BCIB and Glos

Thanks everyone commentng on the recent events in Gloucestershire, but you must understand that these press reports etc. the DNA testing, the new video footage has nothing to do wit BCIB. We are observers like the rest of you

‘Black panther’ spotted in Holbeach

Published on Friday 24 February 2012 10:44

MUM Louise Gann claims she spotted a black panther in a field as she took her two children to school in Holbeach yesterday (Thursday).

Louise (42), of Washway Rood, Holbeach, was driving from home towards Boston Road South when she glimpsed the big cat in a field not far from the Bull’s Neck pub at about 8.35am.
She said: “It was in between Washway Road and Penny Hill.”
Louise has reported the sighting to police.
Please call our newsroom on 01775 765413 if you have seen the big cat or let us know of similar sightings by commenting on this story.


For more on this story see Tuesday’s Lincolnshire Free Press.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 spotted in Chelworth

25th February 2012

By Ian Craig                   

Andrea and Gary Lawes, who spotted a big cat behind their home in Chelworth

THE Cotswolds Big Cat has been spotted again.
Andrea Lawes of The Grove, Chelworth said she was in her kitchen at around 5pm on February 19 when she spotted a mysterious black creature walking across the field opposite behind her garden.
“I called for my husband and two other members of my family who were staying with us to come in and we all saw it,” she said.
“It was about 30 meters away from us, but we could quite clearly see it.
“It wasn’t enormous but it was certainly bigger than a usual cat and it didn’t walk like one either – it was quite a determined stride.
Mrs Lawes added the beast didn’t seem to be on the hunt.
“We’ve all got pets, and my neighbours have got chickens but it didn’t seem interested at all,” she said.
“My husband went off with his camera but by the time he got there it was too late.
“I’ve been a bit cynical about it before now to be honest, but having actually now seen it I’m much more convinced.”
Big Cat expert Frank Tunbridge, who has been cataloguing all the sightings of the fearsome felines, said he’d been getting an average of two reports a day of sightings in Gloucestershire in the past few months.
“In the winter months big cats seem to be seen nearer human habitats,” he said.
“I think this is because their natural prey are harder to find so they’re more likely to forage through bins and suchlike.”
He added anyone can report a big cat sighting to him by calling 07711 476 715

University launches survey into sightings of ‘big cats’

Tewkesbury Admag
26th February 2012
RECENT excitement over “big cat” sightings has prompted a university to carry out a survey.
Since the mutilated carcasses of roe deer and three wallabies were found on farmland near Stroud, Gloucestershire, speculation that big cats have made a home in the area has been growing.
Rural research experts, the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) based at the University of Gloucestershire, are determined to find out more about the phenomenon and are carrying out a survey to find out what local people think.
Dr Matt Reed, senior research fellow at the CCRI, said: “As a team of researchers who work a lot in rural communities over the years we have heard lots of accounts of big beasts.
“Now it seems that these accounts have become focused near our base and we have decided to take a closer look.“ To take part in the survey visit surveys.
glos.ac.uk/ wildcat.

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.

Another sighting of 'black panther' near Carlisle

News & Star

By Phil Coleman

Last updated at 11:33, Tuesday, 21 February 2012

It was early evening and the light was fading fast.

Sharon Larkin took this picture of what she believes is the paw print of a black panther
 
 Sharon Larkin

Related: 'Black panther' spotted in field near Carlisle - claim
Jeni Banks had driven along Eastern Way in Carlisle on her way back home to Wetheral hundreds of times and she had no reason to think this journey would be anything other than normal.
Then, in the gloom, she saw something moving, a creature of some kind, ambling across the road ahead of her.
To the left of the road were houses and beyond the pavement to the right was an area of woodland.
“It wasn’t quite dark, but it was gloomy enough for me to need my sidelights on,” explained Jeni, a 26-year-old businesswoman.
“I remember thinking to myself that it looked like a big black Labrador because of its size but as my car drew level with it I looked again.”
For a few fleeting seconds, Jeni stared in disbelief as the creature stood at the roadside, its head turned back towards her approaching car.
Its eyes gleamed in the headlights, and Jeni took in the creature’s size and shape: its elongated black body, and its long curling tail.
“I saw it as clear as anything,” said Jeni, obviously still fascinated by the memory of the creature, which vanished into the woodland. I was within 20ft of it, and when I saw it I was in shock.
“It was a big cat, right here in Carlisle, beside the road. It was surreal.
“There were no other cars around but I know what I saw. When I got to Tesco I called in for some shopping and just blurted it out to the woman at the checkout, saying that I’d just seen a panther.
“She said: ‘Oh, right’ and must have thought that I was a bit of a lunatic. As soon as I got home to Wetheral, I rang the police and told them what I had seen because the creature was so near to houses.
“They were very nice about it and said they would log it with the other sightings.”
Like many of those who have reported panther or puma sightings in Cumbria, Jeni had never expected to see an animal so exotic on the fringe of a northern English city.
Having spent a week in South Africa’s Kruger game reserve several years ago, she has seen panthers and other big cats – and she is sure that is what she saw that night in April 2010.
Her account is just the latest to emerge after the News & Star reported how Carlisle bus driver Steven Allison, 32, reported seeing a black panther like creature in a field near Rockcliffe village.
Several readers have been in touch to give their experience of seeing big cats.
Are they victims of an overactive imagination? Or might there really be a panther roaming wild in the north Cumbrian countryside?
As the debate about sightings in Cumbria rumbled on this week, one reader got in touch with what she believes may be the best evidence yet that the beast exists.
Mum-of-four Sharon Larkin, 39, is determined to find this elusive creature.
“I’ve been looking into panther sightings for some time now,” said Sharon, from Broughton Cross in the west of the county.
“There have been big cat sightings in the Stainburn area near Workington – some in July last year and some over the last couple of weeks.
“It’s been seen in a field near the road that goes past the Briery Hotel. I spoke to a dog walker who told me he saw a panther like creature, bigger than a Labrador dog.
“It was crouching in the field, in the afternoon, just watching, and the next minute it looked up and then got up. At first he thought it might have been a dog, but when it stood up he saw its long tail, curled up at the end, the classic sign of a panther.”
Sharon has spent hours in watching and waiting in the area, armed with a camcorder, hoping for a glimpse of the big cat.
Two weeks ago, in a muddy lane near the Stainburn bypass, she discovered what she believes could be the first tangible evidence of a Cumbrian panther: a distinctive paw print, its size markedly bigger than that of a cat or even a large dog.
She said: “When I saw the story in the News & Star about the Rockcliffe sighting, I thought it proves what I’ve been saying.
“There’s definitely a creature out there: it’s been seen in Stainburn, Ennerdale, Arlecdon, and now Rockcliffe.
“These big cats cover a radius of about 40 miles so it could be the same animal.”
Mr Allison, 32, reported seeing a panther like creature as he drove towards Rockcliffe just before 8am last Tuesday. His account came just over two years after similar reports of a large puma like cat seen prowling on waste-ground near The Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.
Other Cumbrians have spoken of sightings for the first time but many, fearful of ridicule, have chosen to remain anonymous.
A cabbie reported seeing a “huge black cat” run out from a hedgerow near Rockcliffe a few years ago while another reader spotted a large black cat near Patterdale.
“I didn’t tell anyone because I thought nobody would believe me,” he wrote.
Yet another account came from 48-year-old taxi driver Marie Dickens.
“I saw it at around 4.30am on Houghton Road in Houghton about a year ago. It was standing at the roadside, Labrador sized, but from the way it moved, it was definitely feline, with a longer body and more low slung than a dog.
“It was definitely a big cat.”

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.

22nd February 2012

By Nick Wakefield

DRINKERS beware – a dark, full-bodied predator will soon be on the prowl in pubs across the Five Valleys.

