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Big Cat sightings

What's bond with the wheel?
James Berry said:
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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Andrew Richardson said:
What's bond with the wheel?
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Hard to tell ...not calling you out but why is there no definitive clear pictures or carcass of these cats?
Apparently sightings of these big cats are common in Oxfordshire and some believe they are breeding, which if so is a a bit of a stretch because if so we surely have definitive proof.
I get the odd possible escapee is entirely feasible but that they are surviving and breeding?
 
Neil I think usually people are caught by surprise and only get phone pictures or videos,I had seconds to pick my phone up zoom and shoot,the reason I did that was I saw something that was not a usual sized cat and not a dog

The theory is that people use to keep exotic animals as pets and when the law changed they let them go in to the wild

so many sightings and videos of panther like cats its hard to dismiss.
 
James Berry said:
Neil I think usually people are caught by surprise and only get phone pictures or videos,I had seconds to pick my phone up zoom and shoot,the reason I did that was I saw something that was not a usual sized cat and not a dog

The theory is that people use to keep exotic animals as pets and when the law changed they let them go in to the wild

so many sightings and videos of panther like cats its hard to dismiss.
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So they are actively breeding, as of 1976 it is illegal to keep a big cat.
 
Neil Smart said:
Hard to tell ...not calling you out but why is there no definitive clear pictures or carcass of these cats?
Apparently sightings of these big cats are common in Oxfordshire and some believe they are breeding, which if so is a a bit of a stretch because if so we surely have definitive proof.
I get the odd possible escapee is entirely feasible but that they are surviving and breeding?
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There is quite a lot of clear pictures, videos - both daytime and thermal - and carcasses of these cats, very few are widely available to find online,most of the reports that come to our area of research are requested to be kept private, usually by landowners for fear of trophy hunters and visitors on their land.
Cubs have been reported year on year, there is evidence of a growing illegal private trade again too. There is however a list of registered private collections of exotic pets online, which anyone can browse, catalogued by region, and includes not just big cats but everything from venomous snakes, large mammals to random creatures you'd only think to see on an Attenborough show.

I completely understand why people remain sceptical, I've been intrigued and involved with sightings for a few years now, and regardless of whether or not one "believes" they're in the UK, you'd have a hard time proving they're not here, rather than they are.
 
Dan Whitelock said:
There is quite a lot of clear pictures, videos - both daytime and thermal - and carcasses of these cats, very few are widely available to find online,most of the reports that come to our area of research are requested to be kept private, usually by landowners for fear of trophy hunters and visitors on their land.
Cubs have been reported year on year, there is evidence of a growing illegal private trade again too. There is however a list of registered private collections of exotic pets online, which anyone can browse, catalogued by region, and includes not just big cats but everything from venomous snakes, large mammals to random creatures you'd only think to see on an Attenborough show.

I completely understand why people remain sceptical, I've been intrigued and involved with sightings for a few years now, and regardless of whether or not one "believes" they're in the UK, you'd have a hard time proving they're not here, rather than they are.
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I get it that cats are possibly escaping. But that for me doesn't mean an awful lot personally, if these big cats were surviving and breeding then that would be a huge story.
 
Why would it be a huge story? It's a creature living quite happily in the wild, in the countryside, doing it's best to avoid humans... Much like me really...

Look at all the other invasive species that roam freely and folk don't bat an eyelid.
If it was an elephant taken up residence on Hyde Park Corner or Birmingham Bull Ring I'd get it, but given the fact big cats were readily available to buy on the open market, still available now if you're such inclined, I don't think it's such a crazy phenomenon that the gutter press has pushed since the wave of reports in the south west in the early/mid nineties.
The vast majority of the public nowadays are more interested in junk on the tellybox or pointless internet trends than the creatures we have living here, hence the credible reports and evidence is somewhat in its own niche community, and as a part of a research and recording team we have no reason or interest to shout about it. Unless you were to stumble upon a protective mother with cubs, they do all they can to avoid humans so there's no danger to the population... Aside from the odd sheep getting snaffled and one or two foal attacks over the years, they don't do any harm.
The only thing that might be nice, speaking with my farmer hat on, is that there may be some kind of official acknowledgement from government in order to provide compensation for livestock losses, however that would be such a tricky one to tackle as they were never directly released by the government, it could be argued that there was a rise in releases after the DWA kicked in but there's been many more releases since then, mostly due to owners not being able to afford the meat to feed them.
 
this is my other picture
 

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Dan Whitelock said:
Why would it be a huge story? It's a creature living quite happily in the wild, in the countryside, doing it's best to avoid humans... Much like me really...

