So, there are no exotic cats roaming the UK! It's as simple as that according to one Daily mail journalist who clearly knows his stuff in that he compares reports of 'phantom cats' with monsters from folklore! In fact so intelligent is the blog post that he dismisses the Surrey puma with a salivating scoff, remarking that there's no evidence for 'big cats' in the UK just because the Essex lion scare turned out to be - as expected - a farce. If you'd like to read the drivel, then please do follow the link and maybe get a comment on there to.
http://hanlonblog.dailymail.co.uk/2012/08/the-weird-history-of-the-essex-lion-and-his-relatives-.html#comments
Thursday, 30 August 2012
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
The only way isn't Essex...!
The recent Essex lion farce has made a slight mockery of 'big cat' research in the UK. We're used to the blurry images of domestic cats believed to be lions, and we can't do anything about the news reporters arriving on the scene hoping to interview the elusive beast, but whilst the police presence was in force as an act of health and safety, to some extent this in turn created a witch hunt. It was the usual stuff really, silly season all over again, bringing to mind the past 'horrors' and drama of the Winchmore Hill lioness (1994), the Shooters Hill cheetah (1960s), the Edgware tiger (1980s), the Sydenham leopard (2005) et al. As usual there was no marauding cat to be found - the initial rumours amid some terrible photographs and media frenzy were that a lion had escaped - but from where ? - after several witnesses, albeit seemingly from a distance claimed to have spotted Africa's monster cat. The phone began to ring, emails began popping in - newspapers were eager for an interview in hope that we could get to the bottom of a...well, non-existent mystery...
It was claimed that a lion had probably escaped from a circus that had been visiting Clacton. Or maybe someone had kept one as a pet and it had escaped, or possibly been released. And yet no maned wonder surfaced, but still the police and the press scoured the woods not once realising that if a lion was prowling around it would show itself. Some opinions were that the animal had in fact been a puma as there were some eye witness descriptions which spoke of a tan-coloured cat with a white chest and a long thick tail - characteristics most unlike a lion. Of course, the sceptics, naysayers and mickey-takers were already posting the predictable comments on the newspaper blogs, but still the newspapers and radio stations were caught up in the feline frenzy, somehow expecting a lion to turn up dead or drugged.
The facts were clearly non-existent. For instance, if a lion had escaped from somewhere it would've stuck out like a sore thumb. If a lion was roaming around Essex it would have sought a pride, and taken very large, and possibly human prey. Police scoured the hedgerows and thickets, but they were too many minutes late on the scene because if this cat had been a puma it wouldn't have stayed around and would have vanished like a ghost. Of course, there was never the possibility that the beast had been a domestic cat...even though it was. In every case we've ever known of a lion, tiger, or cheetah rumoured to be on the loose, the animal in nearly every instant has turned out to be a domestic cat and in those unique cases of real big cats being seen, they are nearly always recaptured by use of tranquiliser dart, or shot dead...that's why reports of lions, tigers, cheetahs and even jaguars in the UK have to be taken with a pinch of salt. We're just confused as to how so many people could claim to see a lion ?
The photographs that appeared in The Sun etc most certainly did not show anything resembling a lion - yet the witnesses claimed they'd sat and watched the animal for quite a while as it groomed itself and basked in the afternoon sun. Some people said they heard the beast roar, but the fact the police called off the hunt proved that there was no lion around. Even so, Essex is not without its mystery. Just a week previous we received a report of a puma-like cat from the county, the report never made the newspapers and we're pretty sure that even if the police had heard about it they wouldn't have sent helicopters out, and the reason for this is simply because the police probably do get frequent reports of black leopard, puma and lynx, and are probably so used to these reports but a sighting of a lion or tiger is a different kettle of cat so it was their duty to investigate.
Some would argue that the Essex lion scare showed the police wasting time and resources, as they've done several times previous, especially regarding the white tiger scare in Hampshire a short while ago, but Essex has a long history of 'big cat' sightings, from Brentwood to the Ongar Marshes, and from Witham to Epping Forest. Of course, the lion story has done some damage to the research being conducted because until the story simmers down, any genuine sighting will be tarred with the brush that so badly tainted the lastest farce.
It was claimed that a lion had probably escaped from a circus that had been visiting Clacton. Or maybe someone had kept one as a pet and it had escaped, or possibly been released. And yet no maned wonder surfaced, but still the police and the press scoured the woods not once realising that if a lion was prowling around it would show itself. Some opinions were that the animal had in fact been a puma as there were some eye witness descriptions which spoke of a tan-coloured cat with a white chest and a long thick tail - characteristics most unlike a lion. Of course, the sceptics, naysayers and mickey-takers were already posting the predictable comments on the newspaper blogs, but still the newspapers and radio stations were caught up in the feline frenzy, somehow expecting a lion to turn up dead or drugged.
