The neutrality of this article or section is disputed. Please see the discussion on the talk page.

British big cats, sometimes referred to as alien big cats (ABCs), phantom cats or mystery cats, are large predatory cats said to be roaming the countryside of the British Isles. For many years their existence has been debated and many scientists have dismissed them as fake. To this day they are thought of as an exotic part of British wildlife by some and as an urban legend by others. Those sighted are often claimed to be "panthers", "pumas", or "black cats". Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... Cats may refer to: Felines, members of the animal family Felidae The domesticated animal, cat The musical, yeah right, I bet that this was really dumb. ... Rural areas are sparsely settled places away from the influence of large cities and towns. ... Location of the British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands off the north west coast of continental Europe comprising Great Britain, Ireland and a number of smaller islands. ... Look up fake in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This is a list of British Mammals. ... An urban legend or urban myth is a kind of modern folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them. ...

History and origins

Many stories have arisen over the years to explain how such animals could be living in the British countryside. Some are considered to be more credible than others, and some receive much more publicity than others. These are the major theories so far put forward:

Survivors from the prehistoric past

• The leopard became extinct in Great Britain at the end of the last Ice Age, around 12,000 years ago.

• The Eurasian lynx was originally thought to have become extinct in the UK before the Romans arrived, but some bones in Scotland have been dated as from around AD 180. This means that small numbers hung on in remnants of the Caledonian Forest for longer than previously thought. More recent research by David Hetherington dates a skull found in Yorkshire to around 500 AD.

• The wild cat became extinct in England and Wales in the 19th Century, but still exists in Scotland in relics of the Caledonian Forest. However, wild cats are unlikely to be confused with big cats in any case.

Binomial name Panthera pardus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis pardus Linnaeus, 1758 The Leopard (Panthera pardus) is one of the four big cats of the genus Panthera. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years For the animated movie, see Ice Age (movie). ... Binomial name Lynx lynx (Linnaeus, 1758) The Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) is a medium-sized cat of European and Siberian forests, where it is one of the major predators. ... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic)1 Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II... Scots Pine at Mar Lodge, Deeside. ... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other meanings of Wild Cat and wildcat, see wildcat. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen (King) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... This article is about the country. ... Scots Pine at Mar Lodge, Deeside. ...

A form unknown to science

This story could be possible if the cats were feral offspring of domestic cats and either wild cat or a small exotic cat such as a jungle cat or caracal. The Kellas Cat of Scotland is an example of this. It has been suggested that the big cats are hybrids of cougars and leopards. These animals have been produced, and are known as a pumapard, but they are prone to dwarfism. No pumapards survived to breed. Although female hybrid big cats are fertile, males are sterile and a breeding population would be next to impossible. For other meanings of Wild Cat and wildcat, see wildcat. ... Binomial name Felis chaus Schreber, 1777 The Jungle Cat (Felis chaus), also called the Swamp Lynx (although not closely related to the lynxes), is a small cat with a rather short tail (length 70 cm, plus 30 cm tail). ... Binomial name Caracal caracal (Schreber, 1776) Type species Caracal melanotis Gray, 1843 (= Felis caracal Schreber, 1776) by monotypy Caracal range map Synonyms Felis caracal The Caracal (Caracal caracal), also called Persian Lynx or African Lynx, is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat. ... The Kellas Cat, referred to in Celtic mythology as Cait Sidhe, is a black feline larger than a common housecat but smaller than a black panther. ... Puma and Cougar redirect here. ... Pumapard, c. ...

Escaped or released animals that have gone feral

• The cats could have escaped from traveling circuses in the Victorian era.

• The cats could have been released by people who attempted to create a population for hunting or some other purpose in Victorian times, when many animals were released into the countryside. This was legal until the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. There is an argument to reintroduce the Eurasian lynx to Scotland.

• The cats could have escaped during the 1960s and 1970s when it was easy to keep dangerous animals without breaking the law of the time.

• They could have been released after the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976[2] came into force. Many owners did not want to have their animals put down or taken away, so they released them in remote locations where they established feral populations. This is probably the most likely explanation, and is the most often heard. The British Big Cat Society claims to have evidence of at least 23 releases of big cats in Britain.

Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her accession to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her accession to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 is an Act of Parliament in the United Kingdom which aims to protect the wildlife and countryside of the United Kingdom. ... Reintroduction is the deliberate release of animals from captivity into the wild. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... The Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976 is a law of the United Kingdom that was originally enacted to deal with the increasing fashion in the late 1960s and early 1970s of people keeping exotic pets which were often from the more dangerous species, as well as hybrids...

Supernatural or mistaken creatures

• Some people believe that they are supernatural creatures that haunt remote areas, or are in some way associated with the "Devil Dogs" or Barghests (such as the Black Shuck) of other areas of England.

• Some people believe they are ghosts of cats which died in the area in the past.

• Some people believe that the cats may be from another dimension and have entered ours through "wormholes".

• It is possible that some or all sightings are mistaken.

Barghest, Bargtjest or Bargest is the name given in the north of England, especially in Yorkshire, to a mythical monstrous black dog with huge teeth and claws. ... Black Shuck is the name given to a ghostly black dog which is said to roam the Norfolk and Suffolk coastline. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen (King) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... A ghostly woman coming down the stairs. ... 2-dimensional renderings (ie. ...

First sightings

The first regular sightings of big cats in Britain were in the 1960s, and since then they have been gradually increasing over the past 40 years to the present. In fact sightings go back some considerable time The oldest report [3] was found by David Walker who has a report from The Times in 1827 of a "lynx" being seen. The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1785, and under its current name since 1788. ...

Oddly enough, there is a medieval Welsh poem "Pa Gwr"[4] in the Black Book of Carmarthen which mentions a cath Palug "Palug's cat" or "clawing cat" which roamed Anglesey until slain by Cei. In the Welsh Triads, it was the offspring of the monsterous sow Henwen. The Black Book of Carmarthen (Welsh: Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin) is one of the earliest surviving manuscripts written entirely in Welsh. ... Cath Palug, also Cath Paluc, Cath Balug, Cath Balwg, Chapalu, Capalu, or Capalus, literally Palugs cat, or maybe from the Welsh palug, meaning clawing, was a monstrous cat in Welsh legend. ... Anglesey (historically Anglesea; Welsh: , pronounced (IPA)) is a predominantly Welsh-speaking island off the northwest coast of Wales. ... Sir Kay, son of Sir Ector, was one of the Knights of the Round Table and King Arthurs foster brother. ... The Welsh Triads (Welsh, Trioedd Ynys Prydein) is used to describe any of the related Medieval collection of groupings of three that preserve a major portion of Welsh folklore and Welsh literature. ...

Evidence for

As much evidence that has been put forward over the years, very little has actually proven the existence of the cats. Many of the pictures that are taken are either taken from such a distance it is impossible to make out "the beast" or the picture is of poor quality. A few examples of hoaxes have also been exposed.

Captures and remains

• "Felicity the puma" was captured by farmer Ted Noble at Cannich, Inverness-shire, Scotland in 1980. Her capture followed a string of sightings from the area, and they continued after her capture. She lived out her days as a tourist attraction at the Highland Wildlife Park, Kinguisse. There remains some controversy over whether she had ever been "wild" for any period of time. After her death she was stuffed and mounted and is now on display in the Inverness Museum, Inverness, Highland.

• In July 2005 a farmer in North Devon discovered a skull belonging to a large cat, and has since been identified as that of a puma. It is currently being examined. It follows many reports of cats in the area (Beast of Exmoor), and even a report of a farmer shooting and later burying a puma.

• A Eurasian lynx was shot in summer 1991 near Norwich, Norfolk. It had killed around 15 sheep within two weeks. The story was only reported in 2003, and the lynx is apparently owned by taxidermy collector in Suffolk. For many years the cat was considered to have been a hoax, particularly by the hunting community. But in March 2006 a police report confirmed that the case was true. It was probably an escapee from a facility in the area that bred animals including Eurasian lynxes.[5]

• A clouded leopard, a rare cat species of southeast Asia, escaped in Kent in 1975. She was shot nine months after and had fed on rabbits and lambs in the meantime.

• A jungle cat (presumably killed by a vehicle collision) was found at the side of the road near Ludlow, Shropshire, in 1989. It was rumoured that the cat mated with farm cats in the area and produced offspring. One cat, called "Jasper", had all the characteristics of a hybrid.

• A leopard cat was shot by Stuart Skinner on the Isle of Wight after mistaking it for a fox taking his poultry. However it was not reported immediately due to their fact that he thought he had shot a protected species.

