Mystery surrounds big cat sighting

15:51, 26 MAY 2015

BY STUART GREER

Sheila Foster claims she saw a brown-grey animal the size of a dog with a long tail on Moss Lane in Macclesfield.

A mysterious big cat has been spotted in Macclesfield.

Grandmother Sheila Foster claims she spotted the unusual animal while looking out her front window on Moss Lane at 6am on Monday.

She described a “brown-grey big cat the size of a large dog which had a long tail with a kink in it”. It was stood on a wall about 50 yards across the road.

Sheila, 72, said: “At first I thought it was a big stone then it moved. I could hardly believe my eyes.”

Source

Mysterious big cat spotted near Lugwardine last night

Updated 10:13am Monday 28th July 2014 inNews

A HEREFORD woman did not expect to come across a rather mysterious big cat on her way to work last night.

Debbie Smithers was travelling from her Whitecross home to St Michael’s Hospice at around 8.55pm on Sunday evening when she came across what she describes as a “large, dark cat” on Lumber Lane, nearLugwardine.

“It was about three feet high, stood on the opposite carriageway of the road, facing Hereford,” said Mrs Smithers, a nurse at the hospice.

“Within seconds its tail went up and it sort of gracefully jumped across into the verge and into the hedge.”

Mrs Smithers said she has only seen similar animals in a Safari Park or Zoo.

“I just thought ‘what on earth is that?’ I was just amazed really, more than anything. I was quite taken with the elegance of how its tail went up and it jumped into the verge,” she added.

Have you seen any big cats in the area?

If so, email jessica.phillips@herefordtimes.com or call 01432 845884.

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/11369848.Mysterious_big_cat_spotted_near_Lugwardine_last_night/

Elusive 'panther' may be on the move

Mid-Canterbury's elusive black panther may have moved south.

Last week a delivery driver spotted what he described as a large cat-like animal feeding on road kill just outside the Fairlie township in the early hours of the morning.

The description was remarkably similar to reports in a number of sightings of the panther-like animal in Mid Canterbury roughly the size of a Labrador dog, with round head and a distinctive long tail.

Such sightings began trickling in 1992 when the animal was spotted at the Ashburton River mouth.

But the legend really took flight this century when Marcus Ewart and David Tutton reported seeing a large, black panther-like cat near Alford Forest; two years later the cat appeared again, this time witnessed by Peter and Toni May in the Ashburton Gorge.

A month later, in October 2003, truck driver Chad Stewart was startled by a huge black cat in the Mayfield foothills. The same month the cat appeared again, this time near the Fairton meat works.

Several sightings were reported in the Seafield and Pendarves areas in January 2004.

Continued

Police investigate 'big cat' sightings and sheep attacks

Police are investigating so-called "big cat" sightings in County Down.

Reports of a number of animal attacks on sheep in the Hillsborough and Dromara areas are also being followed up.

According to police, farmers in the Hill Road, Ballynahinch Road and Mullaghdrin Road areas are reported to have found sheep killed in what appeared to be attacks by a predator.

Other landowners have found that sheep are missing or bloodied and injured.

'Big cat' sightings have been reported by some residents in the same general area over a similar period of time.

Police said local officers were "making inquiries".

"While we would stress that there has been no confirmation of the presence of any 'big cat' in the area, we would ask that anyone who has lost sheep or other livestock in similar fashion recently or anyone who sees an animal which they believe to be dangerous, get in contact with police," a police spokesperson said.

"Under no circumstances should any wild or undomesticated animal be approached."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-23934310

Wash. 'cougar' sightings turn out to be house cat

LYNDEN, Wash. —

Police in Lynden, Wash., say the multiple reports they received of a "cougar" sighting near the fairgrounds turned out to be a very muscular orange-colored domestic cat.

Police Chief Jack Foster tells the Bellingham Herald (http://is.gd/DXbhYv)that one woman said she saw the cat twice. Police first learned of the sightings on Tuesday.

