He said he didn't move and looked straight into the
big cat's eyes. Haas described it as muscular and about two-feet high and
four-feet long. “It peered ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
The hunt for British Big Cats attracts far more newspaper column-inches than any other cryptozoological subject. There are so many of them now that we feel that they should be archived by us in some way, so we should have a go at publishing a regular round-up of the stories as they come in. Curated by Carl Marshall and Olivia McCarthy
Monday, 30 December 2013
NEWSLINK: Teacher Meets Bobcat Face-to-Face
Teacher
Meets Bobcat Face-to-Face NBC 7 San Diego
NEWSLINK: Everything You Need to Know About the Liliger: Part Lion, Part Tiger ...
Everything
You Need to Know About the Liliger: Part Lion, Part Tiger ...
E! Online
Everything You Need to Know About the Liliger: Part
Lion, Part Tiger and Very Controversial in the Big Cat World. by John
Boone Today 9:42 AM PST.
| See all stories on this topic » |
UK SIGHTINGS: Big cats are out there: Fresh sightings in Gloucestershire
Big
cats are out there: Fresh sightings in Gloucestershire Gloucestershire Echo
Following two sightings of a large black
cat near the town earlier this month, more people have come forward to
say they have seen what looked like a ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
CANADA SIGHTINGS: Despite online claims, don't expect to see any cougars around here
KINGSTON - One morning late last month, with her two dogs on edge and barking incessantly, Jen MacPherson peered out her kitchen window at the two large cats walking warily across the frozen ground outside her home in Sydenham.
From five metres away, she snapped a few photos of what she believed to be cougars, in town, in broad daylight.
“They were much, much bigger than any house cat, more like a fair-sized dog,” she recalled two weeks later. “They looked big enough to be cougars.”
MacPherson reported her account to the OPP and Ministry of Natural Resources. She also contacted officials at nearby Loughborough Public School, where two of her children attend.
School principal Helen Peterson wasn’t taking any chances on the exact identity of the four-legged trespassers.
“We kept the kids in the school, which is the normal response to such situations,” she said, adding that a letter was also sent home with each student, informing parents.
The cougars — if verified it stood to be the first of its kind in the surrounding north country — represented the latest in more than a dozen reported sightings of the cunning carnivore in eastern Ontario this year alone.
Saturday, 28 December 2013
UK SIGHTING - Will DNA tests solve the mystery of Gloucestershire big cat sightings?
It began with dark mutterings in the local pub,
that a strange beast might be stalking the woods around the little
village of Woodchester, savaging the local wildlife and frightening
local dog walkersNow, even the National Trust is suspicious and experts are carrying out
DNA tests on the carcasses of two roe deer found mutilated in the
Gloucestershire countryside.A local walker discovered the second carcass in the National Trust’s
Woodchester Park, near Stroud, on Wednesday last week. Experts from the
University of Warwick were called in on Friday to take DNA samples from
the two carcasses, the first of which was found near the village of
Dursley.READ MORE
NEW ZEALAND SIGHTING - 'Panther' sighting near Fairlie
Mid-Canterbury's elusive black panther may have moved south. Last week a delivery driver spotted what he described as a
large cat-like animal feeding on road kill just outside the
Fairlie township in the early hours of the morning.
The description was remarkably similar to reports in a number of sightings of the panther-like animal in Mid Canterbury roughly the size of a labrador dog, with round head and a distinctive long tail. Such sightings began trickling in 1992 when the animal was spotted at the Ashburton River mouth.
But the legend really took flight this century when Marcus Ewart and David Tutton reported seeing a large, black panther-like cat near Alford Forest; two years later the cat appeared again, this time witnessed by Peter and Toni May in the Ashburton Gorge.
A month later, in October 2003, truck driver Chad Stewart was startled by a huge black cat in the Mayfield foothills. The same month the cat appeared again, this time near the Fairton meat works. READ MORE
The description was remarkably similar to reports in a number of sightings of the panther-like animal in Mid Canterbury roughly the size of a labrador dog, with round head and a distinctive long tail. Such sightings began trickling in 1992 when the animal was spotted at the Ashburton River mouth.
But the legend really took flight this century when Marcus Ewart and David Tutton reported seeing a large, black panther-like cat near Alford Forest; two years later the cat appeared again, this time witnessed by Peter and Toni May in the Ashburton Gorge.
A month later, in October 2003, truck driver Chad Stewart was startled by a huge black cat in the Mayfield foothills. The same month the cat appeared again, this time near the Fairton meat works. READ MORE
AUSTRALIA SIGHTINGS: Baillieu govt sinks claws into big cat mystery
Decades of shadowy sightings, grisly livestock kills and mysterious
paw prints are being scrutinised as scientists sink their claws into
verifying the existence of Victorian big cats.
But rather than scouring bushland for the fearsome beasts armed with traps and nets, they'll be working from the safety of state government offices.
Victorian Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh says Department of Primary Industries and Department of Sustainability and Environment officers will spend months reviewing sightings, photos, reports and other evidence submitted over the years to determine whether the elusive creatures exist.