• A Eurasian lynx was captured in Golders Green, Greater London in 2001 after a witness reported "a leopard sat on her garden wall". The Lynx was captured and later taken to London Zoo.

• A Eurasian Lynx was shot by an RUC marksman in Fintona, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland in 1996. The body is currently in the freezer of a museum in Belfast.

• A puma was shot in 1987 by police officers near to the Greenwich Observatory, Greater London.

• Another jungle cat was killed as it crossed the road at Hayling Island, Hampshire in 1988.

• Also in 1988 a leopard was shot and killed by a farmer at Widecombe-in-the-Moor, Dartmoor, Devon.

• In May 1980, a dead lioness was found in a lake near a disused railway quarry in St Helens, Lancashire. However, this story may be false due to allegations that the animal had been deliberately drowned.

• In the late 1970s, a puma was caught near the Civic Centre in Barnstaple, Devon.

Inverness-shire (Siorrachd Inbhir Nis in Gaelic) is one of the traditional counties of Scotland. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... The Highland Wildlife Park is a safari park and zoo near Kingussie, Highland, Scotland. ... Inverness (Scottish Gaelic: ) is the only city in the Highland council area and the Highlands of Scotland (and is considered the unofficial capital). ... The Highland Council area (Roinn na Gàidhealtachd in Gaelic) is the largest administrative region in Scotland. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Stub | Devon ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Norwich (IPA: //) is a city in East Anglia, in Eastern England. ... Norfolk (IPA: //) is a low-lying county in East Anglia in the east of southern England. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Suffolk (pronounced ) is a large historic and modern non-metropolitan county in East Anglia, England. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Binomial name Neofelis nebulosa (Griffith, 1821) Range map Synonyms Felis macrorcelis Felis marmota The Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a medium-sized cat, 55 to 110 cm (2 ft to 3 ft 6 in) long and weighing between 11 and 23 kg (25 to 50 lb). ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Feathers Hotel, Ludlow A view of Ludlow market, which is situated in Castle Square, taken from the tower of St Laurences Church. ... Shropshire (alternatively Salop or abbreviated Shrops) is a county in the West Midlands of England. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Binomial name Felis bengalensis (Kerr, 1792) The Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis) is a small wild cat of Southeast Asia. ... The Isle of Wight is an English island and county, off the southern English coast, to the south of the county of Hampshire. ... Golders Green is an area in the London Borough of Barnet in London, England. ... Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The giant London Zoo aviary London Zoo, or more correctly London Zoological Gardens, is the worlds oldest scientific zoo. ... The Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) was name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2001. ... Fintona (Irish, Fionntamhnach) is a village of 1,359 people (2001 Census) located in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Omagh Area: 3,155 km² Population (est. ... Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Royal Observatory, Greenwich The original site of the Royal Greenwich Observatory (RGO), which was built as a workplace for the Astronomer Royal, was on a hill in Greenwich Park in Greenwich, London, overlooking the River Thames. ... Greater London is the top-level administrative subdivision covering London, England. ... The coastline of Hayling Island. ... Hampshire, sometimes historically Southamptonshire or Hamptonshire, (abbr. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Widecombe-in-the-Moor is a small village located within the heart of the Dartmoor National Park in Devon in the United Kingdom. ... High Willhays, the highest point on Dartmoor and southern England at 621 m (2037 ft) above sea level, with Yes Tor beyond. ... “Devonshire” redirects here. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Binomial name Panthera leo (Linnaeus, 1758) Distribution of Lions in Africa Synonyms Felis leo (Linnaeus, 1758) The lion (Panthera leo) is a mammal of the family Felidae and one of four big cats in the genus Panthera. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Lancashire is a county in North West England, bounded to the west by the Irish Sea. ... Statistics Population: 34,000 (April 2006 Est. ...

Video and photographic evidence

Many photographs have been taken of "cats" over the years, and countless have been proved as fakes or simply forgotten. In recent years evidence has also come from CCTV cameras. Closed-circuit cameras are often used to discourage crime Closed-circuit television (CCTV), as a collection surveillance cameras doing video surveillance, is the use of television cameras for surveillance. ...

• The legendary "Fen Tiger" was filmed by Mr. William Rooker in Cambridgeshire in 1994. The video lasts for around 2 minutes, and it remains the best video footage to date. The video probably shows a black panther stalking a field.

