Big cat sighting leaves mum feline puzzled

http://www.kirkintilloch-herald.co.uk/news/local-headlines/big-cat-sighting-leaves-mum-feline-puzzled-1-2312767

Published on Wednesday 23 May 2012 15:51

A CHANCE encounter with a ‘big cat’ while walking her daughter to school has inspired a mum to go on the trail of similar creatures.


Emma McCreadie stumbled across the animal in July last year on a footpath near her home in Twechar.

She said: “I was walking with my daughter, mum and dog and there it was – only about 20 feet away from us.

“It was about the size of a large dog – black, slender, with a really long tail, pointy ears and greeny-yellow eyes.

“I looked at it for about 20 seconds then panicked, got my daughter and walked away. The dog didn’t seem to pay it any attention at all.”

A couple of weeks later one of Emma’s neighbours also saw the creature, which prompted her to find out more.

She said: “I wasn’t going to report it because I thought people would think I was crazy. I ‘Googled’ it and found the Big Cats in Britain website, learned about lots of other sightings and told them about it.

“They got in touch with me and asked if I’d deal with any big cat encounters around Glasgow.”

Now Emma wants to hear reports from anybody who has had a similarly unusual sighting.

She said: “I go up into the hills with my boyfriend regularly and am always looking out for big cats.

“I’d love to see another one. They don’t scare me as there’s never been any report of them attacking humans. They just seem to want to be left alone.

“The ultimate aim would be to get firm evidence of a big cat living near Glasgow.”

If you have seen a big cat you can contact Emma by e-mailing bigcatsinglasgow@aol.com. For more information about sightings go to www.bigcatsinbritain.org

* Have you got a story, picture or comment? E-mail kirkyherald@jnscotland.co.uk

Alternatively you can call the newsdesk 0141 775 0040, find us on Facebook or visit us on Twitter

If you have any news on this item please let us know by leaving a comment or email bcib@btopenworld.com Please report any sightings at http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/localreportform.htm If you wish to comment on any of the items please click the header of the story.

‘Beast of Hackney Marshes’ - has Kula Shaker drummer solved the mystery?

http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/beast_of_hackney_marshes_has_kula_shaker_drummer_solved_the_mystery_1_1389110

Chloë Mayer, Senior Reporter Friday, May 25, 2012
1:12 PM

Hackney Gazette

 

Willow the dog - the "Beast of Hackney Marshes"?

The mystery of the “Beast of Hackney Marshes” may have become a little less mysterious – the drummer from Kula Shaker believes the monster is none other than his massive pet dog, Willow. 

Last week, the Gazette published photographs taken by terrified student Helen Murray who says she saw a huge animal as she walked through woods near the River Lea earlier this month.
“I managed to get away but was scared half to death,” she said, adding that the creature was bigger than a person and covered in shaggy black fur.
But within a day of the Gazette appearing on newstands, Paul Winter-Hart, the drummer from the 1990s chart-topping group, reckoned he’d solved the mystery.
Paul’s wife Nicole contacted us to say she “beast” looked suspiciously similar to the family’s pet pooch.

A hoax, a large dog, or the beast of Hackney Marshes? The photo that sparked the mystery.

“I’m still laughing,” said the 42-year-old, who designs clothes for the children’s fashion website www.nixieclothing.com. “I think this poor girl, Helen, saw Willow our dog.
“My husband recognised her straight away when he saw the paper. He bought a copy to show me and said, ‘Look, Willow’s made the front page!’
“I knew it was her immediately. It’s funny because our friends call her ‘The Beast’ and now she’s ‘The Beast of Hackney Marshes’!”
Willow is a four-year-old Newfoundland, a giant breed of dog, and Nicole and Paul, 40, and the couple’s children Ivy, 12, and Faye, nine, often walk her along the river near their home in Lower Clapton.
Nicole said: “I don’t know where we were when those pictures were taken - Willow must have run up ahead of us.”
Chunky Willow stands over 5ft tall when she is on her hind legs, but Helen, who was frightened on the Marshes, doesn’t believe the family pet is the monster she saw.
“That dog is so cute,” she said, when the Gazette showed her photos of Willow.
“I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a dog as it was far too big. And its build wasn’t dog-like.”
• What do you think? Is Willow the Beast of Hackney Marshes or does something else stalk the area? Write to us at hackneygazetteletters@archant.co.uk.

