big cat just maybe

[Mark 1]

Here we go again,

http://news.sky.com/home/uk-news/article/16147397


We'll see.

 

[User00003]

probably poachers leaving parts behind that foxes and crows have been picking at...mind you there was a deer find near me that had clear 'claw' marks in it from a big cat, 1000% a cat, but whether it took the deer before or after it was dead you'll never know

 

[varmint223]

I am still very doubtfull on this subject , personally i think someone would have come across some undeniable evidence by now if these bigs cats were around......but never say never eh!

 

[User00003]

They're around mate, I reported a cat paw print two years ago in the borders, it was the size of say a 14 year olds hand. Very clear on a sandbed where it had been roaming for spent salmon at the end of the spawning season. Unless someone was trying to pull a fast one (which they would not do in such a remote location), I am in no doubt.

 

[jubnut]

I am very sceptical on the whole big cat subject - I'd have to see one myself before I believed any reports.

 

[Cyres]

on the 6 pm point west news there was a guy with plaster casts of the pad prints, also appears the roe was still warm when it was found in the field by a dog walker. Lets see what the DNA shows.

D

 

[Morgy]

Assuming no-one was in any danger and these cats were roaming free in the countryside, would they have to be specidfied on your licence before you shot one? I wonder what the FLO would make of your variation request

 

[User00004]

Assuming no-one was in any danger and these cats were roaming free in the countryside, would they have to be specidfied on your licence before you shot one? I wonder what the FLO would make of your variation request

Depending on the wording of your FAC and your reasons for shooting one, would depend on the outcome.

TJ

 

[User00003]

If they are indeed around, it is such a rare last unique wild species that most surely should not only be protected from a legal perspective, but also by the mere interest of even farmers and stalkers. I'd almost hope the application to have such species included on the FAC would make the FLO consider revoking it on the grounds of not respecting protected (or what should be) wildlife.

 

[Cougar]

They're around mate, I reported a cat paw print two years ago in the borders, it was the size of say a 14 year olds hand. Very clear on a sandbed where it had been roaming for spent salmon at the end of the spawning season. Unless someone was trying to pull a fast one (which they would not do in such a remote location), I am in no doubt.

I've seen leopard 4 times here in Essex/Herts and once in Somerset. They are out there for sure but their territories are going to be massive so unless they have cubs and are confined to a den somewhere for a few weeks you'll never pin them down. The last one I saw was 19/02/07.

 

[widows son]

They're around mate, I reported a cat paw print two years ago in the borders, it was the size of say a 14 year olds hand. Very clear on a sandbed where it had been roaming for spent salmon at the end of the spawning season. Unless someone was trying to pull a fast one (which they would not do in such a remote location), I am in no doubt.

What is a spent salmon ???

 

[Morgy]

I can see where these cats are alledged to have come from, releases by irresponsible owners when the law changed in response to those who kept them back in the 1960's, but the Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976 was introduced to safeguard the public at large by ensuring those keeping these animals did not create a risk to the public by their "pets" escaping, so I would think it highly unlikely that large cats would be protected in the UK, more likely to be treated as a dangerous invasive species.
The authorities may well look to capture them and transport them to zoos, but I would have thought that would depend on the perceived risk posed to the publice at large.

 

[JAYB]

What is a spent salmon ???

Bit like you Bob after a romantic break

John

 

[EssBee]

The biologist interviewed on TV has DNA samples that should prove conclusively if the deer was killed by a big cat. It can take up to a week to develop the profile and compare it on the Genome data base. By which time the story will be old news. Some confirmation of the fact might have unintended consequences - sightseers and have a go cowboys!!

 

[Paul at Fechan]

no hesitation from me if I saw a big cat with my stalking rifle...

ps, this wasn't a big cat but was more likely to have been the Loch Ness monster at this time of year

 

[User00003]

Ok, let's call them washed up or dead kelts rather than spent then doesn't matter

ok, perhaps big cats are not native, but I don't see what damage they really pose to uk farms, game-birds or the deer population. if there's so few around that most people don't even think they exists, surely the damage they cause is minimal if not negligible. I know some have a tougher stance on this than me, but I really enjoy all aspects of wildlife and would love it if there were some proper predators out in them woods and hills tbh. That's one thing I like about the US, you don't always know what's out there, in the UK the most you have to be worried about when out in the woods and fields is a spider bite or disturbing a bull in the midst of his afternoon snooze. So yes, I think big cats would be great to have around and should not be shot on sight pheasants were not native to UK either,,,but then again, we 'do' tend to shoot them on sight,,,we do of course also release them every year too..so non-native species we can make money on are ok to release,,,but those that don't make money should be shot because they are 'invasive'. - a wee bit of hypocrisy here methinks.

let's get some of those wolves out too - LOL

 

[Tank]

Hi all, there are large wild cats on the Isle of Wight, too many sightings, from professional people to doubt it. Thoughts are with a variety of Cats here, from Puma to Lynx.
People had private Zoo's and Menageries and there would have been escapees! they also say we have no wild Deer on the Island, but we have! also Wallabees and prairie dogs! All escapees!
Any way, dont forget to save me some Antlers! ;o)
warm regards
Tank

 

[204 Ruger]

Always a possibility that cats are about, very interested to see the results from the DNA evidence. However, foxes can make a right mess of a carcass as we all know. A farmer here had a large ewe die, he ahdnt got around to moving it and the next morning it had been dragged out of boggy march with long reeds 10 to 20 yards and all that was left was the skin and some of the bones. Obviously more than one at work on it but you could have easily said something huge had stripped it. Possible the deer was wounded or left by poachers as suggested and then defenseless its been hammered by fox.

 

[Paul at Fechan]

yeh ok perhaps, escapees are not impossible but no escaped big cat has it's predatory skills intact or the learned ability to hunt from and remain in cover during the day. Such escaped dwa don't get out without a big media deal because of curent licensing and when they do they are easily tracked down because the are so easily spotted being thick large pets.

My other point is food, cats need to kill regulaly and even wild ones will take easy livestock in their home countries which is messy stuff. Now here, it is obvious that such a predator has access to easy prey ie sheep and if we did have such a beast wandering about the damage would be a much more consistant pattern of attack.

If you've seen the documentaries about cats being rehabilitated into the wild you recognise how difficult this is to achieve this when they are not taught to hunt naturally by the mother. They simply don't have the skills to survive and wouldn't becuse they are clumsy. At this time of the year in the area of the attack there's little cover to hide such a beast, unless it turned up in the area in a van driven by pikeys?

 

[Cougar]

I would think it highly unlikely that large cats would be protected in the UK, more likely to be treated as a dangerous invasive species.
The authorities may well look to capture them and transport them to zoos, but I would have thought that would depend on the perceived risk posed to the publice at large.

But the authorities deny that they exist, so why protect something that isn't here! How do you capture something that may have a territory of many square hundred miles with no fixed pattern of movement and knows you are there before you do!?