• A photograph of a large black cat was taken on the Kent marshes in 1998. The animal in the photo is definitely feline, very dark brown in colour, but not a black leopard. It is difficult to judge the size of the cat in the photo, and some have said that it shows a jungle cat.

• Two pieces of video footage, one from Cornwall in 1999 and one from the Isle of Wight in 2001 appear to show large black cats.

• A probable puma was caught by CCTV cameras at a car park in Hertfordshire in August 2005.

• A probable black panther was recorded on a CCTV camera in a working brickyard near Telford, Shropshire in the summer of 1999.

• A photo of a large, black cat at Bexley, Kent was taken in February 2006. Sightings had been reported there since 2003.

• On more than one occasion, police helicopters have tracked what are thought to be big cats on infra red surveillance cameras. However, many of these animals are soon lost amongst dense woodland.

• In June 2006 a large black cat was filmed in the countryside of Banff, Aberdeenshire. Footage of the cat was broadcast by the BBC on 24 May 2007^[1]. The cat filmed has been assumed to exemplify the characteristics of a small panther or lynx and meets the accounts given in separate sightings.

A Eurasian Lynx

Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... A melanistic black jaguar, or black panther The black panther is the common name for a black specimen (a melanistic variant) of any of several species of cats. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Cornwall (Cornish: ) is a county in South West England, United Kingdom, on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar and Devon. ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... The Isle of Wight is an English island and county, off the southern English coast, to the south of the county of Hampshire. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hertfordshire (pronounced Hartfordshire and abbreviated as Herts) is an inland county in the United Kingdom and part of the East of England Government Office region. ... Closed-circuit cameras are often used to discourage crime Closed-circuit television (CCTV), as a collection surveillance cameras doing video surveillance, is the use of television cameras for surveillance. ... This article is about the town of Telford, Shropshire. ... Shropshire (alternatively Salop or abbreviated Shrops) is a county in the West Midlands of England. ... // Bexley is a place in south east London in the London Borough of Bexley. ... MBB/Kawasaki BK117 - callsign Polair 61 (Western Australia Police). ... Banff may refer to: Banff National Park Banff, Alberta Banff, Scotland Banff Television Festival This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Image File history File links Lynx_lynx. ... Image File history File links Lynx_lynx. ...

Livestock kills

• Many accounts of famous animals stem from livestock kills, mostly to sheep. The Beast of Exmoor and the Beast of Bodmin are examples. In recent years, cows, sheep and even horses have been attacked.

• Between April 2004 and July 2005 there were five reported attacks on horses and 37 incidents regarding sheep kills.

• Deer kills are also noted, and have been recorded on Roe deer in Somerset and Shropshire. A deer carcass was found stashed in a tree in Somerset in 2004.

• Livestock kills have been noted in many counties, but they are centred in Devon.

• In January 2004 a farmer with pastures in Stoke St Michael near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, reported that he had lost four ewes to predatory animal attacks but what was more surprising was a fatal attack on a six-month-old Aberdeen Angus calf that weighed more than twice the weight of an average adult human. The bodies of the animals had large puncture marks around their throats and heads and in some, their stomachs had also been eaten. He described how these attacks had affected the behaviour of his remaining livestock, with animals that were fairly friendly before becoming nervous and almost aggressive after the incident.

The area around Cheddar Gorge in Somerset has become a hotspot for big cat sightings.

This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Beast of Bodmin is a phantom wild cat (or possibly a number of them) which ranges in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. ... shelby was here 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Binomial name Capreolus capreolus (Linnaeus, 1758) The European Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus) is a deer species of Europe, Asia Minor, and Caspian coastal regions. ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... Shepton Mallet is a small rural town in Somerset, England, situated five miles to the east of Wells and just south of the Mendip Hills. ... Angus cow Angus cattle are solid black cattle, although white may appear on the udder. ... Download high resolution version (750x1121, 114 KB)The cliffs and gorge at Cheddar. ... Download high resolution version (750x1121, 114 KB)The cliffs and gorge at Cheddar. ...

Sightings

It is impossible to establish how many people have seen big cats in this country, as many go unreported.

