Train affected by lion 'sighting'

6 November 2011

A police helicopter was scrambled and passengers were stopped from leaving a train after police received a report of a lion on the loose.

West Yorkshire Police received a call at 3.30pm on Sunday from a woman who thought she saw a lion as she was driving in the village of Shepley near Huddersfield.

The search lasted almost two hours as officers tried to locate the lion and passengers were forced to remain onboard trains at Shepley station.

But at 5.15pm the inquiry was ended as no lions were found and there were no additional sightings.

Inspector Carlton Young, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "We've had unconfirmed reports of a lion or a lion cub in the area. We've had officers looking around. At the moment we've had nothing confirmed and we've not located anyone who is claiming to have lost an animal."

Officers believe the woman - who claimed to have seen a lion on Penistone Road, Shepley - was a genuine caller. Around 12 officers were dispatched to look for a lion along with a police helicopter.

Insp Young added that the search would be resumed on Monday if there were any more reports.

National Rail Enquiries wrote on its Twitter feed: "Passengers are currently unable to alight from trains at Shepley due to reports by police of a lion in the area." It later issued an update that normal service had been resumed.

In May a police helicopter was scrambled and a golf course cleared after a white tiger was spotted in a field in Hampshire by members of the public - only to turn out to be a stuffed toy. Police received several calls reporting sightings of the tiger in a field near Hedge End, Southampton.

Specialist staff from nearby Marwell Zoo were called in to advise and potentially tranquillise the wild animal and a local golf course was evacuated. But as police officers carefully approached the dangerous animal they realised it was not moving and the helicopter crew, using thermal imaging equipment, realised there was no heat source coming from it.

http://www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/uk-world-news/2011/11/06/train-affected-by-lion-sighting-92534-29731105/

Leopard sightings confirmed near Dayton

Leopard sightings confirmed near Dayton
By Dave Larsen and Steve Bennish
Staff Writers
Updated 9:19 AM Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Local animal control officials on Monday confirmed three sightings earlier this year of a black leopard, but said the public shouldn't panic.The leopard hasn't been seen since April, said Tim Harrison, director of Outreach for Animals, a local nonprofit dedicated to educating the public on the dangers of owning exotic animals.Maj. Dave Hale of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said two sightings were around the Stillwater River and Frederick Pike. No one has reported a pet leopard missing to the sheriff's office, he said, and the animal — if it is real — could be well out of the area by now.Investigators from Outreach for Animals and the Humane Society of Greater Dayton searched the area three times with infrared cameras and haven't seen so much as a paw print in nearly two months.

"This cat is most likely back with his owners," Harrison said.A black leopard averages in size from 60 to 100 pounds. One witness said it was bigger than a black Labrador Retriever, with a long bushy tail.A number of people in the Dayton area own leopards and African lions, said Harrison, a retired Oakwood police officer. "They do get out every once in a while," he said.Ohio is one of less than 10 states that don't regulate ownership of wild animals, according to the U.S. Humane Society. Regulations are now under study by Gov. Kasich's administration.Harrison said owning an exotic animal is like having a "time bomb" that could go off at any time, even in its owner's home."

If you see something like this please do not run, because that triggers a natural instinct in the cat to chase you and knock you down," Harrison said.The Daily, an iPad news app, published an article Monday on the leopard saying the animal was prowling streets and parks. "(The article) shouldn't have been done the way it was," Harrison said.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/leopard-sightings-confirmed-near-dayton-1205078.html

Cops' 'big cat' plea after Edderton slaying

A reported 'big cat' sighting near Embo earlier this year

Published: 10/06/2011 12:02 - Updated: 10/06/2011 21:12
by Hector Mackenzie

POLICE are appealing for public help in probing a possible big cat link following a series of mysterious livestock deaths.

Two separate attacks in the Edderton Hill area of Sutherland - close to reported "big cat" sightings revealed earlier this year in the Ross-shire Journal - have prompted Northern Constabulary to issue a public statement looking for information.

The attacks were reported on June 4 and June 9 in two locations, both in the Edderton Hill area of Sutherland.

Police "are looking into the possibility that the sheep may have been attacked by a large cat, due to the nature of the injuries".

Anyone who has any information which may assist enquiries is asked to contact police on 0845 600 5703.