On Wednesday afternoon, a new sighting was reported. This time Foster says an officer was able to get within a few feet of the creature and report that it WAS a big cat - a big domestic cat.

The chief acknowledges that from a distance the animal did resemble a cougar.

He says the original witness confirmed it was the same cat she had seen earlier.

Foster says cougars have been seen in the community near the Canadian border - twice in the past two decades.

http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2019022574_apwanotacougar.html?syndication=rss

Police Call Off Search For Essex Lion

Police have called off a search for a lion reportedly on the loose in Essex.

Officers have spent almost 24 hours combing the countryside around Clacton-on-Sea after a group of residents yesterday claimed to have seen the king of the jungle near Earls Hall Drive in St Osyth.

But after search teams found no evidence of the big cat, the force this afternoon decided to stop looking.

Witnesses reported seeing a lioness in fields stalking up and down a hedgerow before it was disturbed by a farmer and ran off.

Armed officers and Colchester Zoo workers armed with tranquiliser guns searched for pawprints after sightings of the animal were reported at 7pm on Sunday.

Police urged residents in the village to remain inside their homes as the search for the big cat continued.

But on Monday an Essex Police spokesman said: "We believe what was seen on Sunday evening was either a large domestic cat or a wildcat.

"Extensive searches have been carried out, areas examined and witnesses spoken to; yet nothing has been found to suggest that a lion was in the area.

"We would like to thank the local community and holidaymakers for their patience and support throughout the past 24 hours as the police and media presence would have been somewhat overwhelming for them."

David and Susan Wright said they photographed the lioness from their back garden after spotting it in the field.

Mrs Wright told Sky News: "It definitely looked like a lion, the head, the body. When it stood up you could see the tail as well and it was massive.


Continued:  http://uk.news.yahoo.com/police-investigate-lion-loose-212334109.html

UPDATE: Ashland Police Give Warnings After Bobcat Sightings

ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) -- Ashland Police are asking residents to be cautious after several big cat sightings in the area, one of which they confirmed.

They say a bobcat made its way through the Midland Heights neighborhood Saturday morning, and they're doing their best to track down the animal.

"It's going to be a daunting task," Major Mark McDowell of Ashland Police said. "It's much easier said than done when trying to capture an animal like that, but we are going to make an effort."

Residents are asked to keep an eye on kids and pets playing outside, and to call police right away if they see anything.

"We're so densely populated, and we don't want a tragedy to unfold as a result of somebody trying to kill an animal like that within the city limits," McDowell said.

Police say they're working with wildlife experts and are investigating the possibility of more than one big cat in the area.

UPDATE 7/14/12 @ 10:00 p.m.
ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) -- Several residents in the Middland Heights neighborhood say they have spotted a big cat.

Mark Conley says he heard his dog barking Saturday, and went to check it out. That's when he says he was face to face with the wild animal. Conley says the cat had just killed a deer.

"Is one going to pounce down on me, you know?" Conley said. "I guess I'm confined to my home after 9 o'clock when it gets dark."

The incident has alarmed many in the community, even prompting some to put up fliers to warn other neighbors.

"I will not go out in the backyard, even though it's fenced at night," Ashland resident Nan O'Hara said. "I'm not going to walk my dog at night. I'm not going to take walks at night until this is settled somehow."

Ashland Police are now classifying this as a confirmed sighting. They're alerting residents in the area to exercise caution with children and pets that may play in the area.

---

UPDATE 7/6/12 @ 11:30 p.m.
ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) -- There has been another report of a big cat sighting in Ashland, according to the Ashland Police Department.

About 8:30 a.m. Friday, officers responded to Cheer Street regarding an unconfirmed big cat sighting.

A resident observed what appeared to be a large cat with a long tail in the area.

Police responded, but nothing was located.

This is the third unconfirmed sighting of a large cat (believed to be a cougar/mountain lion) seen in Ashland since June 28. Previous sightings were in the vicinity of Eloise Street and Forest Avenue.