Award-winning Stroud Brewery has unleashed its new stout Big Cat following a spate of large feline sightings in the area.
The 4.5 per cent, richly dark tipple is inspired by recent tales of a mystery jet-black beast seen roaming the Stroud valleys following the discovery of deer carcasses in Woodchester.
Several pubs have signed up to serve the malty brew, including The Prince Albert in Rodborough, The Ram Inn in Woodchester and The Bear of Rodborough when it is uncaged next week.
Brewery managing director Greg Pilley said: "Each March we bring out a seasonal beer and we always try to a pick a name with some local significance that puts Stroud on the map.
"It seems recently we have had more than our fair share of strange sightings and this beer being so dark and silky certainly matches the description of a big cat."
Some of the brewery’s other seasonal offerings include its Ding Dong Christmas Porter, Jack O’ Lantern Halloween Dark Bitter and Summer Breeze Pale Ale.

Public talk will examine evidence for big cats in Gloucestershire

Stroud News & Journal
23rd February 2012
By Nick Wakefield                   
AN ILLUSTRATED talk examining the evidence for big cats in Gloucestershire will be held in Stroud.
Experts Rick Minter and Frank Tunbridge will discuss the implications of feral big cats for people and other wildlife at St Laurence Church Hall from 7.30pm – 9.30pm on Thursday, March 15.
A string of big cat sightings near Stroud have made national headlines in recent weeks following the discovery of deer carcasses in Woodchester.
DNA taken from the deer showed no signs of big cat activity but Frank and Rick have amassed a vast record of evidence to suggest the creatures are living and breeding in the county.
To book tickets, priced £3 for adults and £2 for children, contact organisers Stroud Valleys Project on 01453 753 358 or email
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.

Spy cameras set up to catch Gloucestershire big cat

The Citizen
24th February 2012
SPY cameras are being set up at a secret location today to capture footage of an elusive big cat.
Tracker Frank Tunbridge was contacted by a resident whose trip camera captured a still photo of what he believes is a big cat at an undisclosed location near Stroud.

​

Frank Tunbridge sets up a secret camera

      

Now Mr Tunbridge, who has documented dozens of sightings since two deer carcasses tested negative for big cat DNA in January, wants to capture moving pictures of it.
"It's a big cat," he said. "It was caught on a trip camera but really you need moving footage to be more confident and be able to say how big it is. Although it looks as if it's Labrador dog size.
"A similar animal has also been seen in the road nearby, but the gentleman who contacted me was astonished to find this on his camera, as he normally sets it to watch badgers and foxes."
He said the man did not wish to reveal the location.
He has also been contacted by Andrea and Gary Lawes, who are adamant they too saw a big cat at Chelworth, near Kemble on Sunday afternoon.
"Four of us saw it," said Mr Lawes. "My wife saw it first and just said: 'There's a big cat' out the back.
Bigger
"We had a good view and we watched it for what seemed like quite a long time. I went out to try and get a picture but it had gone."
He said the long, low black animal was partly coloured brown and was two to three times bigger than a normal domestic cat.
"We have an exact reference point because it was quite close," said Mr Lawes. "When we saw it, we had absolutely no doubt."
Mr Tunbridge has also been contacted by a motorist who saw a big cat cross the A435 between Seven Springs and Cowley, on January 21.
"He was driving from Cheltenham towards Cirencester and it walked right across the road in front of him," said Mr Tunbridge, who has a big cat hotline, 07711 476 715.

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.

Coventry Panther returns: Big cat spotted in Ryton Pools

Coventry Telegraph
17th February 2012

Ryton Pools Country Park's chief ranger Craig Earl shows where the Coventry Panther was spotted

 

THE Coventry Panther, which was last spotted on the streets of the city nearly two years ago, could be back.
A stunned dog walker has told how she spotted a panther at Ryton Pools country park just last week.
It is believed it could be the same beast which stalked a postman, outran a motorbike and destroyed garden furniture during a four-month period in 2010.
The latest sighting was on Tuesday last week when a woman said a big cat strolled across her path before heading into Ryton Wood.

The 83-acre ancient woodland is home to a flourishing deer population – meaning the illusive feline would have had no shortage of food during the recent cold snap.
Senior ranger at the beauty spot Craig Earl said the woman who reported the close encounter was “quite shaken up”.
“She certainly believed what she was telling us,” Mr Earl, who has spent seven years at the park, said.
“It was a dull, dreary day and there weren’t that many people in the park.
“She was walking round with her golden retriever. She got to one of the paths leading to Ryton Wood and this big black enormous thing appeared in front of her about 20 or 30ft away.
“It was considerably bigger than her dog. It walked across the path towards Ryton Wood.

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 spotted prowling near North Tesco

The Northern Echo
21st February 2012

Panther: could one of these be roaming the North-East?

A mysterious big cat has been spotted roaming wild for the second time in one week.
Jeni Banks was driving home when she spotted the large panther-like creature amble across the road in front of her.
The incident is just the latest in a string of sightings said to have taken place in Cumbria.
Jeni had been travelling along the Eastern Way in Carlisle on her way to Wetheral, Cumbria, when all of a sudden the big cat appeared.
To the left of the road were houses and beyond the pavement to the right was an area of woodland.
Are big cat sightings just a case of mistaken identity? Watch this video and make up your own mind.
Jeni, 26, said: "It was not quite dark, but gloomy enough for me to need my sidelights on.
"I thought it looked like a big black Labrador because of its size, but as my car drew level with it I looked again.
"I stared in disbelief as the creature stood at the roadside, its head turned back towards my car.
"Its eyes gleamed in the headlights and it had an elongated black body and a long curling tail.
"I saw it as clear as anything.
"I was within 20ft of it, and when I saw it I was in shock.
"It was a big cat, right here in Carlisle, beside the road and it was just surreal.
"There were no other cars around but I know what I saw.
"I called in for some shopping at Tesco and told the woman on the checkout, I've just seen a panther.
"She must have thought that I was mad.
"As soon as I got home I rang the police and told them what I had seen because the creature was so near to houses.
"They were very nice about it and said they would log it with the other sightings."
Like many who have reported big cat sightings Jeni had never expected to see such a large and exotic animal running wild on the border of a northern English city.
Just last week bus driver Steven Allison, 32, saw a black panther like creature in a field near Rockcliffe village, north of Carlisle.
And two weeks ago mum-of-four, Sharon Larkin, 39, took a photograph of what she believes is the elusive creature's paw print.
She said: "I have been looking into panther sightings for some time now.
"There have been big cat sightings in the Stainburn area near Workington – some in July last year and some over the last couple of weeks.
"It has been seen in a field near the road that goes past the Briery Hotel.
"I spoke to a dog walker who told me he had seen a panther like creature, bigger than a Labrador dog.
"It was crouching in the field, in the afternoon, just watching, and the next minute it looked up and then got up.
"To begin with he thought it might have been a dog, but when it stood up he saw its long tail curled up at the end, which is the classic sign of a panther."
Sharon has spent hours watching and waiting in the area, armed with a camcorder, hoping for a glimpse of the big cat.
Two weeks ago, in a muddy lane near the Stainburn bypass, she discovered what she believes could be the first tangible evidence of the panther.
She found a distinctive paw print, its size markedly bigger than that of a cat or even a large dog.
She said: "I am absolutely convinced there is a creature out there. It has been seen in Stainburn, Ennerdale, Arlecdon, and now Rockcliffe.
"These big cats cover a radius of about 40 miles so it could be the same animal."
Mr Allison, 32, reported seeing a panther like creature as he drove towards Rockcliffe just before 8am last Tuesday (FEB 14).
His account came just over two years after similar reports of a large puma like cat seen prowling on waste-ground near The Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle.
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.