The latest development comes in the wake of a spate of unexplained deaths of sheep on nearby Rheguile Farm. A total of 18 sheep had been reported savaged since the beginning of the year, many stripped to the bone.

The Journal also at the end of April detailed sightings reported by a pair of Tain-based sisters when they were out driving near Embo. They remain convinced that the creature they saw, and watched at a distance for around five minutres, was not a domestic cat.

Big cat speculation has been fuelled by several other sightings and mysterious finds of remains - including those of a deer at Upper Braefindon on the Black Isle.

Can you shed any light on the latest mystery? Contact the Journal and see next week's paper for an update. Email at editor@rsjournal.co.uk

http://www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk/News/Cops-big-cat-plea-after-Edderton-slaying-10062011.htm

Bradford Council launches investigation after big cat sighting in Shipley

A sighting of a lynx has been reported in Shipley

9:50am Saturday 21st May 2011
By Marc Meneaud

Bradford Council is investigating a reported sighting of a “three-foot lynx” cat near the River Aire in Shipley. A woman dog walker from Bingley spotted what she was convinced was a big cat dash out of woodland – chasing a deer – near Nab Wood.

Former RSPCA officer Pam Laking said the woman, who did not want to be named, had reported the sighting to vets and Bradford Council’s countryside service.

Bob Thorp, the Council’s trees and woodlands manager, said Lynx are not native to Britain, but it was “not impossible” that a lynx could have escaped from someone who had imported it as a pet.

Mrs Laking, who is chairman of the Friends of St Ives group in Bingley, said: “This woman was convinced that what she saw was a big cat. She was walking her dog by the river between Nab Wood and Hirst Wood and suddenly a deer shot out in front of a three-foot lynx.

“I can totally believe it. Everybody is ringing everybody else saying ‘be careful’ when they are walking their dogs.”

Mr Thorp said: “It is unlikely that a lynx cat is living in Hirst Wood as we have not had any other reported sightings, but then again it is not impossible as it could have escaped from someone who had imported it.

“The lynx is not native to Britain, so if it is a lynx – which has not been verified – it must have been brought in from outside the country.”

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/9040843._I_saw_lynx_run_from_woodland_/

Forget Nessie... big cat is stalking locals

05-23-2011 14:27

Spooked Loch Ness locals are being terrorized by a new monster - a giant cat that has savaged farm animals and pets, thesun.co.uk reported Saturday.

People living on the banks of the famous lake have urged police to hunt down the black beast amid fears it could attack and even kill a child, the report said.

The big cat has been spotted prowling in hills and around homes, and is thought to be behind maulings of a dog and a lamb.

Katrina Wallace is too afraid to let her three young kids outside at night after hubby Jim glimpsed the animal outside their home by the loch south of Inverness.

The mum, of Bunloit, said: "We have two black labradors and he thought it was one of those but then realized they were inside," according to the Sun.

She has taken photos of the body of a badly mauled lamb that had a large puncture wound on the back of its neck.

One of the family dogs was also attacked ― by something large enough to try to haul the labrador away. Terrified Katrina, 38, said: "The vet said it could only get an injury like that if it had been dragged," the newspaper said.

Highland Councillor Margaret Davidson said: "I believe this is a public safety issue. The police need to take this seriously."

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/05/182_87484.html

Catbeast - Four new sightings

Published on Saturday 21 May 2011 13:00

THE catbeast of Calderdale has been spotted again – by four more witnesses.

One of them described the elusive cat – either a lynx or puma, like the one pictured – as “massive...absolutely huge.”

The four who claim to have had a brush with the beast have come forward since the Courier featured 19-year-old dog walker Sean McGeady’s encounter last Monday.

Kay Hall believes she spotted a lynx while out walking a dog from Croftmount Kennels in Lane Head Lane, Ogden, Halifax.

The 60-year-old, of Ogden, said: “There was this bird swooping down at it and it made a hissing noise, a weird noise. It was much too big to be a cat.

“I stopped and watched it and it kind of stalked away.

“It was dark in colour and had very big, pointy ears.

“There’s no way it was a fox. It was totally different. It really spooked me.”

Heather Scurrey, 28, of Elland, was out walking her dog Stig when she says she saw a huge black cat on a hill in Ainley Top.

She likened the beast to a puma and said it was about the size of a large German Shepherd dog.

“It was definitely a cat of some description and had a very large, long tail,” she said.

