We were out all day yesterday so missed what I'm sure was absorbing coverage on BBC News 24. I trust all our East-of-England members, whether late-night backgammon players or not, have suffered no mental trauma from finding themselves so close to such a large - and apparently roaring - erm, ginger tomcat.
Imagine our disappointment when the story didn't even make the headlines on the R4 six o'clock news. And then imagine the noises in the car when one of the beardy-nutter-lives-with-his-mum 'UK Big Cat' campaigners was quoted as being sure there are big cats living wild in Britain, even though this wasn't one, and every piece of evidence they've ever offered has been discredited. Ridiculous; next thing you know they'll be asking the Roman Catholic church for its opinions on social matters. Ah...
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Especially caravanners. There may be an association here....:)
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A few of the Essex caravanning witnesses look as though they may make a tasty meal! The fat content maybe a little high to be healthy.
Question -" everyone OK?" may get a somewhat skewed response! One of the reasons that many surveys give unbelievable answers.
Last edited by: pmh on Tue 28 Aug 12 at 08:56
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Mysterious beasts are part of our folklore of course . In Norfolk its a dog - Black Shuck
"as big as a calf, with eyes like burning coals, he pads silently beside the traveller on lonely country roads. Always keeping pace, he never drops back but simply seems to melt away. In some parts of the region, they believe that if you see old Shuck, then you or someone in your family will die. But best not to see him."
What do you have around your way?
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Enough about yourself, CGN.
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When I was working in the UK I regularly covered stories of mystery beasts in various areas and part of me always believed there might be something in it. The thing to beware of was freelance press snappers who were always keen to tart up a labrador as a panther if they thought there was 15 quid in it. Not unlike the kitten in the DT photo today, I guess.
But - not far from home here a couple of years ago I saw what I am absolutely sure was some sort of big cat. I won't bore you with the details and why I was sure but nothing like that has ever been heard of in this part of the world, apparently. Maybe it's a Brit thing?
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plenty of mutilated Cattle and Sheep carcases found on the Cumbrian fells every year, they are either Big-Cats kills or Alien experiments, possibly both! - take your choice but somethings out there, and not only the truth!
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"plenty of mutilated Cattle and Sheep" That's just the locals at play/pagan rituals.
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What a wild weekend I had at my mates stag do in Essex.
Now I just need to get this lion costume back to the fancy dress shop.
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During the last 30 years in the UK, two pumas have been captured alive, a leopard has been shot, and more than 4 Eurasian Lynx's captured alive or shot, DNA evidence exists of a leopard living wild in North Devon. None were known to be escaped animals.
There is a video by an off duty MoD policeman of a large black Felid walking along a railway line in Scotland.
As there is official documented proof of such occurrences, and the UK can provide sufficient habitat and compatible climate for most forms of Felidae to survive, it is likely that such animals currently exist wild, somewhere in the UK. The real mystery is how they got there.
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I seem to remember a guy from Dudley, maybe 25 years ago, who kept a menagerie including big cats. Until the council got alarmed at what he had in his semi-detached social housing. No doubt there are others, less strapped, who have or had, a similar desire for the exotic, but are less noticeable. Probably wouldn't say much if the beasts got free, or even if they "liberated" them:)
Last edited by: NIL on Tue 28 Aug 12 at 11:29
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When I was a child our Budgie escaped once. We used to see it occasionally in the trees at the bottom of the garden. It came back after about a week. Obviously it didn't like it that much. Didn't make the six o'clock news though and as far as we know it didn't savage anyone.
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As there is official documented proof of such occurrences...
Where? The sightings I've read of turned out to be dogs, and the 'kills' are not consistent with big cat hunting behaviour. One pair of lambs turned out to have died of natural causes close to a river, where the carcasses were stripped by...otters.
Like the UFO spotters, the alien abductees and the MMR scaremongers, the big cat beardies have come to a conclusion and are bashing the few facts at their disposal to fit it. Anything that big that had been shot would have been on the front pages and the ten o'clock news, so where is the evidence?
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Just like Al Gore, George Monbiot and the rest of the global warming freaks!
Plus, of course those in and close to government, whose folk have leased land for the vile wind farms (Cameron's lot come to mind) and those (Tim Yeo for example) who have financial interests in businesses making serious money from supplying the machinery & technology.
Last edited by: Roger on Tue 28 Aug 12 at 12:24
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Where?
DNA of North Devon records held by the University of Durham
Shot lynx, records held by Norfolk Police, animal now stuffed and in a private collection.
Scottish puma captured alive, lived in a zoo, stuffed remains now in Inverness museum.
