Big Cat Roundup 3

Brief reports of big cat sightings received by BCIB over the last week.

England

Cambridgeshire
Earith – two men were driving down a dirt track on their way to go fishing at some lakes, when 30 metres away on an adjoining track they saw a large ginger-coloured cat. The cat, which they estimate at 3 feet tall by five feet long including tail, was sitting when they first saw it, but got up when it saw them and walked calmly away.

“We both knew it was too big to be a dog or a fox. To me it looked like a lion cub or something.”

Cornwall
Bodmin – a local woman has been hearing strange noises closely resembling – but not exactly like – the cries of a puma. She hopes to record the sounds for us, which include ‘a metallic chattering’. Her friend has also heard them and seen the cat itself, which was black.

Derbyshire
Glossop – a local woman discovered 20 score marks in groups of three across her horse’s rump and flank. She judges it could not be from barbed wire, as she had little around the field and it did not match the scratch patterns. Could it be from a big cat?

Devon
Berry Pomeroy – a big cat, black in colour, seen by a woman in this area.

Essex
Epping – a local resident was walking towards the common when a big black cat, 18 inches high, walked across the path 30 yards ahead of him.

Greater London
Cheam – a large black cat like a panther crossed a Cheam resident’s garden 3 weeks ago.
Read more at Sutton Guardian

Leicestershire
Leicester – a large black cat the size of a fox was reported crossing Gartree Road, close to Evington golf course.

Old Dalby – Daniel Davies always scoffed at reports of big cats, but driving home recently he was stunned to see a large black panther-like cat cross the road in front of him.
Read more at Melton Times.

Yorkshire
Goole – around 6pm on the evening of Wednesday 19th, the body of a large black cat the size of an Alsatian was observed on the central reservation of the M62 near the junction with the M18. This is close to Drax where there have been various sightings over the last few weeks.

Whixley – a local man has seen large black cats in this area several times in recent months.


Scotland
Ayrshire – a closeup sighting of a big cat was reported direct to Mark Fraser of BCIB.


Wales

Powys
Llanfyllin – while investigating the sighting of a big cat at Pont Robert (see Big Cat Roundup 2), BCIB members visited the farm where the cat has been seen twice. Chris Johnston relates:

“We were setting up the camera on one of the posts on the path when we heard the sound of a big cat, we both looked at each other in shock. It was two growls and the cat must have been only about 15 to 20ft from us, but it was in the forest next to the path and the vegetation was too thick to see. I am sure the sound was a leopard, as I have heard it from leopards I have worked with. It was not scary, I just felt it was probably a warning, it had heard us talking and as we were that close it let us know it was there."

Ireland

Donegal – we have received a report of a sighting of a black panther. Earlier this year big cats were reported at Newtowncunningham and ‘a long lean black cat’ from Dunkineely in the south of the county

Tyrone - Two people within twelve hours reported seeing a light brown animal measuring some four feet in length and two feet in height. These were near Dungannon and Moygashel. Police are warning people not to approach the animal.

CatStats UK at a glance
Panther type (black) – 9
Puma type (fawn) - 2
‘Ginger’ – 1
Colour undefined - 1
Attack - 1
Sounds – 3


From much further afield…

Australia

Western Australia – a farmer shot and killed a black cat, twice the size of a collie dog.
Read more at ABC Rural

Victoria
Bannockburn – a woman saw a leopard-sized black cat spook her horses.

Geelong – a foal was found dead, the carcass stripped in a typical big-cat manner
Read more at Geelong Advertiser