UK Big Cats.

[The great Gavino]

Has anybody on here ever seen one? Very interested to hear if anybody has, or know knows someone that has.

Thanks

[Happy Hayes]

How big is big ?
Regards
Tom

[The great Gavino]

Puma, Melanistic Leopard. Lynx etc

[davelumb]

I know someone who saw a big cat.

[The great Gavino]

I know someone who sw a big cat.

Me too. A couple of people actually. Very close distance wise. Absolutely no mistaking what they’d seen. An interesting subject

[Andrew]

Aye said it loads on here me and poach seen what we think was a caracal or looked very like a caracal. Big as a
fully grown alsatian.

Was on the canal at night tenching and appeared on the footpath opposite us near a lamp post so we got a really good look at it. It got a really good look at us too and I kept looking about all night paranoid it would come over the bridge.

[Cyprio]

DAVE HORTON'S seen a few

Even a Brace.

[Bob Watson]

For the amount of sightings and instant availability of image capturing ability, there's very little positive evidence.

Having said that, I once saw a black cat from a distance that looked considerably bigger than a domestic cat but it was from a distance!

[Andrew]

For the amount of sightings and instant availability of image capturing ability, there's very little positive evidence.

Having said that, I once saw a black cat from a distance that looked considerably bigger than a domestic cat but it was from a distance!

I had my bridge camera in my bag phone camera back then was like a single megapixel wouldnt be worth effort to get a night shot.

Bridge camera would take too long, trying to get it might spook it so i just looked at it in amazement taking in every detail to remember.

Really gutted I didnt get a photo but its face is burned in my retinas

[JoeNickel]

My missus' old boss in Worcestershire had something pull apart the chicken wire pen to get to his chickens. Big paw prints in the mud. He called someone - police, old Ministry of Agriculture? - they visited and they said 'yeah, it'll be one of the big cats, it happens all the time'.

[The great Gavino]

Some really interesting accounts of sightings on a podcast called Big Cat Conversations, if anyone wants to delve a little deeper. Available in all the usual places. I would suspect that it’s just a matter of time before somebody decides to release unmistakable footage to the general public. It most certainly exists

[Jeffire]

Saw one in Lathom west lancs 2003 was dropping mate off just before his house took left turn and it jumped over my bonnet we both saw it on a summers eve at around 10 pm.
So unless it was me Lumby you know two people.

[davelumb]

Saw one in Lathom west lancs 2003 was dropping mate off just before his house took left turn and it jumped over my bonnet we both saw it on a summers eve at around 10 pm.
So unless it was me Lumby you know two people.

Didn't know you'd seen one. Hadn't heard of any in this neck of the woods either - other than one eating swans on the Ribble. It can't have had a taste for otters. Or maybe it was a misidentified otter!

[piker al]

I’ve seen pictures of a massive cat a lad shot, it was as big as a fox, wasn’t a puma type more like a huge stray cat but what a size

[Monts]

I've never seen one, but would love to see clear and conclusive footage to prove that they roam about. It's an interesting topic for many of us who spend time outdoors in wild places.

[whitey79]

Not calling anyone liars but I think this day and age with wild life cameras mobile phones cctv dash cams ect I would have expected to see clear cut evidence I know they say there was a lot released form private zoos ect but there would have to be breading colonies of them or country is not very big and like Bigfoot and Nessie they have the time bandits chasing them so until I see clear cut undeniable evidence I’m out but it does intrigue me and would like it to be true

[Steve Le maitre]

Not calling anyone liars but I think this day and age with wild life cameras mobile phones cctv dash cams ect I would have expected to see clear cut evidence I know they say there was a lot released form private zoos ect but there would have to be breading colonies of them or country is not very big and like Bigfoot and Nessie they have the time bandits chasing them so until I see clear cut undeniable evidence I’m out but it does intrigue me and would like it to be true

I expect the odd one gets released, hunts and lives out a completely solitary life just avoiding getting shot by farmer John who would keep it quiet anyway.
The thing is are they breading out there ? No.
Very low density, bit like the 50 lb Pike

[Jeffire]

Saw one in Lathom west lancs 2003 was dropping mate off just before his house took left turn and it jumped over my bonnet we both saw it on a summers eve at around 10 pm.
So unless it was me Lumby you know two people.