“I have a cat myself so recognised the gait as it was walking and it was not another animal.

“I know what I saw and that was a large puma-like black cat.”

Shannon Griffin, 37, was out hunting rabbits with his friend Gary Roberts, 44, in fields off Deanstones Lane, Queensbury, when he spotted what he thought was a fox at first.

But after taking a closer look through binoculars, the pair believe it was a cougar.

“It had a black-tipped tail and a big round head,” said Mr Griffin, of Bierley in Bradford.

“It saw us and then crouched down under the bushes. It was absolutely massive.

“I did feel a bit intimidated, I thought it could have been stalking us. I’ve been hunting down there for over 30 years and I’ve never seen anything like that before.”

And another man, who did not want to be named, said he and his neighbours spotted a large black cat in fields off Claremount Road in Boothtown, Halifax.

“It was big with a long curly tail,” he said. “The tail was about the same length as it’s body, about three foot long.

“I saw it from my flat window. I panicked a bit. My neighbours said they’d seen it and called the police.”

• The Calderdale catbeast - mammal or myth? Let us know what you think: email yoursay@halifaxcourier.co.uk*

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/local/catbeast_four_new_sightings_1_3404430

Puma spotted close to house in Strathy

Published: 19/05/2011 23:59

A north Sutherland family have reported spotting a puma close to their home last Friday evening.

Young Courtney Mackay (14) and a friend, George Searce (12), were the first to see the Big Cat as it prowled round Steven Terrace in Strathy.

The youngster said: "It was sniffing around at a spot where fishing bait had been left the night before. "It was only three to four metres away and stared right at us before running away."

Courtney immediately ran to tell her grandparents, Fiona and Charlie Skinner, at 5 Steven Terrace.

The family then went out to see if they could spot it again.

They were accompanied by neighbour Margaret Mackay and her granddaughter, Faith Mackay.

Mrs Skinner said: "Courtney and Charlie came in screaming and shouting that they had seen a puma so we went down the field next to our house and shone a torch around.

"We saw the puma making its way across the field and it looked straight at us.

"We could see its big green eyes in the light of the torch.

"Our next door neighbour has a Newfoundland dog and the cat was at least as big as the dog.

"It didn't make any noise but just ran off again."

http://www.northern-times.co.uk/News/Puma-spotted-close-to-house-in-Strathy-6876700.htm

‘Carrabelle Cat' hunt planned in Tate's Hell

May 15, 2011 11:36 AM

Lois Swoboda

On May 5, Carrabelle’s commission voted unanimously to invite an expedition to search the forest north of the city for a large black cat rumored to roam there.

The mission will be headed by cryptozoologist Scott Marlowe, who has visited the area several times seeking information about the mysterious “Carrabelle Cat.”

Marlowe said, to his knowledge, this is the first time a government entity in the Western Hemisphere has invited a group of cryptozoologists to do an investigation.

In a telephone interview, Marlowe said he expects over 30 researchers to participate in the search, slated for March 2-4, 2012, and open to the public for a fee. He said participants in the expedition will likely camp during their stay.

In addition to Marlowe, monster hunters who have agreed to attend include Ken Gerhard, of San Antonio, Texas, known for his investigations of “Bigfoot” and the “Thunderbird,” thought by some to be a surviving pterodactyl. Gerhard, featured in the popular TV series “Monsterquest” and “Weird Travels,” is founder of the “Cryptid Seekers,” a service that offers safaris to sites where Bigfoot, lake monsters and other cryptids reportedly have been seen.

Also slated to attend is Joedy Cook, of Ohio, cofounder of Cryptid Seekers and founder of the Ohio Center for Bigfoot Studies. He has authored several books, including three on Bigfoot, two on strange hominids, and one each on werewolves, “Cryptid Ohio,’ and winged entities like the “Mothman” and the “Jersey Devil.” Also planning to attend are Raven Meindel and daughter Jessica Dorow, a guide team for the Cryptid Seekers.

Attending will be New Orleans’ Lee Hales, a naturalist, presenter and science educator who has worked as a zoologist, animal handler, private guide and field naturalist.

Expected to take part is Lisa Wojcik, Florida’s self-proclaimed resident expert on the elusive jaguarondi, believed by some to haunt a corridor from St. Petersburg to the Panhandle, although no evidence of a population in Florida has been collected.

