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Big Cat sightings

Alan Palmer said:
I find all these type of topics of the unexplained/mysterious absolutely fascinating …we’re not even really sure what’s out their in our own local countryside let alone places like the wilderness in America, the universe and depths of the sea! Topics like this, Bigfoot, aliens etc m definitely in the ‘I want to believe’ camp 🛸👣
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I believe 'biggish' cats (leopards, European lynx and puma) are out there in small numbers in our countryside. I've spent a lot of hours out in remote areas over the decades, yet, I've never seen a live example, of some of our more common mammals, such as the badger and the pine martin.
 
Ady Brayshaw said:
Hi Neil.
Following a bit of research there appears to be compelling evidence. Scats, DNA evidence, plaster casts of big felines paws (not dogs), dead feline skins, road kill evidence and very credible witness statements including from veterinary surgeons 👍.
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But where is a body Ady ? All pretty good pointers and intrigue, but nothing to say 100% they exist, very much the same as Loch Ness or Aliens.
 
Neil Smart said:
But where is a body Ady ? All pretty good pointers and intrigue, but nothing to say 100% they exist, very much the same as Loch Ness or Aliens.
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Neil.
Check out 'big cat conversations' on YouTube. There a guy from Hampshire that features that has that type of proof.
 
Ady Brayshaw said:
I believe 'biggish' cats (leopards, European lynx and puma) are out there in small numbers in our countryside. I've spent a lot of hours out in remote areas over the decades, yet, I've never seen a live example, of some of our more common mammals, such as the badger and the pine martin.
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Further on this Ady, I find it odd , but not disputing you not seeing Badger Pine Martin, the latter fair enough although not so rare are shoeing in Wales and other areas...but Badgers are common if not alive but road kill . Given that 86% of our land is farmed
I suggested farmers would be the perfect eyes and ears, and what I do know about farmers IF these big cats were in the wild they would most certainly know, along with keepers. Thes creatures need big prey., I am sure it would be apparent that sheep etc would be the target and DEFRA alerted.
Personally I expect a few escapees from private ownership, but it would seem unrealistic that no proven sightings or corpse have come to light thus far. Not even an escapee.
If such an animal could thrive in the wild it would be remote and beyond that would need to breed and without mans help I think unlikely it could survive.
 
Neil Smart said:
Further on this Ady, I find it odd , but not disputing you not seeing Badger Pine Martin, the latter fair enough although not so rare are shoeing in Wales and other areas...but Badgers are common if not alive but road kill . Given that 86% of our land is farmed
I suggested farmers would be the perfect eyes and ears, and what I do know about farmers IF these big cats were in the wild they would most certainly know, along with keepers. Thes creatures need big prey., I am sure it would be apparent that sheep etc would be the target and DEFRA alerted.
Personally I expect a few escapees from private ownership, but it would seem unrealistic that no proven sightings or corpse have come to light thus far. Not even an escapee.
If such an animal could thrive in the wild it would be remote and beyond that would need to breed and without mans help I think unlikely it could survive.
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That's the point I'm making Neil. I've seen hundreds of dead badgers on the road side but never a live one in the wild.

Farmers and keepers are generally the ones that do see them. They deal with the situation, not wanting the publicity, or people wandering over their land.
I have an angling acquaintance that's seen a panther on the Yorkshire Derwent whilst Barbel fishing. The countryside is full of deer as an exceptional food source. Have you noticed the road kill? I am not bothered either way if they're present or not. However, the evidence and sightings of their presence by sober professional sources seem to confirm that they are here. They're not talking about big cats such as in your face lions and tigers.
I've attached a link of a video taken near Worcester. It doesn't look like a domestic main coon cat to me.
 
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Neil Smart said:
Hi Andy
Any evidence other than reported sightings of both alive or dead would be helpful. Similar to alien sightings intriguing, but as yet no hard and fast proof of anything really, although some very intriguing footage and testimony, but none that is convincing a sceptic.
I am sceptical I have no reason to be otherwise
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A friend of mine has a skin of a large (bigger than a labrador by quite a bit) cat that was allegedly shot at Long Compton, near Chipping Norton, a few years ago.
 
Alex Gowney said:
The "allegedly" is mine, the owner didn't use that word. The type of proof you seek Neil would be difficult to obtain, but remember, absence of proof isn't proof of absence :)
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Alex the problem is without a body of evidence, literally there is nothing to substantiate that these cats are surviving in the wild. Typically in all sich similar cases no proof that confirms any such existence.
Of course a few as said escapees could happen but that is of no consequence, the question is are these animals surviving and breeding? That is the only question worth asking imo.
So back tracking I would say it's feasible they could be seen.
 
Ady Brayshaw said:
That's the point I'm making Neil. I've seen hundreds of dead badgers on the road side but never a live one in the wild.

Farmers and keepers are generally the ones that do see them. They deal with the situation, not wanting the publicity, or people wandering over their land.
I have an angling acquaintance that's seen a panther on the Yorkshire Derwent whilst Barbel fishing. The countryside is full of deer as an exceptional food source. Have you noticed the road kill? I am not bothered either way if they're present or not. However, the evidence and sightings of their presence by sober professional sources seem to confirm that they are here. They're not talking about big cats such as in your face lions and tigers.
I've attached a link of a video taken near Worcester. It doesn't look like a domestic main coon cat to me.
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It does look like its got a collar on though
 
Neil Smart said:
Alex the problem is without a body of evidence, literally there is nothing to substantiate that these cats are surviving in the wild. Typically in all sich similar cases no proof that confirms any such existence.
Of course a few as said escapees could happen but that is of no consequence, the question is are these animals surviving and breeding? That is the only question worth asking imo.
So back tracking I would say it's feasible they could be seen.
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I read in some on-line media release (~2 months ago) that a juvenile puma (mountain lion/ cougar) had been found dead on a road in north Wales suggesting a breeding population. This breed being indigenous to the USA yet rarely ever seen by every day folk.
 
Ady Brayshaw said:
I read in some on-line media release (~2 months ago) that a juvenile puma (mountain lion/ cougar) had been found dead on a road in north Wales suggesting a breeding population. This breed being indigenous to the USA yet rarely ever seen by every day folk.
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If true then Im sure that would have made the news ? I can accept that there might have been an escapee or an illegal release of one but otherwise I don't believe they exist, there would be much more evidence imo.
 
Cliff Turner said:
If true then Im sure that would have made the news ? I can accept that there might have been an escapee or an illegal release of one but otherwise I don't believe they exist, there would be much more evidence imo.
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An internet search brought it up. With a picture of the dead animal. As expected, not in the main stream news. Seems that the 'authorities' in their 'wisdom' don't want it widely reported.
 
I was fishing last night on a Thames trib in Oxfordshire,it was just coming in to dusk and I looked up through the trees on the far bank and saw a animal stealthily walking through the field,it was way too big to be a normal cat,its tail was quite thick dragging on the grass,and it was jet black all over like a panther,its ears were very pointed,it clocked me and just stood and stared long enough for me to grab my phone zoom and snap,it was about 60-70 yds away.
 

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