Willow the dog - the "Beast of Hackney Marshes"? - with owner Paul Winter-Hart


If you have any news on this item please let us know by leaving a comment or email bcib@btopenworld.com Please report any sightings at http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/localreportform.htm If you wish to comment on any of the items please click the header of the story.

Dorset Nature Videos

http://www.dorsetnaturevideos.com/index.html
By Joe Parkes

Ever since the first time we took our daughter Sophia to Marwell Zoo at 8 months old she has been fascinated by animals. This fascination has grown as the months have passed and she has started to walk with us around our home county of Dorset. Whether it's watching the herds of Sika and Roe deer in the Isle of Purbeck or observing the Grey Squirrels chasing eachother through the trees in my friends woodland she has become hooked. The only problem is she always wants to get closer and unlike the zoo these wild animals are able to keep a healthy distance from us.
The only way I could think of Sophia being able to watch and learn about these animals behaving naturally would be to film them up close without them knowing about it. I decided to purchase a Ltl Acorn trail camera and rig it up in different locations around Dorset. This allowed me to film animals during day and night time going about their usual routines. After weeks of trial and error I started to record some interesting footage that has brought Sophia and myself plenty of enjoyment. Not only that she but at nearly three years old she has managed to see more of some animals than most people do in a lifetime. We hope these videos interest and please you half as much as they have us.



If you have any news on this item please let us know by leaving a comment or email bcib@btopenworld.com Please report any sightings at http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/localreportform.htm If you wish to comment on any of the items please click the header of the story.

Wild cat ‘big enough to pose a threat’

 http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/news/local-news/wild-cat-big-enough-to-pose-a-threat-1-3616303

Leighton Buzzard Observer

Published on Tuesday 13 March 2012 13:00

A DOG walker fears that a child may be put at risk after she came face to face with a mystery cougar that appears to be stalking Heath and Reach.

On Saturday last week (March 3) Jane Banting was walking with her dog down a footpath off the Heath Road that goes down the side of the old rectory at St Leonard’s Church.
She said: “I passed a small field on my left with a few sheep in and then came to a junction where I could turn left or go straight on.
“I went straight on, passing ends of back gardens on my left and another small field on my right. Ahead of me I initially saw what I thought was a very large dark brown tabby cat. As I got closer I realised that the animal was much bigger, in fact bigger than my dog (a collie cross).
“Thinking it was a dog I looked for the owner but then the animal turned its head towards me and I realised that it was a cat’s face with small pointed ears. It then turned through a gate into a small field and I saw its full profile.
“The gait, body shape and tail convinced me that this was, in fact, a large wild cat of some description. I reported the sighting to the police when I got home and searched on the internet.
“I couldn’t really find the animal I had seen until reading the paper just now. It appears that what I saw was a cougar. I had been misled because all the web images were of a light brown animal whereas the one I saw was dark brown and mottled in colour.
“Because I didn’t really believe what I was seeing I didn’t get my phone out in time to take a picture. Although I didn’t feel threatened at that time I was concerned that it was so near to houses in Heath and Reach and was big enough at approximately 30 inches high, to pose a threat to a child”.
Have you seen the big cat? Call our newsroom on 01582 798523 or email news@lbobserver.co.uk.

You can now see all the reported sightings on our Big Cat Map.

f you have any news on this item please let us know by leaving a comment or email bcib@btopenworld.com Please report any sightings at http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/localreportform.htm If you wish to comment on any of the items please click the header of the story.

Big cat roams countryside

http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/news/local-news/big-cat-roams-countryside-1-3590542
Leighton Buzzard Observer

Published on Monday 5 March 2012 17:00

WE’RE being flooded with calls from readers who claim to have seen a big cat on the loose in the Bedfordshire countryside but we’re still waiting for photographic evidence!

The Sheppard family from Totternhoe are going on a photographic safari in a bid to capture the cat, believed to be a black panther, on camera.
Our latest caller is Patrick Tufft, from Lewsey Farm, Luton, who says that he and fellow drivers stopped to watch when they spotted the animal chasing rabbits in a field just outside Barton in November.
“I was on my way back from work, and on the Higham Gobion Road, A couple of cars had stopped and I thought that there had been an accident. I got out and saw that everyone was watching this big black animal chasing rabbits around a field, then it crossed the road right in front of us.
“No-one took a picture of it as we were all too stunned. We just stood there. It went at a terrific speed.”
Over the past few weeks readers have reported seeing a dark brown cougar in the Heath and Reach area and a possible black panther in Stanbridge. Tilsworth and Totternhoe. Keep sending in your stories.