Upon seeing a big cat, it should be reported immediately to the land owner and the local police, although there is no legal requirement to report it to anybody. A number of organisations exist that monitor these animals, these vary in size from one individual to a group with 40+ members. Most will happily share their data with other workers in the area if they don't have a local worker. If reporting your sighting to a group, particularly if you want advice, confirm that they have a local member that you can contact - it saves time with describing the geography of the area, etc. Sightings can be reported via many of the websites below.

At present the only county in England where no sightings have been reported is Greater Manchester.

The "top ten" counties or regions of Great Britain between April 2004 and July 2005 were:

These figures though are seriously disputed and one of the biggest study groups maintains that Yorkshire has far more sightings than any other county. “Devonshire” redirects here. ... Yorkshire is the largest traditional county of England, covering some 6,000 sq. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic)1 Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II... This article is about the country. ... Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in South West England. ... Sussex is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. ... Cornwall (Cornish: ) is a county in South West England, United Kingdom, on the peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar and Devon. ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Somerset is a county in the south-west of England. ... Leicestershire (abbreviated Leics) is a landlocked county in central England. ...

The numbers of sightings by region between January 2003 and March 2004:

The midlands of a territory are its central regions. ... South East England is one of the nine official regions of England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic)1 Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II... This article is about the country. ... The West Country is an informal term for the area of south-western England roughly corresponding to the modern South West England government region. ... Norfolk and Suffolk, the core area of East Anglia. ... Northern England, The North or North of England is a rather ill-defined term, with no universally accepted definition. ... Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom lying in the northeast of the island of Ireland, covering 5,459 square miles (14,139 km², about a sixth of the islands total area). ...

Paw prints

• Many paw prints have been photographed over the years - some have even been taken as a plaster cast. However, some people have found tracks thinking they are of big cats to find they are of other animals, such as dogs, foxes, badgers, and in one case even rabbits.

• In March 2006, Warwickshire Museum put a cast of a huge paw print on display. The cast was taken by a farmer from Barford in November 2004 and donated to the museum. The farm's gamekeeper had watched what he believed to be a large black Leopard, hunt and catch a pheasant and noticed the fresh print in the mud. The print can still be viewed at Warwickshire Museum, England.

• Golfers using a course near Bewdley, near Kidderminster in Worcestershire have grown used to finding large paw marks in the bunkers. They claim that the marks appear every two or three weeks and have been a regular occurrence for several years.

• During heavy snowfall in Droitwich in Worcestershire in the winter of 2002-3, a woman living on the Chawson estate reported seeing a large, black cat in her garden, followed by the discovery of large paw prints. This story differs from other big cat reports in that it takes place in the middle of a residential area rather than a rural area. The countryside around Droitwich is thought to be home to a population of big cats, and a local farmer has even purchased two llamas to protect his sheep.

• Large paw prints were found near to Huddersfield in 2005, which prompted the local paper 'The Examiner' to offer a £500 reward for photographic images of the animal that made them. The cash is yet to be claimed.

• February 2006 saw Police claim that they had found the first conclusive proof a Scottish big cat that had been dubbed the "Beast of Balbirnie" after sightings of it in Fife. Officers took a plaster cast of a paw print which was later verified by experts as that of an 18-month-old exotic large cat, most likely the print of a black leopard's paw. After several sightings at once on the Balbirnie Estate near Glenrothes the police investigated and discovered the print. Experts could not be species-specific due to a lack of specific clarity in the heel pad but believed that judging by the size of the print, the animal was around 18 months old.

Barford could be Barford, Norfolk Barford, Warwickshire Barford St Martin, Wiltshire Also, parish of Barford in Oxfordshire, consisting of the villages Barford St John Barford St Michael And in Bedfordshire: Great Barford Little Barford This is a disambiguation page — a list of articles associated with the same title. ... A gamekeeper is a person who looks after an area of countryside to make sure there are enough (game)birds for shooting. ... A detailed map Stratford-upon-Avon Kenilworth Castle Warwickshire (pronounced //, //, or //) is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in central England. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen (King) England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate... Bewdley ( pronunciation) is a small town in Worcestershire, England, along the Severn Valley a few miles to the west of Kidderminster. ... Statistics Population: 55,348 Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: SO831767 Administration District: Wyre Forest Shire county: Worcestershire Region: West Midlands Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: Worcestershire Historic county: Worcestershire Services Police force: West Mercia Police Fire and rescue: Hereford and Worcester Fire & Rescue Service Ambulance... Droitwich Spa is a town in northern Worcestershire, England. ... Binomial name Lama glama (Linnaeus, 1758) The Llama (Lama glama) is a large camelid native to South America. ... Huddersfield is a large town in England near the confluence of the River Colne and the River Holme. ... Fife (Fìobh in Gaelic) is a council area of Scotland, situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with landward boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire. ... Ex Terra Sculpture, Glenrothes Town Centre Glenrothes (Gleann Rathais in Gaelic) is a town located in central Fife in east Scotland. ...

