don't seem to be on the wane.

If you haven't already, it would be great if you could report your sighting to these folk. It would be especially exciting if one of the other drivers you mentioned has reported the sighting.