Neil's article on Philadelphia cougar sightings

Neil is now a contributor for Philadelphia website Phillysit where he will be running a column called PHILADELPHIA WEIRDNESS. His first article is on MYSTERIOUS PHANTOM COUGARS

Another Sussex 'panther'

http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/494/Mystery-Sighting-In-Cooden.3634293.jp

Sussex 'big cat' article January 2008

From the Sussex Express series: http://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/509/Bumper-year-for-big-cat.3674641.jp

BBC website update

Neil's research at the BBC site has some new updates http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/content/articles/2007/03/05/big_cats_feature.shtml

Big cat articles - Yearbook

The new Centre For Fortean ZoologyYearbook is now available to buy, featuring some superb articles of a cryptozoological nature, and including Neil Arnold's 'Cats Around The Capital' and Karl Shuker's 'A Trio Of Mystery Cats At London Zoo'.

The book is available from http://www.cfz.org.uk/

A more slender leopard ?

http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2008/01/melanistic_mystery_moggies.php#trackback Very interesting page here from Darren Naish considering many people in the UK often describe cats that appear more slender than how we expect leopards to actually be.

First Kent 'big cat' sighting of the year...

The first Kent cat sighting of 2008 has come from near Faversham.
A man and his wife travelling along a back road at 10:35 pm on New Year's Day, saw a strange set of bright eyes in the headlights. The man, who was the passenger spotted something large and black in the road. As the vehicle approached the animal, which the man described as around six-feet in length with a very long tail, sprang into the hedge and out of sight.

Farmer's, get in touch.

KENT BIG CAT RESEARCH would like to appeal to any farmers who've lost sheep, whether in the past, in the present, infrequently or often. A majority of farmers are often unaware of large cats roaming the countryside, whilst others are seemingly afraid to come forward to report their losses. It's important that farmers and the like are made aware of such animals roaming the fields and woods, and that sheep losses ARE often the work of 'big cats' and not dogs.

Many people contact researchers, wildlife agencies, authorities etc, to report that they've lost sheep and that they want the wild dogs caught, despite the fact that the injuries they speak of are not typical of dog attacks.

Dogs are spiteful and brutal when they attack sheep, and many can be killed or severely wounded in a night, but a dog will not leave scratch marks down the flank of a ewe, or administer a crushing throat bite to leave four puncture marks in what often ends up a dislocated neck. Sheep are rarely eaten by dogs, and certainly never eaten cleanly, as an animal such as a puma or leopard will kill a sheep and with a rasping tongue clean the bones, leaving a very tidy carcass.

Of course, younger cats plying their trade and learning to hunt may make a slight mess, and scavengers which tend the victim afterwards will also alter the kill, but in general, we expect a 'big cat' kill to be clean and efficient, even stored up in a tree.

Farmers need to come forward to share their tales, because although they are very private people it must be known as to which flock attacks are down to cats and which are dogs.

There may even be dogs out there attacking sheep and giving 'big cats' a bad name, and locals creating legends which simply aren't there, but the reality is, alot of farmers are losing sheep to exotic felids, but they must report and photograph their livestock casualties.

Other farmers may indeed take to the fields with guns, eager to take a pot-shot at a cat, if they are lucky enough in their eyes to see one. The last we thing we need is an injured and very aggressive cat on the loose.

It seems unlikely that farmers will ever be compensated for losing sheep and lambs to large cats, but if the farmers voice isn't being heard then nothing can be enforced.

GET IN TOUCH!

2007 sightings round-up for London area

Located at Londonist: http://londonist.com/2007/12/the_saturday_st_31.php a brief round-up of London-related exotic cat sightings.

Neil's book voted 'best of year'!

Cryptomundo.com has voted MONSTER! THE A-Z OF ZOOFORM PHENOMENA the 'BEST FORTEAN CRYPTOZOOLOGY BOOK OF 2007'. http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/cz-books-2007/