For those interested in Big Cat sightings...

[Ukwildlifeo]

For those who dismiss big cats in Britain with out considering the possibility (and others), this blog post makes interesting reading: Darren Naish: Tetrapod Zoology: British big cats: how good, or bad, is the evidence?

The writer is proper scientist, and not some crackpot.

[eeyore]

It is worth noting that lynx , cheetahs, serval, jungle cats etc are not "big cats" per se - they are the bigger small cats

big cats are lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, and arguably western puma (also known as mountain lion or cougar).

I have no problem believing that there are the former in britain as there were sufficient released after the dangerous wild animals act for them to have a breeding population

however i'm more sceptical about the actual big cats as there wouldnt have been enough released to be a viable breeding pop and the first generation would be dead by now. There may be the ocasional one but these would be escapes or illegal imports.

and the idea that there is a british big cat species seperate to those mentioned above (as promulagated by di francis et al) is unmitigated coblers as there is absolutely no supporting evidence

as to the soays those are fairly small sheep - if a cat of any size killed one it would carry it away and store it up a tree - the smaller cats that are unable to do this wouldnt be preying on sheep anyway.

also when a big cat kills it aphixiates the prey by holding its throat then tears open the belly to feed - dog kills are radically different - so any halfway competent expert could tell the difference.

chances are good the soays were killed by a dog , possibly with human heklp as there are idiots who will set their lurcher, staffie etc on livestock deliberately for kicks.