Ryarsh 'big cat' sighting...

For some unknown reason a rather run-of-the-mill sighting of an alleged black leopard was made to the local press on Wednesday 11th November 2015 and the report has proven popular with sceptics, journalists and believers alike. Either way, what actually happened between 8 - 9am on the 11th was hardly out of the ordinary when one considers the amount of 'big cat' sightings reported each year and evidence found. Sadder still, the websites which run the stories are often littered with people who seem to spend all of their lives waiting - with baited breath -for any story/witness they can ridicule. But anyway, this is the report:

""A delivery driver has described the moment a big black cat, believed to be panther, loomed up in front of him in a quiet village, sparking a police search and urgent warnings to parents.
Yesterday we reported how a school sent text messages to parents warning them there was a panther on the loose. Today we tracked down the man who spotted the cat.

Paul Turk, from Ditton, was so terrified when he saw the large creature in The Street, Ryarsh, on Wednesday morning he had to take a break at his next destination to calm down. Mr Turk, who works for Thomas Ridley Foodservice, said: “I saw the cat standing in the middle of the road. It was big, almost a metre high. It was jet black and had glorious green eyes.

“Initially I thought it was a black Labrador but as I approached in my lorry, I could see it was a panther. It had a long tail about as thick as a broom handle.

“As soon as I could see the cat was not in any hurry, I stopped the lorry about 30 to 40 yards away. I was in shock, panic, and the cat just stood looking at me for what felt like a long time. Then it just walked onto the side of the road.

“When I arrived at the school I was shaking and had to take a seat to calm down. Unfortunately I did not take a photo as I was too shocked.”

The incident happened at 8.15am - during the school run - and Mr Turk was so astonished he stopped a woman in a Volkswagen Polo, who had pulled over to let him turn on the brow of a hill, and warned her about the panther.

He then carried on to his next stop, a primary school.
A Kent County Council spokesman confirmed the shaken driver arrived at Offham County Primary School on Wednesday morning and raised the alarm.
Staff made him a cup of tea and leant him their phone to call police before alerting nearby Ryarsh Primary School, in Birling Road, and Trottiscliffe Primary School, in Church Lane, which both sent text messages to parents.

The message sent to Ryarsh parents said: “There has been a sighting of a black panther outside Brookline Coaches in Ryarsh. The police have been informed.”
A police spokesman said: “A search of the area took place but no such animals were located.”
Panther is the umbrella term for a number of large cats, including jaguars (pictured), leopards and pumas.
Experts say when big cats are spotted roaming in the UK they are most likely to be pumas, leopards or lynx."

Latest Kent 'big cat' sighting...

I feel the need to tell someone as I saw something tonight (15/10/2015).
I was coming back from collecting something from a farmhouse along bogshole lane between whitstable & blean.
there is a long narrow drive about 1/4 mile long down to the road I was about 100 yards from the end when I saw a large black object jump across the lane. It scared me
Then I could see a set of bright yellow eyes in the headlights as I got closer it moved off again across the lane fast but right in front of me.
about 3 foot tall it's tail is what stuck in my mind it was big.
Now I'm no cat expert but this was a cat & a big cat. so black and fast
I'm still in shock it has made the hairs on my neck stand on end just thinking about it.
so surreal

A relatively fresh 'big cat' sighting...

"Just thought you’d like to know that around 1.30pm today a large black cat ran across the back of our field.  I’d been reading in the newspaper at the weekend about black foxes, but it was a bit bigger than a fox and the head was round not long.  It had a long tail which it held upright and curled over towards its back. It was quite a sleek lithe animal.

We live in Betsham, a village about 3 miles from Bluewater on the other side of the A2."

A London-related tale...

A London-related tale:

"Very glad to see the Beast of Sydenham is still alive and well. My husband saw it in Dulwich Woods early one Sunday morning whilst walking our two Doberman a couple of years back. The two dogs were very anxious and wouldn't leave his side!