In a telephone interview, Meindel said she was excited about the expedition and pleased to be asked. She said the Cryptid Seekers will be heading to Point Pleasant, West Virginia in June to search for the Mothman, a legendary man-sized creature with large reflective red eyes and large wings. The creature was sometimes reported as having no head, with its eyes set into its chest. The creature, last reported being seen in the 1960s, was the subject of “The Mothman Prophecies,” starring Richard Gere.

Meindel began her career in cryptozoology in 2004 but said her interest dates back to a fleeting glimpse of Bigfoot while playing hide-and-seek at the age of 12.

Jim Broaddus, owner of the Bear Creek Feline Center, a refuge and educational center for big cats in Panama City, plans to bring along “Saint,” a young Florida panther from the feline center, and a jaguarundi he recently acquired from Czechoslovakia. Marlowe said the two cats will be used to mark the investigation area with urine in an effort to attract the Carrabelle Cat.

He said no live bait animals will be used to lure the cat into view, although if the cat turns out to be a jaguarundi, dead fowl will probably be used to bait no-kill traps.

Marlowe said a new trap designed by Wojcik will be tested for the first time during the search. He described it as a sticky trap for large mammals that would painlessly capture some hair follicles to sample the cat’s DNA.

The goal of the expedition is to capture the cat and identify it, Marlowe said, and if it is non-native, transport it to a safe home. If it is native, it will be released back into the swamp unharmed. “I don’t believe in killing anything,” he said..

In addition to boots-on-the-ground exploration, Marlowe, Broadus, Wojcik, Gearhard and Meindel will each give a lecture on the possible identity of the cat during the deployment. Marlowe said he is negotiating with two producers about filming the expedition.

He said he is working with Florida Keys Community College, where he teaches, to make a course practicum for which students can get credit. If approved, the course will be available for credit to students from other community colleges.

Marlowe plans to deploy FLIR (Forward looking infrared) equipment, which allows the user to see heat generated by a body, as well as regular cameras to locate the Carrabelle Cat and document it. He said, on his last trip to the area, he found a dead coyote he believes was eaten by a big cat.

Carrabelle City Commissioner Cal Allen, who made the motion to invite the expedition, said he photographed and took plaster casts of big cat tracks in the same area as the coyote.

Marlowe said he recently received pictures and accounts of dog/coyote hybrids in the area. He said these are mixed dogs, and not the vicious chupacabras, believed to suck goat blood.

Marlowe recently published “Mystery Animals of Florida.” a book on his search for mysterious animals. The book was published by Great Britain’s CFZ Press, a branch of the Center of Fortean Zoology, a group that launches missions to locate mysterious and legendary animals. Marlowe said he expects the center to partner with him on a future expedition to Tate’s Hell.

"Weird Florida: Roads Less Traveled," a television series that has featured Marlowe, received a TELLY Award last year from YouTube.

He said he is planning a mission to investigate “Skunk Apes” said to be living in the forests of northwest Florida.

http://www.apalachtimes.com/news/carrabelle-9465-planned-tate.html

Big cat spotted near dead deer in Moscow

May 13 2011 by David Wynn, Kilmarnock Standard

A DRIVER claims this stricken deer was savaged by a big cat.

Brian Menzies of Moscow said he was travelling home from work when he noticed a ‘large, black creature with glowing eyes’ by the side of the road.

He was then amazed to see that the beast had been chewing on a roe deer.

Brian, who works at Prestwick Airport, said: “I was coming home via the back road from New Farm Loch at just after midnight on Monday when I noticed something bright in the line of my headlights. As I got closer I realised it was a large, black cat and it was beside a roe deer.

“After I passed I went back to take a look and by this time the cat had gone but the injuries to the rear of the deer were clearly visible.

“What I couldn’t work out was how the deer had died. It didn’t look as though a car had hit it as the only injury was to the rear area where the big cat had been.

“I’m not one to usually believe in these things but I saw it with my own eyes and would be intrigued to know if anyone else saw anything at that time. It’s not a busy road but it is well used. I just wish I had my camera with me at the time.”

There have been several big cat sightings in Ayrshire over the years. The most recent one recorded was of a puma-like cat spotted near Midland Farm in Fenwick last summer.

Indeed, the area is such a hotspot that the annual big cat convention was held earlier this year at the Hunting Lodge in Kilmarnock.