The public is encouraged to call 911 and not attempt to pursue the animal.

---

UPDATE 6/29/12 @ 5:10 p.m.
ASHLAND, Ky. (WSAZ) -- A police alert has Ashland neighbors keeping a close eye and short leash on their dogs and cats.

The cause for concern is reported sightings of mountain lions and/or cougars.

A resident who lives along Forest Court in Ashland and did not want to be on camera pointed out where earlier this week he saw a cougar.
He says the big cat was just lying down where the backyard meets a wooded area.

Across town, someone living along Eloise Street say they spotted a mountain lion or cougar.

Mary McKinney, who lives along Eloise Street, was skeptical.

"Someone probably saw a big dog," McKinney said. "I don't think we have a big cat roaming around.”

Big cat sightings in two neighborhoods by different people prompted Ashland Police to put out a citywide mountain lion alert.

“We've seen fox and even wolves in the city,"
Ashland Police Major Todd Kelley said. "We're surrounded in Ashland by hunting area, so wild animals in the city are not unheard of.”

Kelley and WSAZ wildlife expert Tom Clay agree -- if mountain lions or cougars are on an Ashland neighborhood prowl, pets and small children would be prime targets for a fearsome feline predator.

“Big cats can come in from out of the mountains, across creeks and rivers looking for a new area to feed," Clay said. "People leave dog food out, and mountain lions will come in to look for something to eat.”

Kelley advises, “Don't approach them. Don't try and make them your friend. Call 911 and we will come out with animal control.”

Recent history shows reports of mountain lion or cougar sightings is West Virginia and southern Ohio, as well as the Kentucky Wildcats.
If you see a big cat, remember don't approach it, call 911.

---

ORIGINAL STORY
ASHLAND, Ky (WSAZ) -- The Ashland Police Department is advising the community to be on high alert Thursday.

In the past 48 hours, police have been notified of two alleged sightings of a mountain lion or cougar type species.

The sightings have been in the areas of Eloise Street on the west side of Ashland and on the Forest Avenue area of South Ashland.

No confirmations have been made by police or animal control officers at this time.

Police are urging caution. They said do not approach the animal and call 911 immediately.

http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/Possible_Moun_160768145.html

Police warn a large wild cat could be on the loose in Ashland, Kentucky

The Ashland Police Department has been notified over the past 48 hours of two alleged sightings of a mountain lion or cougar type species.

Alleged sightings have been in the areas of Eloise Street in the west side of Ashland and in the Forest Avenue area of South Ashland. 

The Ashland Police Department advises no confirmations have been made by police or animal control officers. 

If you do see a suspicious animal do not approach, call 911 and there will be an appropriate response.  Do not try to approach or befriend the animal as it could be dangerous.

http://www.wowktv.com/story/18910370/police-warn-a-large-wild-cat-could-be-on-the-loose-in-ashland-kentucky

Washington State Tiger Search - via Chad Arment

KOMO Staff 

May 24, 2012

PUYALLUP, Wash. -- Animal control officers have come up empty so far in their search for a reported tiger on the loose just outside of Puyallup.

A man called police Thursday afternoon to report he saw a tiger in his backyard at his home in the 4400 block of Gay Road, Pierce County Sheriff's officials said. A second call came in a short time later from another home on the same street, also reporting a tiger sighting.

"I was checking on the corn crop I had planted and I did see a cat -- fairly large -- and they're telling me it's a tiger," said Travis Johnson.

He estimated the cat weighed about 200 pounds.

"I thought it was going to kill my livestock or my neighbor's livestock, that's what I was thinking," he said.

He went inside and got a gun.

"It's a big cat, it could take you out. It could take anything out. It's no joke."

But someone sure thought it was. As news of the tiger on the loose spread, someone placed a stuffed tiger atop a van on nearby River Road, prompting several 911 calls from worried residents, said department spokesman Ed Troyer.