"We're not going out in pith hats beating the bushes," Mr Walsh said. "This is about actually doing the analytical work on all the information that's there."
Deputy Premier Peter Ryan pledged before the 2010 election a coalition government would investigate big cat sightings, saying there were "enough credible observations" to justify a report.
Mr Walsh can't say how much the exercise will cost taxpayers
or how many staff it will involve but says it won't take any extra cash
from the state's kitty and is being funded "within existing resources"READ MORE
But rather than scouring bushland for the fearsome beasts armed with traps and nets, they'll be working from the safety of state government offices.
Victorian Agriculture Minister Peter Walsh says Department of Primary Industries and Department of Sustainability and Environment officers will spend months reviewing sightings, photos, reports and other evidence submitted over the years to determine whether the elusive creatures exist.
"We're not going out in pith hats beating the bushes," Mr Walsh said. "This is about actually doing the analytical work on all the information that's there."
Deputy Premier Peter Ryan pledged before the 2010 election a coalition government would investigate big cat sightings, saying there were "enough credible observations" to justify a report.
UK SIGHTINGS: Hunt for mystery cat after new sighting
IF you go down to the woods today in Tunbridge Wells you might not be sure of a big surprise – but you never know. It’s not teddy bears you need to worry about in the depths of Knights Park Woods, but a puma. Following the Courier’s report last week of a sighting of the
wild cat by two local women, there was a fresh report last Thursday.
Arthur O’Hara, of Birchett Avenue, Langton Green, was driving in Knights Park, heading towards Longfield Road, at about 2pm. The animal, also known as a mountain lion, ran in front of his car. He said: “It was large and cat-like, but much bigger than a domestic cat. It came out of the woods on my left and dashed into the woods on the right.
“Its colour was lighter than a fox and its tail was definitely not bushy like a fox. It was long. There was no question of it being any kind of dog.” With a further report of a sighting of a puma near St Paul’s Church, Rusthall, a few weeks ago, it was time for me to investigate. Primed by Kent’s big cat expert Neil Arnold about tell-tale signs of the puma, I headed off to the woods at Knights Park.
I was looking for scratch marks high up tree trunks, paw prints but without claw marks, stools possibly containing remnants of fur or feathers and an unnerving call. “Imagine a miaow but absolutely terrifying. I can imagine you running!” he warned me. And rather alarmingly too, Mr Arnold advised me to look high up into the trees. “That’s the last place people look. There are large trees in those woods, which something like a puma would like to be up,” he said.READ MORE
Arthur O’Hara, of Birchett Avenue, Langton Green, was driving in Knights Park, heading towards Longfield Road, at about 2pm. The animal, also known as a mountain lion, ran in front of his car. He said: “It was large and cat-like, but much bigger than a domestic cat. It came out of the woods on my left and dashed into the woods on the right.
“Its colour was lighter than a fox and its tail was definitely not bushy like a fox. It was long. There was no question of it being any kind of dog.” With a further report of a sighting of a puma near St Paul’s Church, Rusthall, a few weeks ago, it was time for me to investigate. Primed by Kent’s big cat expert Neil Arnold about tell-tale signs of the puma, I headed off to the woods at Knights Park.
I was looking for scratch marks high up tree trunks, paw prints but without claw marks, stools possibly containing remnants of fur or feathers and an unnerving call. “Imagine a miaow but absolutely terrifying. I can imagine you running!” he warned me. And rather alarmingly too, Mr Arnold advised me to look high up into the trees. “That’s the last place people look. There are large trees in those woods, which something like a puma would like to be up,” he said.READ MORE
NEWSLINK: DENTAL WORK ON ZOO LIONESS
ghostman: DENTAL WORK ON ZOO LIONESS:
INDU -10 YEAR OLD ASIATIC LIONESS was treated for a 4 inch canine and permolar extraction performed by DR KERTESZ -one of the worlds leadin...
INDU -10 YEAR OLD ASIATIC LIONESS was treated for a 4 inch canine and permolar extraction performed by DR KERTESZ -one of the worlds leadin...
NEWSLINK: Mystery Cats - New Cat Species Realized For Brazil
The tigrina is actually two separate species, say researchers in a new report. Photograph by Tadeu Oliveira
Hybridization among animal species has recently become more recognized as an important phenomenon, especially in the context of recent radiations. Here we show that complex hybridization has led to contrasting patterns of genomic composition among closely related species of the Neotropical cat genus Leopardus. We show strong evidence of ancient hybridization and introgression between the pampas cat (L. colocolo) and northeastern populations of tigrina (L. tigrinus), leading to remarkable cytonuclear discordance in the latter. In contrast, southern tigrina populations show recent and continuing hybridization with Geoffroy’s cat (L. geoffroyi), leading to extreme levels of interspecific admixture at their contact zone. Finally, we demonstrate that two seemingly continuous Brazilian tigrina populations show no evidence of ongoing gene flow between them, leading us to support their formal recognition as distinct species, namely L. tigrinus in the northeast and L. guttulus in the south. Current Biology
News of new felid species in South America appears to be finally
coming to the fore. Rumors of a new type of jaguar and other new cats
may be in the wings, but, today, it was announced progress has been made
in observations of a new smaller spotted cat.n summary, genetic biologists have discovered that the two
populations of tigrina previously thought to be one species do not, in
fact, interbreed and thus are distinct, according to results published
today in Current Biology.
