Wednesday 27 March 2013

WOOLSERY MYSTERY CAT SIGHTING?

As regular CFZ-watchers will know, this week we have Danish zoologist Lars Thomas and his two sons as houseguests. This morning, Lars went for a brisk constitutional around the village, and went down to the Community Centre where we hold the Weird Weekend. A car drew up beside him, and the driver asked whether he was one of  "those blokes from the Weird Weekend". Lars answered that indeed he was, and the driver told him a fascinating story:

Last sunday shortly after midnight he was driving through the village, passing the Community Centre, when a "big black animal with a long taSouth Park. He lost sight of it behind a bush. He described it as being black with a lighter underside.
il, looking like a giant house cat" ran across the road, and ran along the hedge-line past the little estate called - don't laugh -

Lars took a closer look at the hedge line and found a twig with some hairs on, about 12" off the ground. He has taken the samples, and will be taking them back to Denmark for analysis.

Weird huh?










RAC set to probe feral big cat sighting

RAC set to probe feral big cat sighting
Smallholder
Following the sighting of what appeared to be a feral big cat in Gloucestershire, the Cirencester-based Royal Agricultural College been given 20 motion-trap cameras to further its investigation into the phenomena. The study is being properly conducted ...
See all stories on this topic »

Sunday 24 March 2013

NEWSLINK: Flying Kites for Some Big Felines

Flying Kites for Some Big Felines
KNWA
Kites were flying high at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge to raise money for big cats. Folks stopped by the refuge in Eureka Springs on Saturday to learn how to make and fly kites properly. The event was free, but many made donations to help with ...

NEWSLINK: Zoo working to finish specific large cat habitats

Zoo working to finish specific large cat habitats
Topeka Capital Journal
GARDEN CITY — Jaguars love water, bobcats must hide. So, the staff at the Lee Richardson Zoo is taking pains to meet the needs of each breed as the new Cat Canyon habitat nears completion. The new habitat will replace a “Cats of the Americas” exhibit ...

NEWSLINK: A big cat country

A big cat country
Hindustan Times
But there are several other smaller sanctuaries around the country that are home to the big cat, and where you can spot some stripes and avoid the crowds. Yusuf Poonawala, VP-Bharat Deko, Cox & Kings Ltd, says, “With the increase in awareness of nature ...

UK SIGHTINGS: Gloucestershire

Big cat sighting near Dursley but no other evidence noted | Doubtful ...
A dusk sighting of a supposed big cat on February 28 in Gloucestershire. Big cat sighting near Dursley stuns mum and daughter | This is Gloucestershire. A.

NEWSLINK: Leopards In Human Habitats: Big Cats Live Near Villages In India ...

Leopards In Human Habitats: Big Cats Live Near Villages In India ...
No wonder there are so many reports of leopard attacks in India -- the big cats are living a lot closer to humans than you may imagine. Recent research focusing ...

FEATURELINK: HowStuffWorks "The Ultimate Guide: Big Cats: Big Cat Evolution"

HowStuffWorks "The Ultimate Guide: Big Cats: Big Cat Evolution"
From the trees to the plains, learn about the evolution of big cats ...

NEWSLINK: Andrew Lancaster, Taxidermist, Sells Cat Skin Rug On 'Trade Me' Auction Site ...

Cat Skin RugAndrew Lancaster, Taxidermist, Sells Cat Skin Rug On 'Trade Me' Auction Site ...
Huffington Post
... Animals In The News, Cat Rug, Cat Skin Rug, Cat Skin Rug Auction Site, Cat Skin Rug Sells, Weird News. Cat Skin Rug. This cat skin rug sold for almost $1,000. Me-ouch. A bidding war for a large cat skin rug ended Tuesday when the feline sold for $955.