If you have any news on this item please let us know by leaving a comment or email bcib@btopenworld.com Please report any sightings at http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/localreportform.htm If you wish to comment on any of the items please click the header of the story.

Cyclist’s close call with two big cats! 

http://www.leightonbuzzardonline.co.uk/news/local-news/cyclist-s-close-call-with-two-big-cats-1-3540811
Leighton Buuzzard Observer

Published on Monday 20 February 2012 12:49

LBO reader Nick Berghaus has responded to our story about a cougar on the loose to say that there may be a second cat, a black panther, also roaming the countryside close to the Leighton Bypass.

Nick, from Totternhoe, had already spotted a huge black panther crossing the busy road and admits this week that he may have seen the Heath and Reach cougar as well as being stalked by one of the animals.
His first close encounter came last year. Said a shaken Nick: “It was getting light and I could easily see a mile ahead of me. The animal had clearly just crossed the A505 and was headed toward Totternhoe. Its tail and body were unmistakably those of a big cat. The body was long and slightly sunken in the centre of the back and the tail was very long too with a distinct curve back upwards towards the last quarter. I didn’t see the head as it was just slinking down the raised bank of the A505.
“I’m convinced that this was neither a big black dog nor a fox. The outline and calm manner of this creature was quite distinct and it was easily light enough to recognise it as a black Panther.
“The sighting in itself is interesting enough, I thought, and treated it as an exciting novelty, frankly, especially as no-one has ever been attacked by this beautiful creature.
“It is some months after this point that things took a slightly more hair-raising turn. I often cycle to work and this means cycling in pitch darkness most of the time, going in to work in Leighton Buzzard.
“Around the middle of November I was busily pedaling away and was in the middle of Stanbridge, near The Five Bells. All of a sudden, bursting out of


the hedge ahead of me and to my left came crashing a large animal, bounding silently across the road and making a hell of a racket as it scrambled its way through the hedge on the right hand side. It made me jump.
“Understandably, this scared the Dickens’ out of me and my blood ran cold. I only caught a fleeting glimpse of the animal, as I only have flashing strobe lights front and back on my cycle, but I saw enough to ascertain that it was a large animal, say the size of an Alsatian and was lightly coloured. I would say that is wasn’t the big black cat, rather that it was a lighter coloured cat of more or less the same size.
“I’m not easily rattled but I have to admit that I haven’t cycled in the dark since. In the months on a lead up to this, I thought I heard something running along the other side of the hedgerow as I cycled in the darkness but couldn’t be sure.
“Was I being stalked? Probably not but speaking to a colleague who cycles from Dunstable to Leighton Buzzard in the dark some mornings, along the old railway line/cycle path, he mentioned last week that he thought something was running along on the other side of the hedgerow, pacing him. I had not mentioned my own experience of that to him.

“Until you clearly see one of these creatures with your own eyes, it’s very hard to accept it having any basis in reality. However I can assure you, and everyone else, that when you are confronted with having to cycle to work in the pitch dark, alone, with no one else around, having seen one of these big cats in your area, that it very rapidly takes on a particularly tense and sagacious effervescence.
“There appears to be at least two types of big cat loose in the immediate area surrounding Leighton Buzzard.
“My take on this is that these are very beautiful creatures and we are far better leaving them alone. I don’t feel anyone has anything to worry about though I shan’t be walking or cycling alone in the dark down country lanes again in a hurry.”
*Do you have a big cat story to tell?



If you have any news on this item please let us know by leaving a comment or email bcib@btopenworld.com Please report any sightings at http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/localreportform.htm If you wish to comment on any of the items please click the header of the story.

Big cat sighting leaves mum feline puzzled

http://www.kirkintilloch-herald.co.uk/news/local-headlines/big-cat-sighting-leaves-mum-feline-puzzled-1-2312767

Wednesday 23 May 2012

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A CHANCE encounter with a ‘big cat’ while walking her daughter to school has inspired a mum to go on the trail of similar creatures.


Emma McCreadie stumbled across the animal in July last year on a footpath near her home in Twechar.

She said: “I was walking with my daughter, mum and dog and there it was – only about 20 feet away from us.

“It was about the size of a large dog – black, slender, with a really long tail, pointy ears and greeny-yellow eyes.

“I looked at it for about 20 seconds then panicked, got my daughter and walked away. The dog didn’t seem to pay it any attention at all.”

