The big cats most commonly witnessed and reported in the UK generally are the black leopard and puma varieties. Eyewitnesses usually describe them about the size of a female Labrador with a long sleek body and long swooping ‘hooked’ tail. The biggest issue I have with the British big cat phenomenon is the sheer volume of reports, and the unfortunate and undeniable lack of solid evidence to back them up. The media, and some so called experts, would have us believe that there are literally thousands of these animals, and that they can be found thriving in almost every county; not just in England, but all of mainland Britain.
The number one species reported is the black leopard (Panthera pardus), commonly referred to as the panther, yet it’s difficult to ignore that this species actually has the least evidence in its favour, except of course, when it comes to testimonial data, which is obviously plentiful. So what’s going on? Can it really be that we somehow have thousands of these animals living in a wild state in Britain, yet somehow, without them leaving any strong evidence of their uninterrupted presence?
In my view the solution is quite simple. They actually are here; there is as it happens sufficient evidence for them (both P. pardus and Puma concolor), but nowhere near enough to suggest the kinds of numbers that are usually claimed. I expect, and this is simply an estimation based on probabilities, that there are probably somewhere between 50 and 150 leopards and pumas living wild in Britain at the present time (though probably closer to 100), and, despite suggestions to the contrary, it’s not high numbers responsible for the widespread reports, but the enormous territorial ranges both species occupy, especially pumas, which, as a species, have the largest range of any wild terrestrial animal in the Americas, spanning 110 degrees of latitude, from northern Yukon in Canada to the southern Andes.
In the national parks of Kenya we would expect to find a leopard in every 10 km2 of territory, however, in the UK, it’s going to be something more like 1 in 500 km2. This makes the chances of finding one in Britain very slim indeed, and perfectly suits why their existence is still unproven.
It’s also safe to assume that quite a few reports are down to simple honest misidentifications on the part of the witnesses. A fleeting glimpse of a dark coloured animal in a layby, or along a dark wooded path, does not constitute viable evidence in itself, not in the eyes of scientists. And then, of course, we can’t ignore the inevitable hoaxes which also come in, often unnoticed, and fairly frequently.
Sherlock Holmes, the greatest fictional detective, once said…
“How often have I said to you that when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
So what evidence remains here once we have “eliminated the impossible”? Or in this case, the highly unlikely? Other than testimonial, the evidence is admittedly rather limited. The strongest evidence for leopards in Britain thus far are biological samples. One example being the hairs discovered in 2010, from Huddisford Woods in Rural North Devon, which were positively identified using morphological techniques as belonging to the sub-Saharan variety of leopard (Thomas Et al.).
So, what about the puma? Well, pumas (P. concolor) actually have far better evidence for their presence in Britain, at least in the past anyway. Felicity the puma is often cited as evidence that there are non-native cats at large in the UK. Others, however, believe that her capture was a staged event. What’s almost certain is that she was a pet who had been released recently as she was quite tame. After her capture, she was kept at the Highland Wildlife Park where she became quite the celebrity. When she died in 1985, she was preserved by a taxidermist and can still be viewed in the Inverness museum and art gallery. Ignoring this case as evidence completely misses the point, as in my opinion, as many of these animals, such as Felicity, are either escapees or illegal releases. I am not suggesting that breeding has never occurred, quite the contrary in fact, but British populations are unlikely to be predominantly sustained in this way. The recent case of a panther seen prowling the rooftops of a northern French town is a good example of how these big cats can potentially end up wild if they are not recaptured quickly. Most are illegal pets, purchased by irresponsible owners, which then get dumped or escape from inadequate enclosures and survive in a wild state.
Although not conclusive, there are reports that in 1993, another puma was captured in Scotland, this time in the Aviemore area.
The so called ‘big cat’ with the best physical evidence for its existence is arguably the lynx (Lynx sp.)
In the summer of 1991, a Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) was shot by a farmer near Beccles, Suffolk, after it had killed roughly fifteen sheep over a period of about two weeks. After spending a short time in the farmer’s freezer it was sold on to a local game dealer, who then had it preserved by a taxidermist and sold it on to a local collector, who now apparently has it on display at his home. Hi quality pictures exist of this unfortunate animal.