NEWSLINK: Lensmen break night ban, enter the big cat's lair

Lensmen break night ban, enter the big cat's lair
Deccan Chronicle
Bengaluru: Violating the ban on night traffic in the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve (NTR) the owner of a resort ventured inside its core zone with a team of seven photographers in a vehicle on the pretext of escorting water tankers filling a water hole ...

NEWSLINK: State regulation of big cat, primate ownership debated

State regulation of big cat, primate ownership debated
Fort Worth Star Telegram
The issue of whether to regulate the ownership of "big cats and nonhuman primates" drew fierce debate at a House committee hearing this week, as animal rights advocates said that unregulated large animals pose a threat to public safety, while owners of ...
See all stories on this topic »

Thursday 21 March 2013

NEWSLINK: Big leopard numbers in human habitats: Study

Big leopard numbers in human habitats: Study
Times of India
Breaking that myth, a new study has found that a large number of these big cats may be residing in human habitats, quietly sharing space with people in villages, farmlands and even on the edge of towns. The study was conducted in a densely populated ...

FEATURELINK: Surgery aims to help big cat overcome arthritis

Surgery aims to help big cat overcome arthritis
WFAA
It has been only mildly successful in dogs, but doctors say it is gaining traction in big cats. The hope is Tacoma starts using his legs again. "You can't have a tiger that can't get up. That would be a death sentence for him," said veterinarian Dr ...

FEATURELINK: Who's a big scaredy cat? Cheetah flees in terror after the fox it was chasing ...

Who's a big scaredy cat? Cheetah flees in terror after the fox it was chasing ...
Daily Mail
The female big cat had been stalking a Thomson's gazelle around in Tanzania's Ngorongoro conservation area when two bat-eared foxes wandered a little too close to her cubs. Deciding that the foxes would maker an easy dinner, the cheetah allowed the ...

NEWSLINK: Beware! The big cat is close

Beware! The big cat is close
Deccan Chronicle
They added that whether the animal was a large leopard or tiger was under investigation. The news of a tiger on the prowl in Bannerghatta was first heard in the last month of 2012 but there was no evidence to prove anything. But in the next month, two ...

Wednesday 20 March 2013

UK SIGHTINGS: "Big cat" sighting near Dursley stuns mum and daughter

"Big cat" sighting near Dursley stuns mum and daughter
This is Gloucestershire
A MUM and her young daughter were stunned to see a "big cat" freeze in front of them and then dash off along a lane near Dursley. She said the brown cat-like creature appeared to have been taken by surprise by her car and they saw it for long enough to 

Sunday 17 March 2013

Does one and a half million deer mean more food for Britain's Big Cats?

A recent study by the University of East Anglia into deer population in Thetford Forest on the Norfolk/Suffolk border reveals the UK deer population is much bigger than previous believed - as many as one and a half million. This is reaching population levels not seen since the Ice Age. While it's been covered a lot in the news of late, so far I haven't come across any discussion on the implications of this for Britain's "Alien Big Cat" population. 

Bits of deer are among the items on Jonathan McGowan's stall showing evidence of British "Big Cat" kills that he's collected over the years

British "Big Cat" expert Jonathan McGowan (he prefers the term "large cat" to describe the predators at large in the UK, which aren't so alien anymore,) in a talk on Britain's "large cats" at last year's CFZ "Weird Weekend" conference, said "Deer are the key to big cats… Throughout Britain, wherever there are deer in large numbers, there a large cats." He mentioned sika deer in particular, which are "great breeders." Sika deer are now established in Norfolk, and are turning up occasionally in Suffolk, and Suffolk's wildlife and conservation people have been concerned for some years now that muntjac deer in particular are destroying the bluebells in the bluebell woods. Back in 2009, Dr Simone Bullion'sThe Mammals of Suffolk was already talking about "the triumph of the deer."

Read on...

