Paw-print found in snow...

A mystery paw-print has recently been found in Eastbourne and Meridian News were on the ball to cover the story. Read it HERE

The 'beast' of Blue Bell Hill becomes 147th sighting of the year...

This year there have been almost 150 sightings of large, exotic cats reported to Kent Big Cat Research. On December 8th at 8:30 pm the so-called 'beast' of Blue Bell Hill became number 147. A male witness was hissed at by a large, dark-coloured cat, the size of a Labrador whilst walking in the village of Broomfield, near Leeds Castle. The head torch of the man picked up two bright yellowy-green eyes and as he approached an animal hissed at him from the undergrowth and then bolted through the woods. The hiss of a black leopard is emitted to ward of those who have stepped too close. Whether this is the same individual cat seen around Bearsted and Thurnham remains to be seen, but the area of the sighting is only a few miles also from Blue Bell Hill which in 1998 was given it's beastly headline by the Kent Today newspaper. In 2000, Neil Arnold, who runs Kent Big Cat Research observed a black leopard on two occasions a few miles from Blue Bell Hill, and in 2008 saw another melanistic leopard. The area is rich in folklore, as is the village of Leeds which for many years has harboured a legend of a spectral black dog. Whilst there is no connection between so-called phantom hellhounds and melanistic leopards, researchers believe that it adds to the mystery.

Eight 'big cat' sightings received in one week...

From Monday 15th - Thursday 18th November eight sightings of large, exotic cats have been received. The most impressive from Wye, near Ashford, of a black leopard stalking along a hedgereow at 5:00 am, another involving a black leopard seen by a security guard at Sittingbourne, and a daylight sighting of a black leopard at Gravesend. A photo was also received of two sheep that had to be put down after a severe facial attack. The wounds suggest they were killed by a dog. See photo.

Latest big cat sightings...

The latest batch of sightings include reports from Sittingbourne (possible Leopard Cat), Gravesend (black leopard), Dartford (black leopard).
Seen a 'big cat' in the south-east ? Report it at: neil.arnold@live.com

Latest reports...

In the last week there have been reports of black leopard from Upper Halling, Cuxton, Frittenden, and Birchington.

The latest 'big cat' sighting from Sussex...

Read more at SUSSEX BIG CATS

THIS IS KENT cover the Tunbridge Wells puma sighting

For more information on the Tunbridge Wells puma sighting, read HERE

Australian Big Cats - A new book by Mike Williams and Rebecca Lang

AUSTRALIAN BIG CATS: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY OF PANTHERS



Written By Mike Williams & Rebecca Lang


Published by Strange Nation ISBN 978-0-646-53007-9

Only a handful of books have ever been written about what are known in the UK as ‘alien big cats’. This is a term I’ve always despised. Some of the books written have been informative little booklets, or like Marcus Matthew’s Big Cats Loose In Britain (CFZ Press 2007) they’ve existed as a superb guide to local legends and headlines through each county. Karl Shuker’s now hard to find Mystery Cats Of The World was also a pioneering book at the time but since then not enough books have emerged on the subject. So, step forward Rebecca Lang and Mike Williams, who have decided to write a book on the mystery cats of their native Australia. I’m sure many people didn’t even realise that Australia has a similar situation to the UK with its legends of large, feline predators, mind you, there are many countries across the world which have been plagued by cat flaps, but these stories are yet to form a manuscript.

Of all the books I’ve read on the ‘big cat’ mystery, Australian Big Cats is without doubt the finest. Even the most hardened of sceptics will enjoy this truly monstrous - and I mean monstrous at over 400 pages - read. Packed with fascinating eye-witness reports and data, Rebecca and Mike have also littered their work with some impressive photographs not just of huge paw-prints, slaughtered livestock and old newspaper reports, but fascinating photographs of the secretive animals themselves. After reading this detailed tome, which is nigh on exhaustive regarding the Australian situation, you’ll be more informed of the media sensationalism which gave birth to legends such as the ‘Beast of Buderim’, the ‘Broken Hill Lioness’, the ‘Canterbury cat’, the ‘Kaiapoi Tiger’, and of course the ‘Emmaville Panther’ which has become a media darling to rival our very own ‘beasts’ of Exmoor, Bodmin and the like in Britain.