Round about the time the man was attacked nr Wells Park I definitely could smell 'big cat' musk in our garden.. and having been 'sprayed' at a Wildlife Park visit..it's a smell you NEVER forget. The policeman who attended the incident swears it was a big cat too!"

Dover sighting..

"
Hi, yesterdy morning (17/8/2015) ,at 5 30 am,our cat was running to and fro from window to window growlng.A we have hens in back garden,I thought maybe a fox was visiting.However when I lolooked through pati doors,there was a big black cat.It was approx 3 ft lng and had a long thick tail.It was no way a domestic cat.Something similar to a Labrador size.This happened in Whitfield Dover.Couldn't see any' calling card' , but I know what I saw!!"

Latest big cat sighting...

Latest report: "I was travelling on the a228 between Padock Wood and East Peckham on the 14th August at about 9am, I am an HGV driver I looked to my left and no more than about 40 feet in a field I saw what I thought was a panther, initially I thought DOG but the way it was walking and its stance with its head slung low and looking forward has convinced me that it was a big cat, the sighting only lasted about 2 second due to me driving at about 40mph, unbelievable !!"

South-East London 'big cat' sighting

"My ex came to visit earlier in the week (end of July 2015), and was woken up around 5am by some pigeons on my balcony. She went to my kitchen which overlooks ****** ***** at Sydenham and was amazed when she saw a very large black animal walking along the road. She is fairly certain that it was a panther. My kitchen window looks north, and straight down Seeley towards Sydenham hill station. The animal was on the left hand pavement looking from my kitchen, ver...y near to the entrance of the old early Victorian Kingswood House. Apparently a car drove past it and the animal froze but made no attempt to hide. If the driver had been looking he would have seen it for sure! It walked off in the direction of the station. To the right, and only a few hundred yards away is the ancient Dulwich Wood."

"I also saw a panther In the early 80's when I was returning to Farnham after a gig in London at around 2am near Wisley on the A3. I had stopped by the lake next to the A3 to have a pee. I got into my car, and pulled back onto the road. As I accelerated, I saw an animal coming towards me also on the road, I passed it on my side of the car and had a very clear view of what I was certain at the time was a large black panther. It completely freaked me out as only moments earlier I had been outside.
I wonder why more people haven't seen them as it seemed quite confident and could easily have darted into the side of the road."

Over the years I've received sporadic reports of a large black cat in and around Sydenham. I received photographs a few years ago of a domestic cat that had been eaten by a large black cat and in the same week a jogger, running with his dog, was chased by a "panther" at Dulwich Wood. Although the story from 2005 of the man who claimed to have been attacked by a black leopard was most certainly a hoax; it is very likely that a melanistic leopard does roam the area. If one looks at Sydenham on a map you'll notice several wooded parks dotted around the area, and it's also worth noting that I often receive reports from Bromley too which is just four miles from Sydenham. If one takes this into consideration then a black leopard around Sydenham could also have a territory that covers parts of Surrey and Kent; taking in West Wickham, Chislehurst etc.
Although I'm often dubious of reports of 'big cats' being seen more central to London it is worth taking into consideration that Brixton is only four or so miles from Sydenham!

THIS IS NOT A REAL PHOTO!

There have been numerous websites commenting on the so-called puma (mountain lion/cougar) allegedly caught on film in the UK. However, after a quick trawl on the internet I found the exact same image from the MonteZumaBeach website; oh dear.... http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/convincing-image-big-cat-loose-Westcountry-date/story-26826455-detail/story.html#F51oTw9sy8iZt2TM.01

'Beast of Blue Bell Hill' fresh sighting....

"Having just browsed the internet and come across your ‘Kent Big Cat Research’ website, I thought you may be interested in something I saw today. I was playing a round of golf with 2 friends at Cobtree Manor Park Golf Course at the bottom of Bluebell Hill, and was on the 8^th green at about 10:15 this morning, when I saw a very large black animal come out of the woods about 100m away, walk along the edge of the woods for about 15m, and then disappear back into the woods. It looked to be larger than an Alsatian, but it definitely wasn’t a dog - it padded along with the gait of a cat. One of my friends also saw it, but he only had a fleeting glimpse at it went back into the woods."

