[Ratkiller]

Ok guys, as I am from America, I am not real that aware of the whole "big, black cat" thing in the UK. I have heard though on the discovery/history channel show Monsterquest that allegedly there are black panthers that roam parts of your country. I have also seen reports of this on this website on various discussions. So I would like to know, are there really black panthers that roam the UK or are they sort of like our bigfoot? (I don't mean to offend anybody that has actually seen them, I would just like to know more about them). I know we have mountain lions where I live in Iowa, so it wouldn't come as a big surprise to me if you had some sort of large cat, I would just like to know if you really do and if anybody has any evidence of them with photographs, or first hand sightings and stories.

[dogs-n-natives]

Had a couple of 100% sightings myself, of a big black cat in Northumberland, edge of kielder forrest where i was gamekeeper. One in daytime while on a partridge shoot, it jumped a wall 50-70 yards behind me, and I was shocked to say the least... another while lamping, we saw a big one half way up a big tree... as soon as the lamp hit it it jumped from the tree and vanished along the river bank before i could get a clean shot. gutted.
Also the neighbouring farmer saw one on two occasions, he wasnt keen to tell of it as he thought folk would think he was mental lol. And on the same estate, on a pheasant drive on a road side, a lady stopped in her car and approached the pickers up saying a big black cat had ran out accross the road in front of her vehicle. I ran hundreds of snares on the estate and some baited middens, also lamping and calling foxes most nights, but never bagged one of the feckers.... any useful tips?

[Lee85]

http://www.guardian....footage-big-cat

[ghillies]

hmmm how do i feed this cat a cow a week? i drive up and let it go walkies? lol...

that or... they aint having my cat..go free go free..... eather way it's more than likely.

[Ratkiller]

dogs-n-natives, on Oct 23 2009, 02:49 PM, said:

Had a couple of 100% sightings myself, of a big black cat in Northumberland, edge of kielder forrest where i was gamekeeper. One in daytime while on a partridge shoot, it jumped a wall 50-70 yards behind me, and I was shocked to say the least... another while lamping, we saw a big one half way up a big tree... as soon as the lamp hit it it jumped from the tree and vanished along the river bank before i could get a clean shot. gutted.
Also the neighbouring farmer saw one on two occasions, he wasnt keen to tell of it as he thought folk would think he was mental lol. And on the same estate, on a pheasant drive on a road side, a lady stopped in her car and approached the pickers up saying a big black cat had ran out accross the road in front of her vehicle. I ran hundreds of snares on the estate and some baited middens, also lamping and calling foxes most nights, but never bagged one of the feckers.... any useful tips?

Well if they are like most other wildcats (I don't see why they wouldn't be), you seem to be doing everything right. All I would suggest is to keep running those snares along the game trails (as I got a bobcat like that once), and calling at night should probably work as well. You could probably look into other types of traps as well such as regular steel foothold or padded steel foothold traps if they are legal, and baiting them with some sort of bobcat or mountain lion lure, or if nothing else just some sort of meat. Just make sure you check to see if you would be able to use these. Another idea might be to find somebody with scent hounds, and after a sighting or coming across fresh sign, try and track it. These are just some ideas, hope you can use some of them. Was this cat about as big as a bobcat (in the 25-70 lb. range), or was it more like a jaguar or mountain lion aka cougar/panther (in the 100-250 lb. range)?

[Aaron Proffitt]

Their used to alot of leopards ,too...  woman_and_leopard.jpg (87.75K)
Number of downloads: 0

[The one]

Bloody hell i didn't think they made leotard's that big :o

[sussexpoacher]

Friend of mine saw a fawn coloured big cat cross the road near otterburn one night about 14 years ago.

[ghillies]

hey dont forget the 'big demestic' cats, seen a few clips, one was walking around with a spanial in its mouth lol.. it was huge!

i've seen an 8 stone tabby, i thought it was a weird dog and burst out 'what you dun to yu dog matey!' he sais 'oh he's lost 5 stone so far' lolol...

[OldTrapCollector]

I knew a guy who was actually full time employed by MAFF to catch big cats - it was his sole JOB

Funny how they still deny that they exist, even after they approved a trap to specifically catch them with in the UK .... ??

OTC

[comanche]

OldTrapCollector, on Oct 24 2009, 02:56 PM, said:

I knew a guy who was actually full time employed by MAFF to catch big cats - it was his sole JOB

Funny how they still deny that they exist, even after they approved a trap to specifically catch them with in the UK .... ??

OTC

Ah, the Aldrich spring -activated thingy for large non-indiginous carnivores? My thoughts exactly.

[sussexpoacher]

OldTrapCollector, on Oct 24 2009, 02:56 PM, said:

I knew a guy who was actually full time employed by MAFF to catch big cats - it was his sole JOB

Funny how they still deny that they exist, even after they approved a trap to specifically catch them with in the UK .... ??

OTC

how many did he catch?

[will]

me and my mate seen a big sandy coulerd one with a brown ring on the end of its tail about 15 years ago early one morrning it jumped up the bank onto the forrest road about 20 meters from us it looked at us and jumped up through the trees we couldent belive how fast it was without making a sound

[bluemink]

Ratkiller, on Oct 23 2009, 02:39 PM, said:

Ok guys, as I am from America, I am not real that aware of the whole "big, black cat" thing in the UK. I have heard though on the discovery/history channel show Monsterquest that allegedly there are black panthers that roam parts of your country. I have also seen reports of this on this website on various discussions. So I would like to know, are there really black panthers that roam the UK or are they sort of like our bigfoot? (I don't mean to offend anybody that has actually seen them, I would just like to know more about them). I know we have mountain lions where I live in Iowa, so it wouldn't come as a big surprise to me if you had some sort of large cat, I would just like to know if you really do and if anybody has any evidence of them with photographs, or first hand sightings and stories.

we're supposed to have bigfoot aswell...

[sussexpoacher]

bluemink, on Oct 25 2009, 05:23 PM, said:

Ratkiller, on Oct 23 2009, 02:39 PM, said:

Ok guys, as I am from America, I am not real that aware of the whole "big, black cat" thing in the UK. I have heard though on the discovery/history channel show Monsterquest that allegedly there are black panthers that roam parts of your country. I have also seen reports of this on this website on various discussions. So I would like to know, are there really black panthers that roam the UK or are they sort of like our bigfoot? (I don't mean to offend anybody that has actually seen them, I would just like to know more about them). I know we have mountain lions where I live in Iowa, so it wouldn't come as a big surprise to me if you had some sort of large cat, I would just like to know if you really do and if anybody has any evidence of them with photographs, or first hand sightings and stories.

we're supposed to have bigfoot aswell...

LOOK THE BIGFOOT THING IS JUST LIES i stepped out my front door one morning in just me boxers an this ruddy birdwatcher took me picture an ran away, next thing i know is defra shoots me with a tranquilizer dart and do tests on me.....................................results were inconclusive!! :icon_redface: