FEROCIOUS big cats DO live in Britain — after being seen by Forestry Commission rangers.

These animals have been living here for years and the Government have always known about them, but it doesnt mean that they are ferocious and to be feared. During the time they have been here, how many people have been attacked or killed?

Just because they were kept a secret, doesnt mean they havent always been here

I live in the western US in an area that has a large number of mountain lions, a large cat with males up to 100 KG. I have hunted and hiked the west for most of my 50 years and in that time I have only seen one mountain lion and I was hunting it. If you have sightings of these large cats you have more than a couple running around the forests. The only reason that I saw the one I did was that a friend called me, they were out on horse back and saw some hikers. The lion was stalking the hikers and he shot at it with his pistol and it ran off. I went back the next day and saw it at about 1000 yards, never did get a shot at it.

A couple of tips, one if hiking with children make sure and adult is in front and behind them at all time. If you have a large dog take it with you when hiking. Carry a large walking stick with you. Never run from a cat stand raise your arms and yell at it. If hiking alone ware an external frame back pack, the frame protects the back and neck.

Every year here in the west we loose some one to a mountain lion.

reply to post by Kandinsky


Good post. I enjoyed reading those links. I especially like this quote -

When people ask as to why large cats haven't been found dead on the roads or in woodlands I always ask back, "Have you ever found a dead fox in the woods ?", and often the reply is "No". So, if there are thousands of foxes out there, and far less cats, what are the chances of finding a dead cat ? Remote. A large cat may die in some remote area and be scavenged, but on the roads there have, in the past been a few incidents regarding animals such as lynx and jungle cat, hit by vehicles and killed. The only pathetic thing regarding such an unfortunate event is that usually someone from the RSPCA or whoever comes and clears the body away all hush, hush which seems a little ridiculous when you consider it's just a cat and not a monster, but because the officials and authorities refuse to accept these cats exist, they remain mere legend and myth, but I'm not sure why such animals are ignored. Maybe authorities fear mass hysteria but a majority of the general public either know these animals exist or couldn't care less.

reply to post by Grock
Thanks

The fox analogy is a good one. I grew up in a semi rural area, went walking and camping. Generally exploring like most boys. I never saw a fox or carcass. A couple of years back, they culled 16 foxes in that area. The population had become a problem and most people living there had never even seen them. A solitary, nocturnal hunter like a black cat in several hundred square miles of countryside and woodland? It's no surprise they are a rare sighting. Any lambs taken would be accounted for by the foxes. Apex predator with an aversion to people seems an ideal enigma.

Originally posted by maintainrightThey are not unnoticed, there's a fairly constant supply of reports and film footage of big cats wild in the UK, even attack victims have came forward to show their wounds.

The only "big cat wound" I saw was a few kids having a laugh about a few scratces one of them probably got from some barbed wire and his friends pulled the leg of the local media. Big cats generally come out into the open countryside along hedge rows, that's why there would be more sightings than bigfoot which would generally stay in forested areas. Also the more reported sightings could be put down to social acceptability of saying you saw a big cat versus saying you saw a bigfoot. Another reason could be related to the population of big cats versus the population of Bigfoots. Another reason could be due to the completely unknown lifestyle and origins of the bigfoot. As you say, bigfoot is regarded as "mythical" there could be a very good reason for this, it may live in a truly "other world" that we don't even know about.




[edit on 19/1/2009 by Wig]

Originally posted by Kandinsky
Then we come to the 'Bigfoot Question.' Where are all the corpses and bones?

Where are they of the big cats?

Originally posted by Wig

Originally posted by Kandinsky
Then we come to the 'Bigfoot Question.' Where are all the corpses and bones?

Where are they of the big cats?

That's the point I was making, where are the bones? I gave a few ways whereby a small population can survive in anonymity. I then asked 'where are the bones?' It's highly likely that at least one big cat is at large, based on the evidence. The element of doubt is contained in the absence of a big cat carcass. Given the size of the area it's conceivable that a dead cat would be disposed of by smaller carnivores, maggots and natural processes.

It's educated guesswork.

I find this information interesting as well -

Last night the commission — forced to come clean under freedom of information laws — was accused of hushing up the news to avoid panic. The Beast of Bodmin-style animals were captured on night vision gear as they prowled the Forest of Dean, Gloucs.

Rob Guest, 58, who was with colleagues during both sightings, yesterday told how the first was crossing a road near Lydney.

The deputy surveyor confessed: “It had a long thick tail and was clearly a big cat.”

"hushing up the news to avoid panic"

and
The British Big Cat Society founder Danny Bamping said last night: “Not only is this proof that big cats do exist in the wild but it is also evidence that Government-run organisations have been sitting on this information.”

Makes me wonder what else they may be hushing up...

Originally posted by Kandinsky
That's the point I was making, where are the bones?
It's educated guesswork.

I still can't see what point you are making. What is your view on the possibility of a number of big cats (not just one, which I think is unrealistic, given the sightings) across UK?

What is your view on the possibility of bigfoot existing in - or visiting (visiting deliberately or by accident) the UK?

People have known this for decades.

It's not unlikely, in fact it is more plausible.