Police had the stuffed tiger removed, but that's not to say they aren't having their fun too:

"The reports of (Tigger) being missing are not true. We have confirmed that with winnie the pooh!" Tweeted Troyer. Followed shortly by: "Our animal control guys say they won't have to shoot the tiger if its found. They are trained to catch him by the toe!" Next, a photo of a stuffed tiger atop a patrol car.

A Twitter account also popped up shortly after the news broke, purportedly being updated by the missing tiger himself.

"Hope I don't go to gig harbor," @Puyallup_Tiger tweeted. " I got no cash for the toll on the way back."

Internet clues aside, officials aren't sure where the tiger would have even come from.

"We don't know anybody who owns it," Troyer said.

He says no one of authority has actually seen the loose animal with their eyes.

Maybe they should just check their Twitter account instead?

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Search-on-for-reported-tiger-on-loose-near-Puyallup-153812205.html

-----

Tiger sighting reported in Pierce County

By MyNorthwest.com
Staff report

After searching for over three hours for an alleged Bengal tiger on the loose, deputies are calling off the search.

A couple reported seeing a Bengal tiger loose just ten yards away from them in their unfenced backyard.

Detective Ed Troyer with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department said that four animal control officers are out with deputies searching for the animal in unincorporated Pierce County near Puyallup. He said it's a rural area near a river.

By going through photos with the couple that spotted the animal, they've determined that it could be a Bengal tiger.

After reports of the alleged tiger surfaced, one person took to Twitter and became the @Puyallup_Tiger. Others reported seeing a stuffed tiger on the side of the interstate.

Deputies asserted that the siting of the tiger was real, and not to be confused with stuffed animals that had quickly gone on display.

Troyer even had fun with a tiger of his own, posting a photo of a large stuffed tiger on the hood of his vehicle. "I found the tiger waiting on the hood of my car. He doesn't like cameras and wanted a ride home," Troyer said on Facebook.

Officers believe that it could be someone's exotic pet. "Another thing that we're hearing is that some people take their animals and dye their hair colors and cut their hair to look like big game. That's a new fad," Troyer said.

According to Troyer, they have seen other exotic pets in the county before, including alligators and kangaroos, but this would be the first tiger.

http://mynorthwest.com/11/683313/Deputies-call-off-search-for-alleged-Bengal-tiger-

California: Mysterious 'massive' black cat spotted again in Pleasanton hills - via Chad Arment

PLEASANTON -- The Bay Area's version of Nessie has been spotted again.

This time, the mysterious and elusive large black cat that has reportedly stalked East Bay hills was seen in Pleasanton.

Jo Gunderson, a recent San Francisco transplant, was with her 1-year-old daughter Thursday at Alviso Adobe Community Park when she saw what she said is a black panther.

"It is so weird to describe," Gunderson said. "Even though I hadn't heard the myth, I just knew there were no such things as black cats in North America. But there is no mistake about that shaped head and how massive it was. It was not a house cat."

Although wildlife experts are skeptical, there have been other sightings of a large black cat in the area. In July 2009, a couple reported seeing a huge, dark cat on a hillside in the same area.

Lynn and Kathleen Reed were headed east on Interstate 580 when they saw the cat on the southwest side of the freeway near Foothill Road. Lynn Reed said he saw a similar cat 13 years before at his Castro Valley ranch.

Gunderson said the cat she saw was about 5 feet long, with an equally long tail. She saw it in an open field near the park's farmhouse and first thought the head was a rock. But when she made a sound and saw it move, she knew it was something much larger.

"It was like seeing a yeti," she said. "It was just a shock. You get stuck in a trance, and I was telling myself, 'Is that really a black, massive cat in front of my eyes?'"

Gunderson said she was 80 feet from the animal and knows what she saw. It wasn't a house cat or a cougar, she said. She has had house cats all her life and has seen pumas in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

"It was just surreal," said Gunderson, who swooped up her daughter and high-tailed it back to her car.