“So much is still unknown about the natural world, even in groups
that are supposed to be well-characterized, such as cats. In fact, there
are many basic aspects that we still don’t know about wild cats, from
their precise geographic distribution and their diets,” said the study’s
lead author, Eduardo Eizirik of PontifÃcia Universidade Católica do Rio
Grande do Sul in Brazil.
Eizirik’s results have implications for conservation
efforts—particularly laws about poaching and the designation of national
parkland. Such measures are often focused on individual species.
Recognizing the northeastern tigrina as distinct means that
biologists will have to assess its conservation status and determine
what steps need to be taken so that both species of tigrina can be
adequately protected…
Eizirik and colleagues obtained DNA samples from a total of 216 different Leopardus
cats across their ranges. Analysis of the DNA sequences found in the
mitochondria, the cell’s power plant, revealed ancient interbreeding
between the Pampas cat and the northeastern tigrina.
Since an individual only inherits mitochondrial DNA from its
mother, researchers could peer into the ancient history of these two
felines, and found that they mated together frequently before the two
cats split into separate species.
Although the Geoffroy’s cat and the southern tigrina divided into
separate species over a million years ago, they began to mate together
in the more recent past in the areas of southern Brazil and Bolivia
where their habitats overlap. While the two cats interbreed regularly at
this contact zone, the mating doesn’t extend to farther areas and the
two species remain distinct….
When Eizirik and colleagues analyzed the genetics of the two
different tigrina populations, however, they were surprised to learn
that genes did not appear to be moving between the northeastern and
southern tigrinas.
“This observation implies that these tigrina populations are not
interbreeding, which led us to recognize them as distinct species,”
Eizirik says. The researchers have suggested that the northeastern
tigrina retain its current name of L. tigrinus, while dubbing the southern tigrina L. guttulus.
“Very little was—and still is—known about this species,” says
Eizirik. “There have been some initial studies on its diet, but still
most of its basic biology remains poorly known, including density,
habitat use, and population trends.” Nat Geo.
Friday, 27 December 2013
US SIGHTINGS: Mountain lion spotted near grocery store in Lemon Grove
| Mountain
lion spotted near grocery store in Lemon Grove 10News
A passing driver spotted the big cat near a
warehouse-style grocery store in the 7400 block of Broadway in Lemon Grove about
7:30 a.m., sheriff's Sgt.
|
|
NEWSLINK: Unraveling the secrets of one of the world's most mysterious big cats
Unraveling
the secrets of one of the world's most mysterious big cats
Mongabay.com
Only declared a separate species from its mainland
cousin, the Borneo clouded leopard, in 2006, the IUCN lists the cat as
Endangered. The distinction ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
NEWSLINK: Mumbaikars & their big cat neighbours share screen space
Mumbaikars
& their big cat neighbours share screen space Indian Express
The mystery of leopards' co-existence with humans in a
densely populated city like Mumbai has caught the fancy of National Geographic's
wildlife ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
NEWSLINK: Leopard safari at Borivli society as big cat makes itself at home
Leopard
safari at Borivli society as big cat makes itself at home
Times of India
MUMBAI: Another leopard seems to have made an
out-of-use factory shed in an upmarket Borivli locality its favourite sunbathing
spot. Residents of ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
Wednesday, 25 December 2013
NEWSLINK: 3 cubs spotted in Ranthambore tiger reserve | Big Cat Rescue
3
cubs spotted in Ranthambore tiger reserve | Big Cat Rescue
JAIPUR: Spotting of three cubs comes as good news for
the Ranthambore tiger reserve. At least three cubs were reportedly seen in the
Khandar range ...
| bigcatrescue.org/3-cubs-spotted-in-ranthambore-tiger-reserve/ |
US SIGHTINGS: Don't judge a cat by its cover, at least not from a mile away
Don't
judge a cat by its cover, at least not from a mile away McCook Daily Gazette
"That would have to be one heck of a big cat,
think about how far away that tree is," I replied, thinking it was likely one of
the healthy-sized raccoons I ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
UK SIGHTINGS: The beast of Acton Bridge
The
beast of Acton Bridge Northwich Guardian
A reader alerted the Guardian to sightings of a black,
big cat-like creature ... "We do have lots of black cats though if
anyone wants to adopt one!”.
| See all stories on this topic » |
Tuesday, 24 December 2013
CANADA SIGHTINGS: Wildlife officer who killed cougars 'made the right decision'
| Wildlife
officer who killed cougars 'made the right decision' Vancouver Sun
Dave Dickson, a provincial Fish and Wildlife officer,
shot the big cats on ... the young cougar, he offered to retrieve
the pet and saw a second big cat.
|
|
NEWSLINK: Of sighs and sightings on big cat trail
Of
sighs and sightings on big cat trail Deccan Herald
And it was exactly that for Raghavendra, lecturer from
Sringeri, who, within moments of stepping into the forest, spotted the big
cat for the very first time ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
UK SIGHTINGS: Could this be proof of big cats in Gloucestershire?