The conference weekend include a vigil near Galston, where several big cats have been spotted.

Have you seen a big cat in the Ayrshire countryside? Get in touch by phone, e-mail or letter.

http://www.kilmarnockstandard.co.uk/ayrshire-news/news-east-ayrshire/kilmarnock-news/2011/05/13/big-cat-spotted-near-dead-deer-in-moscow-81430-28673851/

Catbeast ‘ is like a lynx’ - new sighting by dog walker

Published on Monday 9 May 2011 12:30

THE catbeast of Calderdale has been spotted on the prowl for the second time in months.

Teenager Sean McGeady glimpsed the animal – which he likened to a lynx – while walking his dog in Lightcliffe.

The 19-year-old said: “I walking along Nunlea Royd, approaching my home in Bentley Avenue, when a large creature shot across my path.

“It was about five metres away and flew from my left to right, entering a nearby park.

“It appeared too fast, large and lean to be a dog, cat or fox.

“It cleared the paths and road in two bounds, its feet only hitting the ground in the centre of the road.

“It appeared to have a light brown colouration, lighter than a fox. It looked very lean and muscular, and was perhaps the size of a lynx.”

Mr McGeady took his dog home after he spotted the beast at around 11.30pm then ventured back out with a torch to search the area.

But by now the creature had vanished.

“I consider myself a very sceptical person, but that was no domestic pet,” he said.

The last catbeast sighting was reported by Vanessa Pickles, of Brow Foot Gate Lane in Cote Hill, Halifax, in February.

The 24-year-old was on her way to work when she spotted the huge creature roaming a lane leading into Copley Woods from Wakefield Road.

She described it as lynx-like with black and brown patterned markings.

It was the first time a big cat sighting had been reported in three years.

There was a spate at Cunnery Woods, Hipperholme; Park Road, Elland; Cragg Vale and Copley between 2005 and 2007.

Some were of a lynx-like creature while others were of a larger black beast like a panther or puma.

Edward Ashman, Calderdale Council’s countryside manager, said they could be exotic pets that were released when animal licensing laws were introduced.

“They move over such large distances that we could have a couple of animals covering the length and breadth of Calderdale,” he said.

“There is plenty of food about, because we’ve got an ever-increasing wild deer population, so they could susain themselves.”

• Did you see the catbeast? Email your sightings to newsdesk@halifaxcourier.co.uk or call 01422 260208

http://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/news/local/catbeats_is_like_a_lynx_new_sighting_by_dog_walker_1_3363109

Upstate Woman Says She Saw Black Panther

Paris Mountain Woman Says Big Cat Ran Up To Porch

POSTED: 12:27 pm EDT April 27, 2011

GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. -- A woman sitting on her Paris Mountain front porch enjoying the view said she came face to face with a black panther Tuesday night.

Black Panther Spotted

"I was just sitting here, and all of a sudden I looked and there it was on my front porch. It was big and muscular. I screamed. When I stood up it ran," said Katie Araujo.

"My grandfather told me stories," she said. "But I never believed him until now."

Araujo said, "I was so scared. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't looked."

Paris Mountain park rangers said a black panther sighting is rare. They said they haven't had any reported sightings so far this year.

Officials said, to best of their knowledge, there are no black panthers on Paris Mountain.

Araujo said she understands the skepticism since before last night, she might not of believed it was possible either.

She said she just wants neighbors to beware and take precautions with pets and children.

We checked with Hollywild. David Meeks, executive director, said black panthers are not from North America.

"I'd be surprised if that's what she saw, but strange things happen," said Meeks.

Meeks said in the dark of night, the woman may have seen a cougar.

"A cougar could possibly live in our area and a cougar would do what she said it did," said Meeks.

http://www.wyff4.com/r/27689341/detail.html

Grisly find as ‘big cat’ is caught on camera

The big cat pictured on camera near Embo

By Hector Mackenzie
Published: 29 April, 2011

A GRISLY find in Ross-shire and an intriguing image captured on camera has further fuelled speculation that a big cat is on the prowl.

The sighting of a large, cat-like beast stopped Tain sisters Lisa and Alana Sydenham in their tracks as they were out driving near Embo on Wednesday night.

Meanwhile on the Black Isle, the stripped-to-the-bone remains of a deer and large paw prints in the mud left another landowner pondering the possibility that a big cat is responsible.

