Big Cat Sighting

[Welsh_red 4,306]

There was talk of a guy in north Wales who had 2 panthers at his scrap yard... He went to jail and apparently let them go. Grey man have you heard of the footprints in the snow at storey arms below pen yr van in the beacons? Adult and 2 sets of young around the hostel? Atb dc

Always found the storey arms a spooky place since I was a kid

[Greyman 25,242]

I haven't read this thread in detail, so it may already have been mentioned. But, I've been involved in keeping over 10 years and have come across literally hundreds of keepers from Scotland to Norfolk who never miss a days tracing when there's snow on the ground and there has never been a single report of any footing from a big cat. I'm not denying there'll have been an odd escapee, but there can't be much big cat activity about. I know two lads that have had raccoons in the snow, but never a big cat.

most of the group I,m involved with are based in Gloucestershire a few of the members go upto Scotland every 3 months to do battery,s and sd cards on an estate were the land owner and her staff(including the keeper) have seen a big cat they have also lost quite a few sheep but are all in favour of research and monitoring the culprit, sadly the cat seems to have now moved onto a niebouring estate were they are not as supportive or friendly and the keepers have called in a marksman to help them take the cat so that's two that you obviously don't know and if I can go and find a leopard pug mark around the outskirts of Bristol just by looking along muddy footpaths, I don't think it would take me ten years on a snow covered Scottish landscape to find some, here is what one looks like for next time it snows, we also have a few raccoons around down here I think they may be the next invasive alien species due to the pet trade

[Greyman 25,242]

They reckon best sighting was 2 forestry rangers doing a deer survey in the Forest of Dean ,was any footage taken? I don't know if it was night vision or trail cam but apparently it was seen twice or 2 different ones.

it was the first time they used thermal imaging for the deer survey, it's the closest we have come to a full admission of the truth from the authority,s but after a month it all died down and they just went back to calling people like me nutters and saying there is know evidence, the sun newspaper had the headline the tooth is out there, I think as thermal imaging gear becomes more readily available and affordable we will get lots of footage, I am planning on hiring the gear myself in December if time and funds allow,for a week and spending as much time as possible in the areas I expect them to be for winter I think with the right gear at the right time of year I can capture some footage so it will be a test for me as well to see if my theories are right or wrong

[keepdiggin 9,216]

Here you go,the picture was taken in March, according to the reporter there had been a heavy rain storm the night before and the animal was sunning itself which would seem normal if you had been wet all night,

that bottom pics a leopard 100%

[Greyman 25,242]

 

Here you go,the picture was taken in March, according to the reporter there had been a heavy rain storm the night before and the animal was sunning itself which would seem normal if you had been wet all night,

that bottom pics a leopard 100%

I have to agree with you there mate it's hard for it to be anything else really apart from a really good photoshop, my first thought was that it was taken in Africa, but as the other picture was taken on the Yorkshire moors I have to accept there was a leopard on the Yorkshire moors until I see evidence to the contrary and the quest goes on

[SNAP-SHOT 138]

Good luck on your quest. But considering 90% of the Yorkshire moors are keepered, meaning they are snared, lamped and traced (when conditions suit) almost intensively, I find it difficult to believe that more conclusive evidence isn't available. But you are as entitled to your opinion just as much as I am mine, so I genuinely wish you the best on your search.

[Greyman 25,242]

Good luck on your quest. But considering 90% of the Yorkshire moors are keepers, meaning they are snared, lamped and traced (when conditions suit) almost intensively, I find it difficult to believe that more conclusive evidence isn't available. But you are as entitled to your opinion just as much as I am mine, so I genuinely wish you the best on your search.

if you are involved in all of these activity,s I,m sure you yourself will one day get to see one or at least meet people that have , I don't lamp myself anymore but I used to a lot in my twenty,s and though I never saw any myself enough of my mates did and when good reliable mates say they saw a big cat then that's what they saw, one of my friends had one of the best sightings I know of and he still could,nt accept there were big cats living wild in England, he even got a paw print after it had gone, I could never work out his logic but as you say everyone is entitled to an opinion

[gnipper 5,945]

Here you go,the picture was taken in March, according to the reporter there had been a heavy rain storm the night before and the animal was sunning itself which would seem normal if you had been wet all night,

Was the treeless picture before or after the cat one?

[Welsh_red 4,306]

 

Here you go,the picture was taken in March, according to the reporter there had been a heavy rain storm the night before and the animal was sunning itself which would seem normal if you had been wet all night,

Was the treeless picture before or after the cat one?

I wondered about the tree aswell

[beast 1,884]

Greyman is.there a way to tell leopard.from cougar prints?

[Greyman 25,242]

 

 

Here you go,the picture was taken in March, according to the reporter there had been a heavy rain storm the night before and the animal was sunning itself which would seem normal if you had been wet all night,

Was the treeless picture before or after the cat one?

I wondered about the tree aswell

the treeless picture is from google so wil be several years old the pic with the cat is March, I think the tree may be a bit smaller because of the time difference but also suspect the rock is hiding it because of the different angle the picture is taken from

[Greyman 25,242]

In truth mate I don't really know, just finding a large feline footprint is normally enough for me and as you can see most of them get affected by time and weather, some I,ve seen seem a bit more rounded and some seem a bit more longer in the toe with more gap between them like the one in the picture

[beast 1,884]

I'm sure I read in one of Jim Corbett books that the length of the toes is something to do with age. I will have to check!

[ryaldinhio 4,135]

Greyman is.there a way to tell leopard.from cougar prints?

To be blunt yes.

 

A leopard print is easily distinguishable and you will find immediately usually where you have spotted one in the woods or local pasture or on a craggy outcrop on the yorkshire moors.

 

A cougar print, though you may find some straight away, can crop up weeks after the meeting in the form of a lipstick print, a text message or a tag on Facebook.

 

f****n lethal them cougars.

[Greyman 25,242]

Quick update on the Lynx project they have agreed an insurance scheme for farmers to cover any sheep lost for 5 years an application has gone into natural England to release 6 Eurasian Lynx into the kielder forest 2 males and 6 females all with satellite tracking collars on for a 5 year trial period, my money is on the Lynx disappearing when there collars fail or come off during the five years or if they stay attached and keep working at least one of the released animals pairing up with one that's not meant to be here