Could
this be proof of big cats in Gloucestershire? Gloucester Citizen
COULD this be another step on a big cat
tracker's quest to prove their existence in Gloucestershire? Frank Tunbridge
believes the footage he has ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
NEWSLINK: Lions, tigers and heirs! Trio of America's first 'liligers' are born after ...
Lions,
tigers and heirs! Trio of America's first 'liligers' are born after
... Daily
Mail
Trio of America's first 'liligers' are born after
big cat cross-breeding at Oklahoma zoo. Trio were born to male lion and
female liger at GW Interactive Zoo ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
NEWSLINK: Pet survivor of the year
Read on...
Monday, 23 December 2013
NEWSLINK: Green hope for Maharashtra's big cats - Mid Day
Green
hope for Maharashtra's big cats - Mid Day
Chandoli has been declared as part of the Sahyadri
Tiger Reserve, thereby opening up an entire corridor to allow the big cat
to move freely across this ...
| www.mid-day.com/.../191213-travel-green-hope-for-maharas... |
NEWSLINK: Video of Snow Leopards in India | Wild Cats - Big Cats, Small Wild ...
| Video
of Snow Leopards in India | Wild Cats - Big Cats, Small Wild
...
From the Snow Leopard Trust - a video of a snow leopard
mother and her grown cubs in Himashal Pradesh, India.
| ||
NEWSLINK: Candid Camera (Trap): The World's Rarest Big Cat
Candid
Camera (Trap): The World's Rarest Big Cat Scientific American (blog)
“The Amur or Far Eastern leopard, Panthera pardus
orientalis, is the world's most endangered big cat, and the only one
known to be adapted to the ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
NEWSLINK: Kerala dog trainer takes up taming wild cats in UAE
Kerala
dog trainer takes up taming wild cats in UAE Newstrack India
Chris Wolf, who is planning to open a Big Cat
training and boarding centre in Dubai, has been tasked with the job of taming
wild pets as he has been ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
Sunday, 22 December 2013
NEWSLINK: The big cat - Financial Express - The Financial Express
The
big cat - Financial Express - The Financial Express
Valmik Thapar compiles the definitive book on the tiger
in India, spanning the past 500 years. Here are the author's thoughts on the
book, and a selection of ...
| www.financialexpress.com/news/the-big-cat/1207699 |
AUSTRALIA SIGHTING: Eyewitnesses won't give up on idea of big cat in NSW | Doubtful News
Eyewitnesses
won't give up on idea of big cat in NSW | Doubtful News
Your perception and memory are not really that great.
Blue Mountains panther spotted again. Weeks after the government declared the
Blue Mountains big cat.
| doubtfulnews.com/.../eyewitnesses-wont-give-up-on-idea-of-b... |
AUSTRALIA SIGHTING: Blue Mountains panther spotted again
Blue
Mountains panther spotted again Sydney Morning Herald
Weeks after the government declared the Blue Mountains
big cat file closed, a Sydney father has spoken of a terrifying encounter
with a panther-like creature ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
UK SIGHTINGS: Gloucestershire big cats - video evidence is the key | Gloucester ...
Gloucestershire
big cats - video evidence is the key | Gloucester ...
SIGHTINGS of suspected big cats are coming in at
the same steady rate - but crucial video evidence of the creatures' existence
continues to elude a leading ...
| www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Gloucestershire.../story.html |
UK SIGHTINGS: Epping Forest “Big Cat” Sighting Was a Posh Child's Expensive Teddy
| Epping
Forest “Big Cat” Sighting Was a Posh Child's Expensive Teddy
Gizmodo UK
Sadly, the Epping Forest Big Cat was just a soft
toy. A sad soft toy, as it was found by rangers in a pile of rubbish someone had
fly-tipped in the park, alongside ...
|
|
Saturday, 21 December 2013
UK SIGHTINGS: Mysterious big cats still grab the headlines
MYSTERIOUS animals strike a chord in our psyche and the Highlands has
a rich tradition in such sightings. The newspapers last week featured
the “beast of Embo”, sighted by sisters after 18 sheep had been killed.
It sent my mind whirring back to 1980 and the celebrated Cannich puma which generated the kind of tabloid frenzy nowadays generated by Jordan’s Hindenburg-like cleavage or Cheryl Cole’s latest lip gloss.
There had been mystery animal sightings in the North a long time previously. The Daily Express reported in 1927 that in rural Inverness-shire sheep and goats had been attacked by an animal a shepherd described as “like a leopard but without spots”. A strange description unless it was the first case of a leopard actually changing his spots. Like the guy telling his mate: “I’ve just spotted a leopard” and his pal replying: “Don’t be daft, they’re born with spots”.
Anyway, The Express reported that traps were set and a creature was caught which was sent to London Zoo where it was identified as a lynx. Later it turned out London Zoo had no record of receiving any such animal. It was the biggest animal tall tale since there were three bears and one married a giraffe. The other two putREAD MORE
It sent my mind whirring back to 1980 and the celebrated Cannich puma which generated the kind of tabloid frenzy nowadays generated by Jordan’s Hindenburg-like cleavage or Cheryl Cole’s latest lip gloss.
There had been mystery animal sightings in the North a long time previously. The Daily Express reported in 1927 that in rural Inverness-shire sheep and goats had been attacked by an animal a shepherd described as “like a leopard but without spots”. A strange description unless it was the first case of a leopard actually changing his spots. Like the guy telling his mate: “I’ve just spotted a leopard” and his pal replying: “Don’t be daft, they’re born with spots”.
Anyway, The Express reported that traps were set and a creature was caught which was sent to London Zoo where it was identified as a lynx. Later it turned out London Zoo had no record of receiving any such animal. It was the biggest animal tall tale since there were three bears and one married a giraffe. The other two putREAD MORE
UK SIGHTINGS: Mystery over 'Palace Puma' big cat sighting
A PUMA or panther is on the prowl in Crystal Palace according to a journalist who spotted a big cat there on Saturday.
The beast - dubbed the Palace Puma - was sighted in some woodland by journalist Helen Barrett, 41, who was out for a walk with her family.
They were so terrified that they fled from the “wild animal” - described as black and 5ft in length - after it approached them on a pathway between Church Road and Auckland Hill at 3.45pm.
Mrs Barrett said: “It was quite alarming. READ MORE
UK SIGHTINGS: Police Frenzy in England over Mystery Sighting of Lion
Not the animal seen!
Police helicopters scrambled and teams of hunters
are combing the countryside in England to locate a mystery lion reported
in the fields of an obscure backwater called Clacton-on-Sea. Locals say
the scale of the operation is akin to a mass murderer on the loose.
Early reports described a large cat with a mane. One local resident
reported a loud roar, while a blurred photograph of a cat published in The Guardian did little to clarify the confusion. The insightful opinion of an expert from a local zoo when interviewed by the BBC was:…it shows an animal in a field… we cannot say for sure what it is…READ MORE
UK SIGHTINGS: Possible wild cat nr Crowborough - bigcatsinsussex
29th of august around midnight,a vehicle
driving past Herons Gyll near Crowborough and 2 witnesses reported to
this website seeing what they could only describe as a large wild cat
closely resembling a Scottish wild cat. Much larger than a domestic of a
tabby colour they described seeing a clubby tail with distinctive black
stripes just like a Scottish wild cat however they could make out a
white tip on the tail. I have been reliably informed by members of the
Scottish wild cat society that numbers of these cats are dangerously
dwindling to less than 300 and only in their heartlands of Scotland,
this is due, in part, to breeding with domestic in origin cats and it is
beyond the realms of possibility for A Scottish wild cat to be
wandering around in Sussex but where have we heard that before?!
Although it is entirely possible that the witnesses did see an over large domestic on the prowl the sighting is interesting as it`s in an area where exceedingly large wild/feral/cross-bred cats of all sorts of different shapes have been reported over a very long period of time. Multiple witnesses have described seeing cats that in no way could of been able to fit through a standard cat flap. One of the most interesting was near Mayfield in February 2012 when a witness described seeing a cat larger than a fox of a sandy colour with white stripes and a long tail eating what appeared to be a small animal or bird on the ground. I investigated the report at the time and did indeed find some rabbit fur where the witness said they had saw it but not much else. On the way back to the vehicle another witness told me about seeing a similarly described cat only much closer and said it was not like any cat they had seen before and having worked at the cat centre on the Ashdown forest had certainly come across most breeds of cat. Truly feral cats domestic in origin are quite common in Sussex and in certain areas one or two can appear huge, a couple of years ago a trail camera I had set up in a feral hot spot produced clear pictures of a sandy cat with a thick rudder-like tail of the size of a vixen, having blogged the pictures a forestry worker got in contact and said he had a seen a similar sized and looking cat with 2 kittens so a much larger tom cat perhaps would of been around. The species origin of the usually reported to this website READ MORE
Although it is entirely possible that the witnesses did see an over large domestic on the prowl the sighting is interesting as it`s in an area where exceedingly large wild/feral/cross-bred cats of all sorts of different shapes have been reported over a very long period of time. Multiple witnesses have described seeing cats that in no way could of been able to fit through a standard cat flap. One of the most interesting was near Mayfield in February 2012 when a witness described seeing a cat larger than a fox of a sandy colour with white stripes and a long tail eating what appeared to be a small animal or bird on the ground. I investigated the report at the time and did indeed find some rabbit fur where the witness said they had saw it but not much else. On the way back to the vehicle another witness told me about seeing a similarly described cat only much closer and said it was not like any cat they had seen before and having worked at the cat centre on the Ashdown forest had certainly come across most breeds of cat. Truly feral cats domestic in origin are quite common in Sussex and in certain areas one or two can appear huge, a couple of years ago a trail camera I had set up in a feral hot spot produced clear pictures of a sandy cat with a thick rudder-like tail of the size of a vixen, having blogged the pictures a forestry worker got in contact and said he had a seen a similar sized and looking cat with 2 kittens so a much larger tom cat perhaps would of been around. The species origin of the usually reported to this website READ MORE
UK SIGHTINGS: Mystery of cat sightings deepens
The mystery of big cats on the Mendips deepens as photographs have
come to light which show an enormous cat taken at the time of a series
of mysterious livestock killings last year. Andrew Highfield, of West Pennard, photographed this big
cat last year, but after failing to identify it thought no more of the
matter.