Wildlife specialists for the East Bay Regional Park District and the state Department of Fish and Game say it's unlikely a large black cat roams the Bay Area, but not impossible.

"Jaguars had been extricated from the country for quite a while," said Steven Bobzien, a wildlife ecologist for the park district. "There were reports of jaguars being seen (in Arizona) but there was no solid physical evidence. It was similar to what we are going through with these black cats here. (Gunderson) may have seen one, but without evidence, people are going to be skeptical.

"Overwhelming evidence suggests black mountain lions do not exist. Although I would not completely dismiss the possibility, it is highly unlikely."

Experts said the majority of puma sightings are erroneous, with other species including bobcats, cats, coyotes, dogs, and foxes mistaken for the large cats.

Bobzien said he first heard reports of large black cats 30 years ago in Marin.

In the 1970s, Contra Costa County ranchers reported seeing a big black cat in the San Ramon area. It was found to be an escaped pet black leopard.

Bobzien said the first proof of jaguars, which can be black, reappearing in the United States was in 1996 with a photo taken in Arizona. Since then, others have been spotted in Arizona and New Mexico.

Fish and Game officials say they hear of thousands of puma sightings a year and sometimes hear of a black panther, which are more likely dark mountain lions.

"From an ecologist's perspective, if someone was to produce evidence it would be remarkable," Bobzien said. "I would be smiling. Nature never seems to surprise me."

http://www.mercurynews.com/pets-animals/ci_20655297/mysterious-large-black-cat-spotted-again-hills-pleasanton

Michigan cougar sighting confirmed - but not in Ann Arbor

The Department of Natural Resources announced yesterday a confirmed cougar sighting in Baraga County in the Upper Peninsula.

Baraga County resident Fred Nault spotted the animal near Skanee on May 5 and was able to snap a picture. The confirmed sighting in the Upper Peninsula comes almost two months following the cougar sightings in Ann Arbor near the University of Michigan’s North Campus.

DNR Wildlife Division staff members were contacted by Nault and visited the property this Tuesday to verify the location.

The cougar was spotted crossing a road when Nault, who happened to have a camera, took a picture before the animal fled into the woods.

DNR Wildlife specialist Adam Bump said the department is beginning to see a few scattered cougars moving back into the state.

"I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that we know cougars have established populations in the Dakotas, so we’re starting to see a lot of dispersal and for whatever reason they're heading east," Bump said. "We're starting to get more frequent cougar movement."

University of Michigan Police Lt. Bob Neumann said the university has not seen or heard anything since the end of March.

Continued:  http://www.annarbor.com/news/another-cougar-sighting-relax-this/

Michigan: Black panther sighted in Adrian Township - via Chad Arment

Black panther sighted in Adrian Township

Dan Cherry
Daily Telegram
Posted Apr 06, 2012

ADRIAN, Mich.

A large feline spotted Sunday near Grand Court Adrian has been identified by a law enforcement official as a black panther.

Trooper Sean Street from the Monroe post of the Michigan State Police responded at 5:51 p.m. to a report of a large feline walking in the field, according to a news release. Upon arriving at the scene, he watched the animal, approximately 2 feet in height and weighing about 30 pounds, walk across the field about 75 yards away and into a nearby woods.

"There is no doubt it was a panther," Street said. "It was identical to what you see in National Geographic Magazine."

Street said the panther did not appear to be aggressive, but he urges residents to be cautious and contact law enforcement officials if they spot the animal nearby.

Michigan State Police and the state Department of Natural Resources continue to monitor and evaluate the incident for possible safety concerns.

The sighting was the second in six months of a large feline in Lenawee County. On Nov. 1, Jason Cuellar of Adrian spotted and photographed a bobcat in Heritage Park in Raisin Township.

http://www.lenconnect.com/news/x1607840331/Black-panther-sighted-in-Adrian-Township

North Campus cougar: Searching the woods for the rogue animal

University of Michigan Public Safety officials said they're searching for traces of a cougar reportedly spotted by local residents today on North Campus.