Sighting near Cobham/Shorne.

24th April 2015: "I was driving down the A2 away from London and I saw the big cat like creature just after the Shorne/ Cobham turn off, this is the next one after the Inn On The Lake Hotel Shorne, Cobham, Kent. It was 6. 15pm and the light on Friday evening was good. I was in the left lane ready to go left down the Wainscott bypass. I was doing about 45 miles an hour as the traffic was heavy and drivers were cutting in at the last minute.

About a hundred yards ahead I saw the big cat streak across the lane in front of me and it then stopped to try to squeeze through a fence so I slowed the car down as I draw along side it to a better look at it. It had come out of Cobham woods which is just outside Strood.

It was Black with a very sleek coat about 80cm high, stocky like a Labrador but still graceful like a cat, long body and very long tail. I was mainly looking at the head and it had a square forehead and smaller but a square jaw. The speed at which it had sped across the dual carriage was like a streak of lighting.

If you take the Cobham, Kent turn off towards Shorne (coming away from London )and turn right towards Shorne village) then take a quick right turn down an old unused road that runs beside the A2. Down there is a disused farm and this is where it squeezed through the fence.
I have walked in the surrounding woods and hills for years but now am not sure It is safe to do so!"
The area in question has long been prime habitat for cats; and sightings date back quite a few centuries from that area. Bluewater Shopping Centre is also not far; an area also known for its sightings. Puma and lynx have also been seen in the wilds of Cobham, Shorne - heavily wooded areas where there are plenty of deer too.

London sightings...

I've always been interested in reports of so-called 'big cats' in and around the centre of London. Today I received this brief report; "Hi - I saw a big black cat in Enfield - my mum saw it too. We were amazed, it was obvious it wasn't a household cat. It was about 11pm,and it was walking on a wall. She lives near a canal which runs from pymmes park. There is a lot of bushes and undergrowth. Also I have seen many large rats there and there are bins outside mums, so they are getting a good food supply."

It's interesting to note that a canal is mentioned; rivers, railway lines, streams are ideal for navigational routes for large cats and as the crow files areas such as Edmonton are only eight or so miles from Barnet where there have been sightings too. I have a large database of sightings from extremely built-up areas; but it's no real surprise when one considers how leopards are more than comfortable coming into towns searching for food. What's even more interesting is that Winchmore Hill is only a couple of miles away. A few years ago - as covered in my books - a large cat thought to be a 'lioness' was said to have been observed at Winchmore Hill. Many people laughed; whilst others dismissed it as a domestic cat - but there had indeed been a smattering of puma reports not far from there in the past.

A couple of years ago I received this report from a witness; "'Hi, the animal was jet black about the size of rottweiler dog it was seen at about 25-30 yards from the 2nd floor at 3:30am 10/06/2010. 10-15 seconds, I was not sure until it walked under a street light it walked slowly. l'm 100 sure it was cat as it got closer I was more sure, please could you inform me of any previous or new sightings in enfield or north london the cat was seen at lower kenwood avenue en2 roundabout.'
Two months later a 'big cat' was observed at Bricket Wood, St Albans some 22 miles away and then seen again by a female witness who commented, "It was just before 7.30am so at that time of year was still not properly light. We were going along the road (Highfield Park Drive)and I was aware of something darting infront of us. The first thing I noticed was the tail which was long and cat-like. It wasn't an ordinary cat, it was something larger than that..

"On reaching the other side of the road I looked back to see that there were in fact two similar animals playing on a slight bank."

In 2003 it was reported that, 'The plight of Enfield's swans and ducks has provoked much discussion over the past year but one outlandish idea has emerged – a large wild puma is to blame! An Enfield woman was walking her dog on Sunday when she spotted the enormous feline prowling the banks of the New River on Sunday morning. She said the dark-brown beast was larger than her Labrador, with a four foot-long tail and pointed ears. She quickly made her way to her home in Tenniswood Road and called police but, when officers arrived, the creature had vanished."
Strangely at the time a London Zoo spokesperson commented, "We don't have any pumas here at the moment so it certainly did not come from here, but the most frequent reports we get is the puma – so they must be thriving out there somewhere."