USA SIGHTINGS: Big cat photographed in East Peoria

UK SIGHTINGS: Tiers Cross big cat mystery

Tiers Cross big cat mystery
Western Telegraph
Last month it was a mystery beast washed up on a beach; this month the Pembrokeshire big cat is clawing its way back into the limelight with possible sightings in the Tiers Cross and Milford Haven area. Local resident Andy Chandler is hoping that ...

Saturday 16 March 2013

FEATURELINK: Mission to save jaguar exposes big cats' plight in Brazil

Mission to save jaguar exposes big cats' plight in Brazil
It was late at night at the Preto Velho ranch when the unsuspecting jaguar approached the trap, took the bait -- and was downed by a tranquilizer dart.

UK SIGHTINGS: Tiers Cross big cat mystery

Tiers Cross big cat mystery
Western Telegraph
Last month it was a mystery beast washed up on a beach; this month the Pembrokeshire big cat is clawing its way back into the limelight with possible sightings in the Tiers Cross and Milford Haven area. Local resident Andy Chandler is hoping that ...

Wednesday 13 March 2013

NEWSLINK: Mission to save jaguar exposes big cats' plight in Brazil

Mission to save jaguar exposes big cats' plight in Brazil
New Straits Times
The jaguar — like lions, tigers, and leopards — is scientifically classified as a panther, and as with the other large cats, typically requires large areas of unspoiled nature. The species also benefits from a long maturation period, under the care ...

Friday 8 March 2013

A SELECTION OF STORIES ON CALIFORNIA LION ATTACK

Lion kills worker at California big cat park
NBCNews.com (blog)
... shot and killed the lion after it killed a worker Wednesday, March 6, at Project Survival's Cat Haven in Dunlap, Calif. By M. Alex Johnson, staff writer, NBC News. A lion mauled an employee of a big cat park Wednesday to death in California ...
Worker mauled to death at California sanctuary by her favorite lion
CNN
Hanson had been at the 100-acre wooded Northern California facility since January-- working as an intern, bonding with the big cats it's home to. On a Facebook photo of her petting a tiger cub, a friend commented, "You have met your calling." Lion ...
Lion kills a woman at big cat sanctuary in Sierra Foothills
Bakersfield Californian
Another big cat sanctuary, Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Fla., told the AP last year that at least 21 people, including five children, have been killed and 246 mauled by exotic cats since 1990. Over that period, 254 cats escaped and 143 were killed. Tatiana ...
Lion kills woman interning at Calif. sanctuary
USA TODAY
An African lion killed a 26-year-old female intern who entered his enclosure Wednesday at a California sanctuary for rare big cats, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said. A deputy shot and killed the 4-year-old male lion after he attacked the woman ...
See all stories on this topic »
Authorities say a lion has killed someone at a private big cat sanctuary near ...
Washington Post
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Authorities say a lion has killed someone at a private big cat sanctuary near Fresno, Calif. Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Loading.
See all stories on this topic »
Lion kills worker at big cat park
Inland Empire News
A spokeswoman for Project Survival, the nonprofit that operates the site, said she didn't know how or when the park acquired the cat, a 4-year-old male. The 100-acre Cat Haven, which was founded in 1993 by former airline pilot Dale Anderson, promotes ...
See all stories on this topic »
Lion kills woman at private California big cat park
BBC News
A lion has killed a volunteer intern at a private big cat park near Fresno, California, officials say. The 26-year-old woman was attacked and killed when she entered the lion's enclosure, Project Survival founder Dale Anderson said in a statement.
See all stories on this topic »

BBC News
Lion Kills Volunteer Keeper At Big Cat Park
Yahoo! News UK
A lion has killed a volunteer at a big cat sanctuary in California after the worker climbed into the animal's cage. The 26-year-old woman was attacked inside an enclosure at Cat Haven in Dunlap by an African lion which had been raised at the park since ...
See all stories on this topic »