Hair samples

• As with paw prints, many hair samples have proved to be from other animals, but between April 2004 and August 2005 six samples were found across the country and are currently being analysed.

• In the 1990s, puma hairs were positively identified on Exmoor.

For the band, see 1990s (band). ... Dunster Yarn Market (a covered market for the sale of local cloth, built in 1609) and Dunster Castle, Exmoor Exmoor National Park is a national park situated on the Bristol Channel coast of Devon and Somerset in South West England. ...

Tree damage

Cats often sharpen their nails on wooden objects, and trees thought to have been damaged by big cats were discovered in Britain in Gloucestershire in 2001, Yorkshire in 2002 and Kent in 2003. Gloucestershire (pronounced ; GLOSS-ter-sher) is a county in South West England. ... Look up Yorkshire in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Evidence against

Fakes and hoaxes

Many fakes have been exposed over the years, and although most are obvious, some can go on for some time before being proven. One such example is of a stuffed toy in Wales being taken serously as conclusive evidence for several months before being exposed as a publicity stunt.^{[citation needed]}

Photos

Many photos have proved to be fake. Famous fakes have included a stuffed toy in Wales^{[citation needed]}, and a cardboard cut out on Bodmin Moor[6]. The picture of the cuddly toy in Wales was originally confirmed as genuine by the British Big Cat Society, who later, without explanation, did an about turn and then said that it was a fake, using another researchers' data. In discussions with a South Wales newspaper they even claimed to employ that researcher. The same make of cuddly toy was later used in another hoax, having been photographed using a mobile 'phone camera in Yorkshire.^{[citation needed]}

Confusion

One problem regarding sightings of big cats is the fact that people "see what they want to see" - for example people living on Exmoor may glance an animal, not fully focus on it, and "think" that they have seen "one of those big cats". Also a surprising amount of people have actually confused domestic cats with the "real thing". Also, animals such as dogs, badgers and foxes should be dismissed before reporting a sighting. New breeds of domestic cat where genes from other species have been introduced into them are sometimes bigger than ordinary domestics and have caused big cat scares in a number of areas. A Bengal cat (a domestic with spots containing leopard cat genes), was shot in Lancashire by a game keeper when it attacked pheasants. Dunster Yarn Market (a covered market for the sale of local cloth, built in 1609) and Dunster Castle, Exmoor Exmoor National Park is a national park situated on the Bristol Channel coast of Devon and Somerset in South West England. ...

When the Beast of Exmoor story first came about, many people thought it may have been a dog. This may have been the case to a certain extent, as dogs are perfectly capable of killing sheep and do so on a regular basis. Generally dogs will harass the whole flock of sheep, whilst cats will single out a sheep and kill it with injuries to the neck. Cats will also generally eat most of the carcass whilst dogs will kill for the sake of it. Cats may drag the body to a special "hiding place" or even store it in a tree. Feral dogs and dogs used for poaching make this more confused, and sheep that die naturally may be scavenged by foxes, buzzards and other animals to make it look as though the sheep has been killed by a predator. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

The cats

• Black panthers are the melanistic form of leopards and jaguars. They are large black cats with long tails. They are the most commonly reported species of cat. "Black pumas" do not exist in this country. Potential prey for them includes Roe deer, red deer, sheep, rabbits, pheasants and chickens.

• Lynx were once native to Great Britain. They are relatively small (compared to other large cats), brown and spotted in colour and have a very short tail. They have been reported from East Anglia, Kent, Wales and the Scottish Borders. Their diet includes Roe deer, rabbits, rodents and gamebirds.

• Cougars (also known as Pumas, amongst many other names) are large, brown cats. They are very adaptable and could easily survive in the UK. Reports have mainly come from the South West (Devon, Somerset and Cornwall), the West Midlands and Surrey. Their potential prey includes red deer, Roe deer, sheep, rabbits, gamebirds and rodents.

