Do Mysterious Big Cats Prowl the British Countryside?

Our country's version of Big Foot or just the logical result of new laws that forced exotic pet owners to free their animals in the 1970s? One thing's for sure: reported sightings of big cats are on the rise in the UK, while new studies seek to prove their existence. According to the BBC, there were over 1,000 reported sightings of large cats in the UK during one twelve-month period in 2004 and 2005. But, while authorities appear to take these reports seriously, there's also been several high-profile cases of mistaken identity. Most famous, perhaps, is the case of the "Essex Lion". Residents of a caravan park in the county reported seeing a "very large animal," creeping through the nearby woods in 2012, prompting police to launch a wide hunt for the creature. The police were armed, two helicopters equipped with infrared sensors were put in the air and handlers from a local zoo were called in with tranquiliser guns. Then, a local woman came forward, stating that the "lion" was, in fact, her pet cat "Teddy Bear". Hey, Teddy's a Maine Coon, they're pretty big.-READ MORE LINK-http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2015/01/do-mysterious-big-cats-prowl-the-british-countryside/