Notice: This is the official website of the All Empires History Community (Reg. 10 Feb 2002)

  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

Alien Big Cats

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Jams View Drop Down
Consul
Consul

Suspended

Joined: 06-Sep-2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 365
  Quote Jams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Alien Big Cats
    Posted: 27-May-2009 at 22:15
I don't think so. Often big cats bite around the mouth, which is an alternative technique to throat biting. Maybe individual cases of "ripping out the throat" may have happened, but it is a completely un-cat behaviour if it happens regularly. In fact, cat jaws aren't bult for that, while dog jaws are.
Cat's don't "rip sides" either, they hold on to their prey with the claws. Dogs do bite, though, so it could be bites. Not uncommon in feral dog attacks are multiple biting everywhere.
 
I'd apply Ockham's Razor on this one, it seems like dogs to me. There's also the possibility of post-death injury from badgers and the like, as you sort of mentioned yourself. In fact, the animal may have died from other causes than any attack, and all injury could come from post-death scavenging.
 
In other words, it cannot be determined what caused the scars, but the throat ripping is one sign of a dog attack. I see no reason to believe that any cat was involved in this.
 
By the way, my comment was made because the guy mentioned those things as evidence of a cat attack, including the throat ripping, which shows that he does not know about how these things happen.
 
If they found a sheep hanging on a tree branch, THAT would be something.


Edited by Jams - 27-May-2009 at 22:18
Back to Top
Terri Ann View Drop Down
Janissary
Janissary
Avatar
Banned

Joined: 18-May-2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20
  Quote Terri Ann Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26-May-2009 at 17:16
Not having a clue about cat/dog hunting techniques, I had to go away and talk to some people about that!
 
You are right Jams, dogs do rip throats out, and cats go for throat bites or strangulation, but the animals themselves don't always follow the rules, especially if hunting an animal that is not their natural prey.
 
Dogs, however, don't generally rip sides - not having sharp enough claws to do so.   It's apparently near impossible to tell, for an absolute fact, whether a dog, or a cat, has killed a sheep, especially if it is suspected that a fox, crow or any other scavenger has been there also, but in this instance, all the sheep (as did others in the same area) have deep slashes to their sides, which is definitely more cat than dog.  Ripping out the throat might well have occurred because the sheep were heavily fleeced, making the typical throat bite or strangulation almost impossible to execute.
 
 
Back to Top
Jams View Drop Down
Consul
Consul

Suspended

Joined: 06-Sep-2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 365
  Quote Jams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-May-2009 at 20:34
I'm sorry, but that article is bollocks. That's the only way to describe it. Why? Just read this statement:
"'This is no dog,' he said. 'They have slashes across them, deep rips in their sides, their guts have been pulled out and their ears ripped off. Two have had their throats ripped out."
 
Oh boy is he ever wrong about that. He is actually describing canine hunting behaviour, not cat behaviour. I.e. he doesn't know what he is talking about.
Back to Top
Terri Ann View Drop Down
Janissary
Janissary
Avatar
Banned

Joined: 18-May-2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20
  Quote Terri Ann Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-May-2009 at 12:55
Originally posted by Panther

Interesting thread. So many thoughts running through my head. I've been looking at pictures and reading up on the supposed sightings of ABC's. I just have too many questions as to why i will not speculate on what it could because of the extreme lack of any verifiable research or answers. Some of them are:

1.) No known territorial range and habits of the creatures.

 2.) Are they very territorial like Tigers are known to be?

 3.) Do they form social hierarchical groups like lions? If not, then how is the family unit structured?

4.) Are there any known or recorded vocalizations from the animal? Are they more nocturnal then diurnal in their habits? That may explain a lot in the lack of even more eye witness sightings!

 5.) What or which do they primarily feed on if not for the plentiful amount of native fauna, sheep or perhaps the occasional cow that dot the countryside that would cause them to be overlooked in Great Britain?

6.) And hypothetically speaking, if they eventually come to be known for what they prefer feeding only on, which would be the more predominant or preferred food source: Native fauna, sheep and or perhaps the occasional cow? Then it "might" be possible too deduce the population size with a little mathematical wizardry in pouring over the expected reported incidents made to the local police by the local shepherds of the area in question (Of course, i am leaving the native fauna out of the equation and focusing most particularly in this scenario on sheep or cows, because of the obvious, easier starting point!)

If i was forced into speculating an answer though, i would be in agreement with most here (Excepting the released ones of course!) in guessing that, while obviously belonging to the Felidae family, they do not belong to the genus Panthera, unless reported and proven otherwise. Thusly... they are reported as big cats, but are not true big cats like Tigers, Leopards, Lions or Jaguars. These types are known, that when wounded or lacking any other further alternative food source, would turn to eating humans under extrordinary circumstances!