Leopard shot dead on Isle of Wight, records held by Hampshire Police,
Lynx, captured alive in North London, lived out the rest of its days in London Zoo, records held by the Zoological Society.
All since 1980. All were in the news at the time.
The chances of a full grown lion running around Essex though are very low.
Last edited by: knowitall on Tue 28 Aug 12 at 12:31
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>> Scottish puma captured alive, lived in a zoo, stuffed remains now in Inverness museum.
AKA Felicity - scotcats.online.fr/abc/photoalbum/cannich.html
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Hello knowitall and welcome to the forum...
Where abouts in the world is your principal residence?
What car do you drive?
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Caravan, United Kingdom
White Transit van.
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>> Caravan, United Kingdom
>>
>> White Transit van.
>>
Methinks White Van Man doth speak with forked tongue.
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It is of course a fact, although suppressed by the authorities on order of the demonic cabal that rules the world that so called pumas are released by aliens when they land in crop circles before abducting locals to perform experiments. Probably what happened to Z.
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Z. reborn, as a traveller?
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I do own and run a driveway company, but if anyone wants to denigrate my product I will take them to court to prove there is no foundation in it.
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>> I do own and run a driveway company, but if anyone wants to denigrate my
>> product I will take them to court to prove there is no foundation in it.
>>
I think that is a baseless threat.
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I'm happy to believe knowit's list of examples is right. There have been isolated occurrences of medium/large cats, private collection escapes or whatever, being caught or shot. There is not however any evidence of feral breeding communities of lynx or whatever. If there was the first place they'd turn up would be as roadkill.
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>There have been isolated occurrences of medium/large cats, private collection escapes or
>whatever, being caught or shot.
The Beast of Basingstoke is still roaming free.
>There is not however any evidence of feral breeding
In Basingstoke?!
>communities of lynx or whatever.
Oh sorry! A bit of dust on my screen, I thought there was a comma after 'breeding'.
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Remember, this was Essex; I'd be more worried about being savaged by the locals than by any large carnivorous animal.
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Henceforth, in honour of Teddy Bear, the fearsome roarer and instigator of Operation pussy cat, Essex will adopt this tune as it's anthem: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3khhdsOj0Y
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>> Remember, this was Essex; I'd be more worried about being savaged by the locals than
>> by any large carnivorous animal.
>>
i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/08/28/article-2194481-14B606A0000005DC-448_634x517.jpg
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What is the difference between an Essex girl and a walrus?
One has unsightly rolls of fat, a bristly moustache and breath smelling of fish
The other is a walrus
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>> I do own and run a driveway company,
Er, what about block paving?
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We specialise in LQHP ultra thin tarmac only
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Low Quality, High Price?
};---)
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Turns out it wasn't a lion...
.... it was a Leopard with a fake tan, and hair extensions.
Well it was Essex!
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>>Everyone OK with the cost ?
I am, yes.
Or do someone think they should have refused to act because of the cost?
Or that helicopters should be cheaper?
It may have turned out to be a false alarm, but I am happy with what they did.
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£600 an hour is a bargain for a helicopter and crew
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Meldrew is correct ..... but the price is going up according to the Wail......,
Police force's own goal: Officers send £700 per hour helicopter to catch two boys
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2175314/Essex-Police--700-hour-helicopter-sent-catch-boys-stealing-plastic-goalposts--let-warning.html#ixzz26GYjrEuU
Still chicken feed .....
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...in Bristol.
Now I know it's tempting to dismiss reports like these as the work of fantasists and attention seekers, so full credit to the Bristol Post for taking it seriously and putting it on the front page. With a picture!
www.bristolpost.co.uk/undefined-headline/story-20569887-detail/story.html
What does ‘artist's impression’ mean?
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Why bother with an artsts impression? When inside they have
www.bristolpost.co.uk/Bristol-crocodile/story-20561425-detail/story.html
No wonder the editor praises it - it sells newspapers in what must a losing battle:{)
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www.flickr.com/photos/67389469@N02/sets/72157640599161654/
What we have to put up with. I know the photographer and posted this on FB to wind him up.
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I simply cannot believe any TV would have cost £1000 way back in the 1970's.
I had an ITT of similar quality back then and I certainly didn't pay anywhere near £1k forrit.
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Made me think of The Westmorland Gazette which parents get in Kendal. And funnily enough, reported today:
www.thewestmorlandgazette.co.uk/news/10988638.Another_sighting_of_mysterious_creature__Bownessie__in_Windermere/?ref=mr
They couldn't afford an artist though :)
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Essex lion: everyone OK? - Focusless