Look at all the other invasive species that roam freely and folk don't bat an eyelid.
If it was an elephant taken up residence on Hyde Park Corner or Birmingham Bull Ring I'd get it, but given the fact big cats were readily available to buy on the open market, still available now if you're such inclined, I don't think it's such a crazy phenomenon that the gutter press has pushed since the wave of reports in the south west in the early/mid nineties.
The vast majority of the public nowadays are more interested in junk on the tellybox or pointless internet trends than the creatures we have living here, hence the credible reports and evidence is somewhat in its own niche community, and as a part of a research and recording team we have no reason or interest to shout about it. Unless you were to stumble upon a protective mother with cubs, they do all they can to avoid humans so there's no danger to the population... Aside from the odd sheep getting snaffled and one or two foal attacks over the years, they don't do any harm.
The only thing that might be nice, speaking with my farmer hat on, is that there may be some kind of official acknowledgement from government in order to provide compensation for livestock losses, however that would be such a tricky one to tackle as they were never directly released by the government, it could be argued that there was a rise in releases after the DWA kicked in but there's been many more releases since then, mostly d5ue to owners not being able to afford the meat to feed them.
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It would be a huge story if, these escapees were surviving AND breeding. With the emphasis on breeding Dan.
I accepted that a few could escape or be released but beyond that I am dubious.
We are still awaiting sound evidence of the Loch Ness Monster, Aliens, and now Big Cats.
I agree that farmers and Anglers too would be best placed to be be the eyes and ears, but still there is not supporting definitive evidence apart from very grainey pictures and verbal accounts of sightings and kills.
I live in the countryside, and witness the challenges that all wild species face, from birds to deer due to agriculture needs, if say a big cat had cubs to feed there would be huge amount of evidence to support their existence.
As said I don't deny that a few have escaped but successfully breeding is another thing all together.
 
There's an incident that all can see online, where domestic dogs were being taken in an Indian city. The locals thought it was caused by a single leopard. They set traps, and as a result, caught quite a few leopards.That from a densely populated city. The English countryside is not exactly remote wilderness compared to some locations but enough space and prey for an elusive animal to go unnoticed for most of the time.
 
Ady Brayshaw said:
There's an incident that all can see online, where domestic dogs were being taken in an Indian city. The locals thought it was caused by a single leopard. They set traps, and as a result, caught quite a few leopards.That from a densely populated city. The English countryside is not exactly remote wilderness compared to some locations but enough space and prey for an elusive animal to go unnoticed for most of the time.
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I think your post proves they most likely don’t exist here, wildlife get drawn to human population as there is readily available food source, in which case sightings and evidence would be plentiful. I also think the photo above looks dubious.
 
Cliff Turner said:
I think your post proves they most likely don’t exist here, wildlife get drawn to human population as there is readily available food source, in which case sightings and evidence would be plentiful. I also think the photo above looks dubious.
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The point being made, is that predators such as leopards, can go unnoticed, even in densely populated cities in India. I'm totally open minded about their existence. However, there does seem to be a substantial volume of evidence that supports the existence of leopards/pumas living in the countryside where prey is in abundance.
 
Coming up to 36 years working outside in the countryside and still no sign. No one else I've worked with over those years has seen anything either, strange that ??

The law of averages would suggest I'd be a prime candidate to see something, when there are people on here that have had more than one sighting. We do work at height, so get a good view.

I'm retiring soon (hopefully) so my chances of seeing something should go up.
 
Saw one many years ago on the Rugby field next to Redstone caravan park in Stourport. Gorgeous thing it was but bloody huge and far too close for comfort when I saw it.
 
Simon Archer said:
Coming up to 36 years working outside in the countryside and still no sign. No one else I've worked with over those years has seen anything either, strange that ??

The law of averages would suggest I'd be a prime candidate to see something, when there are people on here that have had more than one sighting. We do work at height, so get a good view.

I'm retiring soon (hopefully) so my chances of seeing something should go up.
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Because you personally haven't seen any doesn't mean they don't exist though.
 
Neil Smart said:
It would be a huge story if, these escapees were surviving AND breeding. With the emphasis on breeding Dan.
I accepted that a few could escape or be released but beyond that I am dubious.
We are still awaiting sound evidence of the Loch Ness Monster, Aliens, and now Big Cats.
I agree that farmers and Anglers too would be best placed to be be the eyes and ears, but still there is not supporting definitive evidence apart from very grainey pictures and verbal accounts of sightings and kills.
I live in the countryside, and witness the challenges that all wild species face, from birds to deer due to agriculture needs, if say a big cat had cubs to feed there would be huge amount of evidence to support their existence.
As said I don't deny that a few have escaped but successfully breeding is another thing all together.
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Not sure why you're so sceptical about them breeding Neil. They are mammals, they don't need specific conditions like fish to breed. All they need is a partner!
 
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