Yahoo! News UK
Lion Kills Worker at California...
ABC News
Sheriff's office was dispatched here concerning an injured person one of the workers was found in one of the big cat enclosures. When my deputies arrived on scene. They the victim was still mean... See More. Sheriff's office was dispatched here ...
See all stories on this topic »
Volunteer killed by lion at Calif. animal park
Zanesville Times Recorder
Since the 100-acre facility just west of Kings Canyon National Park opened two decades ago, it has housed numerous big cats, including tigers, leopards and other exotic species. It is permitted to house exotic animals by the California Department of ...
See all stories on this topic »
Dad of wildlife intern killed by lion: 'It was her dream job'
Q13 FOX
“Dianna really loved her 6-month internship at Cat Haven. She and I drove down there from Seattle on Jan 1 & 2 She was so excited at working in Cat Haven and living in California. Once there, she gave me the tour and showed me all the big cats there ...
See all stories on this topic »
Female volunteer killed in lion attack at Cat Haven sanctuary
Fresno Bee
The last attack by a big cat in California happened in 2007, when a Siberian tiger leaped and clawed out of its San Francisco Zoo enclosure, killing a 17-year-old boy and injuring two friends. Organizations with exotic-animal permits from Fish and ...
See all stories on this topic »
Lion kills worker at California big cat park - U.S. News
By M. Alex Johnson, staff writer, NBC News
A lion mauled an employee of a big cat park Wednesday to death in California, authorities said.
Newsvine - U.S. News - Articles
NFL Free Agency 2013: Brad Meester, Jaguars ... - Big Cat Country
By Alfie Crow
The Jacksonville Jaguars are figuring out which veterans they would like to keep and center Brad Meester could be one of them.
Big Cat Country - All Posts
Lion kills worker at sanctuary in California - Fox 59 News
By Braden Walker
Hanson had been at the 100-acre wooded Northern California facility since January– working as an intern, bonding with the big cats it's home to. On a Facebook photo of her petting a tiger cub, a friend commented, “You have met your calling.” ...
Fox 59 News - fox59.com
Lion Attacks, Kills Volunteer at Fresno Animal Sanctuary | KTLA 5
By tkurzweil
“Please honor Dianna's memory by helping her favorite cause: preserving the remaining big cats in the world,” Paul Hansen said in a statement. “She would ask us to do that for her.” “Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family at this ...
KTLA 5
Lion kills worker at California big cat park - U.S. News
A lion mauled an employee of a big cat park Wednesday to death in California, authorities said.
usnews.nbcnews.com/_.../17213355-lion-kills-worker-at-calif...
Person attacked, killed by lion at big cat sanctuary located ... - Newser
A lion killed a person on Wednesday at a private wild animal sanctuary in Central California, authorities said. The person was attacked and fatally injured after ...
www.newser.com/.../person-attacked-killed-by-lion-at-big-cat-...
Lion kills person at big cat sanctuary in California | Zanesville Times ...
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A lion killed a person on Wednesday at a private wild animal sanctuary in Central California, authorities said.
www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/.../Lion-kills-person-big-cat...
Victim of Fresno-area lion attack loved her job with big cats
Los Angeles Times
For Dianna Hanson, getting an internship at a remote feline conservancy in the hills east of Fresno was the culmination of a lifelong love of big cats. As a young girl, she drew pictures of tigers and told people she wanted to be a "pet store lady" or ...
See all stories on this topic »
Intern's dream job turns deadly at big cat preserve
KTVU San Francisco
The Seattle-area intern fatally mauled by a lion at a Central California exotic animal park loved lions and tigers since childhood, "was absolutely fearless" around them and hoped to work at a zoo after her six-month internship, her father said late ...
See all stories on this topic »
Letter reveals Hanson's introduction to big cats
HeraldNet
As my mother can tell you, I have had the goals of working with big cats since she adopted a tiger in my name when I was seven and I'm happy to say that with the support of my mom, dad, step-father and everyone else in my life, I'm getting there. I ...
See all stories on this topic »
Intern Mauled to Death at Big Cat Sanctuary
Newser
(Newser) – Tragedy in California yesterday, where a 24-year-old was mauled to death by a lion at a big cat sanctuary. The AP identifies the victim as Dianna Hanson, an intern at Project Survival's Cat Haven whose father described her as "absolutely ...