The latest revelations follow last week’s exclusive Ross-shire Journal story in which Easter Ross farmer George Ross, of Rheguile Farm, spoke of the savaging of 18 of his sheep since the beginning of the year.

Lisa Sydenham (29), an administration and information technology student at Dornoch College, contacted the Journal yesterday after her sighting on Wednesday night. She had been driving with sister Alana (26) near Embo outside Dornoch when she caught sight of a large beast on the prowl.

Lisa, who snapped the black creature with the point-and-shoot digital camera she was carrying around 8.30pm on Wednesday night, told the Journal, “It was definitely not just a large domestic cat or dog.

“At first I thought it was a very large dog but from the way it was walking and the shape of its body I could tell that it was a big cat. It was quite a distance away over a field. My sister Alana and I were at first very surprised and then excited. I looked into it and found there had been another sighting in the area last September.

“It looked and moved like a cat.

“It spotted me and crouched down in the grass before walking off. We must have watched it for about five minutes in all.”

She speculated that changes in animal licensing laws some time ago had prompted the owners of some exotic animals to release them into the wild.

The Journal was also contacted yesterday by Black Isle-based Alison Kennedy, who lives near Culbokie. She stumbled across the remains of a deer on land she owns at Upper Braefindon on Monday night and is hoping for some expert analysis of distinctive paw prints found in the mud near the kill.

She told the Journal, “On returning to the spot on Tuesday there were signs that the carcass had been dragged further away and carried off, nothing remained but a severed leg. All other stories only show remains of savaged animals, but I have pictures of paw prints at the site of the attack and the very fresh, almost totally eaten carcass.

“I tried to get SAC vets to visit the site and confirm what might have killed the deer, but have had no response so far.

“If it was dogs, that in itself is very worrying, given the livestock in the area, but more so if it is a big cat.”

She said there were obvious signs of a struggle and the appearance that the deer had been dragged a significant distance during the apparent attack.

Chief Inspector Paul Eddington, who has several years’ experience as a police wildlife crime coordinator specialist under his belt, said there had been several very credible sightings of big cats in Ross-shire down the years.

He said too there had been several stories of exotic animals being released in the Highlands since the 1970s following changes in legislation surrounding what people are permitted to keep as pets.

There have also been documented instances of domesticated cats turning feral and breeding with wildcats.

Ch Insp Eddington also recalled the December 2008 report — first revealed by the Journal — of the attack on a 73-year-old Easter Ross woman convinced she had been mauled after disturbing a big cat near her home.

Pat McLeod, who lived in a remote cottage outside Alness, had required hospital treatment for cuts sustained in an attack the exact details of which remain a mystery. Police were sufficiently convinced to lay traps and issue a warning to the public to be vigilant.

Ch Insp Eddington said, “Anyone who sees something unusual is encouraged to contact us. There’s an issue of public safety to consider and also the wellbeing of any such creature. We have had a number of credible reports down the years and people can be assured they will always be taken at face value.”

(Link not supplied)

Town hunts for black panther preying on livestock

 
Joleen Chaney
Reporting KFOR
5:47 p.m. CDT, April 26, 2011

POCASSET, Okla. -- Some Oklahomans are on the hunt for what they are calling a black panther or mountain lion that has been spotted near several homes.

The creature has been reportedly seen near Pocasset in rural Grady County.

"It was about half grown, had a tail about 4 feet long and it was solid black," witness Russell Dahl said.

It has become quite the talk of the town after a few recent run-ins with people, including Dahl's neighbor who had an encounter while on an evening jog.

"It liked to scare her to death," he said.

The animal is said to have been roaming the area for decades.

Dahl said he questioned the creature's existence when his son described his sighting, but he quickly became a believer.

"I said, 'You saw a coyote.' Well, the next day I saw it and it wasn't no coyote," he said.

Officials at the Oklahoma State Department of Wildlife say they've had a definite increase in the number of calls they've gotten from people who say they've seen big cats after a mountain lion was captured in Tulsa over the weekend.

"Sometimes I think they might be seeing a bobcat, maybe even coyotes, once in a while dogs," Game Warden Ron Comer said. "You can't always believe what your eyes are telling you."

The latest sightings in this rural little town haven't only given the locals a bit of a scare, but some say the cats have gone after their cattle and pets.