However, these Australian dwellers are not the stuff of foggy folklore, and exist in some reasonably impressive photographs, and of course that ever elusive film footage which seems, rather hilariously, to drive most big cat ‘researchers’ mad in their quest for their own Holy Grail. Rebecca and Mike look at the facts, and debate whether Thylacoleo carnifex - a large marsupial cat - could still exist thousands of years after its alleged extinction. They examine reports of large cats escaping into the Australian bush, some as rumour, some as fact, backed up with photographs. The book eliminates the suspects, sifts through the mounting evidence, and also proves, startlingly, that the scrublands and forests of Australia are also inhabited by truly gigantic feral cats, one of which had its head blown off by a hunter. These monster moggies are a mystery in a field of their own, but are clearly no match for the eye-witness reports which suggest that black leopard and puma hide in the woodlands.

Written without bias, Australian Big Cats despite its size (and weight!) is an engrossing read (I read it straight through in two days), and it comes highly recommended. As a full-time researcher myself, I take my hat off to Rebecca and Mike for giving us a unique glimpse into what lurks in the shadows Down Under.

With so many eye-witness reports and evidence piling up, I’m pretty sure their sequel may not have to include the word ‘unnatural’ in its title, because surely it’s only a matter of time before such animals are taken seriously. And it’s books such as this which go a long way to aiding us in our quest for the truth. Get your paws on a copy now. Rating: 9/10

Available from Amazon.com

http://www.australianbigcats.com/
Neil Arnold October 2010

Exotic cat sightings...September 2010

Each month a post will appear updating readers of the number of 'big cat' sightings for that particular month.
September 2010 - 28 sightings - (16 black leopard, 7 puma, 5 lynx)
Most recent - September 28th - 1:30 pm - Knight's Park, Longfield Road, Tunbridge Wells.
Two witnesses walking on woodland path. 200 yards away enormous gingery-coloured cat (puma) sauntered across path, stopped and stared at witnesses for a few seconds then slinked into undergrowth.

The Sussex 'lion' hoax!

At the CFZ Neil looks at the 'lion on the loose' hoax which took place in Sussex many decades ago.

More on the Devonshire leopard hairs.

From the CFZ

The Centre For Fortean Zoology prove that 'big cats' exist in Britain...

Recent hair analysis conducted by Lars Thomas, on animal hairs found in woods in North Devon, has proven that 'big cats' DO exist in Britain, as many people thought. Hairs belonging to a leopard were examined by the biologist and more information can be found HERE

Neil giving a talk...

On Wednesday November 17th 2010 Neil Arnold will be giving a talk on 'MYSTERY ANIMALS OF KENT' at Wigmore Library at 7:30pm. This is a ticket event, tickets are selling fast so to book call the library on 01634235576.The talk includes Neil's tales of encounters with 'big cats' in the Kent wilds, being shot at and even ...being threatened by Satanists! Books will be on sale at the venue.

Gravesend puma sightings.

Date: Sunday 11th July/into Monday 12th July - 12:00pm - 1:00am
Location - Red Street, Southfleet

Elderly woman awoke in the night and looked out of window towards garden (large, 300ft long garden - surrounded by fields), security light came on, and sitting in garden around 50 ft away was a large cat, fawn-tan in colour with a long thick tail. The witness identified the cat as a puma. The animal walked across the garden towards the direction of the nearby duck pond.

One week previous a woman walking with her children through woods at Cobham, 2pm - when a large, fawn-coloured cat crossed their path about twenty-feet away. Animal was around five-feet in length with a long, curving tail. Around the same time at Windmill Street, Gravesend, an elderly couple observed a black leopard which walked along the street during the early hours of the morning.

