http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/4356437.stm

Cyclist's meeting with 'big cat'
black panther

There have been several sightings of black cats in west Wales

A cyclist has claimed he saw a "big cat" in an area of west Wales which has become notorious for sightings of unidentified large felines.

Dixie Tilley, from Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire, was cycling along roads near the town when he saw what looked like a black panther.

He said he got within 40 yards of the animal and got a good look at it before it disappeared under a fence.

In the past, the Welsh assembly government has investigated sightings.

Mr Tilley told BBC Radio Wales he was cycling along a bike track when he saw the animal coming towards him.

"I though, oh that's a big dog. I was cycling quite quietly, then it saw me and went under the fence. It sort of loped across the field and I thought, that's not a dog," he said.

"I could see by the shape of its tail. We've got a cat at home and it's just like it, only this is 20, 30 times bigger. But it seemed to cover lots of ground, then it sort of disappeared."

'Shiny'

He saw some people a few minutes later and mentioned it to them. They told him there had been one spotted about a year earlier in the area.

"It was jet black and it was really, really shiny. It was bigger than an Alsatian but longer.

"If you see a cat, their back is flat and their head is low. A dog is more upright and a tail is swishing.

"I don't know much about them really. I've seen these stories in the paper and I've always taken it with a pinch of salt really, but having seen it, it's wonderful.

"It was out of the blue - a minute, minute and a half and it was gone. It would be nice to see it again."

The "big cat"
This video captured a 'big cat' on camera

In September, a family captured a black cat-like creature on film creeping through undergrowth near Welshpool.

A Welsh Assembly Government investigation concluded that the animal was just a domestic pet, but big cat experts were keeping an open mind.

Fears of wild big cats such as pumas and panthers roaming mid and west Wales have circulated since the 1970s, including sightings of the so-called "Beast of Bont" in north Ceredigion.

A expert was called in to investigate a suspected big cat attack on a Welsh lamb at Talsarn, near Lampeter.

Officials also spent time investigating an alleged attack at a farm in Llangadog, Carmarthenshire, in January 2003, after a dog was killed.

However, in that case, tests showed the attacker was another dog, although the breed could not be established.

On many of my trips to Wales I have been out and about all over a good part of North Wales with a very dear friend of mine who takes me touring "through the more interesting rural mountians and woodlands of the north" and have never once thought about the possiblity of seeing a "big cat". Were these "big cats" common once upon a time to the UK ?

On 2005 summer we had the same problem here in Italy....near Po river someone saw a BIG CAT....Beaten had been organized, but BC (someone told and wrote a Black Panther) disappeared like fog......or the after-effects of drinks (the area is renowned for wine production )

The only native non domestic cat to the British Isles is the European Wildcat and this is seriously endangered through cross breeding with feral domestic cats and illegal persecution by gamekeepers ect.

I know it survives in Scotland where it has the somewhat romantic nickmane of the "Highland Tiger". We had one in residence on a bit of ground we leased near a place called Coule and I was lucky enough to see it two or three times, onces with a cub....

The big black cats that the news are refereing to have been reported in most of the areas of the UK now..a European Lynx was indeed caught ina London suburb a couple of years back while I seem to recall a black leopard or mountain loin was caught near Aberdeen many years back. Both of these were thought to be recent escapees although nobody at the time owned up to loosing such an animal.

If such animals exist in the UK, their mostly likely origin is that they were released into the wild when the laws about keeping Dangerous Wild Animals were tightened in the 1970's.

I went to a couple of talks by an expert on the subject by the name of Quentin Rose. He was an ex zoo keeper who then made his living trapping escaped zoo animals or darting and moving problem ones for zoos and such like.

He was acting as a co-ordinator beween quite a few British Police Forces and was often called to investigate such sighting or kills.

His conclusion was that 90% of all sightings ect were BS; either mistaken identity or out right hoaxes.

However he was convinced that there was a small breeding population (he estimated 18 to 20) and he was spending a lot of time trying to live trap one. Unfortuneatley he died rather tragically and unexpectedly before that came to pass.

A very quiet unassumimg man, he seemed quite nervous about speaking in public but his talks were very, very good and extremely informative.

I was quite a skeptic on the subject before getting a chance to meet him, but now I remain very much open minded.

There are other so called experts in the UK and the subject seems to appeal very much to the "alien invaders"/ "UFOs" and assorted lunatic fringe...Indeed the subject is known as "ABC" or "Alien Big Cats"..a google of "Alien Big Cats UK" will turn up some really strange sights...

Regards,

Peter

I have seen this stuffed Puma in Inverness Museum,it was caught near inverness a good while ago,however big cats are continually being reported in the highlands,and I often think what would I do if I saw one and I had the hardware to deal with it

http://www.lochnessinvestigation.org/Pumas.html[/URL]

In fact due to the heavily wooded areas in the highlands...who knows whats looking at you as your stalking !!!

cheers Roebuck

ok gonna try that link again...I haven't been on the guiness today 'cos I'm offshore on a oilrig

http://www.lochnessinvestigation.org/Pumas.html