But this type, judging from quite a few reports i have had the chance too read and pictures of quite low quality too look over, is probably more somewhere in between the family of Prionailurus to Leopardus and probably not much higher than that in the Felidae hierarchy? Much like the leopard cat, Puma, Bobcat, Lynx or Ocelot. Not exactly the type of potential man eaters that would concern and prompt the government or any other scientific organizartions into investigating this phenomenon further!

It's a pity. It would be interesting to see what they would have came up with if they ever bothered themselves into looking this over? Leaving it to the individual scientist who would be doing it on their own time, or in the scientific communities own looked-down-upon fringe groups, like paranormal researchers for instance!

Anyways, i hope this post does not sound or come across as condescending, as i find most things related to Cats, big or small, to be quite fascinating!

All the best to you and welcome to the forums,

Panther


 
I guess they are to some extent territorial.  There will be many sightings in one area for months; even years - the "Surrey Puma" and the "Beast of Bodmin Moor (!)" being two of the most famous and enduring.  The Surrey Puma was caught on cine camera running across a suburban back garden while a family barbeque was in progress.  The film was on the telly - there was no doubt in anyone's mind that it was a puma.  It sparked a serious, wide-spread hunt for the creature, but despite hundreds of sightings in Surrey over at least 5 years, it was never found.   But that was years and years ago.  The Surrey Puma is presumably long dead.
 
They seem to live largely on sheep, the UK is full of sheep.   And if not sheep, there are plenty of deer, rabbits, large game birds ......    
 
Cubs have been seen, and I believe that all of the very few minor attacks of humans were later found (using track evidence) to involve a mother cat with cubs.
 
They are seen day and night, though perhaps more at dusk, and they are vocal at night.  i have (sane and sensible)  friends who live in the West country who regularly hear snarls and growls echoing around the hills at night.
 
 


Edited by Terri Ann - 24-May-2009 at 12:57
Back to Top
Jams View Drop Down
Consul
Consul

Suspended

Joined: 06-Sep-2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 365
  Quote Jams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-May-2009 at 11:49

Maybe they are just domestics turned wild, and perhaps they're hybrids, as have been suggested.

In the US the Maine Coon cats came to existence all on its own, as the descendants of released domestics (or so one of the theories go) yet it sort of evolved in to a large, robust and long legged cat with a long fur, and a powerful head. It looks quite different from other cats. So there is the possibility of feral cats to sort of evolve certain traits, without any external genetic contribution, even in a fairly short amount of time.

On the other hand, I've seen no real evidence of any specific type of feral/wild cat in Britain, except the Scottish Wild Cat. As I said, when someone measured the alleged kellas cats, or cats which were supposed to be kellas cats, they were just ordinary domestic cat size.

Certainly nothing like a puma, or even a lynx.

Even if someone saw a jungle cat at a distance, it would be hard to tell that it wasn't a normal domestic, unless the person was very well versed in the subject of wild cat species. It doesn’t fit with most of the descriptions, though, because they’re usually said to have long tails.

The reason they’re often mentioned I believe, is because some of them actually have been caught in Britain.
 
The Jungle cat:
 
The lynx - a very distinct looking cat - but almost tailless.
Summer coat:
 
None of them fit with the most common descriptons.
 
Ps. this is the kind of video that would matter - this was filmed in Germany, and it is obviously wild lynx. Lucky fella.
Some large siberian lynx - but the wild ones are often smaller!


Edited by Jams - 24-May-2009 at 12:40
Back to Top
Panther View Drop Down
General
General


Joined: 20-Jan-2006
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 818
  Quote Panther Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24-May-2009 at 03:49
Interesting thread. So many thoughts running through my head. I've been looking at pictures and reading up on the supposed sightings of ABC's. I just have too many questions as to why i will not speculate on what it could because of the extreme lack of any verifiable research or answers. Some of them are:

1.) No known territorial range and habits of the creatures.

 2.) Are they very territorial like Tigers are known to be?

 3.) Do they form social hierarchical groups like lions? If not, then how is the family unit structured?

4.) Are there any known or recorded vocalizations from the animal? Are they more nocturnal then diurnal in their habits? That may explain a lot in the lack of even more eye witness sightings!

 5.) What or which do they primarily feed on if not for the plentiful amount of native fauna, sheep or perhaps the occasional cow that dot the countryside that would cause them to be overlooked in Great Britain?

6.) And hypothetically speaking, if they eventually come to be known for what they prefer feeding only on, which would be the more predominant or preferred food source: Native fauna, sheep and or perhaps the occasional cow? Then it "might" be possible too deduce the population size with a little mathematical wizardry in pouring over the expected reported incidents made to the local police by the local shepherds of the area in question (Of course, i am leaving the native fauna out of the equation and focusing most particularly in this scenario on sheep or cows, because of the obvious, easier starting point!)