A local man named Ed stated that whilst driving through Higham recently a wild boar crossed the road and headed towards marshes. Boar were kept on farms throughout Kent in the 1980s and when the 1987 great storm swept through the county, animals such as boar and wallabies escaped. Boar are now well established in the UK countryside.

PARANORMAL LONDON - OUT NOW!

When Neil Arnold was asked to write a book on London's most perplexing mysteries, he was keen to speak of sightings of large, exotic cats around the capital. Of course, such animals are far removed from the world of the paranormal, but he was keen to inform the readership as to how such animals are always slotted alongside UFOs and ghosts.

'PARANORMAL LONDON' is Neil Arnold's new book, published by The History Press and acts as a strange safari through the concrete jungle, and features several short stories pertaining to flesh and blood mystery animals, as well as ghostly animals which litter London lore. The 'beast' of Bexley gets a mention, as does the Edgware tiger, the Winchmore Hill lioness, the Cricklewood lynx and many others. Clearly, these animals are not ghostly, or in any way paranormal, as was proven in 2001 with the capture of a lynx in a back garden in the capital, however, the publishers were keen to mention tales of large cats, even if they had to be slotted alongside reports of hellhounds, a phantom ape and UFOs.

'PARANORMAL LONDON' looks at obscure monster stories never previously published before, as well as more common London mysteries.

The book is available from Amazon and all good bookshops priced £9.99.

Coming soon...PARANORMAL KENT - Autumn 2010.

Angling Times mention the 'beast' of Blue Bell Hill

Daily Mail talks 'big cats'....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1282333/Leopards-big-cats-ARE-loose-Britain--just-dont-tell-soul.html

Ashford sheep kill

These photo's were taken in an undisclosed area of rural Ashford. The witness stated, "Pregnant ewe had mis-laid...hind leg could not be found...another sheep found dead in a tree".

The carcass, due to some mess, had clearly been scavenged afterwards by foxes with entrails and fleece strewn. But had a large cat killed the sheep originally ?

Latest Sussex sighting...

From a witness: "Small Dole is situated 2 miles south of Henfield and 1 mile north of the South Downs. I took my dog out for a walk 6am Sunday morning 9th May 2010 along Sands Lane towards Sands Farm. As I walked past the last house and looking east along Sands Lane I could see a large jet black animal sitting on its haunches on the left hand side of the tarmac lane. It was in the sitting position with its head level with the top of the barbed wire fence which runs along the field boundary. At first I thought it was a black labrador but couldn't see an owner. As I walked closer (within 200 yards of it) I could see it was definitely a large cat at which point I stopped. The cat seemed quite unafraid and not particularly bothered by my presence. My dog (cross between a terrier and a Jack Russell) was bothered and didn't want to continue along one of its favourite walks. As I waited it stood then bounded southwards into the scrub where I instantly lost sight of it. It held its tail slightly upwards at about 30 degrees from its body and the tail length was about as long (if not longer) than its body. The tail was bulbous at the end and parallel along its length.
I walked back home and haven't see it since."

'Big cats' - where do they all come from ?

It's the most frequently asked question within the 'big cat' situation. It's a question which has plagued the subject for decades, and yet there never has been a mystery.
Find out why HERE

Black leopard sighting at Canterbury

A fresh sighting of a black leopard has emerged from Canterbury. A Miss Hogben was travelling from Margate to Canterbury on Monday 19th April 2010 at 8:00 pm when an enormous black cat bounded across the road ahead. She was travelling between Upstreet and Hersden when the animal sprang from the hedgerow, hit the floor once, then with great agility sprang straight to the other side. The animal cleared the adjacent field in seconds.