Whatever it is, experts say it could be one of a number of different animals.

"I never try to tell anybody that they didn't see what they thought they saw, but the melanistic gene does not exist in the mountain lion or the pumas or panthers or whatever you want to call the north American big cat," Comer said.

The melanistic gene increases an animals dark pigmentation, turning the animal black.

Within the past few years, new laws have allowed people to kill mountain lions or big cats if they feel threatened.

However, now there is no open season to hunt the animals and it is illegal to do so.

As for the cat caught in Tulsa, wildlife officials believe it was a caged pet that somehow escaped from someone who was not licensed to have it.

http://www.kfor.com/news/local/kfor-news-hunt-for-panther-lion-prey-livestock-story,0,7227827.story

Big cat sighting near Huntingdon

A cat similar to this was thought to have
been seen on the prowl in Huntingdonshire.

Thursday, April 21, 2011
3:02 PM

A WOMAN from St Neots has reported seeing a big cat while out walking her dogs.


The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she and her daughter spotted the creature close to Abbotsley on Friday afternoon (April 15) .

She said: “I was walking my dogs along a public footpath with my daughter when she saw something. At first she assumed it was a muntjac deer but then she said ‘Mum, I don’t think that was a muntjac. It just didn’t look right.’

“We got to the field that it had disappeared into and saw it again – it was definitely a cat. It was brown/tan coloured with a very long tail that reached the ground and curled up at the end. It was swaggering as it walked. This is the second time I have seen it. The first time was six months ago but at the time I wasn’t sure what I had seen. Now I am certain it is the same animal and that it is a big cat. I know that someone had reported seeing a big cat on Abbotsley Golf Course but I never really thought the stories were true.”

The woman, who is in her 50s and works for Cambridgeshire County Council, said she would continue to walk her dogs along the same route but would take a camera with her in case of another sighting.

She added: “I might get some pepper spray to carry with me too. I’m not worried for me but I am worried for my dogs.”

CONTACT: Have you seen a big cat in Huntingdonshire? E-mail news@huntspost.co.uk with details of what you saw, where and when.

http://www.huntspost.co.uk/news/latest-news/big_cat_sighting_near_huntingdon_1_872178

Fears for children from ‘big cat’

Mum frightened to leave her baby in garden after dog was attacked

By Mel Fairhurst

Published: 16/04/2011

A mother living near the home of the mythical Loch Ness Monster claims a real-life killing beast is on the rampage in the area – and warned it could be a threat to children.

Terrified Katrina Wallace says she is too frightened to leave her 12-week-old baby unattended in the garden after her dog was attacked and a lamb was killed by a big cat-like creature which is thought to be prowling woods near her Drumnadrochit home.

Mrs Wallace’s husband, James, 38, first spotted the animal in the family garden at Ancarraig House, Bunloit, and thought it was one of the couple’s two black labradors.

He said it was black with a long, cat-like tail similar to that of a puma or cougar.

Weeks later one of the family dogs, Breargh, was attacked in the garden.

Mrs Wallace said: “There was blood all around her eye and her hind leg was ripped to shreds. The vet said she had been dragged by an animal bigger than a dog.”

Following snow showers in March, large paw prints which measured 4.5in by 3in were photographed by the couple, and a couple of weeks ago, they were horrified to find a lamb from a neighbouring farm had been killed. It had a puncture wound in the back of its neck.

Mrs Wallace said: “The paw prints came from the woods towards the house. A friend of ours who does a lot of shooting and has tracked animals confirmed they were cat prints and a big one at that.

“If I could, I would move. I have been told by police not to scaremonger. They said they needed more DNA evidence, but what more evidence can we give? My children, aged 12 and 14, are terrified and none of us will go outside alone after dark – we go out in pairs with a torch.”

Mrs Wallace added: “This animal attacked my dog which was lucky to escape, but what chance would a child have against an animal like this when they cannot fight back?

“I want this to be taken seriously because children and walkers are at risk.

“We have heard other stories of sightings of one or two big cats – one farmer in Kiltarlity said he lost 20 sheep to two of them.

“I think it could be something to do with the big cats which were released in the 1970s, which may have been breeding every since.”

Northern Constabulary carried out an investigation into the big cat reports, and also looked into complaints from residents at nearby Invermoriston about marauding wild boar in the area.