A couple of weeks later one of Emma’s neighbours also saw the creature, which prompted her to find out more.

She said: “I wasn’t going to report it because I thought people would think I was crazy. I ‘Googled’ it and found the Big Cats in Britain website, learned about lots of other sightings and told them about it.

“They got in touch with me and asked if I’d deal with any big cat encounters around Glasgow.”

Now Emma wants to hear reports from anybody who has had a similarly unusual sighting.

She said: “I go up into the hills with my boyfriend regularly and am always looking out for big cats.

“I’d love to see another one. They don’t scare me as there’s never been any report of them attacking humans. They just seem to want to be left alone.

“The ultimate aim would be to get firm evidence of a big cat living near Glasgow.”

If you have seen a big cat you can contact Emma by e-mailing bigcatsinglasgow@aol.com. For more information about sightings go to www.bigcatsinbritain.org

* Have you got a story, picture or comment? E-mail kirkyherald@jnscotland.co.uk

Alternatively you can call the newsdesk 0141 775 0040, find us on Facebook or visit us on Twitter

Or you can log in below and have you say on the site...


If you have any news on this item please let us know by leaving a comment or email bcib@btopenworld.com Please report any sightings at http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/localreportform.htm If you wish to comment on any of the items please click the header of the story.

Big cat believers have seen it near Stroud

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

The Citizen
http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/Big-cat-believers-seen-near-Stroud/story-16152142-detail/story.html


ALMOST two thirds of people questioned about big cats believe the animals are out there in the Stroud area.
And of the 59 per cent who claimed they existed, 27 per cent of them said they had seen one of the beasts in the flesh.
The Countryside and Community Research Institute's survey, sparked by numerous big cat sightings, deer carcass finds and video footage earlier this year, aimed to discover more about the public attitude towards big cats.
Big cat tracker Frank Tunbridge, who teamed up with Stroud teaching assistant Coryn Memory to capture what many believe was a black cat on video, was encouraged by the findings of the survey.
"People are very excited with what they are seeing," said Mr Tunbridge, who plans to set up a camera at the site of a deer killing in Selsley, Stroud.
"There are an overwhelming number of deer in the Stroud Valleys and the territory suits them."
County Big Cat author Rick Minter said at the talks he and Frank give, most people are excited about big cats but want them left alone.
The survey found that of the 22.9% who don't believe, three-quarters of them said it was because there was no scientific evidence. If they are found, only 2.4% wanted them killed on safety grounds – most wanted them either protected, put in a sanctuary or ignored.
There were 210 respondents. The institute is an umbrella organisation for Hartpury College, the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester, the University of Gloucestershire, and the University of the West of England.
It is set to publish analysis of press coverage of the subject later this year. For more, see http://ccriuk.wordpress.com/


If you have any news on this item please let us know by leaving a comment or email bcib@btopenworld.com Please report any sightings at http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/localreportform.htm If you wish to comment on any of the items please click the header of the story.

Eleven big cat sightings reported to police in just over three years

http://www.thisisthewestcountry.co.uk/news/9715071.Eleven_big_cat_sightings_reported_to_police_in_just_over_three_years/

The West Country

20th May 2012

By Kirsty James

THE sun is shining and you’re walking through Sedgemoor’s countryside when you cross paths with a large black cat – who you gonna call? Big cat expert Danny Nineham, of course.
Danny, who describes himself as a big cat consultant, has been tracking large cats such as pumas, panthers and jaguars for more than 20 years.
He contacted the Weekly News with advice for walkers after it published Sheri Bodley’s account of coming face to face with a creature resembling a black leopard on Berrow beach.


Danny, 51, from Gloucestershire, said: “Sightings started being reported to me from Weston in April to May 2000. A panther was the culprit – it was heard growling at members of the public while they were out walking and on family picnics.”
In November 2002 Danny was alerted to the next wave of sightings. He said: “There were three in total. These were of a panther in the East Brent and Brent Knoll areas – sightings were mainly in the afternoon by dog walkers.
“They’re mostly spotted by walkers and I have recorded incidents for all hours of the day and night.”
A lynx was reported in April 2008 near Winscombe by a walker out in the morning. Then in June 2009 a puma was reported crossing the road near Highbridge, just off the motorway, in the early hours by a motorist.

