NEWSLINK via Mark Raines: Corsica 'cat-fox' could be new species, say experts

At first, it appears much like an ordinary furry domestic cat.

But take a closer look and you'll find that it is much longer than an average cat, measuring around 90cms, its ears are larger, it has overly developped canines and the tip of its tail ends in a black tuft.

Not to be confused with the Borneo cat-fox (or cat-dog-fox-monkey-lemur) discovered by the appropriately named Dr Stephen Wulffraat about 15 years ago, the Corsica cat-fox has existed for some time in local legend, according to Pierre Benedetti, one of the researchers and chief environmental technician with the ONCFS.

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SIGHTING, SCOTLAND: Woman left ‘frantic’ after sighting of ‘panther’ near Brechin primary school

The young woman left a message on a Brechin Community Facebook page saying: “My mum has just had me panicking, she was frantic shouting and screaming in the kitchen, she is making her pancakes and has been looking out her window, she has seen the black panther out in the Wood Yard.

“I myself witnessed him. Please anyone out walking your dog in the Wood Yard (Guthrie Park/Strachans Park area) this evening, be careful he doesn’t cross your path.”

The Wood Yard is to the rear of Andover Primary School, and leads to the Bog Road area of the town, with the Caledonian Railway line above it.

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NEWSLINK: Tiger attacks farmer in Ranthambore

A 35-year-old farmer was allegedly attacked by a tiger in the Khandar area of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve on Monday. The victim, identified as Mohan Rebari, a resident of Laxmipura village on the periphery of the reserve, had gone inside to relieve himself in the forest when he was mauled by the tiger.

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NEWSLINK: Black panther seen dropping from a tree at Mount Sugarloaf

A black panther has been sighted at Mount Sugarloaf.

Chris Trees, 35, was riding his mountain bike when he spotted "a big, black cat" drop from a red gum tree.

"It was easily the size of a rottweiler. It had a big, black, bushy tail. It scared the shit out of me," said Chris, of Macquarie Hills.

"I go to the top of Sugarloaf and ride my mountain bike down. It's about two kilometres along Sugarloaf Range Road - there's a turn-off after the first small aerial tower.

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VIDEO: Los Gatos woman records standoff between mountain lion and coyotes in her backyard

A homeowner captured some remarkable video of a standoff between a mountain lion and two coyotes in Los Gatos.

It all took place in Monica Hylbert's backyard on Friday morning. She heard strange sounds coming from the foothills of her neighborhood.

"Just after 7 a.m. I heard growling and the yipping of coyotes," said Hylbert.

In the video, the coyotes appear to work together to corral the big cat and stop it from moving forward.

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NEWSLINK: Do Big Cats Get Hairballs?

Sometimes it's hard to decide which gift from your cat is your favorite. Is it the half-eaten beetle, the pool of vomit, or the hairballs?

Like it or not, most cat owners contend with hairballs at some point: Domestic cats spend up to half their waking hours grooming themselves.

But, we wondered, does the same thing happen to wildcats?

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SIGHTINGS, UK: Multiple big cat sightings in Hatherleigh

A number of people have reported seeing a ‘black panther’ sized cat on the outskirts of Hatherleigh.

The reports come after a string of sightings across the South West earlier this year. Residents have reported seeing a large cat in multiple locations in Hatherleigh and the surrounding areas. Clare Louise Ellerton was walking along Runnon Moor Lane when a large black cat ‘the size of a Labrador’ was seen running towards nearby woodland last week.

“As I was driving to take my dogs for a walk along the cycle path it ran out in front of our car,” said Clare. “It ran into the woody area at the side of Moor View, it was definitely not a dog, it was very sleek and long. I stopped some people who were also walking towards us who saw it too. The other people said that they watched it run into the woods.”

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UK: Big cat expert claims five confirmed sightings of pumas in UK with breeding population of 250 across country

A wildcat expert revealed there have been five confirmed sightings of pumas in the UK and warned a population of around 250 are breeding across the country.

Rick Minter, Britain's leading big cat tracker, said he has seen "conclusive" videos of the animals amid estimates that hundreds have made the UK their home.

Commenting on the rush of sightings this year, former countryside government adviser Minter says he regularly receives reports of the American mountain lions and black panthers.