The witness was in no doubt it was a "panther" due to its size and speed.
On the 10th March a black leopard was observed by a train passenger between Canterbury and Selling, and on 20th February at 6:00pm a female witness whilst driving with her husband between Canterbury and Ashford, observed a big, black leopard in the vicinity of Wye and Boughton Aulph. The animal was at least four-feet in length and had an extremely long tail. It was only a few feet from the vehicle.

More 'big cat' sightings...

From KENT ONLINE

If 'big cats' are myths....

After the statement from organisation NATURAL ENGLAND that all big cats are "a myth", it's interesting to note that in March 2010, Kent Big Cat Research received twenty-seven reports of large, exotic cats throughout the county. This suggests of course that either every witness is hallucinating, or NATURAL ENGLAND are completely wrong.

In March 2010 there were sightings from Blue Bell Hill, Lordswood, Densole, Lenham, Canterbury, and Ashford. These mainly concerned reports of black leopard, the most recent coming from a Jules C, who on March 25th at 8:00 am, whilst on a train from Ebbsfleet to Canterbury, stated that, "..on the other side of the tunnel between Boxley and Blue Bell Hill, near train track I saw a big, black cat from a short distance. It resembled a black leopard."


In early March a black leopard was observed by a male motorist, a Mr Wright and his girlfriend. At 6:00 am they travelled down North Dane Way in Lordswood in the Medway Towns and saw a big black cat bound towards the undergrowth. Mr Wright was convinced it was a black leopard as he'd seen a similar one in 2000 in Hempstead.



On march 12th a woman named Anne observed a black leopard in a field at Lenham, near Maidstone. It was 2:15 pm as she travelled on the M20 London bound and saw the cat which she described as being, "very long in the body".
On March 10th a lady named Eve saw a black leopard whilst travelling on a train between Canterbury and Selling.

Cats such as the leopard use railway lines not only for navigation but of a night they provide perfect food and there is a lot of shelter in these areas.
During the same month there were two sightings of a black leopard made by a Jason Roberts from Reinden Woods in Densole.

In 2010 Kent Big Cat Research has already received seventy-three reports of large cats. On 2nd January a member of an angling society from Marden was walking along a field at 4:15 pm when a big, black cat bounded across the field fifty yards away. The cat was around five-feet in length.The witness was quite shocked by the appearnce of the animal as he never previously believed such animals existed.

Five days later a Mr Head reported to police a big black cat which he observed whilst sitting on a train at Swanley station at 9:00 am. The witness noticed a creature on the embankment opposite the Kent bound platform. As people began to move along the platform the cat crouched low. It had piercing green eyes.

The following day on the 8th a black leopard was seen at Pheonix Place in Dartford and on the 15th January a Mr Jackson observed a massive black cat at Shottenden. The sighting took place at 2:15 pm as the animal walked into a field around fifteen yards away. On 31st January a black leopard was observed by a couple in Meopham who were sceptical to such sightings. It was 2:00 pm when they spotted a big black cat on a woodland path which sauntered off into the woods.

In February 2010 there were numerous sightings around Canterbury and Ashford. A black leopard ran out in front of a vehicle near Wye on the 20th at 6:00pm, there were also several sightings from Sevenoaks of a black leopard. In April there were sightings of lynx from Sussex and Romney Marsh, puma from Canterbury and Dover, and black leopard at Hawkinge, Gravesend, and near Bromley and Bexley.

Maybe NATURAL ENGLAND, if they admit to such animals roaming the wilds, would have to re-name themselves UNNATURAL ENGLAND! Sightings date back across Surrey, Kent, and Sussex to the 1500s. A majority of animals sighted in the countryside are not connected to zoo escapee's as the organisation stated. Hundreds of puma and leopards, mainly cubs, were released in the 1960s and '70s and what we are now seeing are their offspring. Also, previous centuries prove that animals escaped and were released from menageries. In 2007 Neil Arnold wrote a 400 page book, MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: KENT, a result of his twenty years of research into such animals. Proof that such animals are reported quite regularly across the south-east.

