• You need to be a registered member of Barbel Fishing World to post on these forums. Some of the forums are hidden from non-members. Please refer to the instructions on the ‘Register’ page for details of how to join the new incarnation of BFW...

Big Cat sightings

M

Mike Hodgkiss

Senior Member
I have always been intrigued by this subject . I know 4 people who have seen big cats in the UK [ all large black panther type creatures ] Two of these people were anglers who saw them at close quarters whilst out Angling , 3 of the 4 sightings were in daylight . I have absolutely no reason to doubt the veracity of these sightings . Following the various Big Cat FB pages , a good proportion of sightings are made by anglers or other folks pursuing outdoor/country pursuits , I guess because they are out and about in the wilds often sitting quietly ,blending in with the scenery . Anyone on here had any direct experiences/ accounts they would care to share ?
 
Last edited:
This chap makes a regular showing around here. Surprised you’ve not seen him. Personally I think it’s @David Maddison in disguise 🥸😜

1704634047253.png
 
I really have no opinion either way as to whether big cats are loose in the UK. They could be, there might not be any. But. For the last 35 years, I've worked on the Electricity power lines, getting to the remotest parts of our area, admittingly, not the moors, but pretty much out the way of everyone. I've worked with a large group of lads in that time as well. I can hand on heart say the neither those lads, nor myself, have ever seen anything whatsoever to do with any big cats. Nothing.

We regularly come across most types of British wildlife. We've seen the re-emergence of Buzzards, where a sighting a year was a rare occurrence, to seeing then nearly everyday. Kites, too. Fox's, Badgers, Deer. Regular sightings. Just no big Cats.
 
Last edited:
That pink costume would be a belter for bailiff duties. Might have to borrow it 😏

Anyway… I’ve never seen any evidence of an actual big cat- pink, black or otherwise. Only small ones in Haxby that use our veggie patch as a litter tray 😡
 
Mike Hodgkiss said:
I have always been intrigued by this subject . I know 4 people who have seen big cats in the UK [ all large black panther type creatures ] Two of these people were anglers who saw them at close quarters whilst out Angling , 3 of the 4 sightings were in daylight . I have absolutely no reason to doubt the veracity of these sightings . Following the various Big Cat FB pages , a good proportion of sightings are made by anglers or other folks pursuing outdoor/country pursuits , I guess because they are out and about in the wilds often sitting quietly ,blending in with the scenery . Anyone on here had any direct experiences/ accounts they would care to share ?
Click to expand...
Hi Mike. Like you, I am intrigued by this subject. I make mention of this in my book "Reeling Back the Years" (available on Amazon & all good bookshops!!) Seriously, I saw what I believe was a big cat in rural Norfolk some years ago when driving back home from a fishing match. It was dusk and my headlights picked up a large black cat with a very long tail. It crossed the lane about 50 metres in front of me and disappeared into undergrowth. Big cat or very big domestic cat? The thing that caught my attention was the tail...it was very long.
Personally, I love these stories, as (and this is in my book also) I have also fished Loch Ness with a ghillie who saw the "monster" in Loch Ness. I love unsolved mysteries like this, so as long as there is a tiny % that such things exist....long may it last! 😂
 
Some years back I was fortunate to win two days fishing on the Llanthomas fishery in a charity auction. It was for two anglers so my eldest son and I made the journey from Kent to Herefordshire. We were allowed to bivvy up and allowed two days, two nights and had the fishery to ourselves. After the first night the owner payed us a visit to see how things were going and not quite sure how the conversation went but it got to a point when he produced his phone to show us something found when they had cleared some riverside scrub…the picture was of the pug mark of a very large moggy! No doubt it was a cat and a biggun. That night while laying in my bag something ran behind my bivvy…..but what ever it was was cloven hoofed, probably a deer ….or old nick giving me a wide birth 😁
 
Last edited:
I woke up early this morning and my mind drifted back to this thread for some reason. Perhaps it’s because we back onto a farm, but I think there would be more reports of livestock being killed if there were big cats on the prowl. It’s highly likely that they’d be found near the biggest, most accessible food source.
 
Have a read through the resurrected big cat thread entitled '' is it me , is it real ? '', some very interesting reading . I has forgotten all about it
 
Mike Hodgkiss said:
I have always been intrigued by this subject . I know 4 people who have seen big cats in the UK [ all large black panther type creatures ] Two of these people were anglers who saw them at close quarters whilst out Angling , 3 of the 4 sightings were in daylight . I have absolutely no reason to doubt the veracity of these sightings . Following the various Big Cat FB pages , a good proportion of sightings are made by anglers or other folks pursuing outdoor/country pursuits , I guess because they are out and about in the wilds often sitting quietly ,blending in with the scenery . Anyone on here had any direct experiences/ accounts they would care to share ?
Click to expand...

