Are there really big cats roaming the UK countryside?

Rumours of massive cats, reminiscent of leopards and mountain lions, dwelling wild within the UK have been effervescent for many years. Now, a photograph alleged to indicate a black leopard in Staffordshire and DNA proof featured in a documentary have renewed curiosity in the concept that massive felines roam the nation. Here is what we learn about these thriller cats.

Where does the picture come from?

In August 2023, Dragonfly Films, the producer of the documentary Panthera Britannia Declassified, launched a picture apparently exhibiting a black leopard (Panthera pardus) mendacity in lengthy grass. The picture was allegedly taken in Smallthorne, Staffordshire, and despatched by an unknown particular person to the Centre for Fortean Zoology, an organisation that investigates thriller animals within the UK, over a decade in the past, says Tim Whittard from Dragonfly Films.

“My feeling is that it is a real photo of a big cat,” says Whittard. But whether or not the picture was taken of a freely roaming cat within the UK is unconfirmed.

“It looks like it was photographed in such a way that you couldn’t see the background, which makes me think it’s likely a captive cat,” says Whittard. “This is one of those mysteries that will probably never be solved.”

Are there actually large cats roaming wild within the UK?

The time period “big cat” usually refers to species that belong to the genus Panthera , reminiscent of lions, jaguars and leopards. However, cheetahs, lynxes and cougars – often known as mountain lions – are generally related to the phrase.

There are a number of circumstances of such animals being seen within the UK, reminiscent of a puma captured in 1980 and a lynx shot by a farmer in 1991, however, in accordance with the UK’s Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), there was no credible proof of massive cats offered to Natural England, a public physique liable for the safety of England’s pure setting, in current many years.

“If we were presented with credible information to suggest there was a big cat living wild and posing a threat to public health and safety, we would report the matter to the local police and the Home Office,” a Defra spokesperson informed New Scientist.

But a handful of individuals disagree with this official evaluation. This contains Rick Minter, the host of the Big Cat Conversations podcast, who believes the proof strongly suggests the presence of enormous felines within the UK countryside.

Where are they and what number of are there?

Alleged sightings of massive cats have been reported throughout the UK. The British Big Cats Society says that it receives between 500 to 600 stories a 12 months, however these are principally unverified and nameless. Freedom of data requests to UK police forces have additionally revealed a small variety of stories over the previous decade.

The bulk of the stories have been of black leopards, often known as panthers, says Minter. Around 15 per cent of sightings are of sandy-coloured cats, which could possibly be mountain lions (Puma concolor), says Minter, and the remaining 5 per cent are of lynxes.

To maintain a secure and wholesome inhabitants, there would in all probability should be at the very least 300 people of every species, says Minter. There isn’t any proof of this although.

Is there any proof, past reported sightings?

Nothing agency, regardless of the variety of individuals saying they’ve seen large cats. “There should be scientific evidence to back all of this up,” says Andrew Hemmings on the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, UK.

One method to determine the presence of those cats is to have a look at the carcasses of animals reminiscent of foxes, deer and sheep; Hemmings and his colleagues have analysed over 100 carcasses. To date, solely 4 exhibit tooth marks, often known as tooth pits, that recommend the involvement of a medium-to-large feral cat.

These analyses alone can’t present definitive proof although. “The gold standard would be to combine what we’re seeing with our tooth-pit analysis with verified DNA evidence,” says Hemmings.

Do we have now DNA proof?

In its documentary, Dragonfly Films additionally claims to have discovered the primary DNA proof for an enormous cat in Gloucestershire. Hemmings and Minter are optimistic in regards to the declare, however others are sceptical.

“Unless they actually recorded how that hair sample was captured and tested, [the claim] will have a grey cloud over it,” says Danny Bamping on the British Big Cats Society.

If the large cats do exist, are they harmful?

There have been no confirmed incidences of untamed large cats attacking individuals or their pets within the UK.

“If given the choice, they would always avoid human contact,” says Hemmings. “In my opinion, they pose a negligible risk to people.”

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