According to results from a freedom of information request placed with Avon and Somerset Police, 11 sightings were reported to them in Somerset from January 2009 to April this year. Many were in fields but one incident was logged in Bridgwater TA7.Danny added: “I interview witnesses and log the incidents in my records. Most people are gobsmacked at what they’ve seen.
“If it’s recent, I can take plaster casts or DNA samples. In cases where livestock has been killed or it’s come too close to people’s homes, I can set up motion sensors. Some people report seeing one regularly.”
So why traipse around in the middle of the night in combats? Danny said: “It’s the mystery. I’m fascinated by anything mysterious and this is a mystery that’s tangible. Unlike the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot, you can prove this.”
To report a sighting e-mail newsdesk@burnhamnews.co.uk or contact Danny on 07748-510167, dannynineham@talktalk.net or visit the related link on this article.



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Is this the Beast of Cullen? 'Big cat' remains found at Moray beauty spot

STV News
18th May 2012
http://news.stv.tv/north/102258-is-this-the-beast-of-cullen-big-cats-remains-found-at-moray-beauty-spot/


The remains of a mysterious giant cat-like creature have been found close to a popular north-east beauty spot.
Builder John Robertson, 50, stumbled across the rotting carcass on a path in Cullen, Moray, while out with his wife, Pauline, and their two dogs on Monday morning.
On a nearby cliff-top lay the mangled remains of half a dozen seagulls which appear to have been the beast's last meal before it plunged to its death below.
"I couldn't believe my eyes," he said. "I have never seen so many dead birds in one area.
"They were completely mauled, they had their guts totally ripped out of them lying on the ground.
"Then a little further on we came across a horrible rotting smell which was this big cat. It looks like it's feasted on the seagulls and maybe it has fallen down the cliff nearby, injured itself and just lay there till it died."
John's eye was caught by the frightening sharp teeth and 18 inch-long tail, but he said the most terrifying thing of all was that it may have been a cub.
"I didn't have a tape measurer on me to measure the tail, but I'm a builder so I have a pretty good idea that it's about 18 inches long.
"I reckon it's a cub though, its teeth are too clean and there isn't enough damage to them, which means they must be pretty new. You can imagine how big it's mother would be.
"I'm sure we'll find out from the DNA tests what type of cat it is, but it certainly seems like one of the big cats."
There have been a number of reported big cat sightings in Moray in the last few years. The latest was on April 16, when Portessie man Bill Paterson saw what he described as a cat-like animal as large as a Labrador, while walking his dog at Rathven Burn.
In February, a Portgordon man said he saw an animal matching the same description beside an old railway line in the village. Later that week it was spotted again at Buckpool Golf Club.
Bob Wallace, an expert with the Big Cats In Britain group, is now studying the remains of the creature John found on Monday.

If you have any news on this item please let us know by leaving a comment or email bcib@btopenworld.com Please report any sightings at http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/localreportform.htm If you wish to comment on any of the items please click the header of the story.

'Fang-Toothed Big Cat' Remains Found In Cullen, Scotland

The Huffington Post
18th May 2012

 http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/05/18/fang-toothed-big-cat-remains-cullen-scotland_n_1527394.htm

The 'big cat' corpse was found in Scotland

A shocked dog walker spoke of his horror on Friday after finding the remains of a 'fang-toothed big cat' at a beauty spot.
John Robertson, 50, was walking his two dogs along a rural path when he found the remains of the beast - the size of a large dog - with huge white teeth.
And to his horror just metres away from the rotting corpse were the remains of its last meal - half a dozen mauled seagulls.
John said: "I was walking my two dogs when we came across all these dead birds scattered about everywhere.
"I couldn't believe my eyes. I have never seen so many dead birds in one area. They were completely mauled, they had their guts totally ripped out of them lying on the ground.

"Then a little further on we came across a horrible rotting smell which was this big cat. It looks like it's feasted on the seagulls and maybe it has fallen down the cliff nearby, injured itself and just lay there till it died."
John, of Drybridge, Morayshire, made the discovery during a walk in Cullen with his wife Pauline on Monday.
But despite it's long 18-inch tail and its frightening sharp teeth, John reckons it is a cub.