How many strange, and rash statement's will these organisations issue over the next few years ? If some organisations refuse to believe in such animals, it may be wiser to not issue any statements whatsoever. With their type od scepticism is it any wonder that NATURAL ENGLAND and similar groups only receive a handful of reports each year. The vicious circle of repetition continues...

BIG CAT'S 'A MYTH' - so say NATURAL ENGLAND

So it's official - 'big cats' in the UK wilds are a myth, or so says NATURAL ENGLAND.
If such a statement is true, then why even release it ? Any organisation called NATURAL ENGLAND is certainly not going to admit that large, exotic cats such as puma an lynx inhabits the woods of Britain. Sadly, this ignorance could backfire if a child is attacked in the future by a large cat which may have been injured after someone has shot it.

Reports of large felids in the UK countryside date back centuries. Despite the ignorant scepticism, evidence is in abundance, from the hundreds of reports each year from eye-witnesses, to evidence such as paw-print casts, and kills on livestock.

There is no mystery as to why they are there, an explosion of animals came about after cubs and adult cats were released in the wilds during the 1960s and '70s, mainly after the introduction of the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act. A majority of the animals seen in UK woodlands are NOT zoo escapees, which only occur on a rare occasion.

So-called authorities need to wake up and officially monitor such animals in the wilds. Although not a threat to humans, these are still wild animals, but they do elude humans with ease and mainly hunt at night. Prey in the UK is perfect for such animals but as long as organisations such as NATURAL ENGLAND continue to dismiss the evidence, it seems that such animals will forever be condemned to the murky world of UFOs and ghosts, when in reality there are viable populations of black leopard, puma, lynx and smaller cats in Britain.

Alleged 'big cat' prints from Alkham Valley

Could lynx be introduced into Kent wilds ?

From Thanet News:

KENT NEWS: Ecologists at one of Britain's largest national parks are considering reintroducing lynx into the Kent countryside.
The big cat could be one of a range of species brought back centuries after they first disappeared, with beaver and the common crane the other popular candidates.
Beaver have already been reintroduced to a reserve near Sandwich, but experts from the Cairngorms National Park believe this can be extended across other parts of the county.
And Eurasian lynx, which became extinct in the UK around 1,000 years ago, could become a more common sight if they are brought over from continental Europe and released back into the wild.
Dr Daniel Hetherington, one of the ecologists behind the report, said lynx could help keep populations of deer down.
Lynx are able to live in quite small and densely populated areas and can control populations of deer,? he said.
Another possible candidate would be beaver. There is already a scheme running in Kent, in Ham Fen, to see the environmental impact they would have on the area.
Beaver can manage wetland reserves and create new habitats for wildlife. They can also reduce flooding by slowing water flows with dams they build.
Birds, including the Eurasian crane, or common crane, have also been outlined as potential species for Kent.
Dr Hetherington said: This draft report is in response to a national park consultation where a question was raised about whether certain species could be reintroduced to Britain.
The report was driven by what economic and ecological benefits could arise through a national initiative like this.
Experts backing the report believe lynx would draw in tourists as well as protect woodland by controlling deer numbers.
Fears of attacks on humans by the big cat were rebuffed by wildlife experts, who claim they are no danger to people.
Peter Smith, chief executive of the Wildwood Trust in Herne Bay, said: There have been no casualties by lynx they're not dangerous.
You wouldn't want to antagonise one, but they don't attack humans.
They would be an excellent addition to Kent. There are deer all over the county and with such high populations they are affecting bio-diversity.
Lynx don't necessarily eat all the deer, but spread them out which allows woodland re-growth.
We need a predator as the number of deer is increasing.
Mr Smith also stressed how beneficial it is to have beavers reintroduced to the county, with a pilot scheme jointly run by Wildwood and the Kent Wildlife Trust already underway near Sandwich, at the Ham Fen Nature Reserve.
The creatures were hunted to extinction for their pelts in the UK in the 16th century.
Mr Smith said: Beavers are so important for the countryside. They create wetlands and habitats for other wildlife.
Wetlands act as a flood defence and can protect homes. They could save us hundreds of millions of pounds in flood defences.
Beavers also help purify the water through managing the wetland, which filters out all the nasty fertilisers and chemicals.
Mr Smith said reintroducing beavers has come up against opposition from farmers who believe the animals could damage their crops, with damning activity potentially flooding other problem areas.