More big cats lead to call for police to patrol Gloucester

The Citizen
20th February 2012

THREE new big cat sightings have been reported in Gloucester during the last week – prompting calls for police to patrol urban areas to keep people safe.
Panther-like creatures have been reported in areas including Hempsted, Barnwood and Kingsway.

1. ​
   STARTLED: John Wildsmith.

John Wildsmith, 55, of Hempsted Lane, was left startled when he saw a big cat the "size of an Alsatian dog" prowling menacingly on fields behind his back garden.
He saw it at around 10pm last Monday from an upstairs bedroom window.
"It was jet black, with a big curly tail," he said.
"It sat there for around 10 minutes. I didn't take a snap because I didn't want to startle it, but I wish I had."
Chris Linker, from Coney Hill, called The Citizen after seeing a big cat bound across Barnwood Road, near the Wall's roundabout at 5.30am on Thursday.
"It went across the road in two leaps, then over a gate," he said. "It was long and black, with a long tail. I'm not 100 per cent sure it was a cat but it's hard to see what else it could have been. It could be a danger to pets and children."
Brian Thell, 51, of Thatcham Avenue, Kingsway, said he spotted a big cat prowling around his back garden.
He said: "Last Tuesday morning I was up at 5.30am and in the back garden I am sure I saw something that looked like a panther – it prowling around and as soon as I could get a camera it cleared off.
"I couldn't believe it. I went to work and was quite shaken as I got to the car."
Mr Thell said he wanted to see police patrolling urban areas.
"I don't know whether to tell The Citizen or the police," he said.
"I reckon the police need to patrol the area, this kind of cat looks like it could so some damage."
Big cat sightings have rocketed since the National Trust and Warwick University conducted tests for DNA on two deer carcasses found near Woodchester and Dursley in January.
Video footage taken by Stroud teaching assistant Coryn Memory which showed what could be a big cat near Stroud, has sparked national interest.
Sightings and deer carcass finds have been reported in Woodchester, Nailsworth, Rendcomb, Bishop's Cleeve, Nottingham Hill, Upton St Leonards, and Coopers Edge.
A Gloucestershire police spokeswoman said: "There remains nothing to suggest any potential threat of harm to the public, but should any information come to light that causes concern Gloucestershire police will take the appropriate action, based on evidence provided to us, in partnership with organisations, such as Natural England and Defra."

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.

Warick University Research into possible Woodchester wild cat finds no cat DNA on deer

17th February 2012
The National Trust has revealed that following extensive DNA tests by experts at the University of Warwick on two deer carcasses found in Gloucestershire, no big cat presence has been found.


[ClickPress, Fri Feb 17 2012] The National Trust asked the University of Warwick to test a roe deer carcass found near Woodchester Park, Gloucestershire in early January after examination of the wounds led to speculation that it may have been killed by a big cat.

Comprehensive DNA tests have found fox DNA on the Woodchester carcass and what is expected to be fox DNA on the second deer carcass found a few miles away.

Dr Robin Allaby, Associate Professor at the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick, said: "We did not detect cat DNA on either deer carcass. Other than deer, by far the strongest genetic signal we found on the Woodchester Park carcass was from a fox. That fox DNA was found on the ribs, legs and fur plucking sites from the Woodchester deer carcass.

"On the second deer carcass we found canid DNA. A more detailed analysis is underway to pin down the canid species but our expectation is that that will also be fox DNA."

Dr Robin Allaby took 45 samples in total, from the wounds of the deer carcasses with the aim of testing specifically for DNA from the saliva of any canid (for instance dog or fox) or felid (cat) species which had killed or scavenged from the deer.

He used those samples to carry out 450 PCRs (the polymerase chain reaction is a standard scientific technique to amplify the target DNA), and almost 600 sequence reactions. The team searched for two gene targets each of deer and canid, but over 30 different cat gene targets.

David Armstrong, Head Ranger for the National Trust in Gloucestershire said: "The story of the investigation of the dead deer has really sparked off local curiosity with a lot of people who visit Woodchester Park to explore. People love a mystery like this and although we haven't found a wild cat, many of our visitors clearly believe there might be something interesting living quietly hidden in Woodchester."

Rick Minter, author of a new book on big cats reported in Britain, said: "There has been speculation of breeding amongst feral big cats in the UK. We are no closer to indicating that with these results, but lessons have been learnt from Warwick University's valuable input to this exercise. The strong media interest suggests an appetite to look into this subject further, and recent community surveys in Gloucestershire have indicated a strong desire for big cat evidence to be researched carefully.

"We should not be complacent about possible big cats in the UK, but considering these animals living secretly in our landscape can fire people's imaginations and help us consider all of the wild nature around us. Our outdoors can still hold surprises maybe."

Big cats will do their utmost to avoid contact with people but anyone who does see a big cat in the wild is advised to stay composed and back away from the animal.

Any sightings or possible evidence on National Trust land can also be reported by email to nature@nationaltrust.org.uk.

-Ends-

About The National Trust:
The National Trust is one of the most important nature conservation organisations in Europe with over 1,000 sites covering 250,000 hectares, including coastal sites, countryside places, woodland and upland areas; many of which are rich in wildlife. All 17 species of UK bat have been recorded as roosting or breeding on National Trust land and 96 per cent of all resident UK butterflies can be found on National Trust land. The charity also offers a number of National Trust holidays, including countryside walks throughout locations across Britain. Those interested in volunteering with the National Trust can find out more at: www.nationaltrust.org.uk.

PR Contact:
Steve Field
Assistant Press Officer
The National Trust
Heelis
Kemble Drive
Swindon
SN2 2NA
01793 817740
www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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Big cat claims in area

Published on Friday 17 February 2012 16:46

MAJESTIC panthers and cougars could be roaming our county, which has been described as a “big-cat hotspot” by members of the British Big Cat Society.

The predators have been spotted throughout Derbyshire in recent years, with 17 sightings reported to police since 2007.
Danny Bamping, documentary film maker and founder of the British Big Cat society said the animals were released into the wild in the late 1970s following the introduction of new laws preventing wild animals being kept as pets.
“Derbyshire has a lot of sightings every year, and bordering counties do as well,” said Danny. “There was a five year window where people could release the animals into the countryside without having to pay for expensive licences.
“If you think about raising a cat from a cub, people are emotionally attached to that animal and they don’t want to see it put down. That’s why we have lynx and black panthers running around.”
One owner, Leslie Maiden, has previously admitted releasing a panther and a cougar off the A57 Snake Pass during the 1970s – animals which could have mated to create offspring big cats still seen in the countryside today.
Sightings of big cats reported to Derbyshire Constabulary in the last five years include one caller, who said: “Yesterday at approximately 12.55am I was driving from Manchester on the A6 in Darley Dale just after Morrison Shand construction firm. A large black cat approximately the size of a labrador ran in front of my car. I would swear this was a panther.”
Another report said: “I want to report two sheep that have been killed over the past six weeks. I don’t think it is a dog that has done this. A dog couldn’t have brought them down. I have found one of the sheep and it has been half eaten and mauled. I think it is a panther.”
Another reported seeing a big cat in Brassington. He said: “We were on the main road and it crossed there and went into some fields and went round the field and then up near the stone works there. I think we may have been on Wirksworth Road about a mile away from Carsington.
“It was definitely a big cat, a lot bigger than most dogs. It looked like a panther, it was black.”
Another, said: “About an hour ago we were walking along Hilcote Lane when we saw the black panther in a field. It had a very long tail and walked fown to the main road. The panther then seemed to be coming in our direction so we crossed over and made our way home. We thought the panther was a very large dog when we first noticed it but then saw it was a panther. This was witnessed by three of us.”
However, a spokesperson for the Peak District National Park Authority, said: “We have no evidence and no reported sightings of big cats in the national park area.”
l Have you come across a big cat in Derbyshire? Email comment@derbyshiretimes.co.uk
ellie.hunter@derbyshiretimes.co.uk

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The Citizen
18th February 2012
BREWMASTERS in Stroud have released a big cat – in the form of a new stout.
Stroud Brewery's new Big Cat stout is 4.5 per cent proof, and will be ready to hit the pumps in pubs next week.