He said: "If you see its skin, it's jet black and I actually think it's a juvenile.
"I didn't have a tape measurer on me to measure the tail, but I'm a builder so I have a pretty good idea that it's about 18 inches long, which is huge.
"I reckon it's a cub though, it's teeth are too clean and there isn't enough damage to them, which means they must be pretty new.
"If that's a cub though, you can imagine how big its mother would be.
"I'm sure we'll find out from the DNA tests what type of cat it is, but it certainly seems like one of the big cats."
The cat appears similar to the Beast of Bodmin which was said to prowl Bodmin Moor in Cornwall mutilating livestock.
As recently as 16 April, Portessie man Bill Paterson saw what he described as a cat-like animal as large as a labrador, while walking his dog at Rathven Burn in Morayshire.
That sighting was a carbon copy of eye-witness accounts from just two months earlier.
In February, a Portgordon man said he saw an animal matching the same description beside an old railway line in the village. Later that week it was spotted again at Buckpool Golf Club.
Bob Wallace, an expert with the Big Cats In Britain group, is now studying the remains of the big cat to determine just what John found on Monday.
While the cat is not big enough to be an adult leopard or jaguar, he reckons it's the right size to be a cub.
He said: "If it is a juvenile, it would have to be last year's cub, as both leopards and jaguars mate between January and March.
"It is also hard to say whether this is the cat that is the subject of the spate of recent sightings.
"Over the past few years, there have been several reported sightings of black panther-type cats, as well as pumas and lynx."



If you have any news on this item please let us know by leaving a comment or email bcib@btopenworld.com Please report any sightings at http://www.bigcatsinbritain.org/localreportform.htm If you wish to comment on any of the items please click the header of the story.

Yes we know its an otter

Is this new evidence of a big cat in Britain? Dog walker finds remains of terrifying creature near Scottish beauty spot 

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/big-cat-remains-found-by-dog-839016
The Mirror
18th May 2012

The huge beast, which has an 18-inch tail and razor sharp teeth, appears to be identical to the Beast of Bodmin, said to prowl Bodmin Moor in Cornwall mutilating livestock

Is this the latest evidence of a big cat stalking Britain’s countryside?
A horrified dog walker found the gruesome remains of this terrifying beast near to a popular Scottish beauty spot.
John Robertson, 50, was walking along a rural path in Cullen, Morayshire, with wife Pauline when they came across the body of a giant cat.
Scattered just metres away from the rotting corpse was what appeared to be the remains of its last meal – half a dozen mauled seagulls.

Huge: The creature has an 18-inch tail although it is thought to be a cub

SWNS

Menacing: The body has razor-sharp teeth which hadn't been damaged, suggesting the animal was young

SWNS

Mr Robertson, from Drybridge, Morayshire said: “I was walking my two dogs on Monday morning when we came across all these dead birds scattered about everywhere.
“I couldn't believe my eyes. I have never seen so many dead birds in one area. They were completely mauled, they had their guts totally ripped out of them lying on the ground.
“Then a little further on we came across a horrible rotting smell which was this big cat.
“It looks like it's feasted on the seagulls and maybe it has fallen down the cliff nearby, injured itself and just lay there till it died.”

Ripped apart: Near to the corpse was the remains of half a dozen mauled seagulls

SWNS

But despite its long 18-inch tail and razor-sharp teeth, Mr Robertson believes it is the body of a CUB.
He said: “If you see its skin, it’s jet black and I actually think it's a juvenile.
“I didn't have a tape measurer on me to measure the tail, but I'm a builder so I have a pretty good idea that it's about 18 inches long, which is huge.
“I reckon it's a cub though, its teeth are too clean and there isn't enough damage to them, which means they must be pretty new.
“If that's a cub though, you can imagine how big its mother would be.
“I'm sure we'll find out from the DNA tests what type of cat it is, but it certainly seems like one of the big cats.”

Grim discovery: John Robertson found the remains while out walking in Moray

SWNS

The cat is identical to the Beast of Bodmin, which was said to prowl Bodmin Moor in Cornwall mutilating livestock.
As recently as April 16, Portessie man Bill Paterson saw what he described as a cat-like animal as large as a Labrador, while walking his dog at Rathven Burn in Morayshire.
That sighting exactly matched eye-witness accounts from just two months earlier.
In February, a man from Portgordon said he saw an animal matching the same description beside an old railway line in the village. Later the same week, it was spotted again at Buckpool Golf Club.
Bob Wallace, an expert with the Big Cats In Britain group, is now studying the remains of the creature to determine what exactly Mr Robertson found on Monday.
While the cat is not big enough to be an adult leopard or jaguar – he believes it is the right size to be a cub.
He said: “If it is a juvenile, it would have to be last year's cub, as both leopards and jaguars mate between January and March.
“It is also hard to say whether this is the cat that is the subject of the spate of recent sightings.
“Over the past few years, there have been several reported sightings of black panther-type cats, as well as pumas and lynx.”