Didn't know you'd seen one. Hadn't heard of any in this neck of the woods either - other than one eating swans on the Ribble. It can't have had a taste for otters. Or maybe it was a misidentified otter!

Did you ever see the bloke from southport zoo walking his along lord street ? Or hear the story of mr and mrs farrar who kept lions at the house in westbourne rd ?

[martin(rockape)]

Not calling anyone liars but I think this day and age with wild life cameras mobile phones cctv dash cams ect I would have expected to see clear cut evidence I know they say there was a lot released form private zoos ect but there would have to be breading colonies of them or country is not very big and like Bigfoot and Nessie they have the time bandits chasing them so until I see clear cut undeniable evidence I’m out but it does intrigue me and would like it to be true

And not forgetting the most common and vulnerable PREY available to them, farmer's livestock. I'm not saying that these big cat's aren't about but not as many as people like to think. I sure our shooting syndicates would have flushed one out by now or seen signs they've left such as dens and carcases etc.

Mind you seeing is believing and I'd certainly question it.

Regards

Martin

[davelumb]

Saw one in Lathom west lancs 2003 was dropping mate off just before his house took left turn and it jumped over my bonnet we both saw it on a summers eve at around 10 pm.
So unless it was me Lumby you know two people.

Didn't know you'd seen one. Hadn't heard of any in this neck of the woods either - other than one eating swans on the Ribble. It can't have had a taste for otters. Or maybe it was a misidentified otter!

Did you ever see the bloke from southport zoo walking his along lord street ? Or hear the story of mr and mrs farrar who kept lions at the house in westbourne rd ?

Never saw that, but now you mention the lions that rings a bell.

[Jeffire]

Saw one in Lathom west lancs 2003 was dropping mate off just before his house took left turn and it jumped over my bonnet we both saw it on a summers eve at around 10 pm.
So unless it was me Lumby you know two people.

Didn't know you'd seen one. Hadn't heard of any in this neck of the woods either - other than one eating swans on the Ribble. It can't have had a taste for otters. Or maybe it was a misidentified otter!

Did you ever see the bloke from southport zoo walking his along lord street ? Or hear the story of mr and mrs farrar who kept lions at the house in westbourne rd ?

Never saw that, but now you mention the lions that rings a bell.

I remember it being on tv and big article in the visitor , think they may have been the zoo creators ?

[davelumb]

There are lots and lots of deer in the countryside, but we don't often see them - except in certain areas. So a handful of individual big cats could easily go undetected. As Steve says, any that might get shot by farmers are likely to be disposed of without a fanfare.

Sure there are cameras everywhere these days, but at dusk or night a lot of them are pretty useless. Camera traps should get better results, but they'd have to be where the cats pass close by.

I'm sceptical, but I don't doubt there's something in the story I've heard.

[davelumb]

It can't be long before the loonies illegally release lynx like they did beavers. https://www.northernfarmer.co.uk/news/2 ... n-project/

[JoeNickel]

DNA evidence, dead cats, video footage...

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/n ... -in-the-uk

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/h ... 96988.html

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/b ... dog-839016

[davelumb]

DNA evidence, dead cats, video footage...

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/n ... -in-the-uk

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/h ... 96988.html

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/b ... dog-839016

That one in the Mirror looks like an otter!

https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... php?t=2113

[JoeNickel]

Best kind of otter!

[whitey79]

DNA evidence, dead cats, video footage...

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/n ... -in-the-uk

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/h ... 96988.html

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/b ... dog-839016

Out of them 3 links the independent one holds what would convince me most but again could be a film from anywhere in the world if it was there surely someone would have tracked it down going on the radius of where it could be if it was living in that area it wouldn’t be far from its food source
Sheep in a field like living next door to a free all you can eat animals wouldn’t leave an easy meal
There was also no picture of the carcass if it was me I’d have got as close as possible and spoked it off or been attacked all the time filming what happened still not enough for me but good start

[Mark_Houghton]

The Independent video was debunked as a cow laid down cleaning itself

[davelumb]

The Independent video was debunked as a cow laid down cleaning itself

[Steve Le maitre]

It can't be long before the loonies illegally release lynx like they did beavers. https://www.northernfarmer.co.uk/news/2 ... n-project/

Never mind, Farmer John gets tax relief on ammo