However, after seeing reports in the local paper of sightings of a "wild cat", Mr. Highfield decided to share his picture. Andrew said: "I showed the picture to a vet and he said it might be a Russian Blue or a Maine Coon. If you look at the picture, you can compare the cat to my cat – it's much bigger. And this picture was taken from 35 metres away or so!" Mr Highfield had seen the cat a number of times before and after the photograph was taken, often darting between houses at night or wondering into gardens during the day. This wild behaviour led him to believe it was not domesticated.
However, after seeing reports in the local paper of sightings of a "wild cat", Mr. Highfield decided to share his picture. Andrew said: "I showed the picture to a vet and he said it might be a Russian Blue or a Maine Coon. If you look at the picture, you can compare the cat to my cat – it's much bigger. And this picture was taken from 35 metres away or so!" Mr Highfield had seen the cat a number of times before and after the photograph was taken, often darting between houses at night or wondering into gardens during the day. This wild behaviour led him to believe it was not domesticated.
UK SIGHTINGS: Big Cats Gazetteer
A38 Big Cat (2001)
On Wednesday, 22 August, 2001 the BBC News website published the following article entitled 'Lioness' spotted by motorists’Motorists at a Somerset petrol station raised the alarm when they spotted a "big cat" in an adjoining field READ MORE
NEWSLINK: Dentist extracts teeth from Paignton Zoo's Asiatic lion
An Asiatic lion at a Devon zoo has had two teeth removed by a dentist who normally treats humans.The dentist, who has a surgery in London, has worked with pandas, whales and gorillas.
A zoo spokesman said it was believed the female lion had chipped her teeth while biting on something hard and that she was recovering well. 'Serious business' An adult Asiatic lion weighs about 20 stone (130 kg) and has up to 30 teeth, including canines that can be many inches in length, a zoo spokesman added.
Dr Kertesz said: "Animals or people, it's all the same - they need treatment, they get treatment. The scale and the location is what varies. "People ask if this is just a bit of fun, but it is a very serious business. The health and sometimes the life of a rare creature is in your hands.
Read on...
Tuesday, 17 December 2013
UK SIGHTINGS: Secret camera footage by big cat investigator reveals ...
Secret
camera footage by big cat investigator reveals ...
IMAGES of big cats have yet to be conclusively
captured in the county – but all manner of wildlife in its natural environment
is getting up close and ...
| www.gloucestercitizen.co.uk/Secret-camera...s/.../story.html |
US SIGHTINGS: Wildlife chief: Louisiana panther sightings are 'sort of like Bigfoot ...
Wildlife
chief: Louisiana panther sightings are 'sort of like Bigfoot
...
MONROE, La. -- Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries
Secretary Robert Barham said he puts black panther sightings in the same
category as another ...
| www.sunherald.com/.../wildlife-chief-louisiana-panther.html |
NEWSLINK: Vanishing mystery of three-legged Benji, the cat that likes travelling ...
| Vanishing
mystery of three-legged Benji, the cat that likes travelling
... Huddersfield Examiner
Claire and Steve have had Benji from birth seven years
ago, along with his sister, Poppy, and are desperate to have their three-legged
cat home in time for ...
|
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NEWSLINK: Major tiger sanctuary announced for Indonesia
Indonesia’s forestry department has announced plans for the establishment of a major tiger sanctuary for illegally trapped and captured Sumatran tigers. With just 300 individual tigers left in the wild the new plan will be a major contribution towards helping prevent the extinction of the species.
The tiger sanctuary will be developed in Riau province and will consist of semi-natural land that will be developed to replicate a true tiger habitat. The Forestry Ministry are working with experts from Yogyakarta’s Gadjah Mada University (UGM) to get the tiger sanctuary established and it is hoped to be completed next year.
NEWSLINK: Cat Domestication Traced to Chinese Farmers 5,300 Years Ago
Dec. 16, 2013 — Five-thousand years before it was immortalized in a British nursery rhyme, the cat that caught the rat that ate the malt was doing just fine living alongside farmers in the ancient Chinese village of Quanhucun, a forthcoming study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has confirmed.
"At least three different lines of scientific inquiry allow us to tell a story about cat domestication that is reminiscent of the old 'house that Jack built' nursery rhyme," said study co-author Fiona Marshall, PhD, a professor of archaeology in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.
"Our data suggest that cats were attracted to ancient farming villages by small animals, such as rodents that were living on the grain that the farmers grew, ate and stored."