He told Daily Star Online: “Some snippets of big cats have been caught on trail cameras or camera traps. Several of these are shown at my talks.

“There was one farmer coming away from a meeting and he showed it on his mobile phone.

Absolutely 10 out of 10 quality video footage of a puma on his land.

We came back jaw-dropping… but he was keeping it quiet and to himself.”

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PHOTOS: Tigress gives birth to three cubs at Panna

Panna Tiger Reserve is welcoming new tiger cubs in its jungle areas after starting the rehabilitation project. About one month back, a tigress had given birth to three cubs which increased the number of tigers at Panna from 42 to 45. Talking about the birth of cubs, Panna officials said that they are worried about the tigress and three cubs as there is no radio collar on their neck. They said that though patrolling guard and field staff have been deployed to ensure safety of the big cats but due to lack of radio collar their lives are in danger. The tigress with the three cubs are in buffer zone for a month but Forest Department failed to click photographs of the big cats.

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NEWSLINK: Tiger kills one in Brahmapuri forest in Chandrapur district

A tiger claimed one more life in Brahmapuri forest in Chandrapur district on Friday evening. Ashok Janglu Chaudhary, 53, a forest labourer was attacked when he was returning to Gunjewahi village near Sindewahi town.

“He was a fire-watcher in Gunjewahi beat and was returning after finishing the days work. He was found dead along the way. We suspect it to be a tiger attack,” Deputy Conservator of Forest Kulraj Singh said.

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NEWSLINK: Injured tiger found dead at Rajasthan's Sariska Tiger Reserve, officials deny overdose of tranquilliser

A tiger died in the Sariska Tiger Reserve on Saturday, June 8 after being tranquillised during the course of ongoing treatment. The tiger had allegedly been injured and was being treated for the same. The tiger was identified as ST-16.

The incident came to light after the forest officials observed that the tiger had not moved for a long time. When the officials reached there, it was discovered that the tiger had passed away.

The tiger had suffered an injury on its right elbow. The officials had allegedly administered treatment to the tiger and had released it into the forest. According to ANI, the officials denied that the overdose of tranquilisers could have caused the death of the tiger.
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NEWSLINK: Year later, another big cat caught on cam at Sahyadri Tiger Reserve

A year after it recorded the first sighting of a tiger in the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) in eight years, the forest department has caught another big cat of the habitat on camera.

"A camera trap in the Radhanagari wildlife sanctuary has captured a male tiger in the first week of May. This is a young male," Satyajeet Gujar, chief conservator of forests (CCF) at the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve said.

The reserve, which covers the Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary and Chandoli National Park, suffers from lack of breeding, resident tigers, and a poor prey base.

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NEWSLINK: After Losing 1 Leopard Every Day Last Year, India Has Already Lost 218 Leopards 4 Months Into 2019

In the first four months of 2019, India lost 218 leopards, which is more than 40% of the previous year’s total leopard death toll. According to data kept by the nonprofit Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), 500 leopards died in 2018.

According to data compiled by the WPSI, at least one leopard died every day in 2018 - beaten or shot to death, run over by trains, or trapped in wells or other water bodies. 

Poaching has been the leading cause of death in 2019, claiming 57 leopards between January and April.

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NEWSLINK: 36 quarantined lions may never be freed in the wild

The 36 Asiatic lions that have been quarantined for eight months following the canine distemper virus (CDV) outbreak will never be released into the wild, according to forest department officials.

Apparently, department's experts believe these big cats can contract the disease again and become carriers of the virus thus putting other lions at risk. Therefore, in the first week of May, the state forest department decided to indefinitely extend captivity of the lions.
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NEWSLINK: World's Largest Cat, a Lion-Tiger Cross Breed, Weighs 319kg

Ligers, a cross breed between a lion and a tiger are not unheard of. But a recent video of a liger from South Carolina in the US is unbelievable to be true! Dubbed as the 'world's largest cat' ever caught on camera, this tiger and lion crossbreed named Apollo weighs 319kgs! Wildlife conservationist Mike Holston, who goes by his name The Real Tarzann on social media uploaded a video of talking Apollo for a walk. The video has left viewers in shock at the sheer size of this massive beast.

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NEWSLINK: Mountain lion attack reported in Morgan Hill

Local and state authorities June 4 found evidence of a suspected mountain lion attack in a Morgan Hill neighborhood, and are warning residents to be cautious when out with children and pets.