Black leopard sighted near Blue Bell Hill

On 5th March 2010 a black leopard was observed by a couple driving towards Lordswood at 6:30 am. The animal crossed from right to left into undergrowth, towards the direction of Capstone Park. The male witness who was driving was 100% sure the animal was a black leopard as he'd seen a similar animal in 2000 in the same area.

'Beast' of Blue Bell Hill seen again...

During the early hours of February 24th a Medway woman reported the following:

'I was driving tonight around midnight up Pier Road in Gillingham heading towards Twydall when a big cat run across the road just before the round about. It ran up the hill into the marshes. It was definitely black in colour as it was under a street lamp, I cannot be sure exactly how big it was as I was a distance away but it was definitely bigger than a fox or your average cat. It had a long tail with a curve in it and the only other thing I noticed was how broad it was. This animal was very fast and I only see it for a few seconds before it ran off up the hill, I hope this information will be of interest to you.'

This is the third time in a month a big, black cat has been seen around Lower Rainham Road and toward the marshes of Gillingham.

Sussex big cats...

Over the years there have been many reports from all over Sussex of large, exotic cats. Many of the sightings have been featured here. However, a brand new website has been set up which will chronicle a majority of the sightings, dating back centuries to the modern era. These reports come from the vast files of Neil Arnold who, with twenty years of experience is now writing a book on the mystery animals of the county.

For more information log onto to: SUSSEX BIG CAT RESEARCH This website will be the most comprehensive Sussex database on the net...beware the imitations.

The Surrey Puma...

Anything and everything you ever wanted to know about the legend of the Surrey puma will be highlighted on a new website. Surrey Big Cat Research will look into the original sightings which spawned the mystery, and more up to date accounts.

Stay tuned...

Big cat print ? No, just a rabbit...

It's amazing just how many photographs are submitted from witnesses who genuinely believe they have photographed 'big cat' paw-prints, but which turn out to be impressions made by rabbits. In case you're wondering what a rabbit print looks like, the accompanying photo proves, how easy it can be for sincere witnesses to simply get it wrong. Note the lack of a main central pad and also either side of the two central impressions, the two long impressions which are made as the rabbit squats on its rear limbs. The two central pads are made by the rabbit leaning on its forelimbs.

Paw-prints of 'big cat' found in snow near Gravesend.

In December 2009 several photographs were sent to Neil Arnold of what appeared to be 'big cat' prints. The prints were photographed by a Metropolitan policeman in an isolated area. They appear to have been made by a large cat, possibly a black leopard, and are unlike a symmetrical dog print as they are bereft of claw marks, and have all the hallmarks of a cat print. the story can be read HERE courtesy of the Gravesend Reporter.

Dubious paw-prints found at Sittingbourne.

There is some debate as to whether the January 6th 2009 story featured in the Sittingbourne Messenger (read it HERE ) actually shows authentic paw-prints of a 'big cat', i.e. puma or black leopard. Whilst it's understandable that the photo lacks any real definition, the witness was adamant that the prints he found had shown an animal to have travelled from the woods then over the roof of his vehicle (as it was parked over night on his driveway). Although the main pad is not visible, and the print has been disturbed by a rabbit track, there is no evidence to suggest a dog has been in the isolated area. Naturally, when snow thaws it can disfigure and so in the case of the Sittingbourne prints the jury is out.