Read more ...
| The
Mysterious Origins of Cat Domestication in China io9
... villages to feed on rodents, which were
stealing farmers' grains. The research shows, for the first time, how the
process of cat domestication started.
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Sunday, 15 December 2013
UK SIGHTINGS: Mystery of Epping Forest 'big cat' is solved
| Mystery
of Epping Forest 'big cat' is solved The Independent
Sadly, this 'big cat' was found in a big fly
tip, then left in a tree." This isn't the first time fears have been sparked by
'sightings' of big cats in Essex, most ...
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NEWSLINK: Attacks, deaths rampant at wild cat sanctuaries
Attacks,
deaths rampant at wild cat sanctuaries Yakima Herald-Republic
The growth in both the number of wild cats as
pets and the sanctuaries that ... Since 1990, more than 20 people have
been killed by captive big wild cats at ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
NEWSLINK: Big cat killed
| Big
cat killed WWLP 22News
The 18-month old cat was found Saturday, about
50 yards off the trail. ... about the Florida Panther shot dead this
weekend at Big Cypress National Preserve.
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NEWSLINK: Tiger tamer attacked at circus show
| Tiger
tamer attacked at circus show New York Daily News
Cellphone footage filmed by an audience member shows
the big cat slashing at the ... A circus worker had to strike the
big cat with a stick to get it off Gottani.
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NEWSLINK: Virus outbreak that killed 7 big cats appears over
| Virus
outbreak that killed 7 big cats appears over MyFox Austin
WYLIE, Texas (AP) - A spokeswoman for a North Texas
animal sanctuary where seven big cats have died of a virus says the worst
of the outbreak appears to be ...
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Saturday, 14 December 2013
NEW ZEALAND SIGHTING: Do Pumas and Black Panthers really roam our Countryside
Once Mr Stewart’s
initial shock wore off, he may have recalled a couple of other high
profile sightings that had been reported over recent years. Little would
he have known however, that these incidents were just the latest in a
string of similar sightings which research has uncovered, span back at
least four decades.What follows is a complete overview of alien (as in foreign) big cat sightings in NZ and abroad. This is a fascinating story that deserves to be told to a largely uninformed public. Several of the following sightings are being reported for the first time and where requested, witnesses’ names have been omitted.
It was January 1962, and after a long and hot day’s work, an orchard worker in the Cromwell Gorge area decided to go out and enjoy the summers evening exploring the nearby countryside in an area since flooded by the Clyde Dam. As he approached a derelict miner’s cottage at the base of a barren hillside, he observed not far up the hill a fawn coloured, cat-like animal that he immediately identified as a puma. Upon being disturbed, the mystery feline quickly scampered off and was lost among the rocks
READ MORE
IRISH SIGHTINGS: Is big cat on the prowl in Co Down?
A black panther has been blamed for mauling and killing sheep on a number of farms across Co Down.Police and the USPCA have urged vigilance in Dromara following claims of sightings of a "big cat" terrorising livestock.
A PSNI spokeswoman said over recent weeks a number of farmers in the Hill Road, Ballynahinch Road and Mullaghdrin Road areas of Dromara and Hillsborough have reported sheep missing and others bloodied.
Some residents have also claimed to have seen a big cat in the same general area over a similar period of time.
PSNI statistics reveal that there were 23 reports of big cats stalking the countryside between February 2005 and April 2009.
Lisburn DUP councillor Luke Poots said sheep farmers were concerned READ MORE
US SIGHTINGS: 6 MAY/13 7 Large Cat Sighting in Simsbury
Between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m., Sunday, May 5, 2013, my husband and I
spotted two large cats in the Mountain Farms neighborhood in West
Simsbury. We were talking a walk around our front yard, when movement from the
cul-de-sac's common area caught my eye. I looked up to see two large
objects running from the street to Ethel Walker woods that butt up
against the neighbor's yards.
The first figure slipped off into the brush before I could note anything other than movement, but I pointed to the second one, and my husband and I got a good look at it before it also disappeared into the woods.
The figure was backlit, so we couldn't make out any color or markings. I immediately looked at the head, thinking it was a coyote. Realizing the head shape wasn't canine, but feline shaped, I checked body size, thinking it was the neighbor's cat. The animal was much too large to be a housecat. My husband and I estimate it to be about three and a half feet long- NOT INCLUDING THE TAIL.
The tail is what stopped us. The tail was at least a foot and a half long, and it was held in a very distinct angle. The first six inches or so were held up and away from the rear of the animal at a 45 degree angle, then the rest of the tail sloped down from that point. There was no white visible on any part of the tail, which, even though the animal was backlit, would still have been able to be seen given how close we were to them (we were about 100 yards off).
The last impressions we were left with before the animal was gone from our view was that it had very thick legs and paws, and it didn't run like a dog.READ MORE
The first figure slipped off into the brush before I could note anything other than movement, but I pointed to the second one, and my husband and I got a good look at it before it also disappeared into the woods.