NEWSLINK: One Leopard is poached every month is Rajasthan as big cat population ...

One Leopard is poached every month is Rajasthan as big cat population ...
Daily Mail
If speeding vehicles and poachers weren't enough threats to the dwindling leopard population, the big cats have run into a new risk - of becoming a food source for forest tribals. Two tribal poachers who were caught cooking the skin of a leopard cub ...
See all stories on this topic »

Daily Mail

NEWSLINK: Mission to save jaguar exposes big cats' plight in Brazil

Mission to save jaguar exposes big cats' plight in Brazil
Phys.Org
Nex, an NGO aimed at preserving and defending the life of endangered Brazilian wild cats, has a sanctuary in the state of Goias which receives big cats from

SIGHTINGS UK: Sisters are shocked by huge cat-like creature

Sisters are shocked by huge cat-like creature
shropshirestar.com
He is now a teacher at Coleham School in Shrewsbury, but gained a zoology degree and worked as a student zoo keeper at Chester Zoo with the large cats and then had a job with the big cats at Dudley Zoo. He stressed that the animal would not be a big ...

UK SIGHTINGS: Fears of big cat after 'horrific' sheep attack

Fears of big cat after 'horrific' sheep attack
cambrian-news.co.uk
FEARS have been raised that a big cat may be on the loose in south Ceredigion after sheep at a Talsarn smallholding were mauled in the middle of the night. Two sheep were killed while more have disappeared from the smallholding where the owner - who ...

Saturday 2 March 2013

DAN HOLDSWORTH: I wonder how many times this has been done

http://terriermandotcom.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/winter-fun-with-old-boots.html

Add in a couple more prints on the ends of walking sticks, and you have
a way of creating realistic-looking quadruped tracks...

FEATURELINK: How does a lynx cross a fence? Remarkable photos

world/nth_america_2011/lynx_banf5Rare images of lynx family in Banff National Park
February 2013. Alex Taylor, a human-wildlife conflict specialist who works for Parks Canada, was sent to intervene to help keep a lynx and her kitten off the highway near Canada's Lake Louise in Banff National Park. While on the scene, Alex snapped an incredibly rare sequence of images of the animals as they crossed highway fencing.
"As the pictures clearly portray, lynx are incredibly agile and flexible animals - this sequence is nothing short of stunning," said Omar McDadi, a Parks Canada Communications Officer. "We believe this is the first time lynx have been captured on film crossing highway fencing in this fashion."

Lynx sightings in Banff National Park are rare, though last March a lynx was snapped using one of the park's wildlife overpasses.
Lynx intrusions on fenced parts of the highway are also rare. Since their installation in 1996, highway fencing and wildlife overpasses and underpasses along the Trans-Canada Highway in Banff National Park have helped reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions by over 80% for large mammals (96% for elk and deer). Wildlife fencing has also helped make the Trans-Canada Highway safer for drivers by preventing collisions and reducing property damage.

US SIGHTINGS: Black cougar sightings have Waco neighborhood on alert

Black cougar sightings have Waco neighborhood on alert
Waco Tribune-Herald
After her experience, Bickly said she and her husband sat on their back deck for a while with deer rifles just in case the big cats came around the house and spooked their horses. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department website, there are ...

UK SIGHTINGS: Police warn of 'panther' after cat sighting in Norwich

Police warn of 'panther' after cat sighting in Norwich
The Sun
Fearful staff at a camping club alerted police after finding a savaged deer and other witnesses said they saw a large black cat nearby. Officers scoured the area but could find no evidence of the animal. They then took to Twitter to warn locals that ...
See all stories on this topic »