Kielder Forest - Big cat alert!

[Brains]

The Beast of Bodmin Moor, which my stepfather claimed to have seen at least twice, was probably a black puma, there were multiple reports of it from the mid 1970's the the late 1980's and then one assumes it died.
It may, or may not, have taken the odd lamb, as at least one was found high up in the crook of a tree, but it avoided all human contact and human settlements, one assumes it lived on smaller rodents/rabbits (and the occasional lone hiker ...... but that is another story)

 

[jefmcg]

The Beast of Bodmin Moor, which my stepfather claimed to have seen at least twice, was probably a black puma, there were multiple reports of it from the mid 1970's the the late 1980's and then one assumes it died.
It may, or may not, have taken the odd lamb, as at least one was found high up in the crook of a tree, but it avoided all human contact and human settlements, one assumes it lived on smaller rodents/rabbits (and the occasional lone hiker ...... but that is another story)

There are an infinite number of these ABC (alien big cat) in places that have no native big cats. UK, and Australia. But they are never caught, despite often huge efforts, and there is never incontrovertible evidence like a good photo or an unambiguous foot print. It's interesting when they were hunting something that absolutely was there, the Dartmoor lynx, they caught it in 3 weeks. Maybe there was a beast of Bodmin Moor, or maybe people kept seeing domestic and feral domestic cats and thought they were further away and bigger (see Father Ted).

My favourite sighting was a few years ago, people kept seeing a lion somewhere in the UK. Turns out someone's dog had a skin infection, and had much of it's fur shaved off. If this isn't the photo of that example, it's very close.

 

[Profpointy]

There was a story in the local paper some years back in 'naam (*) of some kind of "big cat" on the prowl in our area. I strongly suspect it was our cat - a maine coon, who was pretty big admittedly albeit still a domestic cat.

* that would be Chel-te-naam (appologies to Attila the Stockbrocker)

 

[raleighnut]

I bet the postman needed a change of underwear.

Where do I send the keyboard cleaning bill to.

 

[Gravity Aided]

We may have a Puma (Mountain Lion ) or two in the area, they seem to be moving east a bit. They live along the river, if they are here, and haven't bothered people much. When they become more concentrated, and have trouble feeding in their own range, then things get a little more Ghost and the Darkness for cyclists. Speaking of, I've actually seen those lions, and they are big.

from the web(although it wouldn't be much of a challenge to go and get an original picture, 2 hours by train, and Wednesday is free day at the Chicago Museums.).

 

[Dogtrousers]

I saw an short article/blog the other day (can't be fussed to search for it, Scientific American I think) about a program in the USA for introduction of cougars which it was suggested could cut road deaths resulting from collision with deer. The other obvious way of reducing deaths, don't drive into deer, wasn't suggested.

Edit: This wasn't the article that I read, but it's near enough.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160714163350.htm

 

[Drago]

Its not always as simple as that to avoid them. Some years ago my Missus hit a deer running round in heavy traffic in the motorway. Nothing whatsoever she could have done to avoid it. It appeared from the adjacent traffic stream and was in her radiator before I could even form the warning on my lips. £3500 of damage to a 5 day old Peugeot 308.

 

[hopless500]

Its not always as simple as that to avoid them. Some years ago my Missus hit a deer running round in heavy traffic in the motorway. Nothing whatsoever she could have done to avoid it. It appeared from the adjacent traffic stream and was in her radiator before I could even form the warning on my lips. £3500 of damage to a 5 day old Peugeot 308.

Yup. Mr Hop had one jump on his new car and effectively wrote off the front end. It jumped over a hedge and landed on the car - there was no chance to do anything.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Well, clearly there's only one thing for it. Either we introduce deer-munching big cats or the deer carnage will continue unabated.

 

[jefmcg]

Well, clearly there's only one thing for it. Either we introduce deer-munching big cats or the deer carnage will continue unabated.

Well, in a word, yes. There would have been a balance between predator and prey, before the cougars were wiped out. Presumably the deer population has expanded exponentially since then. There are very few bears, wolves, or jaguars in Richmond Park, so they have to kill about a third of the deer each year to keep to population stable.

And as others have said, it's not always possible to avoid them.


View: https://youtu.be/Z8uCeyUl_9U



View: https://youtu.be/S2oymHHyV1M

 

[Gravity Aided]

I saw an short article/blog the other day (can't be fussed to search for it, Scientific American I think) about a program in the USA for introduction of cougars which it was suggested could cut road deaths resulting from collision with deer. The other obvious way of reducing deaths, don't drive into deer, wasn't suggested.

Edit: This wasn't the article that I read, but it's near enough.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160714163350.htm

American Whitetail deer in my area are huge, from feeding on field corn and soybeans. 100 to 300 pounds, and sharp as a bag of hair. No match for the Cougar. I knew one in college. That is all.

 

[classic33]

...wonder when the beaver meeting is happening.

You might be a bit too old for Beavers.

 

[classic33]

OMG! Well' be killed once every 14 years! Panic!!!!

Once you mean.

 

[albion]

I never mentioned why I started the thread in the first place.

When I head towards Kielder it is usually up the road through the village to Scotland. But my memory of the actual forest was a good decade plus ago, riding through maybe a place called Falstone to exit northwards. The forest had a bit of a centre parcs feel to it, family groups and juniors doing exploring.

It is slightly worrying that juniors would not have such safe freedom to explore, parents needing to be more watchful.

 

[classic33]

I never mentioned why I started the thread in the first place.

When I head towards Kielder it is usually up the road through the village to Scotland. But my memory of the actual forest was a good decade plus ago, riding through maybe a place called Falstone to exit northwards. The forest had a bit of a centre parcs feel to it, family groups and juniors doing exploring.

It is slightly worrying that juniors would not have such safe freedom to explore, parents needing to be more watchful.

I've what was open fields less than 100 yards from me, I played there as a kid. Now parents would think twice before allowing their kids to use the park the council built there.
There's wild deer, cattle, all sorts that you'd expect to find in the countryside. But to many it's one big unknown, that frightens them even more.