Big Cat Sighting

[keepdiggin 9,559]

 

 

But, you'd have proof ,

In reality, any cat supposedly at large in the uk ,

Serval, Caracal, lynx, puma cougar , whatever, would last minutes few against a three big bull types

Fact

I'd back a leopard or jaguar over 5 bull x's mate

Agreed , hence why I didn't say they would

 

 

 

 

I would love to see three bullX's catch one of these out in the open.

Again agreed, however that seems to be at the extreme end of the spectrum?

 

Those seem to be plott joins types there hunting there, how would you rate their guts , power and determination to master a large carnivore?

 

Would they be capable of turning over multiple foxes in a night?

 

I doubt it, so as much as I enjoy your posts mackem mate, I still reckon three or four proper bullbtupes would do a less impressively sized mountain lion...

 

do the plott hounds bay or catch?

 

If there is a large cat roaming the UK its more then likely a leopard or jaguar from the descriptions people give.

Edited August 28, 2017 by keepdiggin

[Greyman 28,392]

 

 

 

But, you'd have proof ,

In reality, any cat supposedly at large in the uk ,

Serval, Caracal, lynx, puma cougar , whatever, would last minutes few against a three big bull types

Fact

 

I'd back a leopard or jaguar over 5 bull x's mate

Agreed , hence why I didn't say they would

I would love to see three bullX's catch one of these out in the open.

 

Again agreed, however that seems to be at the extreme end of the spectrum?

Those seem to be plott joins types there hunting there, how would you rate their guts , power and determination to master a large carnivore?

Would they be capable of turning over multiple foxes in a night?

I doubt it, so as much as I enjoy your posts mackem mate, I still reckon three or four proper bullbtupes would do a less impressively sized mountain lion...

do the plott hounds bay or catch?

 

If there is a large cat roaming the UK its more then likely a leopard or jaguar from the descriptions people give.

the jaguar is a much larger animal than the leopard and though they do look the same in there black variety the black leopard is the main culprit for black cats in the uk, and I don't think we have Jaguars here personally, many sightings of sandy brown cats which I assume are puma and a few Lynx every year get sighted, we discussed the issue of slipping dogs either earlier in this thread or the previous one on cats and the general consensus is the dogs have run up to the cat but failed to engage it, returning with its tail down and acting a bit afraid, I was contacted by someone a while back who claimed his dog had killed one but he went quiet on me when I asked to buy the body or have a pic and some fur, as they usually do

[beast 1,884]

Read Samuel baker's book THE RIFLE AND HOUND ON CEYLON. I have a copy from 1855 I think. Storises of hours do hunting leopatd boar sambar in Sri Lanka. Then think again about what dogs can do to a cat. Or rather what cats can do to a dog

[THE STIFFMEISTER 15,840]

Again leopards

 

In vic guhrs seminal "the trouble with Africa " he tells of his mother in laws Great Dane dispatching servils willy nilly with a single bite

[mackem 26,339]

Again leopards

 

In vic guhrs seminal "the trouble with Africa " he tells of his mother in laws Great Dane dispatching servils willy nilly with a single bite

I watched a DVD earlier with a caracal put up a tree by hounds,apparently there are pest controllers in Africa who use hounds to tree small cats as part of their duties,caracal have a liking for lambs even in game-rich areas.

[MOLE265 792]

Yes,slip a shit ..

I'd be slipping all over my shit just before I bolted lol.

[beast 1,884]

Again leopards

 

In vic guhrs seminal "the trouble with Africa " he tells of his mother in laws Great Dane dispatching servils willy nilly with a single bite

I can believe that. What does a dane weigh maybe 100 lbs plus and a serval is around fox size but I bet the dane still had a few scars.

[beast 1,884]

 

 

Again leopards

 

In vic guhrs seminal "the trouble with Africa " he tells of his mother in laws Great Dane dispatching servils willy nilly with a single bite

I watched a DVD earlier with a caracal put up a tree by hounds,apparently there are pest controllers in Africa who use hounds to tree small cats as part of their duties,caracal have a liking for lambs even in game-rich areas.

That's interesting about the Caracals eating lambs. They are very closely related to lynx so the sheep farmers will be in for trouble if they do ever release lynx here

[keepdiggin 9,559]

The farmers would be compensated with any loss.

 

 

I'd favour any working terrier over a serval

[mackem 26,339]

 

 

Again leopards

 

In vic guhrs seminal "the trouble with Africa " he tells of his mother in laws Great Dane dispatching servils willy nilly with a single bite

I watched a DVD earlier with a caracal put up a tree by hounds,apparently there are pest controllers in Africa who use hounds to tree small cats as part of their duties,caracal have a liking for lambs even in game-rich areas.

That's interesting about the Caracals eating lambs. They are very closely related to lynx so the sheep farmers will be in for trouble if they do ever release lynx here

 

I didn't even realise sheep were such a big thing in SA mate,the PH whose dogs treed the caracal said they kill lambs for fun,didnt look so big when it was knocked out of the tree but they said it was a good sized male.The same guy tells how to pattern nocturnal feeding big cats,he does it with a leopard and a lion,putting fresh baits up,stick a trail cam up once the baits start getting fed upon,the trail cam gives the time the cats are feeding,quite precise,i also know mountain lion feed on fresh baits readily,might be an idea for uk in an area someone says is a british big cat habitat,easy way to test a theory,stick a roe deer down with a cam.

[Greyman 28,392]

The population density makes baiting and waiting a bit hit and miss in the uk, plus the cats move a lot during summer, but I have a few areas that I,m sure cats have held up for a while during winter in the past that I plan to do excactly that in, there is also a very long road I drive along, that a few road kill deer have been dragged back from the road and stripped so I will keep a camera in my van and set it near the next one I find, it's just a case of being in the right place at the right time and if I have enough time left to be there, though I suspect that the first 100 percent photo or film will come from someone who is not looking and just happens to be in the right place at the right time

[mackem 26,339]

the cats move a lot during summer

For what reason?Mating?surely they still do the same in Africa yet they can still pattern specific animals,anomalous BBC's have lets say been here for 50 years?40 years?instinctually they will still behave as their African or north American counterparts as darwins theory of evolution wasn't based over 40 or 50 years so they haven't had time to unlearn African or north American instincts and re-learn to suit this country.

[sandymere 8,263]

"the cats move a lot during summer" (Greyman)

When they have cubs?? that would seem a little counter intuitive. Perhaps one might expect males to travel in search of mates but one would expect this to increase sightings rather than reduce them.

 

 

Couple of other thoughts

Seems strange that none have ever been treed.

As sheep or dogs would be the most likely prey of a leopard I wonder who's not reporting all the dead ones.

leopards invariable stash prey up trees, average about 20 a year or thereabouts

http://www.krugerpark.co.za/Kruger_National_Park_Wildlife-travel/kruger-park-wildlife-leopards.html

And only eat about a third of the carcass so why aren't we seeing lots of half eaten sheep/deer up trees.

Edited August 29, 2017 by sandymere

[Greyman 28,392]

"the cats move a lot during summer" (Greyman)

When they have cubs?? that would seem a little counter intuitive. Perhaps one might expect males to travel in search of mates but one would expect this to increase sightings rather than reduce them.

 

 

Couple of other thoughts

Seems strange that none have ever been treed.

As sheep or dogs would be the most likely prey of a leopard I wonder who's not reporting all the dead ones.

leopards invariable stash prey up trees, average about 20 a year or thereabouts

http://www.krugerpark.co.za/Kruger_National_Park_Wildlife-travel/kruger-park-wildlife-leopards.html

And only eat about a third of the carcass so why aren't we seeing lots of half eaten sheep/deer up trees.

how much time do you spend looking for dead animals up trees ? I have pictures of some

[Greyman 28,392]

 

the cats move a lot during summer

 

For what reason?Mating?surely they still do the same in Africa yet they can still pattern specific animals,anomalous BBC's have lets say been here for 50 years?40 years?instinctually they will still behave as their African or north American counterparts as darwins theory of evolution wasn't based over 40 or 50 years so they haven't had time to unlearn African or north American instincts and re-learn to suit this country.

I,m learning as I go mate I can't answer all the questions only what I find as I go, and from reports and sightings in my own area I have come to the conclusion that when the crops are up in the summer they are more able to move around freely, but as with Pumas in America they move to the same areas for winter, and the areas as with the states offer certain geographical advantages like protection from certain winds commanding views over the territory they hunt over and a few other little things that make it a bit easier to pinpoint them, regarding mating, cats breed at anytime of year to coincide with prey food, like I have said a lot of what you read about in Africa may be pattern specific but at a massively reduced density to the uk so not as simple as just putting up a deer and a cat will find it in a day or two so be patient but rest assured I,m on the case