In the late 19th early 20th century wealthy England was importing wild animals as exotic pets. Over the years, these animals would obviously breed, escape, become impossible to care for. Being illegal, it's not exactly wise to announce that you have a wild cat and can no longer care for it.

As for the possibility of seeing one; hundreds of people see these cats every year. But even if they didn't, not every square yard of the UK is inhabited you know? There are vast areas of our country that rarely see a human footfall.

And then, how aware are people of their surroundings anyway?

There are billions of Rats in the UK, in our cities and towns, and yet the last time I saw one was about five years ago!

It wouldn't be difficult at all for an animal like this to hide in any area of wilderness in the UK.

I can say with absolute certainty that in Norfolk, Attenborough area there is a Puma at large.

I saw it in a field 10yrs ago as I drove along the A11 very slowly as they were adding a new Dual Carriageway. The Puma was approx the same size as the Cows in the other field in terms of its full length including its tail. Now, do you think that it was a coincidence that approx. 7miles away there is a wild life park called Banham Zoo?

The local news paper has reported many sightings since mine and probably before?

Zoo's losing their animals?

Originally posted by Wig

Originally posted by Kandinsky
That's the point I was making, where are the bones?
It's educated guesswork.

I still can't see what point you are making. What is your view on the possibility of a number of big cats (not just one, which I think is unrealistic, given the sightings) across UK?

What is your view on the possibility of bigfoot existing in - or visiting (visiting deliberately or by accident) the UK?

Hiya Wig,
I doubt the existence of Bigfoot. I doubt it for many good reasons. One is that Apes live in social groups, we wouldn't be speculating about solitary Bigfoots spread across hundreds of square miles. We'd be speculating about 7ft tall family groups. Apes favor nests too. The 'Bigfoot Question' is a phrase I invented and applied to the question of UK Big Cats. The 'bigfoot question' as I define it is the fundamental problem that no Big Foot bones have ever been found. No Clovis-age, neolithic or modern age bones or carcass has ever been found.

When I applied it to the Big Cat question, I was demonstrating that although all the evidence indicates that 'at least one' Big Cat is at large in England; we still have the problem that no bones or carcasses have been found. No bones and no bodies, makes the case for Big Cats circumstantial. 'The Bigfoot Question."

I still favor the idea of the Big Cat. So do the Ministry of Agriculture and the Forestry Commission who have employed a tracker and a marksman to find them.

Cougar/Puma

Black Panther

Mistaken identity?

Originally posted by Wig

Originally posted by Kandinsky

What is your view on the possibility of bigfoot existing in - or visiting (visiting deliberately or by accident) the UK?

:puz

robably the same as your view. No chance whatsoever. 3000 miles of Atlantic Ocean separates their alleged territory from the UK

The fact remains: Their forrestry department confirms that YES there ARE big cats in the UK... no more speculation, no more mystery (other than how they got there and remained 'hidden' for so long).

So for those who doubt my OP, please read it again lol

Cheers

Originally posted by Kandinsky
What is your view on the possibility of bigfoot existing in - or visiting (visiting deliberately or by accident) the UK?

Probably the same as your view. No chance whatsoever. 3000 miles of Atlantic Ocean separates their alleged territory from the UK

I'm open to the possibility of interdimensional travel, either intentionally or by accident, could explain the lack of bones worldwide.

I live in an area where we have cougers, bears, wolverines, mountain goats, and feral dogs. Not once have i come across their bones, and i spend alot of time in the outdoors. A lack of bones does not in itself explain anything.

Im willing to bet that people in africa do not come across lion, rhino, elephant or hippo bones eather.

Its a well known but little told fact among Zoo Keepers and the like that Zoo's loose a suprisingly high number of animals every year. Most of these loses are never reported for fear of reprisels among the public. I know for a fact that we have atleast a few big cats up in the Cairngorms. I have seen what looked like a black panther from a distance of 100 feet while hiking (Thankfully I was with a large group of friends at the time and the thing scarterd) and the local Rangers are always telling tales of encounters when they patrol.

Theren have been sightings of black panthers all around the world.. I live in aus and in the last few decades the mediahas released several reports of these sightings...

www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk... otted_near_Grasmere/

Cumbria in the North West of the UK (The Lake District) has been full of reported big cat sightings for many years. I have friends in a place called Kirkby Stephen, a rural and quite desolate village. Many times they have seen a big black cat and not like the old tabby type thing. Trackers were called out and on numerous occasions followed tracks but lost the trail.

Also many farmers have reported the loss of sheep and mutilated carcasses. The above link is only a pointer to follow should you like to research a bit more, but my friends are not sensationist types and it only ads credence to other sightings across the UK.

Obviously as stated in a previous thread, these are exotic pets that became "too much too handle", many years ago and were released and have thrived. No biggie on one hand but I hope they are never starving for food should I be in that region again, I could be dinner.

Albert

reply to post by albertfothergill

I've never heard reports coming from Cumbria, but it's a good place for them. We did the Dungeon Ghyll> Great Knott> Crinkle Crags> Bow Fell climb last year and didn't see a soul until Bow Fell. Vast areas of underpopulated country, woods and farmland. Seems ideal.

View towards Dungeon Ghyll

From the top of Crinkle Crags (I think?)





[edit on 22-1-2009 by Kandinsky]