h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This subject is fantastic, a great topic for all time, at the risk of being considered as untruthful or imaginitive, I will mention an experience of my own in the mid eighties.

In almost broad daylight, early evening time, I saw a big cat in the suburbs of Manchester City. It was only about fifty yards away from my car as I drove along the M62 just before Birch Service Station in the direction of Leeds.

As a trained observer, and specialist police dog trainer, I consider that no way would I confuse a cat with any other animal, it was most definitely a large cat. I was facinated by three things, one it's movement, and two it's obvious agility as it ran across an open field and glided over the field gate, the other most noticable point of all was that it had white patches on it's face just like a tiger.

Without those patches I would suggest that it was a puma, the size would be right, the head was right, the main colour was probably grey or fawn, I could scarcely take my eyes of the head, it was so impressive, especially the white cheek pieces and the cat like ears.

Expecting to hear of other sitings of the big cat within a few days, I scanned the newspapers and eagerley watched the T.V. news, but there was nothing at all. Not even a mention of an escaped animal, the white cheeks prevents me from identifying the animal correctly as I have never seen photos or pictures of that type of animal before nor since that day.

Thank you for a good read,

Cheers H.

I have heard of leopards or pumas being accidentally released from circuses. It has also happened in the Grampians of southern Australia. Did you see the patterns on the body, or was it just the white patches on the face. Tigers and cougars both have longer legs, but the difference between the two is that tigers as with leopards and jaguars is that they have white on the tops of their ears. They use it for communication between individuals as cats rely on sight more often than smell to sense their surroundings and locate prey. Thankyou for your reply.

Thanks for the mail, there have been alleged sighting of big cats, usually classed as puma like, in England, usually moorland habitat. Seldom believed due to publicity seeking idiots, that is why I never reported it myself. It is logical that they if do exist, and I know definitely at least one was alive and very fit in the mid eighteen fifties, they must be escapees or deliberately released.

This one, was in large open fields with sheep in them, heading towards the City of Manchester, probably did not go much further towards the city itelf, or someone would have reported it.

Probably it made a kill within a mile of where I saw it and then lay low during the rest of daylight, then guessing only, it would have headed back towards the open moorland of the Pennine Hills the way it had just come from, plenty more sheee and farmers never even miss the odd ones that disappear or when they find bodies it goes down to natural causes, finished off by foxes, badgers and dogs.

I am almost 100% certain, no white tips on ears, body all one colour probably dark grey, I could not take my eyes of it's head and the white cheeks, first flash was tiger, but slightly less than half size. Second flash was puma, being an alsation specialist, the agility and smooth gait, impressed me most. No doubt at all it was a big cat, no confusion with domestic, ferrel, or even native wild cat from Scotland, it was puma size and I was quite near to it.

Cheers H.

It was definitely a puma then. Pumas also have a dark tear-like marking on the cheeks, almost like a cheetah or a red kangaroo.

BTW, I've been trying to persuade a new Researcher to write an Entry on 'Exotic Animal Sightings in the UK' in the PR thread to A3980865, but I suspect she's Elvised.

Thanks for the info once more, I would agree the legs would be longish,
the colour remains vague,but the cheek patches were absolutely, clean, bright white.

Even though it was so long ago, I have never heard of another siting since, it was really a good thing that I never reported it to the media. If I had done there would have been imaginative sitings from all over the country, people are so stupid that they always ruin good sound information.

I thought at first that it was strange that no one had found a body, but that would probably only have happened if it had been hit with a vehicle I suppose.

On reflection there are badgers and foxes near where I live now, they are seldom seen and dead bodies never,yet there are hundreds of them living quite near.

Cheers H.

There are definatly some large cats living in the wild ,as have seen two domestic cats that where the size of labradors when sitting on hauches,
and it only needs one or two ferrals to pass on the genes that can be dormant for a couple of generations such is nature,

Agree Bob,

Generally these animals are shy yet may be quite dangerous, usually only out at night. Therefore sightings are not accurate due to poor light or not to be seen at all even though they may be quite near.

My own sighting was in good light conditions, at close range and it was definitely as large as a puma, much larger than my alsation police dog and he weighed about one hundred pounds.

Cheers H.