The facts were clearly non-existent. For instance, if a lion had escaped from somewhere it would've stuck out like a sore thumb. If a lion was roaming around Essex it would have sought a pride, and taken very large, and possibly human prey. Police scoured the hedgerows and thickets, but they were too many minutes late on the scene because if this cat had been a puma it wouldn't have stayed around and would have vanished like a ghost. Of course, there was never the possibility that the beast had been a domestic cat...even though it was. In every case we've ever known of a lion, tiger, or cheetah rumoured to be on the loose, the animal in nearly every instant has turned out to be a domestic cat and in those unique cases of real big cats being seen, they are nearly always recaptured by use of tranquiliser dart, or shot dead...that's why reports of lions, tigers, cheetahs and even jaguars in the UK have to be taken with a pinch of salt. We're just confused as to how so many people could claim to see a lion ?
The photographs that appeared in The Sun etc most certainly did not show anything resembling a lion - yet the witnesses claimed they'd sat and watched the animal for quite a while as it groomed itself and basked in the afternoon sun. Some people said they heard the beast roar, but the fact the police called off the hunt proved that there was no lion around. Even so, Essex is not without its mystery. Just a week previous we received a report of a puma-like cat from the county, the report never made the newspapers and we're pretty sure that even if the police had heard about it they wouldn't have sent helicopters out, and the reason for this is simply because the police probably do get frequent reports of black leopard, puma and lynx, and are probably so used to these reports but a sighting of a lion or tiger is a different kettle of cat so it was their duty to investigate.
Some would argue that the Essex lion scare showed the police wasting time and resources, as they've done several times previous, especially regarding the white tiger scare in Hampshire a short while ago, but Essex has a long history of 'big cat' sightings, from Brentwood to the Ongar Marshes, and from Witham to Epping Forest. Of course, the lion story has done some damage to the research being conducted because until the story simmers down, any genuine sighting will be tarred with the brush that so badly tainted the lastest farce.
Thursday, 23 August 2012
Black leopard seen near Channel Tunnel
This isn't the first time this type of headline has appeared in Kent. Large cats have been seen on several occasions within the vicinity of the Channel Tunnel and also rail link - an animal such as a leopard would use a railway line to navigate its route. A few days ago a large black cat was seen at Folkestone by a motorist who described the animal as clearly a "panther" that crossed the road a few metres away. Over the past year there have been numerous sightings at Dover also, particularly in the Western Heights area. August has been an exceptionally busy month for sightings, the most recent coming from the Thong area of Gravesend when a woman walking her dog across a field observed a big, black cat that did not fit the size or description of any known UK animal.
An animal roaming this particular area would have a vast territory taking in the country parks of say, Shorne and Vigo and dense woods of Cobham through to Meopham. Whether this is the same animal seen down towards Snodland and Haling over the years we are unsure as there are clearly more than one melanistic leopard and puma roaming the town and its outskirts. Lynx have also been observed on numerous occasions recently.
An animal roaming this particular area would have a vast territory taking in the country parks of say, Shorne and Vigo and dense woods of Cobham through to Meopham. Whether this is the same animal seen down towards Snodland and Haling over the years we are unsure as there are clearly more than one melanistic leopard and puma roaming the town and its outskirts. Lynx have also been observed on numerous occasions recently.
Friday, 10 August 2012
Lynx shot dead in 1926 and more
The end of July and beginning of August have produced several sightings of large cats within the south-east, the most recent being at Gravesend, where on the Wrotham Road a motorist had a daylight encounter with an animal he never believed existed. It's always of interest when sceptical folk observe 'big cats', and on this occasion at 9:00 am - as the man came from his Istead Rise home - a black leopard casually padded across the road from one field to the next. Only a day later a man driving at Meopham observed an animal of silvery-grey colouration that emerged from a hedgerow. The animal may well have been a puma.
There was also a black leopard sighting recently at Rye in East Sussex. This may well have been the same animal that was seen near Battle a couple of weeks ago.
Photo's will be uploaded soon regarding a pig that was eaten in Sussex. The animal had been rasped clean, ribs sheared off and huge puncture marks in the bone, particularly around the lower jaw.
We also received an email from a chap who found an interesting snippet of information regarding a lynx that had been shot dead by a farmer on the Chatham outskirts in 1926! This is currently under investigation as it seems the farmer took the body to a zoo, but sadly, which zoo we are unable to find, nor the exact location of the incident. This does bring to mind however the lynx which was shot dead in Bristol in the 1800s. The stuffed specimen was discovered in a zoo and was investigated by the Centre For Fortean Zoology.
There was also a black leopard sighting recently at Rye in East Sussex. This may well have been the same animal that was seen near Battle a couple of weeks ago.
Photo's will be uploaded soon regarding a pig that was eaten in Sussex. The animal had been rasped clean, ribs sheared off and huge puncture marks in the bone, particularly around the lower jaw.
We also received an email from a chap who found an interesting snippet of information regarding a lynx that had been shot dead by a farmer on the Chatham outskirts in 1926! This is currently under investigation as it seems the farmer took the body to a zoo, but sadly, which zoo we are unable to find, nor the exact location of the incident. This does bring to mind however the lynx which was shot dead in Bristol in the 1800s. The stuffed specimen was discovered in a zoo and was investigated by the Centre For Fortean Zoology.
Friday, 20 July 2012
Latest July reports - back to black!