BIG CAT SIGHTING IN KENT: DEAL

A black leopard has been observed by a witness living on the outskirts of Deal. The witness in question lives in the small area known as Sholden and on the night of 9th April (12:15 am) was drawn to the back garden of their property when the security light came on. Looking out of the window they observed a huge black cat. The witness stated, "It was definitely a 'panther' - and it's not something I would like to see again such was the experience."

Big cat sighting at Monkton

I had a really weird experience thus morning (February 15th 2015) that i can't get out my mind. I was driving past monkton nature reserve early today about 5.45 am saw a massive cat run across road and run through the fencing at the top. I've seen the puma at Wingham wildlife Parc and thus animal looked like them. The tail was about 3 foot long"

Big cat sighting at Dover

"We’d like to report a leopard/big black cat sighting this morning (15 February) at about 2.10am.
We’d been driving about 5 minutes from Dover port on the rural A256 Dover Road/ inbetween the Whitfield Bypass /Pineham and Betteshanger, when one ran across the road about 30 yards in front of us. We put the full beams on and noticed the animal was completely black, far too large to be a domestic cat, with big paws and a long tail which the animal was holding up. It was prowling across the street like a big cat, so we are certain it was not a dog. It was about 3ft long."
"My partner and I are both interested in wildlife and have never seen anything like this before in the wild. We have been to the Wildlife Heritage Centre in Ashford for a Big Cat Encounter, and are very familiar with what big cats look like - and it was definitely one!
Up until now have not actually really believed in any of the big cat sightings in the UK, but both my partner and I have been converted and are 100% sure we saw a black big cat (leopard).

We also spotted a lot of rabbits by the side of the road, so it must have been hunting."

Staplehurst sighting:

3/2/2015:

"I have just seen a huge black cat around 100 yards way in a snow covered field in Staplehurst.
I estimate it to be at least 4 foot long and jet black. As soon as i stopped and got out of the car, the cat stopped and stared at me intently before bolting across the field at a very high speed before I had a chance to take a picture.

Not sure if your are interested but this happened this morning at around 8.15am."

Sussex big cat sighting...

A black leopard sighting has been reported to me this evening (20/1/2015) from near Seaford, in Sussex. A motorist was driving home from Seaford towards Cuckmere River when according to the witness, "a very big black cat casually stepped out of the bushes along the opposing side of the road and walked out right in front of me - it must have been 20ft away I could and still can't quite believe it! As I got to maybe 18-15 ft away it upped its pace and jumped up the bank to left of the road and disappeared across the pathway."

Over the past five or so years there has been a rise in sightings from the Seaford area; although there have been numerous sightings reported from the area over the last fifty or so years. Statistics based on our files suggest a small population of melanistic leopards which have used the railway lines, rivers and notably Seaford Golf Course for navigation. With Friston Forest close by there is plenty of foliage for a large cat or two to disappear into and with Castle Hill Nature Reserve and the forest flanking the area of sightings; it's no real shock to find such a concentrated area of reports. We'd also be interested to find out whether Drusillas Zoo have ever had anyone report a large cat in the vicinity.
Large cats are often reported around local zoo parks, attracted by smells and possibly cats housed at the parks although as  far as we're aware Drusillas only keeps servals. Even so, one huge patch of woodland and forest provides a perfect green belt for an elusive cat if it wanted to makes it way through to Ditchcling, Portslade and Hove golf course where a few years ago now a professional golfer reported that he'd seen a large cat one afternoon whilst he was practising. If one follows the greenbelt - taking in Steyning, Patching, Arundel, Midhurst and cat on the hunt could easily end up in Hampshire within a few weeks. The term 'looking for a needle in a haystack' certainly applies here...