Big Cat Roundup 13

Reports of sightings received by BCIB during the last week.

England

Berkshire

Ashampstead - A local woman reports how she saw a long-tailed black animal with a small head and large body hunting on the edge of wood near the village.

Read more at Reading Evening Post

Cleveland

Newby - In the last quarter of 2006, a local man driving a tractor was surprised when a large black cat ran out from under a bush and away across the fields.

Cumbria

Penrith area - a couple driving along the A592 towards Penrith on 20th of November around 4 p.m. were very surprised to see three large black cats running up the hillside and disappearing out of sight over the top.

Dorset

Sturminster Newton - on 11th November around 6 p.m., a local woman was driving from Hinton St Mary towards the village when a big cat ran across the road in front of her headlights. The woman's daughter saw a similar league black cat in a field nearby a few weeks ago.

Northumberland

Hexham - on the 27th of November just after midday, a local man saw a large black cat-like creature jump over a 7 foot high wall and disappear into a nearby wood.

Read more at Hexham Courant

Wales

Gwent

Waunlwyd - On the 21st of November, a local woman out dog walking and saw a cat very similar to the one reported last week.

"It was totally black and it has a long tail. I would say it was about 4 foot long... I feel quite privileged to have seen it."

Read more at icWales


CatStats at a glance

Panther type (black) - 9

Big Cat Roundup 12

Reports of sightings received by BCIB over the last week.

England

Berkshire
Caversham – a retired couple watched a large black cat with orange eyes as it moved across a field near their house.
Read more at Reading Evening Post

Devon
Silverton – a local woman woke in the early hours of 17th November and saw a pale-coloured cat the size of a large Alsatian leave her garden through the hedge. She later recovered tufts of hair from the hedge. The animal has been tentatively identified from her description as a lynx.
Read more at BBC News.
Watch an interview with the witness at BBC News

Gloucestershire
Whiteshill – mid-afternoon on 19th November, a woman had to slow down to allow two big black cats to cross the road.

Leicestershire
Leicester – another sighting at Aylstone meadows last week. A woman walking her dog along the canal saw a Labrador-sized cat approaching them and quickly turned and walked the other way before her dog could react. The cat, black with a reddish tinge to the coat, headed off into nearby fields.

East Leicestershire – another large black cat seen stalking a Labrador belonging to a man out shooting.

Norfolk
Norwich – an odd sighting in the centre of the city, around 4 p.m. on 17th November. A hotel guest looked out of her window and saw a large black animal on a flat roof 30-40 feet away.

“I am as sure as I can be that it was a very big cat, thick set and thick glossy black coat.”

Somerset
Ilminster – various reports this week of big cats seen in the area:-

An Ilminster man was walking his dog on Herne Hill on 31st October when he found a freshly-killed deer.

“The animal which had killed this deer must have been some serious meat-eater and no ordinary wild animal.”

Read more at Chard & Ilminster News

Two local women also had recent sightings of large black cats in the area.
Read more at Yeovil Express
Watch an interview with various local witnesses at BBC News

Surrey
Croydon airport – At 8 a.m. on 9th October, a wildlife watcher saw a ‘black leopard’ moving through long grass at Roundshaw Downs.
Evening Standard (London), 19.11.07, p.20.


Scotland

Aberdeenshire
Tarves – on the night of 17th November, a woman drove up to her isolated cottage to be met by her very frightened pet cat that jumped into the car with her. The woman saw a large black cat, bigger than a Labrador, heading away from the garage and into the fields beyond.

Fife
Markinch – a local man watched a large black animal for half-an-hour as it crouched and stalked through the field behind his house. It was around 200 yards away, but the view through binoculars revealed that it was a cat.

Wales

Gwent
Waunlwyd – on November 14th at 11.30 a.m., two builders were driving up a mountain road when a large black cat crossed the road in front of them.

“It walked in front of us and jumped over the fence without any effort – like it was stepping on to a kerb on the side of the road.”

Read more at icWales

Northern Ireland

County Antrim
Ballymoney area – a spate of sheep-maulings have led to fears that there is a big cat in the area. Local witnesses claim to have seen the animal.
Read more at News Letter and at Ballymoney Times.

Cat Stats at a glance

Panther type (black) - 12
Lynx type (pale) - 1
Attacks - 2

Big Cat Roundup 11

Reports of big cat sightings received by BCIB over the last week

England

Essex
Stansted airport – two people driving home at 11.30 on the night of 13th November saw a very big jet-black cat with green eyes run into bushes in a wooded area near the airport.

Gloucestershire
Charlton Abbotts – on 2nd November at 10 a.m. on a bright sunny day, a motorist saw a lynx passing through a hedge into the field beyond.

Cold Ashton – back in October a local woman saw a Labrador-sized black cat in her garden, and now on 5th November her partner saw bright green eyes in the darkness at the bottom of the garden.

Kent
Hildenborough – back in March 2005 a commuter on a train saw a puma-like cat in the field near the llama park.

“It was quite a long time ago now but I still remember to this day how shocked I was at seeing the animal.”

Lincolnshire
Thimbleby – a local man fishing at Thimbleby lakes watched a Labrador-sized black cat prowl along the opposite bank.
Read more at Horncastle News

Nottinghamshire
Worksop – earlier this month a man and his son were driving at night through the outskirts of the town when ‘a fully grown black panther’ ran across the road in front of them.

