Look out! Britain’s big cats
Cat-lovers on the hunt for wild beasts, but is there any
proof?
Did you hear about the so-called Essex Lion that caused panic
and mayhem last week?
Rumours that a big cat was on the loose triggered a massive,
armed police operation. Then it turned out to be a false alarm - it
was probably just an extra-large pet moggie.
But this was just one of 240 sightings of big cats in the UK
this year.
That's according to the organisation Big Cats in Britain which
has just held its annual Big Cat Watch. Cat lovers across the
country spent a weekend hiding in holes or peering from their
vehicles and homes trying to spot large mystery felines.
So far, there is little proof of any big cats living in the wild
in Scotland, or anywhere else in the UK.
Mark Fraser, from Ayrshire, who started up Big Cats in Britain
ten years ago, is one of the few people who have found actual
evidence of the creatures.
Twenty years ago, Mark found big cat hairs in Lincolnshire,
England, that were tested in a lab and turned out to belong to a
black leopard.
But most sightings are mistakes, Mark says.
Douglas Richardson from Scotland's Highland Wildlife Park says
that it's perfectly possible that big cats are out there, right
now, in the Scottish countryside.
"Obviously, the idea of a big cat running around the UK, it's a
pretty cool idea - that there's something out there, a bit Loch
Ness Monster, it would be very nice if such a thing did exist, and
we had the proof," he said.
Many people kept big cats as pets until a new law in 1976 said
they had to have a license. It is thought that many owners just
released their animals into the wild as a result.
So the next time you see a large creature creeping around your
neighbourhood, take a closer look …
Watch us LIVE on Glow TV - Tune in this Friday
14 September to speak live to Olympic gold medallist Tim Baillie!
Sign up here.
Click here to try our big cat quiz and
here to see a map of sightings
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Look out! Britain’s big cats
Scottish sightings
The black cat is the most frequently reported mystery cat
spotted in Scotland. There are only two official candidates for
this animal: a melanistic or black leopard, or a melanistic
jaguar.
The next in line is the puma, which is a sandy-coloured beast
from the Americas. There is often confusion that this animal is
black - it is not.
The third, the lynx, once native to the British Isles, is also
likely to be here and breeding, according to big-cat watchers.
MIDLOTHIAN
The Beast of Roslin (2003):Black, leopard-like
animal that has been seen and photographed (see bottom right
picture above).
MORAYSHIRE
The Beast of Duffus: Black, sleek and
leopard-like, it has been blamed for many livestock kills in the
area.
INVERNESS
The Beast of Knocknagael (2012):This animal has
not yet been seen, but has left a trail of destruction and, despite
CCTV, no images have ever been captured of the mystery
intruder.
PERTHSHIRE
Comrie Cat: There are actually two cats most
often reported in this area - one black, the other a sandy
puma-type cat which witnesses have mistaken for a lioness in the
past.
FIFE
Beast of Blairadam: Large, black, leopard-like
cat reported for many years. An old Celtic-style carving on a stone
wall in the forest bears the inscription "Touch not the Cat" which
leads some people to believe this cat has been around for a long
time.
Kingskettle Panther: Leopard-like black
cat.
Beast of Balbirnie: Police identified prints
found in Blairadam Forest as those belonging to a large cat, and
claim it was conclusive proof of the existence of a big beast in
the area.
RENFREWSHIRE
Kilmacolm Big Cat: Usually black, leopard-like
and has been spotted even coming into the town.
AYRSHIRE
Ardrossan Puma, Ayrshire (2002): Seen on several
occasions, it is sandy coloured. On one encounter police officers
and a dog handler were confronted by the animal which would not
back off; instead, the police backed off and left the scene.
Sundrum Slasher, Ayrshire (2009): Another name
for a mystery cat that allegedly attacked a horse at Sundrum
Holiday Park, the animal was not seen. But a sandy-coloured puma
has been spotted here for several years.
Ayrshire Prowler: The name given to the cats
spotted in the county; the main types are the lynx, which is often
seen and the black cat, which makes up most of the sightings. Large
cats have been spotted on the Fenwick Moors since the 1960s.
EAST LOTHIAN
The Pentland Panther: Another black cat that has
been reported for several decades around the outskirts of
Edinburgh. Prints have been found and in the past police have
conducted searches for the cat. It was once reported that this cat
was shot and sightings came in afterwards describing what looked
like an injured animal, according to witnesses. Police have
recently claimed to have caught images on a thermal imager via
helicopter pilots.
Watch us LIVE on Glow TV - Tune in this Friday
14 September to speak live to Olympic gold medallist Tim Baillie!
Sign up here.
Click here to try our big cat quiz and
here to see a map of sightings
Lesson ideas and
suggestions
Join the Daily What News Facebook group