SIGHTING, UK: Stunned walker spots 'puma' lurking near Derbyshire football pitch

A stunned walker claims he spotted a puma basking in the sunshine near a Derbyshire football pitch. Wildlife fan Ian Harvey says he came face to face with the “frightening big cat” during a morning stroll. He claims the creature was “basking in the sunshine” and lying down "against the hedgerows" close to the pitch. Mr Harvey, 56, was left “in shock” as the cat apparently started skulking towards him, Derbyshire Live reports.

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NEWSLINK: Security guard risks death, rushes to fling a boy away from leopard

A security guard at a construction site at Keshavnagar, Mundhwa, proved to be a braveheart when he flung himself at the jaws of death trying to save a seven-year-old Rahul from a leopard attack. 

Luckily, he managed to dodge death, suffering serious injuries in the process. At 6.40 am, Vikas Bhokare was just 20 minutes away from the end of his shift at the site of Vertical Oriana, when he heard of a leopard on the prowl. “People were shouting about the presence of the cat and I started looking for it but could not sight it,” he told Mirror.

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ARTICLE: Decoding the human-leopard conflict

In Jalandhar last week, a leopard injured four people in a dramatic encounter in a densely populated neighbourhood.

The leopard attack in Pune’s Mundhwa suburb in which at least five people, including three who were trying to capture it, were injured, adds to the list of conflict events involving the big cat that have become increasingly common over the past several years.

Why do leopards enter areas populated by humans? Contrary to popular perception, a leopard that is seen amidst people has not “strayed” from its “natural habitat”. Big cats have a superior awareness of their coordinates and purpose.
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SIGHTING, UK: Big cat seen 'slinking across the road' in sighting hot spot

The first report of a big cat sighting in Gloucestershire has come in for 2019. This time the big cat, which is thought to be a Eurasian lynx, was spotted near the picnic area of Coaley Peak near Stroud. Normally sightings of these big cats happen at dawn or dusk but the most recent one was spotted at around noon on Sunday, December 9. Other sightings of big cats have described the animal as being similar in size to a Labrador, and in this case it is no different.

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SIGHTING, UK: Another witness comes forward to say he has seen the South Derbyshire 'puma'

A Woodville man has revealed he too once saw a "puma" which has been reported to be roaming in South Derbyshire. Earlier this week Burton Live reported Swadlincote man Ian Harvey said he was convinced he had seen the big cat lurking in a park in Albert Village. 

Now another South Derbyshire man has come forward to say he once saw a similar animal five miles away. Jonathan Oakey, from Woodville , said: "I believe I've seen the cat when I was on way to Castle Donington in my car and I'm sure it was this cat.

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NEWSLINK: Runner kills mountain lion after he's attacked - then drives himself to hospital

A man fought off and killed a mountain lion that pounced on him while he was out for a run - before driving himself to hospital. The 80lb beast attacked the man while he was out jogging on Horsetooth Mountain near Fort Collins, Colorado, after its “hunting instinct had been triggered”.
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NEWSLINK: Tiger mauled to death by potential mate at London Zoo

An endangered Sumatran tiger was mauled to death at the London Zoo on Friday just moments after it was introduced to a potential mate for the first time. Melati, a female tiger and long-term resident of the zoo, was introduced to male Asim, who had recently been acquired by the zoo. Zookeepers said they hoped that the pair would breed in the future. The London Zoo acknowledged that while introductions of big cats are always considered "high risk," experts had observed "positive signs" and deemed it to be the "right time" to introduce the pair.

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