• Caracal are lynx-sized cats. They originate in Africa, and are identified by their light brown coat and very pointed ears. They are very agile cats and can climb trees and jump high enough to snatch birds out of the air. They are capable of taking small deer, sheep and gamebirds. They are only occasionally reported.

• Jungle cats are medium sized grey-brown cats with a short tail. They are only capable of taking rodents, rabbits and amphibians. Seven jungle cats have been found dead in the UK.

• Wild cats are native to Britain, and are still present in Scotland. They prey on rabbits, hares, rodents and birds.

• Kellas cats are stereotyped hybrids between wild and domestic cats that have been recorded in the Scottish Highlands.

• Other Cats: Species that have been noted only occasionally include the leopard cat, which are the size of domestic cats but with leopard-like spots, a clouded leopard, a specialised species from the tropics which was captured after living wild in Kent in 1975, and there are even extraordinary cases of lions being reported in Devon and Somerset [7].

A melanistic jaguar, sometimes called a black panther

For other uses, see Jaguar (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758 Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) is one of the largest species of deer in the world. ... Species See text. ... Genera Pentalagus Bunolagus Nesolagus Romerolagus Brachylagus Sylvilagus Oryctolagus Poelagus Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world. ... Genera Ithaginis Catreus Rheinartia Crossoptilon Lophura Argusianus Pucrasia Syrmaticus Chrysolophus Phasianus † See also partridge, quail Pheasants are a group of large birds in the order Galliformes. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Binomial name Lynx lynx (Linnaeus, 1758) The Eurasian Lynx (Lynx lynx) is a medium-sized cat of European and Siberian forests, where it is one of the major predators. ... Norfolk and Suffolk, the core area of East Anglia. ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... // The West Midlands is an area of central England. ... Should not be confused with Surry. ... Binomial name Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758 Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) is one of the largest species of deer in the world. ... For other uses, see Amphibian (disambiguation). ... Jack rabbit and Jackrabbit redirect here. ... The Kellas Cat, referred to in Celtic mythology as Cait Sidhe, is a black feline larger than a common housecat but smaller than a black panther. ... // This article is about a biological term. ... The Scottish Highlands are the mountainous regions of Scotland north and west of the Highland Boundary Fault. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 398 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1361 × 2048 pixel, file size: 724 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Black panther British big cats Metadata... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 398 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1361 × 2048 pixel, file size: 724 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Black panther British big cats Metadata...

Skulls

Three hoax skulls have been found in the UK, all in Devon and Cornwall. They were found on Dartmoor, Bodmin Moor and Exmoor. They were all sent to the Natural History Museum, where they were all found to have been mounted on hunting trophies or rugs. However, in July 2005 another skull was found in North Devon. This skull is thought to have come from a puma, though it still has to be examined professionally. High Willhays, the highest point on Dartmoor and southern England at 621 m (2037 ft) above sea level, with Yes Tor beyond. ... The Cheeswring, a granite tor on the southern edge of Bodmin Moor (Photo by Mick Knapton) Bodmin Moor is a granite moorland in northeastern Cornwall, England, 208 km² in size, dating from the Carboniferous period of geological history. ... Dunster Yarn Market (a covered market for the sale of local cloth, built in 1609) and Dunster Castle, Exmoor Exmoor National Park is a national park situated on the Bristol Channel coast of Devon and Somerset in South West England. ... For other similarly-named museums see Museum of Natural History. ...

Naming the cats

It has become common for the press or media to "name" any cats after the immediate area to the sighting, for example the Beast of Exmoor or the Beast of Bodmin. Sometimes they are named by the area where they are sighted followed by the species, e.g. the Surrey Puma or the Wrangaton Lion. The Beast of Bodmin is a phantom wild cat (or possibly a number of them) which ranges in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. ... The Surrey Puma was one or more phantom cats, supposedly black pumas, seen around south western Surrey from the 1960s onwards. ...

"The Beast of" is the most common name given followed by the location.

