Big Cats? Really?

[Mike Hill]

I am still a little amazed that one hasn't been captured or killed,either by accident or hunting.

 

Especially in the days of fox hunts,as I presume that a hundred or more Dogs would have had a hard time leaving a giant cat alone!

 

I am not drawing anyones sightings into doubt,imagine the media frenzy when one finally does run out of luck.

[Dean Lofthouse]

I am still a little amazed that one hasn't been captured or killed,either by accident or hunting.

 

Especially in the days of fox hunts,as I presume that a hundred or more Dogs would have had a hard time leaving a giant cat alone!

 

I am not drawing anyones sightings into doubt,imagine the media frenzy when one finally does run out of luck.

 

I go out foxing a lot Mike and over a vast area and have never seen a big cat that I can say was a big cat. If indeed I did come across a "big" one I would bag it, simply because the UK cannot sustain a big cat without coming into conflict at some point.

 

Thats why I dont believe there are any round here otherwise we would have weekly reports of sheep carcasses.

 

Quite a few years ago, there was a police swoop on a premises I can see looking out my window now, it is a farm and the police officer basically cacked himself when he opend an unlocked shed door and was confronted by two big black cats which were being wheeled and dealed on the black market.

 

The nearest thing I have seen is those little Manx cat things with no tails, I',ve seen two of them, but have left them be.

 

I think any big cats let go here will have died off through disease, eating all the McD's packaging and crap left around by todays youth

Edited April 12, 2009 by Dean Lofthouse

[Mike Hill]

Back home Feral cats are a threat to the native bird life.Hunters are encouraged to shoot them on site and the government also targets them,especially in reserves.

 

My mate and I flew into the bush on a Deer stalking trip,we were about 30km back in some pretty rugged country and my mate bags a bloody cat!

 

This was fairly big as cats get,but to be honest just a large house cat sized one.So they do get around.

[Mike Hill]

Interesting to read that the DNA recovered from the black cat hanging in the picture was totally F.catus and not crossed with any other bigger species.

 

http://scienceblogs.com/tetrapodzoology/2007/03/australias_new_feral_mega_cats.php

[Steve Mack]

Funny that you posted that, I was just reading this thread and I was going to. I have the Sporting Shooter Mag with that story right here. It was sort of hushed up.

 

There are some here I'm pretty sure, I haven't seen one but I've seen what they have done quite a few times. It doesn't fit any other animal here, but they always say "wild dogs".

[Steve Mack]

The Annongrove Panther has been around here for ever, maybe not the same one but I first heard about it in the early 70's, it was taking sheep from a property I was working on.

 

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