​

UNLEASHED: Head brewer Guy Perry and owner Greg Pilley.

Managing director Greg Pilley said: "We've had a seasonal stout for the last four to five years, although we didn't brew it last year.
"We were keen to bring it back, and we thought because it's a dark beer, a stout, it fitted in well with a big cat theme."
Stroud made national headlines after a mystery black beast was spotted in the area, and carcasses originally believed to be linked to it were found in Woodchester.
Greg said: "It's certainly something which has put Stroud on the map."
The first pub to order the stout is the Prince Albert in Rodborough.

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19th February 2012

Published on Friday 17 February 2012 16:46

MAJESTIC panthers and cougars could be roaming our county, which has been described as a “big-cat hotspot” by members of the British Big Cat Society.

The predators have been spotted throughout Derbyshire in recent years, with 17 sightings reported to police since 2007.
Danny Bamping, documentary film maker and founder of the British Big Cat society said the animals were released into the wild in the late 1970s following the introduction of new laws preventing wild animals being kept as pets.
“Derbyshire has a lot of sightings every year, and bordering counties do as well,” said Danny. “There was a five year window where people could release the animals into the countryside without having to pay for expensive licences.
“If you think about raising a cat from a cub, people are emotionally attached to that animal and they don’t want to see it put down. That’s why we have lynx and black panthers running around.”
One owner, Leslie Maiden, has previously admitted releasing a panther and a cougar off the A57 Snake Pass during the 1970s – animals which could have mated to create offspring big cats still seen in the countryside today.
Sightings of big cats reported to Derbyshire Constabulary in the last five years include one caller, who said: “Yesterday at approximately 12.55am I was driving from Manchester on the A6 in Darley Dale just after Morrison Shand construction firm. A large black cat approximately the size of a labrador ran in front of my car. I would swear this was a panther.”
Another report said: “I want to report two sheep that have been killed over the past six weeks. I don’t think it is a dog that has done this. A dog couldn’t have brought them down. I have found one of the sheep and it has been half eaten and mauled. I think it is a panther.”
Another reported seeing a big cat in Brassington. He said: “We were on the main road and it crossed there and went into some fields and went round the field and then up near the stone works there. I think we may have been on Wirksworth Road about a mile away from Carsington.
“It was definitely a big cat, a lot bigger than most dogs. It looked like a panther, it was black.”
Another, said: “About an hour ago we were walking along Hilcote Lane when we saw the black panther in a field. It had a very long tail and walked fown to the main road. The panther then seemed to be coming in our direction so we crossed over and made our way home. We thought the panther was a very large dog when we first noticed it but then saw it was a panther. This was witnessed by three of us.”
However, a spokesperson for the Peak District National Park Authority, said: “We have no evidence and no reported sightings of big cats in the national park area.”
Have you come across a big cat in Derbyshire? Email comment@derbyshiretimes.co.uk
ellie.hunter@derbyshiretimes.co.uk

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Gloucestershire Echo
16th February 2012
ACADEMIC experts have waded into the debate about big cat sightings in the county.
Rural researchers from the University of Gloucestershire say they are determined to uncover new information about the phenomenon.

1. ​
   SIGHTING: Beverley Jones

Curiosity has been sparked in recent weeks by several animal killings in the county and sightings of large feline creatures.
Now the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) has launched a study into the issue and is asking people to help find out the truth.
CCRI Senior Research Fellow Dr Matt Reed said: "As a team of researchers who work a lot in rural communities over the years, we have heard lots of accounts of big beasts spotted in the countryside, carcasses of wild animals or sheep killed in unusual ways and sometimes strange animal calls.
"Now it seems that these accounts have become focused near our base and we have decided to take a closer look."
A survey about the issue has been launched for people to report any big cat sightings.
The academics are experts in Crypto-zoology, the study of animals which appear in myths and legends, but the existence of which have not been proven.
They cite Scotland's Loch Ness Monster and the Abominable Snowman as examples.
Rhiannon Fisher, a lecturer at the Royal Agricultural College and a part-time PhD student in the CCRI, added, "We are not saying that there is or is not a wild cat in the area.
"We are interested in people's opinions about what might be out there, what sort of thing might count as proof and what their thoughts are about it.
"We have prepared a simple, short questionnaire that people can complete online.
"Once we have the results we'll publish them on the CCRI's website."
Yesterday's Echo featured Beverley Jones, who spotted an animal approximately the size of a dog on the A40 near Andoversford.
The study was announced as Gloucestershire big cat expert Frank Tunbridge appeared on Channel 5's Live With Gabby to talk about the sightings.
Speaking from fields in the county, Mr Tunbridge showed his surveillance equipment.
He said: "These animals have bred amongst themselves and produced a hybrid through the generations.
"We now have a population living wild in the county."
Many of the sightings have been around Stroud, but the territory of each beast is thought to be up to 50 miles.
In the past seven years, police have received 61 reports of big cats in the county.
To take the survey visit https://surveys.glos.ac.uk/wildcat

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The flaws of hair analysis: Longleat Leopard

Oct 1

Posted by Hayley Stevens on the Vigilantes Blog

A while ago I took part in a tracking session in Longleat forest with a group of cryptozoology researchers. We were looking for signs of a big cat being in the area after several eyewitnesses reported seeing a cat in the area of the forest.
The one thing found in the forest that was of interest was a single dark coloured hair that was found on a wire fence in the forest by three of the cryptozoology researchers who were joined by my younger brother, Charlie.
This hair was bagged up as ”potential evidence” and taken away and after returning home I thought nothing more of it. A few weeks after the discovery of the hair the cryptozoology researchers that had been with us on the day were attending a conference called “The Weird Weekend” hosted by the CFZ (Centre for Fortean Zoology).
While at the conference they got Lars Thomas, a well-known cryptozoologist, to identify the hair on a piece of equipment he had at the conference that was designed to examine hairs and similar.
He did so and declared that it showed signs of being a leopard hair. the cryptozoology researchers got excited and saw this as evidence that there may be a big cat in Longleat Forest. However, I wasn’t as keen as them to make that assumption.
I didn’t think that one hair equals proof of a cat being present, also, I didn’t know enough about the testing process to gather a clear view of how it had been identified.
I wrote a piece detailing my exact position on the case. This received a lot of criticism from the cryptozoology researchers who accused me of being untrusting and having an agenda, a lot of people couldn’t understand why I didn’t agree with the hair being a leopard hair.
I am taking this chance to finally lay down the reasons I don’t trust the testing and the results and don’t count them as proof.
Problems with the initial hair testing
This is the picture I was provided of the testing of the hair.

This is a photo of the hair being tested.

