I must admit that as a little lad I saw something big catty with my grandad. Initially we thought it was a Labrador, but it had a distinctly long tail. I remember they way it moved, like a cat. It was playing in a field margin like a kitten before clearing a five bar gate in a single bound. I cannot say for certain what it was but I know what I believed I saw. This was less than 15 years after the Dangerous wild animals act of 76, we weren't the first or last to see it either.
For those that doubt they could remain undetected there was a case of two lions lost from, I believe it was Edinburgh zoo. One was caught quickly, the other didn't turn up for seven years. Not sure on the accuracy of that though. More recently and actually documented was the loss of a Lynx from a Devon Zoo, that took three weeks to find with Drones, Helicopters with thermal imaging kit, that was a captive bred stupid one that they knew was missing. Imagine how difficult it would be to find ones that's lived wild and isn't known to be officially missing. Like chasing a shadow.
Not saying there's definitely stuff wondering around but I think it's highly likely that one or two "releases" have done ok since laws changed. I doubt they've bred though and are most probably all dead now.
People always think I'm pulling thier leg about Terrapins in the Stour and they are definitely there.