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Deer cull? That’s the lynx effect

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/4314270/Deer-cull-Thats-the-lynx-effect.html

The Sun 14th May 2012

HUNDREDS of blood-thirsty big cats could be let loose in the Scots countryside in a bizarre bid to cull rampaging deer.

Wildlife experts want fierce lynx to be reintroduced to our forests to help control the number of ‘Bambis’ — which now tops TWO MILLION.
The distinctive predators — about the size of a Labrador — are thought to have been extinct here for around 1,500 years. But last night award-winning telly naturalist Chris Packham said: “It would be exciting and there’s no doubt the lynx could survive.
“Our burgeoning deer population is something we need to confront. In many areas of the country the damage they cause is profound.”
The star of the BBC’s Springwatch series added: “Deer have a very cosy existence as they know there are no predators around.
“Reintroducing lynx would change the behaviour of herds for the benefit of the environment as they would keep moving on and wouldn’t over-browse.”
Deer are blamed for causing road accidents and ruining woodlands.
But lynx, which have a lifespan of around 15 years, typically prey on the creatures, as well as rabbits and hares.
The pointy-eared beasts still roam North America and there are small clusters on the Continent.
And Packham insists that Scots would rarely spot the shy cats in the wild here, let alone face attack.
Dr David Hetherington, a wildlife adviser with the Cairngorms National Park Authority, believes the Highlands could support 400 lynx with a smaller population of 50 viable in the Southern Uplands.
He said: “It is possible, provided there is a respectful dialogue with people who work in the countryside.”
But the Scottish Gamekeepers Association last night slammed the call for the animal’s reintroduction.
A spokesman said: “It would be extreme and agriculture would suffer because a lynx will take a lamb or a sheep before it takes a deer.”
The last known specimen of a Scots lynx was dated to the year 450.


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Sign of the beast discovered

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4120418/Sign-of-big-cats-discovered.html
The Sun 10th February 2012

THE large print of a clawed paw is preserved in mud — the latest evidence of big cats roaming Britain.

It was discovered by barber Luigi Armato, 32, while on a shooting trip near the village of Binegar in Somerset’s Mendip Hills.
Luigi, who used his trigger to give scale to the snap, said: “If it does turn out to be a beast, I’ll be a lot more wary next time.”
In December witnesses reported a large cat nearby.
And on Tuesday The Sun told how a big cat had been caught on video near Stroud, Gloucs. 

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The ‘Beast of Hackney Marshes’ mystery - pictures

Chloë Mayer, Senior Reporter Thursday, May 17, 2012
2:29 PM

http://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/the_beast_of_hackney_marshes_mystery_pictures_1_1380787#article-comments

Hackney Gazette

 

A hoax, a large dog, or the beast of Hackney Marshes?

A strange creature has been captured on camera on Hackney Marshes - 30 years after the unexplained sighting of another mystery beast sparked a full-scale search for a suspected bear on the loose.

Terrified university student Helen Murray said she took the snaps while out for a stroll near dense woodland close to a path near the Old River Lea on bank holiday Monday earlier this month.
She said she was stopped in her tracks by the unknown animal, which was larger than a person and covered in shaggy black fur.
“I tried to stay calm as I wasn’t sure what kind of animal it was or if it was even alive,” she said. “I had my phone ready to call 999. Then the creature moved. Somehow I managed to take a couple of pictures before I ran.
“I managed to get away but was scared half to death.”
Ms Murray says she didn’t contact the police because she thought they wouldn’t believe her.
A spokeswoman for Hackney police said there have been no other reports of sightings, while experts at London Zoo said the pictures were not clear enough for them to comment.
The photographs have revived memories of the unexplained case of a bear reportedly sighted on the Marshes in 1981 - 50 police officers, army marksmen, and a helicopter were drafted in to search the area, but the beast was never found.
Officers at the time stressed the people who’d seen the animal were not hoaxers, although they admitted they could have been victims of a hoax.
Two bear carcasses had previously been found nearby in the River Lea and it remains a mystery how they got there.
• A hoax, a large dog, or the Beast of Hackney Marshes? What do you think of the pictures? Send us your comments below or email us at hg.editorial@archant.co.uk.

 

A hoax, a large dog, or the beast of Hackney Marshes?

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