Lars Thomas used an RGB colour camera which immediately reduces the working resolution to 1/3 of what he probably thinks it is. Apparently, using a black and white camera with a colour slider to create false-colour images would have preserved the resolution of the image much better.
A colour camera uses 3 pixels (a red, blue and a green) to describe a single colour pixel, so you reduce resolution drastically. He has, I note, also zoomed in and taken a photo of the monitor which is why you can see individual pixels in the first picture.
The lighting conditions are not great for microscopic analysis of a sample either. A bright room = bad for microscopy. According to a biologist I am in contact with, Lars should really have used polarised light which it really doesn’t look like he hasn’t done.
Also having your lunch around the microscope is generally not considered good scientific practice…
Not only were there issues with the testing conditions, but a single hair is just not enough. All biological samples display variation and the FBI recommend using at least 25 hairs to build up an accurate morphological profile.
Plus, although the hair in the picture does appear to display the segmented medulla (middle of the hair) that felines have (although due to the resolution of the image, it is hard to say to what degree they are segmented), it does not appear to display the characteristic overlapping cuticle (outer edge) of the feline hair (see picture C & D below) You can also see the segmented medulla in the dog hair photo (See picture E)
picture C:
picture D:
Picture E:
Without a forensic analysis of this, the whole testing is inconclusive. There is no DNA evidence, a single sample, poorly imaged…
Ultimately what it boils down to is this: lacking any other evidence of a leopard (no kills, no bones with tooth impressions, no prints) this hair is more or less meaningless.
This is exaggerated by not a) providing images of known leopard hair and b) no side by side comparison with other hair from other animals likely to be in that environment.
Without a DNA profile you can’t say for sure anyway. The one thing taxonomists have come to realise over the last 100 years is that morphology alone is not a good system for defining a species. Let alone the morphology of one hair!
When an animal hair is found, it is identified to a particular type of animal and microscopically compared with a known hair sample from either an animal hair reference collection or a specific animal.
If the questioned hair exhibits the same microscopic characteristics as the known hairs, it is concluded that the hair is consistent with originating from that animal. It is noted, however, that animal hairs do not possess enough individual microscopic characteristics to be associated with a particular animal to the exclusion of other similar animals.
Now, the biologist that I have been speaking to believes this is a dog hair. To see if his was a common view he posted the picture of the hair on a scientific forum that he is a member of. He posted just the photo for analysis – no back story, and the common view from other members is that it looks very much like a dog hair.
Obviously there is no way to be 100% sure, but something I am sure of is this - concluding that this one hair is proof of a leopard being in Longleat forest is clutching at straws.
That is why I held (and still hold) a skeptical and doubtful position on the case. I am not the one using flimsy evidence to support my beliefs and this will be the last I write of this case until more substantial evidence is provided by the cryptozoologists who are making claims about a leopard in Longleat Forest.

photos provided by 'A.D', the biologist who I consulted with over this case and the testing
of the hair. A.D wishes to remain anonymous, but can be contacted if you don't believe
he is real. Just ask. 

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'Black panther' spotted in field near Carlisle - claim

By Phil Coleman

Last updated at 11:55, Thursday, 16 February 2012

A bus driver has spoken of the moment he spotted what he believes may have been a large black panther in a field a few miles north of Carlisle.

Steven Allison by the field

Steven Allison, 32, saw the wildcat – about the height of an adult rottweiler dog – as he was driving towards Rockcliffe village shortly before 8am on Tuesday.
It is the first time since October 2009 that anybody in the city has reported seeing a wild cat on the loose in or near Carlisle.
Steven, from Firlands, Stanwix, said: “I was driving towards Rockcliffe, about half a mile away from the village, down a section of road that turns to the right and I suddenly saw this thing in the field right ahead.
“It was lying down, and it certainly wasn’t a small animal. When it heard the bus it stood up, startled, and stared for a moment, and then sprinted off towards the end of the field.
“Absolutely everything about it was feline. Its black tail was curled, and if I’d been next to it would have come up past my knees in height. Its coat was black and shiny. I obviously startled it. Afterwards, you start to question yourself, but I know what I saw.
“At the time, my feeling was more one of fascination, but there was no way I would have got off the bus.”
George Scott, from the Knoxwood Wildlife Rescue Centre near Wigton, said he would not discount the possibility that a panther-like creature could survive in the English countryside. He said: “There are so many reports of these things.
“You’d imagine that one or two of them have to be right. I certainly wouldn’t discount it as a possibility.”
In October 2009, staff at Carlisle’s dental centre near the Cumberland Infirmary reported seeing a large puma-like creature prowling on nearby waste ground.
Have you spotted the Rockcliffe wildcat? Do you have a picture of it?

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Another 'big cat' spotted in Gloucestershire

The Citizen
16th February 2012
YET another big cat sighting has been reported in the county.
Helen Stratford, of Teddington Gardens, Upton St Leonards, said she spotted a large cat in fields by her house on Saturday evening around 5.40pm.
She said she was "shocked" by the sighting, which happened as she walked her dog.
She said: "It was walking down the field about 20 metres in front of me and my dog chased it and barked and growled.
"It disappeared through the fence into a copse towards the bridle path.
"My dog was sniffing the fence where it went through and was shaking.
"The way it bound across the frozen earth was very different to how a dog runs.
"It made no sound or attempt to do anything to my dog.
"I was quite shaken up and shocked to see it.
"It had obviously made its way over from Nut Hill."
The news comes after the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI), based at the University of Gloucestershire, announced it was planning a survey to find out more about the phenomenon.
The institute wants to determine the beliefs of people in the community and beyond with regard to creatures such as the Gloucestershire cat.
Senior Research Fellow Dr Matt Reed said: "As a team of researchers who work a lot in rural communities over the years we have heard lots of accounts of big beasts spotted in the countryside, carcasses of wild animals or sheep killed in unusual ways and sometimes strange animal calls.
"Now it seems that these accounts have become focused near our base and we have decided to take a closer look."
Meanwhile, big cat expert Frank Tunbridge, from Gloucester, appeared on the Gabby Logan show on Channel Five yesterday to talk about the sightings in the county.
He said: "These animals have bred amongst themselves and produced a hybrid through the generations.
"We now have a population living wild in the county."
The survey is online at http://surveys.glos.ac.uk/wildcat.

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Big cat spotted crossing A40 in Andoversford

Gloucestershire Echo
15th February 2012
A BIG cat has been spotted running across the A40 in Andoversford, near Cheltenham.
Beverley Jones says she saw the creature while travelling from Cheltenham to her Farmington home on Saturday afternoon.

1. ​
   Beverley Jones

She said the animal, which was the size of a dog, ran out across the road and into the nearby woods.
It crossed just 100 yards in front of her car.
"It was just really exciting," she said.
"It looked exactly like a domestic cat but it was bigger. I slowed down almost to a stop and saw it run into the woodlands.
"It was the size of a Labrador and black in colour. It had a long tail, the size of its body, which curled at the end.
"I know what I saw and it was not a dog."
The 48-year-old carer said it was sunny and light when she spotted the animal at about 4.45pm, and she got a clear view of it.
"I have four cats and it ran exactly like a cat – elegant and cantering. It was an amazing creature."
She added she had previously been sceptical about previous sightings, but now thought there was at least one big cat in the county.
She said: "I have never seen anything like it before and I doubt I will see anything like it again.
"I feel really lucky to have seen it for those three or four seconds. I had always taken sighting of these sorts of things with a pinch of salt, but I am absolutely converted into believing it.
Shocked
"I stopped at a friend's house on the way back home and they said I seemed totally shocked and blown away."
Ms Jones, who has lived in the Cotswolds for nearly 30 years, said she had revisited the spot, but had not been lucky a second time. I went back again to the same spot to look for clues, hoping to see it again," she said.
"I was going to ask if anyone else had mentioned it at the petrol station, but it was busy and I thought they might think I was a nutter."
Beverley went on to do some internet research and realised there had been a flurry of sightings in the county over the past month, including Belinda Filmer, who spotted one near Andoversford a few weeks ago.
Ms Jones then saw a video made public by Gloucester's big cat tracker Frank Tunbridge.
Mr Tunbridge said: "There are big cats all over the place, their territory can cover up to 40 or 50 miles.
"She has watched the film and said it looked almost identical."
Ms Jones added: "I wonder how many are out there?
"There must be more and there have been quite a few sightings." Two deer carcasses found near Woodchester and Dursley were tested for big cat DNA recently.
Only deer and fox DNA was found, but the tests have prompted calls about more big cat sightings and reports of dead deer.
In the past seven years, 61 concerned callers alerted police to big cat sightings – including one person who insisted they saw a lion next to the M5 motorway.


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Online survey launched to root out Gloucestershire big cat

This is Gloucestershire
14th February 2012
RESEARCHERS at the University of Gloucestershire say they are determined to get to the bottom of big cat sightings in the county.
Rural research experts, the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI), have launched an online survey to determine the beliefs of people in the local community and beyond with regard to creatures such as the Gloucestershire 'big cat'.

1. ​
   Is this a big cat caught on camera by Coryn Memory

Senior Research Fellow at the CCRI, Dr Matt Reed, said: “As a team of researchers who work a lot in rural communities over the years we have heard lots of accounts of big beasts spotted in the countryside, carcasses of wild animals or sheep killed in unusual ways and sometimes strange animal calls. Now it seems that these accounts have become focused near our base and we have decided to take a closer look."
Rhiannon Fisher, a lecturer at the Royal Agricultural College and a part-time PhD student in the CCRI, added: “We are not saying that there is or is not a wild cat in the area, we are interested in people’s opinions about what might be out there, what sort of thing might count as proof, and what their thoughts are about it. We have prepared a simple, short questionnaire that people can complete on-line, and once we have the results we’ll publish them on the CCRI’s website."
The phenomenon of mystery creatures in nothing new and it even has a scientific name: Crypto-zoology. This refers to animals whose existence lacks physical evidence but which may appear in myths, legends, or are seen outside their normal geographic ranges.
If you are interested in becoming involved in the Gloucestershire big cat debate, please complete the

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Learning to live in harmony with the countryside's feral big cats

Western Morning News
15th February 2012
The British big cat situation remains steeped in mystery despite the thousands of sightings reported and recorded by people from all walks of life, in all parts of the country.
Reports of such animals go way back into history, some of which relate to times when menageries and travelling circuses were common. Escapes and releases must have occurred, some no doubt resulting in breeding in the wild and thus the appearance of the feral British big cat, or cats.

​

But it was in the early 1980s that public interest in these felines was rekindled, with the "Beast of Exmoor" becoming front page news as reports of numerous sheep kills suddenly appeared alongside sightings of ferocious predators, mostly cat-like, mostly black.
At the time, my own investigations and sightings convinced me the black cats were melanistic leopards, releases and escapes from captivity which naturally had to fend for themselves in the wild. However, reports such as "80 sheep in 90 days" – all from one area in the South West – were ludicrous and fuelled the fire of fears that people may be at risk.
Some people even suggest tourism might suffer if the public on holiday stayed away from the South West in case they were attacked by these so-called dangerous predators.
My own black leopard theory was generally mocked for a time and still is by some sceptics today, even though so many sightings of the animals are made in broad daylight by sensible folk, including farmers, who know very well what they are looking at. The "Dartmoor Big Cat" and the "Beast of Bodmin" soon followed.
The reality is that leopards, pumas, lynx and other such cats are out there and some have definitely bred in the wild.
While the mortality rate of cubs may be high, many not surviving to adulthood, some do and grow to help perpetuate the myths and legends that have grown from the reality.
Natural England, the Government's own nature organisation, still maintains that the evidence is inconclusive, but the police admit to sightings by some of their own officers. Not so long ago, they issued an estimate of county by county numbers of big cats in Britain.
One Devon sheep farmer phoned me regularly to say a female puma on his land had produced cubs in four years out of seven and he and his wife were not troubled by the cats, nor did they lose any sheep to them.
As well as seeing black leopards, also known as panthers, in North Devon and on Exmoor myself, and a mother with cubs, and sub-adults, I have also had puma sightings, once with a nature watching group I was leading, and also a sighting of a lynx, the latter upstream of Tarr Steps.
These cats are extremely wary of humans. Usually a sighting is of a cat rising and moving away from a disturbance – so rear-ends disappearing into vegetation is usual and photographs of this are not very convincing. And there are several hoaxers about, producing fake pictures. But at some stage the proof will be available for all to see. After all, a female puma was trapped in Scotland a few years ago and another was shot near Greenwich. Other smaller exotic cats have been shot, including swamp cats and leopard cats, the latter killed by a farmer on Dartmoor.
The black leopard is the animal I still intend to capture on film more clearly than I have done already. Having been shown red deer carcasses 12ft and 15ft up in forestry areas locally, one is reminded that these predators can spend a lot of their time in trees. And they are not huge as some reports suggest.
The leopard (Panthera pardus) varies in size, with its height at shoulder being anything between 18 inches and 30 inches. Males are larger than females, their head and body being 3ft 9in to 5ft 6in, with a tail of around 22in to 38in. The tail is thick and curved at the end. Weight is 35kg to 54 kg. Leopards may live to 23 years, males reaching maturity at two to three years, females at approximately two years.
There is plentiful prey in the wild for these big cats, with rabbits, pheasants, small mammals and, of course, roe and red deer. Our climate will not be a problem to them and there is an abundance of woodland and forestry plantations for cover.
Personally, I do not think they are or will be a problem. If you do come across one, leave well alone and move away. Do not bother it or attempt to corner it because that is asking for trouble. And do not shoot at them, a wounded big cat is bad news. Leave them be to live out their lives.


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Big cat shock - panther spends day in Seaford home

Sunday 26 February 2012
Sussex Express

Published on Saturday 11 February 2012 09:00

THE Big Cat controversy took a bizarre twist this week with the revelation that a ‘panther’ spent a day in someone’s house.

The beast is believed to have sneaked into the home of Ivan and Gemma Sherlow when the door to their home was inadvertently left open.
It was at 3am that the couple were woken by their neighbour’s cat Timmy howling and staring in through a downstairs window.
Gemma shrieked as something large rushed past her and smashed into the exit door which then slammed shut.
Ivan said: “I thought it must be a fox, but my wife said it was too big and black in colour.”
While she locked herself in the bedroom, he sought out his shillelagh – a traditional Irish club – and investigated the house. He found nothing.
The security officer spent the following day as normal, picked up accountant Gemma from work and returned to their home in Fairways Close, Seaford, with children Simon, seven, and Lucy, five.
It was only when the house fell hushed at 11pm that Ivan heard a noise under his blanket-covered games table.
“Something black suddenly burst out and ran behind the curtains across the French doors,” he said. “I could see its shape moving – it was about 3ft high. Then a giant black head with green eyes came out of the side.”
Armed with a broom and his trusty shillelagh, and with Gemma screaming “Get it out! Get it out!”, Ivan managed to bundle the beast – crouched on its haunches – in the curtain and chivvied it to the door. It sprinted away into the darkness.
“We were both terrified and shaking for 90 minutes afterwards,” he said.
He called the police and later had a visit from Derek Bilston, of Sussex Big Cat Watch, who confirmed from his description that their house guest had been a black panther – about the size of a labrador with a long tail.
He collected fur from the Sherlow’s home which is currently being analysed.
Mr Bilston said: “Their house is very close to open countryside at Seaford Head.”
Now 4ins pawprints found outside the property are also being investigated.
Elsewhere, a woman walking her dog across a field at South Chailey has reported seeing an enormous jet black cat stretched out on the pathway. When the animal slinked off she found pawprints.
And a deer found dead on Ashdown Forest bore all the hallmarks of a big cat kill.