July has been a very busy month for sightings. There have been several reports from Higham, Battle (East Sussex), Chartham, Headcorn and Shadoxhurst at Ashford. All sightings involved black leopard. The Shadoxhurst report involved a witness who, whilst looking out of her window at 6:00 am saw an enormous black cat rummaging through the sacks she'd placed at the end of her drive. The woman woke her husband, and so intrigued was she by the animal she went outside but the animal slinked away. She believed the cat was after a shoulder of lamb that had been deposited in the sack. The Chartham report concerned a male motorist who saw a fox-sized black cat (not a domestic/feral cat) that crossed the road in front of him and another motorist saw a black leopard whilst recently travelling on the Ulcombe Road into Headcorn during daylight.
It's worth noting just how many reports are received of black leopards and not what people would term 'normal' leopards with then rosette pelage. Some researchers would claim that 'spotted' leopard reports are as frequent as those of the melanistic variety but this simply isn't the case. Kent Big Cat Research has NEVER received a report of a normal leopard, in more than 25 years of research every sighting has been of the melanistic variety. This is clearly a dominant gene - a majority of leopards kept as pets in the '60s were of the darker coat - black parents only produce black offspring due to the recessive gene, hence the fact that black squirrels and foxes are scant. The occasional reports received of smaller spotted cats would suggest the Leopard Cat.
Reports of so-called 'big cats' must be analysed on their consistency levels. If people start to report lions, cheetahs, jaguars and tigers, then it seems clear that in most cases these are hoaxes, misidentification or an escapee from the zoo. The consistent reports across the UK strongly suggest black leopard, puma and lynx, as well as smaller cats such as the Jungle Cat and Leopard Cat. Reports of normal leopards, tigers, lions etc, must be taken with a pinch of salt until there are further reports. This is the problem with a lot of 'big cat' research in the UK - too many sightings that are taken as fact of clearly impossible or unlikely species. If only 1 report of a normal leopard is received among 1000 black leopard reports, then the normal leopard sighting must be ruled until others come forward to report it, the same can also be said for reports of bizarre mutants, albino cats and other alleged melanistic species.
It's worth noting just how many reports are received of black leopards and not what people would term 'normal' leopards with then rosette pelage. Some researchers would claim that 'spotted' leopard reports are as frequent as those of the melanistic variety but this simply isn't the case. Kent Big Cat Research has NEVER received a report of a normal leopard, in more than 25 years of research every sighting has been of the melanistic variety. This is clearly a dominant gene - a majority of leopards kept as pets in the '60s were of the darker coat - black parents only produce black offspring due to the recessive gene, hence the fact that black squirrels and foxes are scant. The occasional reports received of smaller spotted cats would suggest the Leopard Cat.
Reports of so-called 'big cats' must be analysed on their consistency levels. If people start to report lions, cheetahs, jaguars and tigers, then it seems clear that in most cases these are hoaxes, misidentification or an escapee from the zoo. The consistent reports across the UK strongly suggest black leopard, puma and lynx, as well as smaller cats such as the Jungle Cat and Leopard Cat. Reports of normal leopards, tigers, lions etc, must be taken with a pinch of salt until there are further reports. This is the problem with a lot of 'big cat' research in the UK - too many sightings that are taken as fact of clearly impossible or unlikely species. If only 1 report of a normal leopard is received among 1000 black leopard reports, then the normal leopard sighting must be ruled until others come forward to report it, the same can also be said for reports of bizarre mutants, albino cats and other alleged melanistic species.
Friday, 6 July 2012
Another deer kill in Tonbridge
Thanks to the investigations of James Mitson, another deer kill has been found in dense woods between Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells. The leg of a roe deer has been discovered near to where in the past there have been numerous piles of scat and other deer kills. This is clearly an area where a large predatory cat feels comfortable frequenting. Watch this space for more updates.
Monday, 25 June 2012
Domestic cat deaths in Biddenden
Recently there have been several reports from the village of Biddenden concerning domestic cat deaths. The carcasses have been found often bereft of head and stripped clean, suggesting a large predatory animal is on the loose rather than the victims being taken by a dog or fox. These deaths echo similar cases from a few years ago when many domestic cats were found (or in some cases not found at all) decapitated and rasped off flesh. These sinister cases mainly took place around Orpington, Sidcup, Bexley, Bromley and towards Petts Wood and even as far as Sydenham where sightings of an enormous large black cat seemed to coincide with the discovery of eaten domestic cats.
Domestic cats, small dogs and foxes - as well as deer, sheep, ducks, geese, rabbits, pheasants, pigeons, squirrels, are all on the menu of large, roaming exotic cats - only recently a farmer in Sussex found a completely eaten calf which sported two extraordinary puncture marks in its skull. The way the animal had been killed an eaten suggested the work of a large cat such as a leopard.
Domestic cats, small dogs and foxes - as well as deer, sheep, ducks, geese, rabbits, pheasants, pigeons, squirrels, are all on the menu of large, roaming exotic cats - only recently a farmer in Sussex found a completely eaten calf which sported two extraordinary puncture marks in its skull. The way the animal had been killed an eaten suggested the work of a large cat such as a leopard.
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