Oxfordshire
Curbridge area – at 6.30 on 14th November a man cycling home from work had crossed the disused railway bridge and was just passing a gap in the hedge when he glimpsed a large black shape in the hedge and heard a very frightening hissing, spitting noise.

Suffolk
Ipswich – on 9th November at 4.30 p.m. a local woman saw a big black cat running through Ipswich cemetery. Back in October 1988 her husband also saw a big black cat that ran across the road in front of him as he was cycling home late one night.

Yorkshire
Richmond – in July 1997, at 2 a.m. one moonlit night, a couple walking down a country lane near Richmond saw a Labrador-sized cat, jet black and shiny, walk out of a farm driveway, glance at them, then pass quietly in front of them and disappear into a hedgerow.

Scotland

Angus
Monifieth area – in the early hours of one morning last October, a local man heard what sounded like a big cat roar or snarl, as if in challenge.

Wales

Denbighshire
St Asaph – on 3rd November at 3.45 p.m. a woman out walking her dogs saw a very sleek black cat of Labrador size not far from a disused railway track.

CatStats at a glance
Panther type (black) – 9
Puma type (fawn) - 1
Lynx type – 1
Sounds – 2
Eyes - 1

October's CatStats at a glance

A bit later than I would like, here's the total of sightings etc reported in October - 48 cats of different kinds were reported, plus various other signs and sounds.

Panther type (black) - 41
Puma type (fawn) - 3
Lynx type - 3
Grey - 1
Colour undefined - 2
Attacks - 3
Cries/sounds - 2
Prints - 1

Big Cat Roundup 10

Reports of sightings received by BCIB over the last week

England

Devon
Brayford area – at 2am on 3rd November, a local woman saw her outdoor security lights come on and then watched a large black cat make its way down her drive.

Essex
Newport – at 5.55pm on 7th November a local man out dog-walking caught sight of a big black cat in the light of his torch. The cat stopped briefly, then disappeared into a copse.

Gloucestershire
Ilmington area – a mother and daughter driving home after a fireworks party at 8.30pm on 5th November, saw a huge black cat climbing into the hedge.

Hampshire
Overton – a local woman reported seeing a three-foot long black cat jump over her garden fence.
Read more at Andover Advertiser News

Lancashire
Todmorden – a local couple were shocked to see a big black cat at 4.30 pm on 29th October.

Oxfordshire
Thame – at 10.30pm on 31st October, a local man saw a mysterious big cat in the countryside near Thame.
Read more at Thamenews.net

Sussex
St Leonards – while walking her dog recently, a local woman saw three Labrador-sized black cats near the council refuse tip on the Bexhill road.
Read more at Hastings & St Leonards Observer


Scotland

Perthshire
Comrie – at 2pm on 3rd November, a local couple out for a walk saw a large red-brown cat-like animal on the far side of a field as it was stalking something in the grass.

Selkirkshire
Selkirk area – at 11.30 on the morning of 4th November, two people watched a jet black cat for 5 minutes as it walked down a field and into reeds.

CatStats at a Glance

Panther type (black) - 9
Russet - 1
Unspecified - 1

Big Cat Roundup 9

Reports of big cat sightings received by BCIB recently

England

Devon
Loddeswell – earlier this week a local man saw a big black cat walking up his driveway. When it heard him it ran off into fields nearby. Then on 31st October another local saw the cat in the fields beside the river. (Verbal report)

Dorset
Bournemouth airport – at 12.30 a.m. on 1st November, a local woman reported seeing a big black cat on the airport perimeter at the Matchams Lane area. Independent witnesses confirmed that there have been numerous sightings of such a cat recently, especially in the area of heathland nearby. (Email report to BCIB researcher)

Verwood – at 10pm on 22nd October, a local woman driving home saw a large cat, bigger than a fox, cross the road in front of her car. She and her passengers agreed it was more like a jungle cat than anything else. (BCIB report form)

Leicestershire
Wing – a local couple were driving down a single track lane towards Lyndon at 40 minutes past midnight on 8th October, saw a big black cat, around 30 inches tall, just a few metres ahead of the car, disappearing into a hedgerow. (BCIB report form)

Lincolnshire
Bayford Green – on 28th October at 4.30 pm two sisters were doing their homework when they saw a very large black cat in a nearby field. They watched the cat, which stood around a meter high, for some 20 minutes. (BCIB report form)

Shropshire
Bridgnorth area – following the sighting of a large panther-like cat near Billingsley recently (see Big Cat Roundup 8), several more locals have come forward with stories of the same, or different, big cats in the area.
Read more at Bridgnorth Journal

Suffolk
Eye – A local man going home from work was passing the meadow by the river Dove in Eye when he saw in the meadow a big black cat the size of a Labrador but longer, with a long tail and small head. (Verbal report)

Surrey
Abinger – alerted by the barking of their dog, a couple looked into their garden and saw a large black cat, somewhat smaller than an Alsatian. (BCIB)

Wiltshire
Oaksey – at 8am on 28th October, a local man watched through binoculars as a big black cat, at least four times the size of a domestic black cat, drank from the pond in the field behind his house, then looked straight at him for over a minute.
Read more at Wilts and Gloucester Standard


Scotland

Ayrshire
Dalrymple – at 7am on 29th October, two workers in a van saw a large charcoal-coloured cat cross the road, pause to look at the van and then continue unhurried across the road and into the woods. (BCIB)

CatStats at a Glance

Pather type (black) - 8
Charcoal-coloured - 1
Jungle cat type - 1