Famous cats

• Cath Palug, Isle of Anglesey, medieval
• Beast of Exmoor, Devon and Somerset, 1970s - Present [8]
• Beast of Bodmin, Cornwall, 1992 - Present [9]
• "Felicity" the Puma, Inverness-shire, 1980 [10]
• Surrey Puma, Surrey and Hampshire, 1959 - 1970 [11]
• Fen Tiger, Cambridgeshire, 1950s - 1990s [12]
• Clouded Leopard, Kent, 1975
• Wrangaton Lion, Devon, 1998 - 1999 [13]
• Beast of Riber, Derbyshire 1970s - Present
• The Beast of the Chignals, Essex, 2004 - Present

Could Exmoor be home to a population of big cats?

• Beast of Bucks, Buckinghamshire, 2001 - Present

Cath Palug, also Cath Paluc, Cath Balug, Cath Balwg, Chapalu, Capalu, or Capalus, literally Palugs cat, or maybe from the Welsh palug, meaning clawing, was a monstrous cat in Welsh legend. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Beast of Bodmin is a phantom wild cat (or possibly a number of them) which ranges in Cornwall in the United Kingdom. ... Year 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1992 Gregorian calendar). ... The Surrey Puma was one or more phantom cats, supposedly black pumas, seen around south western Surrey from the 1960s onwards. ... 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Cambridgeshire (abbreviated Cambs) is a county in England, bordering Lincolnshire to the north, Norfolk to the northeast, Suffolk to the east, Essex and Hertfordshire to the south, and Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire to the west. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Binomial name Neofelis nebulosa (Griffith, 1821) Range map Synonyms Felis macrorcelis Felis marmota The Clouded Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is a medium-sized cat, 55 to 110 cm (2 ft to 3 ft 6 in) long and weighing between 11 and 23 kg (25 to 50 lb). ... The Beast of Riber is a wild animal that may live in the Derbyshire Dales around the village of Riber near Matlock. ... Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Dunkery_Beacon. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Dunkery_Beacon. ...

Attacks

To date, very few people have been attacked, and none of the attacks were fatal, nor were they proved in any way. This is a serious matter that will have to be taken into consideration if the population of cats increases.

One recent alleged "attack" is the story of how during January 2002 a man from Gravesend, Kent, claimed that his hand was scratched by a Eurasian lynx after approaching it in order to rescue a pet rabbit from its jaws. His original thought was that the animal was a fox, but as he got nearer he claimed it was actually a lynx. The victim suffered a three parallel lacerations to the back of the hand. However, the wounds did not appear to be typical of a lynx attack [14], and lynx are not known to spontaneously attack humans. Gravesend can refer to: Gravesend, Kent, England Gravesend, New York, USA This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Government involvement

To date, Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) have not confirmed any big cats in Britain. On the confirmation that a lynx was killed in Norfolk in 1991, a Defra spokesperson said: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in England. ...

Defra has published a list of cats that they know have definitely escaped, although most of them have been recaptured (See [15])

See also

• Phantom cat
• Cryptozoology

Phantom cats or alien big cats (ABCs) are a phenomenon of a number of countries and states including Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Denmark, and Hawaii. ... Cryptozoology is the search for animals that are rumored to exist, but for which conclusive proof is missing. ...

Further reading

• Beer, Trevor The Beast of Exmoor: Fact or legend? Countryside Productions 1988
• Brierly, Nigel They stalk by night - the big cats of Exmoor and the South West Yeo Valley Productions 1988
• Francis, Di The Beast of Exmoor and other mystery predators of Britain Johnathan Cape 1993
• Harpur, Merrily Mystery Big Cats Heart of Albion 2006
• Moiser, Chris Mystery Cats of Devon and Cornwall Bossiney Books 2002
• Moiser, Chris Big Cat Mysteries of Somerset Bossiney Books 2005
• Moiser, Chris Mystery Big Cats of Dorset Inspiring Places 2007
• Shuker, Karl Mystery cats of the world Robert Hale 1989

External links

• Big Cats in Britain
• The Centre for Fortean Zoology
• Dorset Big Cats
• Scottish Big Cat Trust
• BBCS Big Cat Identification
• KENT BIG CAT RESEARCH
• UK Big Cats
• Nomad Cat's Journal
• BBC News Release
• BBC News Release
• BBC News Release
• BBC News Release
• Attempting to capture Big Cats on Camera
• The Cryptid Zoo: Alien Big Cats
• Five's Big Cat Search
• Fortean Times
• Big Cat Monitors

References

1. ^ [1] 'Big cat' sighting on video, BBC Scotland, 24 May 2007]