A lynx was shot dead by an RUC marksman near the village of Fintona, Northern Ireland on the 18th of February, 1996. The shooting followed days of reports of a ‘young lion’ in the area. The lynx was believed to have escaped from a private collection. Its corpse was also supposedly stuffed and placed in the R. U. C. museum.
A lynx was captured in London in 2001 after a witness report of a leopard sat on a garden wall. The lynx was captured alive after being sedated by a vet with a dart and blowpipe. The lynx, a female, was taken to London Zoo where she was treated for a paw injury. She was later given the name Lara the Lynx.
A lynx (probably a Canadian lynx Lynx canadensis) was discovered by Dr Max Blake, then a PhD student at the Institute of Biological, Environmental, and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University. The discovery provides further evidence for debunking the popular theory that species such as the lynx, only entered the UK countryside following the introduction of the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act. Feral lynx may have been living in the wilds of Britain much earlier, through escapees and deliberate releases.
A 2006 a lynx was recorded on CCTV roaming the industrial area in Evesham, Worcestershire. A security guard at Unipart in Shinehill Lane, Evesham, said he spotted the animal, and that it was the third such sighting he has witnessed on the premises.
Lilith the Lynx, who escaped from Borth Wild Animal Kingdom in 2017 and was subsequently shot dead, was linked (probably erroneously) to the killing of eight sheep on the farmland neighbouring the zoo.
Compared with the large territories of both leopards and pumas, the range of a wild lynx can be as little as 20km2.
Last month (Dec 2019), while searching for wild boar in the Forest of Dean, Gloustershire (526.3 km2), my friend’s ten year old son Monty Bell Jr (MJ) discovered this print (See photos) while we were searching for boar tracks. MJ wasn’t entirely sure what he’d found but noticed quite rightly that it was unlike a dog as there were no claw marks present. Even though the absence of claw marks is not conclusive, MJ, who is a brilliant young naturalist, spotted the unusual print, which he immediately showed me. Other than the lack of claw marks evident in the spoor, I could see straight away that it probably belongs to a medium-sized felid species. This is particularly interesting as about five years ago, a forestry worker, whom I’m also good friends with, photographed on his mobile phone a very similar spoor approximately a mile away from where MJ found his track. These two locations are on opposite sides of the River Wye. The asymmetrical shape of the print, along with the lack of claw marks, and what appears to be a large three lobed plantar pad (the rear pad) all indicated to me a felid of medium size.
We had no plaster with us to make a cast, so we photographed the spoor from multiple angles and placed two straight twigs, one between the first and second toes, and another between the third and fourth toes. This is a great method, as this can only be done perfectly on a symmetrical print such as a those of the canids. Here we can clearly see the asymmetrical nature of the spoor. There was actually a definite canid print positioned slightly to the right of MJ’s find, again clearly showing various differences. At this time we are not going to reveal the exact location where MJ found the print, as I intend to write a more thorough article very soon providing further details. I sent the photographs to several specialists and zoologists, and to date, only one has claimed it belonged to a dog, and even this individual (whom I shall not name publicly) initially believed it to belong to a cat, that is until I revealed the location where the print was found. This so called expert then backtracked and mooted instead for a canid ID. Healthy dog’s tracks are always symmetrical. If this had been made by a dog, the two twigs (I call this the X test), would sit neatly between the first and second toes, and the third and fourth toes without touching either side of the plantar pad. MJs discovery, in my opinion, is highly unlikely to be that of a dog.
I presume that someone has been continually releasing lynx (or at least lynx-sized felids of unknown species) into the Forest of Dean for at least the last five years, possibly longer. The lynx, with its minimal range requirements, smaller size, illusive solitary natures, and crepuscular hunting habits, would be one of the best species (or even groups of species) to survive unnoticed in the forest.
It is, in my opinion, completely possible, that almost any of the known lynx species could potentially thrive in small isolated, yet functional breeding populations within the Forest of Dean.
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