It was not immediately clear whether the cougar was related to the Dexter Bear.

In this video, AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey searches for the North Campus cougar.

Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's newsletters.

http://www.annarbor.com/news/north-campus-cougar-searching-the-woods-for-the-rogue-animal/

Mountain lion sighting in Red Bluff confirmed

RED BLUFF --A sleepy mountain lion decided to take a nap today behind the Adobe Plaza on Main Street in Red Bluff.

Red Bluff police said they went to the area after receiving a call and found the animal sleeping in a wooded area next to a large alfalfa field.

Officers kept an eye on the big cat and called the state Department of Fish and Game. Police said officials considered tranquilizing or shooting the cougar, but decided it wasn't a threat to anyone.

So a DFG agent stuck around to watch the mountain lion until it decided to wander away.

Police noted that mountain lion sightings in the north state are not unusual and lion attacks on humans are "extremely rare" -- only 16 attacks on humans have been reported statewide since 1890.

Additional information on mountain lions is available on the DFG website at www.dfg.ca.gov.

http://www.redding.com/news/2012/mar/08/mountain-lion-sighting-red-bluff-confirmed/

BIG CAT STORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Big cat on prowl
Purcell Register
By Susie Williams-Allen - The Purcell Register Officials with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife (ODW) said the big cat spotted in north Purcell is not an immediate safety hazard. Two sightings of a big cat in the Arbors Addition and Lighthouse ...See all stories on this topic »

Mountain lion attack closes trails, campsites in BBNPAlpine AvalancheOne mountain lion attack and one "close call," both involving young children, occurred Sunday afternoon at Big Bend National Park, said David Elkowitz, the park's chief information officer. The close call occurred on the Window Trail, located at the ...See all stories on this topic »

Father Fights Off Mountain Lion [VIDEO]By Jeff DeminskiThe boy who survived the attack but sustained horrific wounds says the big cat just sneaked up on them. With his son's face locked in the jaws of the mountain lion, the father reached for a pocket knife and went after the animal. What happened ...New Jersey 101.5

Big cat goes wild for fluffy slippers! VIDEO! - Care2 News NetworkBy Cher C.A confused tiger at a zoo thought he was being visited by a big cat relative when he spotted a giant pair of paws through its compound window.Care2 News Network

Mountain lion attack closes trails, campsites in BBNPAlpine AvalancheOne mountain lion attack and one "close call," both involving young children, occurred Sunday afternoon at Big Bend National Park, said David Elkowitz, the park's chief information officer. The close call occurred on the Window Trail, located at the ...See all stories on this topic »

Who's your daddy?TheChronicleHerald.caLast week, a reader suggested Boo could be possibly be a Norwegian Forest Cat, a breed, again according to Wikipedia, that "is a strong, big cat, similar to the Maine Coon breed, with long legs, a bushy tail, and a sturdy body." Check.See all stories on this topic »

National network of tiger poachers bustedHindustan TimesBut, their claim of killing eight to ten tigers in less than six months, which is about 40 percent of poaching incidents big cat deaths during the period, has caused panic. “Their claim is alarming and we are verifying it,” said a senior Wildlife Crime ...See all stories on this topic »

Huge haul of poached animal parts, 5 heldDaily PioneerThe pelts of one tiger, four leopards and about 3 kg big cat bones were seized from five persons who were arrested in Najibabad in Uttar Pradesh on Thursday. The wildlife contraband is said to have been sourced from Uttarakhand.See all stories on this topic »

America's pets also have an obesity epidemicCBS NewsCarlson told HealthPop that table food is also a big culprit. People may not realize all the diseases overweight animals are likely to get. Common disease risks include osteoarthritis (in the elbows for cats, which is especially painful), diabetes, ...See all stories on this topic »

Experts: Some Kind Of Big Cat Is On The Loose In Westchester ...Another big predator cat is apparently roaming the northern suburbs. The calls started coming in earlier this week in Westchester County.newyork.cbslocal.com/.../experts-some-kind-of-big-cat-is-on-t...