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Forget Gloucestershire big cats - 'lion' spotted near M5

This is Goucestershire
Friday, February 10, 2012

CONCERNED callers alerted county police to more than 60 suspected big cat sightings in seven years – including a lion next to the M5 motorway.
Gloucestershire Constabulary figures show they received 61 calls about what people believed were big cats in the county between January 2004 and April 2011.

1. ​
   Is this a big cat caught on camera by Coryn Memory

Most reported large black puma-type animals, though on June 29, 2009, a caller described seeing a lion in a field next to junction nine at Ashchurch near Tewkesbury.
Sightings logged all over Gloucestershire have been disclosed twice by the force after requests under the Freedom of Information Act.
Big cat tracker Frank Tunbridge, whose camera footage of what appears to be a large cat near Stroud has caused a national stir, was surprised the force did not have more reports.
“Every year going back to 2004 I have had between around 40 and 50 sightings reported to me,” said Mr Tunbridge, who was one of the first on the scene when two deer carcasses near Woodchester and Dursley were tested for big-cat DNA.
“People used to be afraid to report them, but less so now.”
Even though those Warwick University tests could not detect DNA evidence that a big cat had taken the two deer, academics there are testing what may be fur from a big cat found near Dursley. Results are not expected for “some weeks”, a said a university spokeswoman.
The tests prompted many more reports of sightings of big cats and dead deer, and the video footage taken by Stroud teaching assistant Coryn Memory on Frank’s camera created huge interest – and some cynicism.
She said she has a camera with a more powerful zoom, ready to capture on film the animal she has seen six times.
Chased
One caller told police they had been “chased by large cat” in a field near Imjin Road, Cheltenham, on April 19 last year, but most told the force they had seen what they believed was a big cat.
Another said a cat was lurking in the centre of Coleford.
Some neighbouring forces also have figures available – Avon and Somerset took 19 reports between 2005 and 2011, while Thames Valley received 24 in 2010 alone.
A Gloucestershire police spokeswoman said Defra and Natural England would be informed of big-cat sightings.
She said the force would only become involved if there was a threat to public safety – something that has not happened in Gloucestershire, she said, adding: “Should Gloucestershire police receive any information regarding big cats in the county the details are passed on to the relevant agencies.”
SOME of the sightings include: April 23, 2011: Mill Lane, Prestbury, sighting of a large black cat.
December 29, 2010: Boverton Drive, Brockworth, large black cat walking across fence.
November 11, 2009: Nympsfield, big cat.
August 6, 2009: Edge End, big cat sighted.
January 7, 2009: Pensile Road, Nailsworth, large cat
February 16, 2008: Sixacres Field Lane, Cam, black cat seen.
August 1, 2005: Barnett Way, Gloucester, big black cat.
Gloucestershire police big cat reports full list

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Mystery of the severed head on Burbage Common is solved

Hinckley Times
10th Feb 2012
DOG walkers and others wanting to enjoy the picturesquely frosty scenes on Burbage Common can now do so without fear of a big cat attack.
The mystery surrounding how a muntjac deer’s head ended up in a tree has been solved - by the person who put it there.
Paul Weddle, from Hinckley, was out taking his eight-month-old German wirehaired pointer Meg out for a walk on January 21 when she came across the gruesome find. He tried to find a ranger to remove it but had no luck so he put it up the tree out of the way of other furry friends.
“At first we thought she had a bird, which is what she normally finds but as she went past we noticed it was a muntjac,” he said.

“It had obviously been poached because it was a clean cut.
“It took about 25 minutes for us to get the head off Meg because she’s only a puppy.
“Once we managed to get the head off her, I popped it into the branches of a young tree to stop other dogs from running around with it, thinking the rangers would find it and dispose of it.”

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Has 'Skerray Beast' struck here again?

Published: 10/02/2012 12:07 - Updated: 10/02/2012 12:09
The Northern Times
Older readers may recall that, way back in the halcyon days between 1976 and 1981, the area round Bettyhill and Skerray was haunted by a cat-like animal with a taste for mutton.
The creature, which became known as “The Skerray Beast” was the subject of numerous sightings over several years, coincident with the discovery of the remains of a significant number of sheep, each of which had been disposed of in a similar manner.
And now, the people of Farr are wondering if the large puma-like cat has returned.
The beast’s modus operandi, marking it off from local scavengers or predators, was its ability to skin its prey every bit as neatly as any human being could.
In the late seventies, there were armed hunts for the animal in the Borgie area, on Naver Rock and around Strathy but, though well-formed footprints were found both in sand and in snow, neither keepers, nor crofters nor police marksmen were ever able to get close enough to take a good shot at the creature or even to identify it positively.
In the eighties the sightings, and the killings, stopped although big cat sightings thereafter became common as far afield as Surrey – probably as a consequence of troublesome pets being released in to the countryside following the Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976 which required owners of exotic pets to keep them securely and care for them properly.
Indeed, a half-tame puma was captured in Moray in October 1980 and ended its days as an exhibit in the Highland Wildlife Park!
Back to today, and to Swordly on 19th December last year where former cattleman, Andy McLachlan was lamping for foxes.
Turning his light on a patch of thin woodland, about 200 yards away across the Swordly Burn, he picked up a pair of extraordinarily bright eyes between the trees.
Thinking this to be a fox, Andy switched his search beam off and gave a couple of peeps on his “squeaker”, a form of home-made whistle intended to emulate the sound of an injured rabbit or hare and which lampers use to lure the fox towards the gun.
After a couple of minutes he put the lamp on again and, sure enough, the owner of the eyes was moving towards him.
Only it wasn’t a fox but a sturdy long tailed cat about the size of a springer spaniel and now only 125 yards away.
This was still a little far for a good shot, so he switched off and waited before lamping for the third time, whereupon the approaching feline bounded off in great leaps quite unlike anything Andy had ever seen before.
Meanwhile, sheep belonging to Swordly crofter, George B. Mackay, currently working offshore, were being fed on the hill overlooking the glen by George’s son Liam, an apprentice engineer.
When Liam went to replenish the ring feeder on a fortnight ago, he found the remains of the carcase of one of his father’s sheep just a few feet from the feeding site.
Like the carcases of the victims of the “Skerray Beast” of 30-odd years ago, it had been cleanly flayed leaving nothing but its hide and its skeleton to decay in to the heather.
As the feeding was done on a weekly basis, it was possible that the kill was up to a week old but, however long it had taken to strip the unfortunate sheep of its skin and to the bone, the end result was astonishingly reminiscent of the carcases from all those years ago.
Andy McLachlan has been continuing to lamp in the area, though very cautiously, given that a cat as big as a medium sized dog could be a very dangerous animal to encounter. In recent days he has had a further glimpse of a fast moving creature, this time on the high rocky ridge that separates Swordly from the A836, but was unable to determine whether this was the same animal.
Whatever the eventual outcome may be there are startling parallels between what has been happening in Swordly in recent weeks and what happened over a very wide area many years ago.
Maybe, this time, the mystery of the “beast” will be solved.

Andy McLachlan with the remnants of the skinned and eaten sheep.

 

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Is this another mark of the Calderdale catbeast?

25th February 2012

Could this be the mark of Calderdale's catbeast? The apparent paw print was found by Malcolm Edwards, of Jumples Lodge, Halifax

Published on Wednesday 8 February 2012 09:29

THE mystery of the Calderdale catbeast took a new turn with the discovery of this huge paw print.