The figure was backlit, so we couldn't make out any color or markings. I immediately looked at the head, thinking it was a coyote. Realizing the head shape wasn't canine, but feline shaped, I checked body size, thinking it was the neighbor's cat. The animal was much too large to be a housecat. My husband and I estimate it to be about three and a half feet long- NOT INCLUDING THE TAIL.
The tail is what stopped us. The tail was at least a foot and a half long, and it was held in a very distinct angle. The first six inches or so were held up and away from the rear of the animal at a 45 degree angle, then the rest of the tail sloped down from that point. There was no white visible on any part of the tail, which, even though the animal was backlit, would still have been able to be seen given how close we were to them (we were about 100 yards off).
The last impressions we were left with before the animal was gone from our view was that it had very thick legs and paws, and it didn't run like a dog.READ MORE
US SIGHTING: Mystery cat photographed: Panther or bobcat? Or something else?
It's a perennial stalemate that has lingered for decades, with dozens of sightings reported annually across Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina.
Without evidence, however, the reports are routinely dismissed as mistaken identity linked to hound dogs, bobcats, large feral cats or small deer.
The lone exception was a 140-pound panther killed during a black powder hunt in 2008 near West Point Lake in Troup County. Genetic tests confirm
NEWSLINK: Save the Scottish wildcat
North Devon columist TOM WILLIAMS (VET) is involved in helping the SCOTISH WILDCAT.In his article he mentions how the SCOTTISH WILDCAT is 1 of the worlds most critically endangered animals,estimates suggest as few as 35 indivduals left in isolated pockets and thier wilderness is shrinking.The project the vet is involved with will require wildcats to be humanely trapped and sedated in the field so data can be recorded and and tracking devices placed,camera traps as well.More infromation can be found in the NORTHDEVONJOURNAL -PAGE 26 -THURSDAY 12 DECEMBER 2013 .FOR MORE INFO
FEATURELINK: Scotland’s Mystery Cats
Nicola Martin took snaps of huge prints on a beach near Coylton, Ayrshire. Photo credit: www.thesun.co.uk
But recent reports from Scotland claim there have been sightings of large mysterious felines during the last decades of the 20th century and at the start of the current century. These incidents are reported on as eagerly as Nessie sightings. The large cats tend to be elusive and have led to tales of such creatures as the “Beast of Bennachie” and the “Cougar of Cupar.”
One witness claimed “(I saw) what I thought was a black Labrador…(but) I am 100% sure it to be a tiger-like creature walking slowly across the field.” Also like Nessie, the elusive big cats have initiated debates about their existence. Scottish Secretary Michael Forsyth claimed that the big cats are actually dogs or foxes.
But the sheer number of sightings have made believers out of many. Internet web sites are dedicated to chronicling big cat sightings, and a retired policeman from Inverness has collected reports of distinct...
Read on..
NEWSLINK: Emergency funding keeps Russia’s rare Amur tigers fed this winter
The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) has made an emergency grant to ensure that rare Amur tigers are kept fed and away from conflict with humans in the Russian Far East this winter. But the money won’t be used to dish out food directly to the tigers but to buy forage for the wild boar that make up fifty per cent of the big cats’ diet.
The worst floods in 50 years and a shortage of acorns and cedar nuts in the Anyuisky National Park, which is home to about 20 rare Amur tigers, has meant that the predators’ favourite food is struggling to survive.
NEWSLINK: Endangered Florida Panther Found Shot Dead in Nature Reserve
An endangered Florida panther was found shot dead over the weekend, in the Big Cypress National Preserve, a (supposedly) protected area for wildlife. The death is significant as there are only 100 to 160 Florida panthers remaining, scientists estimate.
The National Park Service is asking anybody with information to come forward. It's a crime to kill a panther, with a maximum penalty of a year in prison and a $100,000 fine, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
US SIGHTINGS: Myth of the black panther
Myth
of the black panther Monroe News Star
“It's sort of like Bigfoot. But the truth is
there are no black panthers in Louisiana.” No black panther claim has ever been
authenticated, Barham said.
| See all stories on this topic » |
UK SIGHTING: Big cat sighting! | The Guinea Pig Forum
Big
cat sighting! | The Guinea Pig Forum
Well, make what you will of this, but last night my
husband and I were driving home through the countryside when we saw a
large animal on the verge, just...
| www.theguineapigforum.co.uk/.../big-cat-sighting.109055/ |
US SIGHTING: Animal not likely a cougar, Glencoe officials say
Animal
not likely a cougar, Glencoe officials say Chicago Tribune
Officials in Glencoe urged residents to exercise
caution a day after a horticulturist for the Chicago Botanic Garden reported
seeing a big cat run into a wooded ...
| See all stories on this topic » |
Monday, 9 December 2013
UK SIGHTINGS: Big cat sightings in the UK. - Page 2 - RIBnet Forums
Big
cat sightings in the UK. - Page 2 - RIBnet Forums
Back to reality yes I've seen a "big cat" dunno
what it was, but it weren't a domestic pussy cat. I had to stop & let it
stroll across the road in front of me one morning ...
| www.rib.net/forum/.../big-cat-sightings-in-the-uk-59493-2.ht... |
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