The Littler Cats Found At The Big Cat RescueWe've shown videos of the Big Cat Rescue group before, but one thing left out of their usual videos are all the tiny cats and the non-cat species living on the ...www.neatorama.com/.../the-littler-cats-found-at-the-big-cat-res...

Do Big Cats Purr?The non-profit educational sanctuary in Tampa, Florida, Big Cat Rescue, has put together Do Big Cats Purr?, a video that answers questions about how cats of ...laughingsquid.com/do-big-cats-purr/

'Big cats are out there', say two Gloucestershire trackers

By Chris SandysBBC News

"I've been ridiculed, called deluded, told to get a life and all sorts of things," says 65-year-old semi-retired wildlife enthusiast Frank Tunbridge.

He is passionate about a species of which its mere existence is hotly debated: Wild big cats in the UK.

"I know they are out there," said Mr Tunbridge, who has spent nearly 25 years investigating Gloucestershire's reported big cats.

He said that on average he received two sightings a week from across the county.

His passion is equalled by that of Rick Minter, 50, who has written a book about big cats in the wilds of Britain.

'Own little world'

"The main candidates for the larger types of feral big cats being reported in Britain are puma-type cats and panthers," he said.

"A puma is a sandy-grey coloured cat, also known as cougar and mountain lion. A black panther is biologically a leopard or a jaguar in its black form."

Mr Minter admitted some people just found the idea of big cats roaming wild in the English countryside too incredible to believe.

"You do feel largely like you are beavering away in your own little world," he said.

"You're suddenly engulfed with emails and reporters and programmes wanting to know about the latest deer carcass or your view on 'X' in relation to big cats.""Then, suddenly January 2012 comes along and half the nation's media are tracking your every step.

The incident he refers to came about when the National Trust announced that it had called for DNA tests to be carried out on a deer carcass found on its land near Stroud, Gloucestershire.

A trust spokesman had initially said the deer's injuries - and way the carcass had been eaten by its killer - were thought to be "highly indicative of big cat activity".

But three weeks later the results are back and they are negative to the idea of a big cat predator. Fox and deer DNA are the only traces found on the swabs taken.

But Mr Tunbridge said he still believed the big cats were out there - and said he had his own close encounter to prove it.

Read on:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-16760599

Florida: Davie couple say black panther has been prowling around their yard (via Chad Arment)

Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel
January 21, 2012

DAVIE —

A wild cat a Davie couple say they spotted in their backyard more than a week ago has some residents on edge.

Local trapper Robert Leach has set up a cage on the property, hoping to capture the animal. 

Mayor Judy Paul suspects it may be a bobcat, not a black panther as reported by the resident.

"Call it what you want," said Sheldon Friedberg, who called police on Jan. 14 after his wife spotted what she called a black panther pawing at her cat. 

Friedberg said his wife went outside that night to shoo away what she thought was a black dog.

"It wasn't a dog," said Friedberg, who lives in the 6100 block of Southwest 56th Street, northeast of Stirling and Davie Roads. "It had 4-inch fangs. And it's not a bobcat. When it opened its mouth it's like something you see in the movies."

Friedberg said the family cat survived the attack.

He and his wife had seen the animal before, but thought it was a neighbor's oversized cat, he said.

His wife, who appeared recently on a TV news report on WSVN-Ch. 7, declined to comment.

"I can tell you this," Friedberg said. "It's a gigantic cat. It's out there. They still haven't caught it."

Mark McCarthy, who runs a wildlife sanctuary in The Acreage in Palm Beach County, said he doubts the animal that the Friedbergs say is prowling around their property is a black panther.

"A lot of people don't know one cat from another," he said. "People call and tell me they hit a jaguar and I go out and it's a bobcat. Maybe it was a bobcat or cougar and it got in the mud."