It is the second time the big cat – thought to be a black panther like the one above – has left its mark in the ground.
The latest print was found in the mud by Malcolm Edwards outside the garage of his home in Wheatley, Halifax.
The 67-year-old said: “It was fairly dark so I had a torch with me. As I shone it down at the ground, there it was.
“It certainly looks like a paw print but what sort of a paw, and from what, I don’t know.
“The thing that intrigued me is cats have retractable claws and there are no claw marks on the print.”
The print measures about four inches across and is the only one Mr Edwards found.
It may have been there some time, as the ground has been frozen hard for days.
Mr Edwards said he had not heard or seen anything out of the ordinary, but was open to the possibility it could be a big cat.
“It’s a good size, whatever it is,” he said.
In November, Susan Rooke reported seeing a black, puma-like animal scrabbling in her garden at Chevinedge Crescent, Exley, before jumping over a fence.
The creature left behind a similar paw print and scratch marks.
The 58-year-old told the Courier of her terror at the time.
She said: “It looked like a black panther.
“My heart was in my mouth. I had never seen anything like that in my life, in all my years.
“When I saw the claw marks I thought I wasn’t dreaming. I thought ‘My God, it really was here’.”
The first possible physical evidence of the Calderdale catbeast was in 2005 when a Shibden farmer discovered the savaged remains of a sheep.
Elsewhere in the UK, there has been solid evidence that big cats have roamed the countryside.
A puma was captured alive in Scotland in 1980 and a jungle cat was found on a Shropshire roadside in 1989 after it was hit by a passing car.
A leopard was shot on the Isle of Wight in 1993, and lynx have been shot in Suffolk in 1991 and Northern Ireland in 1996.
Closer to home, the Beast of Ossett was filmed prowling near woodland on the edge of the town in 1999.
Special Constable Phillip Sanderson, wildlife officer for Calderdale, said the pictured print did look feline.
But he added there was not yet enough evidence to confirm or reject the existence of a big cat here.
He said: “We have had sporadic sightings of an animal nicknamed the catbeast of Calderdale.
“Unfortunately a lot of the sightings are inconclusive.
“If such an animal exists it appears to be surviving on the availiable ground game as the police have had no reports of domestic livestock loss.
“If anyone was to see an animal of this description, do not approach but contact the police.”

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Is this another mark of the Calderdale catbeast?

Halifax Courier
Tuesday 14 February 2012

Could this be the mark of Calderdale's catbeast? The apparent paw print was found by Malcolm Edwards, of Jumples Lodge, Halifax

Published on Wednesday 8 February 2012 09:29

THE mystery of the Calderdale catbeast took a new turn with the discovery of this huge paw print.

It is the second time the big cat – thought to be a black panther like the one above – has left its mark in the ground.
The latest print was found in the mud by Malcolm Edwards outside the garage of his home in Wheatley, Halifax.
The 67-year-old said: “It was fairly dark so I had a torch with me. As I shone it down at the ground, there it was.
“It certainly looks like a paw print but what sort of a paw, and from what, I don’t know.
“The thing that intrigued me is cats have retractable claws and there are no claw marks on the print.”
The print measures about four inches across and is the only one Mr Edwards found.
It may have been there some time, as the ground has been frozen hard for days.
Mr Edwards said he had not heard or seen anything out of the ordinary, but was open to the possibility it could be a big cat.
“It’s a good size, whatever it is,” he said.
In November, Susan Rooke reported seeing a black, puma-like animal scrabbling in her garden at Chevinedge Crescent, Exley, before jumping over a fence.
The creature left behind a similar paw print and scratch marks.
The 58-year-old told the Courier of her terror at the time.
She said: “It looked like a black panther.
“My heart was in my mouth. I had never seen anything like that in my life, in all my years.
“When I saw the claw marks I thought I wasn’t dreaming. I thought ‘My God, it really was here’.”
The first possible physical evidence of the Calderdale catbeast was in 2005 when a Shibden farmer discovered the savaged remains of a sheep.
Elsewhere in the UK, there has been solid evidence that big cats have roamed the countryside.
A puma was captured alive in Scotland in 1980 and a jungle cat was found on a Shropshire roadside in 1989 after it was hit by a passing car.
A leopard was shot on the Isle of Wight in 1993, and lynx have been shot in Suffolk in 1991 and Northern Ireland in 1996.
Closer to home, the Beast of Ossett was filmed prowling near woodland on the edge of the town in 1999.
Special Constable Phillip Sanderson, wildlife officer for Calderdale, said the pictured print did look feline.
But he added there was not yet enough evidence to confirm or reject the existence of a big cat here.
He said: “We have had sporadic sightings of an animal nicknamed the catbeast of Calderdale.
“Unfortunately a lot of the sightings are inconclusive.
“If such an animal exists it appears to be surviving on the availiable ground game as the police have had no reports of domestic livestock loss.
“If anyone was to see an animal of this description, do not approach but contact the police.”

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.

Is this evidence of a big cat stalking Mendip Hills near Bristol?

Bristol Evening Post
Thursday, February 09, 2012
A BRISTOL barber believes he may have captured the paw print of a big cat stalking hills south of Bristol.
Luigi Armato, 32, a barber in the city centre, snapped the print on his phone near the village of Binegar in the Mendip hills while out on a shooting trip with his father and brother.

​

Is this evidence of a big cat stalking Mendip Hills near Bristol?

Mr Armato, of Muller Road in Eastville, says he has never seen anything like it before, and big cat experts have told the Evening Post that the print certainly raises some interesting questions due to its size.
Mr Armato's photo had not been shown to anyone outside of his family until yesterday, when he read news of more possible big cat sightings near Stroud, Gloucestershire.
The Mendips have been the site of several claimed big cat sightings in recent years and Mr Armato believes the picture could provide further proof at least one lives there.
Describing the circumstances in which he spotted the footprint, Mr Armato said: "It was early morning at the crack of dawn last summer.
"My dad and brother had gone separate ways and I came across this giant print. As soon as I saw it I called them straight away and they came over to have a look.
"We were just shocked. We all just stood around thinking, what it could be? None of us could work it out. Not even my dad, who knows a bit about animals from his family."
Mr Armato's find matches recent sightings across the West Country of large cats.
Last month DNA tests were carried out on the carcasses of several deer found dead at Woodchester Park, near Stroud. The tests found no evidence of a big cat being involved in the animals' deaths.
But yesterday footage shot nearby and allegedly showing a large cat, believed to be the same size as a young leopard, was published online.
In December there were eyewitness reports of a large cat near a shooting ground in the Mendips.
Mr Armato believes there must be some substance in all the reports.
He said: "It's got to be some sort of big cat. There's no way the print I photographed is a fox or even a deer – they're too small."
When taking the picture Mr Amato placed the trigger of his Webley & Scott semi-automatic shotgun next to it to give an idea of scale.
He said: "I've had it for a while on my phone. I was thinking about sending it in when the last lot of sightings came up, then more news came in and I thought it has to be something to do with this big cat.
"I am very interested to know what it really is. If it does turn out to be a beast, I'll be a lot more wary next time I go up shooting.
"I certainly wouldn't go up there on my own, put it that way."
The Avon Wildlife Trust told the Post that the prints are unlikely to be those of a fox – unless it was a very large one.
Gloucestershire big cat expert Frank Tunbridge, 65, who has studied evidence from several recent sightings has also looked at Mr Armato's picture. He said: "Some cats do exhibit claw marks like these. The location makes it rather suspicious.
"It's hard to tell from just one print but I wouldn't rule it out.
"These big cats are definitely out there. I'm getting around two sightings a week from locals and nationally – we're getting more and more sightings every year."
Rick Minter, author of Big Cats: Facing Britain's Wild Predators, said: "We have seen reports of sightings on the Mendips. There's plenty of cover and caves up there, very suitable conditions and the right food for a big cat to survive."
In the past five years other big cat sightings have been reported in Midsomer Norton, Shipham and Wedmore.
Deaths of sheep and lambs in the Mendips have also been blamed on big cats.
In November 2008 some 28 sheep were savaged over a three-week period at a farm at Stoke St Michael, five months after four sheep were savaged in a similar incident near Cheddar.


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