On Tuesday, Morgan Hill Police responded to a report of a deer carcass on Fountain Oaks Drive, east of U.S. 101, according to a press release from MHPD. The city’s animal services officer met with the resident who reported the dead deer, and examined the small carcass.

Police also notified the California Department of Fish and Game. Both the MHPD animal services officer and Fish and Game officials agreed the bite marks and injuries on the deer carcass were “most likely caused by a mountain lion,” reads the MHPD release.

“This is the first reported possible mountain lion event in 2019,” reads the press release. “The police department is working with the Department of Fish and Game on how to best address this situation.”

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NEWSLINK: Halfmoon alerts residents of mountain lion sightings on social media

Town residents are reporting some pretty big cats in the area.

Earlier this week, residents told both Halfmoon’s town hall and animal control offices they’d seen mountain lions, according to Town Supervisor Kevin Tollisen.

The calls prompted town officials to alert residents on Facebook about the reported location of the wild animal.

“We have received information from residents that there have been sightings of a mountain lion in the vicinity of Coons Crossing; the Northern part of Halfmoon,” the post reads. “We would just like to alert everyone to please be aware for the safety of your families and pets.”

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VIDEO: Rare Snow Leopard Spotted in Northwest China

The Anxi Nature Reserve in North China’s Gansu province recently announced that a snow leopard has been spotted on the arid reserve.

This is an exciting development, as snow leopards have not been sighted there since the establishment of the reserve in 1987, more than 30 years ago.

The Anxi Nature Reserve and Lanzhou University partnered up in 2012 to set up a field observation team, who placed 62 infrared cameras at the site. When researchers collected the field data, the team found three separate instances of snow leopard sightings: on September 27, September 28 and November 17 of 2018. (It’s not clear whether the sightings were of one or more snow leopards).

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NEWSLINK: Pensioner fights off a Siberian tiger with a pitchfork as it attacks one of his cows, before shooting it dead

A pensioner with a pacemaker for his heart condition has told how he used a pitchfork to fight off a giant wild Siberian tiger. Vitaly Saidov was naked in his sauna in eastern Russia when he heard a commotion in his cow shed. He threw on a gown and ran to see a tiger attacking one of his cows.

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CARL WRITES: 8/4/19 - Pentre Halkyn, Flintshire

This is an easy one!

The “huge cat-like beast” recorded back in 2016 by a drones onboard camera in the idyllic Welsh mountains is unfortunately nothing of the sort! There have been many reports (some good, some not so) of dark, panther-like animals, roaming across North Wales in recent years , however this footage doesn’t do big cats research or cryptozoology in general much favours.

The video producers from RoughCuts, who flew their drone over the quarry in Pentre Halkyn, Flintshire; after re-viewing the footage, honestly came to the conclusion that the animal they recorded looked cat-like. And indeed it does at a quick glance, however, if one takes the time to blow-up the footage and pause the video at thirty one seconds, and again between thirty six and thirty eight seconds, it can be adequately observed that this animal was actually wearing a pale coloured collar.

So it’s either a stray dog or the owner is out of view. Maybe the owner of the white dog mentioned in the article also had a black dog (maybe a black Labrador) which wasn’t on a lead at the time when the drone recorded overhead.

Nonetheless, this is a good example of how the media creates hype; in this case by only publicising still frames that don’t clearly show the collar, therefore misleading the public. The still published in the article is at thirty three second in the video, whereas previously at thirty one seconds, it is observable – in my opinion this deception must have been intentional.

Then we get roughly two seconds of video where we get a few different views of the collar – implying that’s what it was as opposed to a light patch on the fur. (thirty six seconds through to thirty eight seconds).

There clearly are, or at least have been, non native felids loose in North Wales, however, unfortunately this is nothing but a black dog (or a media induced red herring).

NEWSLINK: Cougar attacks child; boy’s dogs drive big cat off

A cougar attacked a child Saturday evening in a city park in Leavenworth, Wash.

The big cat was spotted Saturday afternoon in Enchantment Park, and was acting abnormally, according to a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife statement. 

Officials searched the park for the cougar, but were unable to find it. The city then closed the park. WDFW intended to search with dogs Sunday morning.

However, around dusk on Saturday the cougar attacked a young boy.

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