A police spokeswoman said: “Neither big cats such as pumas, nor wild boars are protected wildlife. In the majority of cases, the animals would not approach to harm humans. They are not known for their aggressive behaviour unless they are young and threatened and even then, there would be few cases. However, if we felt there was a threat to public safety, we would take appropriate action.”

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2226731?UserKey=

Big 'cat' seen by residents in Arborfield

April 05, 2011

There have been sightings of a black creature stalking in and around Arborfield.

Worried members of the public called Wokingham police after seeing a black cat-like creature near the Royal British Legion in Eversley Road, Arborfield, at 10.30am on Saturday, March 19.

The animal was described as about 5ft long and 2ft tall.

There was a flurry of sightings in Wokingham between 2003 and 2007.

Witnesses invariably express shock at the size of the creature, describing it as a “panther” with “massive green eyes”.

http://www.getwokingham.co.uk/news/s/2090615_big_cat_seen_by_residents_in_arborfield

Mystery of Cannock Chase 'beast' as new sighting is spotted

Mar 30 2011

Yet another sighting of the Cannock Chase creature has been reported.

Chasetown resident Sam Whitehouse was driving across the Chase when he spotted the creature near the German Cemetery.

Sam was travelling along the A34 to Brocton, then to Camp Road, at about 11.30am on February 28.

Sam, a retired civil engineer, said the image is ‘burned into’ his memory.

“A short distance ahead, something crossed the road from right to left,” Sam said. “It was very compact, stocky even, with a strong sturdy body, head and legs. It was black and appeared to be quite shaggy. It scuttled - scurried across the road - quite fast. By the time I got to the location of the crossing it had disappeared into nearby dense undergrowth.”

Sam, from Church Street, said he estimates the creature was about 3ft high and 4ft long.

He researched on the internet and found the closest comparison is the North American Black Bear. “It is omnivorous, its diet including insects, beetles, deer fawns, fish, berries and tender plant shoots. The male is bigger than the female. The species hibernates until March. It is typically 2-3ft high and 4-5ft long.”

Some local folk suggested to Sam that the creature could be a wild boar.

“But surely a boar would have relatively thin legs?” Sam said.

Years ago Sam also caught sight of the elusive black panther.

http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2011/03/30/mystery-of-cannock-chase-beast-as-new-sighting-is-spotted-66331-28431201/

Bethersden big cat 'ran out in front of me'

by James Scott

A black panther has been 'seen' roaming the roads in Kent.

The beast was spotted by an unnamed driver who claimed he saw it in Brissenden Green, Bethersden.

He was travelling towards the A28 when the animal ran across the road.

It happened at 6.45pm on Saturday, March 19.

He reported the sighting to Neil Arnold of the Kent Big Cat Research group, which collects data about sightings of exotic animals in the county.

The man said: “A large black panther style cat with a long tail, ran across the road, very fast, in front of my car.

"It actually brought me to a standstill, I think more through sheer amazement at what I had just witnessed.”

“I have heard that a similar cat has been spotted before in the Bethersden and Woodchurch area.

"I’m so pleased that I have finally seen one for myself.”

Wednesday, March 23 2011

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2011/march/23/big_cat_ran_out_in_front_of_m.aspx

Woman's big cat encounter

8:10am Monday 28th March 2011

A Johnston dog walker was left shaken after a big cat sighting in the village.

Elizabeth Herbert was walking her jack russell on the cycle path behind Orchard Court when she she spotted the ‘labrador size’ black cat coming towards her.

The sighting was just after 6pm on Friday, March 11.

“My little jack russell rocketed in the opposite direction,” she said.

Ms Herbert said the large cat then dived under a hole in the fence heading towards the railway track.

http://www.milfordmercury.co.uk/news/8930633.Woman_s_big_cat_encounter/

Have you spotted big cat in Crowland?

Published on Wednesday 16 March 2011 09:41

A VISITOR to a rural garden centre has reported seeing a “black leopard” in a field.

Martin Barron (39) said he saw the animal in a field near Crowland Garden Centre, in Postland Road, at about 4pm on Saturday.

If you have any information on the mysterious feline, contact ET reporter Stephen Briggs on 01733 588734 or email stephen.briggs@peterboroughtoday.co.uk.

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/features/have_you_spotted_big_cat_in_crowland_1_2503410