Another "Big Cat" Thread

[~T~]

Originally Posted by fairplay

Even if one did get hit and made it to the undergrowth to die, there is every possibility other creatures would eventually gnaw away at the bones for their calcium intake.

Neil.

Aliens might also beam them up for genetic testing, you never know.

[fairplay]

Originally Posted by ~T~

Aliens might also beam them up for genetic testing, you never know.

Yeh, that as well.

[RoyW]

Originally Posted by MattPrince

A bit pernickety.. but.. An expert, like a good scientist, should know what the current knowledge indicates is the status-quo, but realise that it is still only a theory, albeit the best one to currently fit the evidence. So there is a big difference in theorists (which all scientists and experts should be) and dreamers, if you see what I mean...

Most experts I trust are fairly unassuming sort of people, the 'empty bottles make the most noise' holds true imho.

Cheers,
Matt

...and a good scientist would know better than to throw the word "theory" around when referring to something that is no more than a completely unsupported hypothesis!

In science a theory requires evidence (and yes I do know that the word is used differently in general usage).

[Farplace]

Reports of sightings in Cumbria:

Im not sure about that footprint. Looks canine to me - but I am no expert

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Farplace

Im not sure about that footprint. Looks canine to me - but I am no expert

I would also say definitely not a cat - cats walk with their claws retracted.

Jim

[Farplace]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

I would also say definitely not a cat - cats walk with their claws retracted.Jim

Most do - but I have a couple of elderly cats (as in domestic / feral / normal cats) who walk with their claw out. But the ones who do this are old and arthritic. Not normal cat behaviour.
If that is a genuine 50p coin, the footprint does look big. But it could be anything from a Rottie upwards - if in fact it is a genuine footprint......

Don't get me wrong - I am a BigCat believer (having seen one) but I dont believe they are as common as folks make out - I don't think there can be thriving breeding colonies.... and I dont think they are true Big Cats. just biggish ones.

[Jonathan]

Originally Posted by Farplace

Reports of sightings in Cumbria:

"but when it stood up he saw its long tail, curled up at the end, the classic sign of a panther.”

Panther?



Cheers
Jonathan

[eeyore]

I like " having spent a week in the kruger game reserve observing panthers and other big cats... " so melanistic leopards are common in Kruger are they

[Chris Hawes]

Originally Posted by eeyore

I like " having spent a week in the kruger game reserve observing panthers and other big cats... " so melanistic leopards are common in Kruger are they

I've spent several months there and never seen one! (Apparently a few do exist there but are seen about as frequently as 'big cats' in the UK!)

The print looks like a dog - the claw-marks are clear. It's a shame the back of the pad isn't more distinct.

[Brocakat]

Originally Posted by tcvarlh

I'm amazed the 'Sun' didn't cock it up and state 'Six footed cat' What a pile of typical rag garbage! A gurt big puttytat galumphing ACROSS a field! Not attacking anything but acting very much like a dog out for a ramble. Yeah Puma, my...
h

I'm just relieved The Sun didn't try to pay an 'Expert' to say-whatever their journos wanted to write...

I'm also relieved The Sun didn't eavesdrop into The Den of this Big Cat - what an intrusion of privacy that would have been !