Not direct, but a friend of mine says he came face-to-face with the Exmoor beast many years ago. He’s a level-headed guy so I’ve no reason to doubt him at all.
 
Whilst I would never say that a big cat could not possibly be’ at large’ , I think if one was, it would leave dead sheep et cetera as evidence of its predation.
G.T.
 
Hi all.I used to work for the Yorkshire ambulance service before retirement and was based at a rural ambulance station covering the South Yorkshire Pennines into the North Derbyshire/East Lancashire border areas.Some of the locations that we had to get to were as remote as they can be in England.Quite challenging at times.Obviously working shifts, during the night I think that I saw nearly every large british mammal excepting otters (no rivers) and pine martins so was familiar with seeing all types of wildlife.One night in the middle of nowhere with a patient on board the ambulance, the engine cut out,every red light on the dashboard came on and it wouldn't restart.Long story short,transferred the patient to another ambulance and were asked to stay with our vehicle untill a recovery truck arrived but were warned it could be a while.
After being sat in the cab for a good hour I got out to stretch my legs.It was a cold,clear night with a large moon so visibility was quite good.Running along the side of the road was a large field with a drystone wall the other side of it which then went into a large area of open moorland.I noticed movement along the top of the wall and was amazed to see a large black cat.It was far too large to be a domestic one.I went back to the cab and told my colleague who then also witnessed it walking along the length of the wall.It was definitely some sort of feline but to make sure we got a large,high powered torch from out of the vehicle and shone it onto the animal,as soon as the light hit it,it leapt off the wall into the moorland where it disappeared.My colleague promptly got back into the cab,locking the doors while I walked across the field to try and find any tracks with the torch.I couldn't see anything but was able to guess its length against the size of the coping stones on the wall.It would have been at least 4ft long plus tail and a couple of feet high at the shoulder.Never seen anything like it before or since but it was definitively a large feline of some type.I didn't feel particularly frightened but became a bit concerned when I walked back to the cab and my colleague refused to unlock the bloody doors.Oh how I laughed (not).
To anyone venturing out at the moment,stay safe.
Photos above of Warks Avon were posted whilst I was typing this.Looks exactly the same as the one I saw.
 
Last edited:
One afternoon whilst on exploring mode ( not fishing but looking for ‘likely’ areas ) on the Warwickshire Avon I ventured into a series of overgrown meadows with no sheep/ cattle roaming in. Rounding a large expanse of brambles I virtually tripped over a large dog ( I guess ) otter which scampered away immediately. My point here is that, on land , it was twice the size they appear in the water.
Like my Barbel size estimates I may have exaggerated a little when I got home and told the missus it ‘was the size of a Alsatian’ ,and no, she didn’t believe me either.😉
My point being that at a distance I wonder if this could account for some sightings?
G.T.
 
Graham Tremble said:
One afternoon whilst on exploring mode ( not fishing but looking for ‘likely’ areas ) on the Warwickshire Avon I ventured into a series of overgrown meadows with no sheep/ cattle roaming in. Rounding a large expanse of brambles I virtually tripped over a large dog ( I guess ) otter which scampered away immediately. My point here is that, on land , it was twice the size they appear in the water.
Like my Barbel size estimates I may have exaggerated a little when I got home and told the missus it ‘was the size of a Alsatian’ ,and no, she didn’t believe me either.😉
My point being that at a distance I wonder if this could account for some sightings?
G.T.
Click to expand...
Yes, they are huge Graham. Remember seeing one swim down the middle of the Wye in Ross Town.

My comment to Jane was......As big as a Labrador.
With a max length with tail about 4 and half feet. they are In fact longer than an alsatian or Labrador
 
Last edited:
I saw some huge prints up at Barford (Avon) a few weeks ago underneath one of the bridges.

It was only when I got back to the car I realised I should have probably taken some photos with a can of coke for scale. It was the same day I went arse over tit so didn't really fancy the walk back.

Some quick Googling just now reports of a sighting back in 2004 in Wasperton which is 1/2 mile up the road. Coincidence ?!?

@John Care - that looks like MF. I’ve heard some strange noises there at night before.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top