The mayor also had doubts.

"We've got bobcats and they're sometimes dark," Paul said. "We have had coyote sightings out west. Where would a black panther have come from?"

Davie Police Capt. Dale Engle had this advice for anyone who spots the animal: Call 911.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/fl-panther-davie-folo-20120121,0,1729294.story

Stroud deer carcass tested for 'big cat activity'

DNA tests for "big cat activity" are being carried out on a roe deer carcass found near Stroud in Gloucestershire.

Swabs were taken from the wounds of the deer by experts who visited Woodchester Park to examine the evidence.

The carcass was seen and photographed by a local walker at the National Trust-owned countryside estate.

A National Trust spokesman said the deer's injuries and way the carcass had been consumed were "thought to be highly indicative of big cat activity".

The DNA samples were taken by a professor from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick and the results are expected later this month.

'Occasional sightings'

David Armstrong, the National Trust's head ranger for the Gloucestershire countryside, said the deer carcass was found near an area of beech woodland sloping down to pastures.

"There are some very occasional sightings of big cats in the Cotswolds but they have wide territories, so are rarely present in one particular spot for long," he added.

"We'd be interested to hear of any more sightings at Woodchester."

Gloucestershire big cat expert, Rick Minter, said it was very helpful to have a forensic study of the deer carcass done "so we can learn about the subject".

"Although people occasionally report a possible big cat from a distance, close up encounters with such cats are rare," he said.

"Their hearing and movement are exceptional, which helps them avoid close contact with people."

Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-16516500

5th ocelot sighting confirmed (via Chad Arment)

The fifth confirmed Arizona ocelot sighting in two years was reported Friday by the chairman of the Arizona Game and Fish Commission.

Chairman Robert R. Woodhouse said at a commission meeting that the state Game and Fish Department had confirmed a new ocelot sighting report in southeastern Arizona on Friday. The ocelot is listed as an endangered species in the United States.

A Game and Fish officer investigating a report from another source found tracks and received several images that helped the department determine this was a verified ocelot report. More specific details about the cat and where it was found were not available late Friday.

Two other ocelot sightings occurred in February and May of this year in the Huachuca Mountains, while a dead ocelot was found near Globe in April 2010, Game and Fish officials have said.
In November 2009, remote cameras placed by the conservation group Sky Island Alliance photographed an ocelot in Cochise County. Until that sighting, no confirmed ocelot sightings had occurred in Arizona since 1964.


Read more: http://azstarnet.com/news/science/environment/th-ocelot-sighting-confirmed/article_bd63c811-1745-50f5-9786-98afc850c5a1.html#ixzz1ffC8QERU



Eds' note:  However, here is update on that story:

Sighting was African cat, not ocelot

TUCSON, AZ (KOLD) - After further review, the Arizona Game and Fish Department said the reported rare sighting of an ocelot was another breed of cat called a serval.

A serval is a popular African cat in the pet trade, the fish and game department said.

The Department uses a three-tiered classification system to rank reported sightings from the public based on the level of physical evidence available, the department said.

The presence of physical evidence such as scat, hair, tracks and/or photos and video can lead to a Class I designation of "verifiable" or "highly probable."

Read more here ...

Wis. DNR warns hunters to watch for cougar (via D R Shoop)

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- State wildlife officials are warning deer hunters to keep an eye out for a cougar roaming west-central and northern Wisconsin.

Trail cameras have snapped photos of the animal three different times over the last month or so. The last photo came Nov. 8 near the Rusk-Taylor county line just east of Hawkins. Department of Natural Resources biologists believe the animal may now be in the Flambeau State Forest or in Price
County.

They believe the cougar is a young male in search of territory and a mate.

The DNR asks anyone who sees the cougar to contact the nearest DNR office or file a report through the agency's online rare mammal observation form.

Agency biologists also are interested in photographs of the cougar's tracks.
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/11/16/wisconsin-dnr-warns-hunters-to-watch-for-cougar/