If i was forced into speculating an answer though, i would be in agreement with most here (Excepting the released ones of course!) in guessing that, while obviously belonging to the Felidae family, they do not belong to the genus Panthera, unless reported and proven otherwise. Thusly... they are reported as big cats, but are not true big cats like Tigers, Leopards, Lions or Jaguars. These types are known, that when wounded or lacking any other further alternative food source, would turn to eating humans under extrordinary circumstances!

But this type, judging from quite a few reports i have had the chance too read and pictures of quite low quality too look over, is probably more somewhere in between the family of Prionailurus to Leopardus and probably not much higher than that in the Felidae hierarchy? Much like the leopard cat, Puma, Bobcat, Lynx or Ocelot. Not exactly the type of potential man eaters that would concern and prompt the government or any other scientific organizartions into investigating this phenomenon further!

It's a pity. It would be interesting to see what they would have came up with if they ever bothered themselves into looking this over? Leaving it to the individual scientist who would be doing it on their own time, or in the scientific communities own looked-down-upon fringe groups, like paranormal researchers for instance!

Anyways, i hope this post does not sound or come across as condescending, as i find most things related to Cats, big or small, to be quite fascinating!

All the best to you and welcome to the forums,

Panther




Edited by Panther - 24-May-2009 at 03:54
Back to Top
Carcharodon View Drop Down
Baron
Baron


Joined: 04-May-2007
Location: Sweden
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 486
  Quote Carcharodon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22-May-2009 at 09:33
In Australia and Tasmania one often hears about alleged sightings of exctinct marsupials.
In Tasmania there are several rumoured sightings of the Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) who otherwise is thought to have gone exctinct in the year 1936.
 
In mainland Australia some people claim to have seen living animals and traces of what is supposed to be the Marsupial lion (Thylacoleo carnifex) a species that according to scientists went exctinct 30000 years ago.
 
 
 
Thylacoleo carnifex
 
Painting by Frank Knight
From the site:
 
Back to Top
Carcharodon View Drop Down
Baron
Baron


Joined: 04-May-2007
Location: Sweden
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 486
  Quote Carcharodon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-May-2009 at 19:39
What are people doing with their cats?
 
FatCat.jpg
Back to Top
Jams View Drop Down
Consul
Consul

Suspended

Joined: 06-Sep-2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 365
  Quote Jams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-May-2009 at 15:44
Originally posted by Terri Ann

 
OMG!  LOL
The bottom one clearly has been fed too much Kattomeat but the top one really is a huge cat!  Even its head is massive.  That would scare the life out of you on a dark night!  Is it real??
 
Anyway, the wallabies escaped from a private zoo in Derbyshire in 1940's.  They have now spread to Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.   They are red-necked wallabies, native to mountains in Tasmania, so are perfectly capable of surviving bad weather.
 
No, it isn't real. It's a pretty well known photo, and it has been debunked many times.
Back to Top
Terri Ann View Drop Down
Janissary
Janissary
Avatar
Banned

Joined: 18-May-2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20
  Quote Terri Ann Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-May-2009 at 14:26
By some strange coincidence, on today's news ..............!!
Back to Top
Guests View Drop Down
Guest
Guest
  Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-May-2009 at 13:20
Originally posted by Carcharodon

Some domestic cats can really become oversized:
 
   
 
         
 
Hey! That's Garfield! LOL
 
Back to Top
Terri Ann View Drop Down
Janissary
Janissary
Avatar
Banned

Joined: 18-May-2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20
  Quote Terri Ann Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-May-2009 at 13:13
Originally posted by Carcharodon

Some domestic cats can really become oversized:
 
    Cat
 
         
 
OMG!  LOL
The bottom one clearly has been fed too much Kattomeat but the top one really is a huge cat!  Even its head is massive.  That would scare the life out of you on a dark night!  Is it real??
 
Anyway, the wallabies escaped from a private zoo in Derbyshire in 1940's.  They have now spread to Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.   They are red-necked wallabies, native to mountains in Tasmania, so are perfectly capable of surviving bad weather.
Back to Top
Carcharodon View Drop Down
Baron
Baron


Joined: 04-May-2007
Location: Sweden
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 486
  Quote Carcharodon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-May-2009 at 12:57
Originally posted by Terri Ann

 But wild lynx are long gone, along with wolves.  Wild boar are making a come back though ……….     and there’s a decent population of wallabies living wild in the Midlands. 
 
In Sweden we are lucky enough to have populations of the the big four carnivores, the lynx, the wolf, the bear and the wolverine. And the wild boar have made a strong come back in the southern half of our country and is now so common that it can even be seen in the streets of some of our towns.
 
We have also some populations of imported or runaway foreign animals as the read eared slider turtle (originally from Nort America), some garter snakes (also from NA), the mink (NA), the muskrat (NA) and the rainbow trout (NA).
 
And then we of course have the strange sightings of kangaroos, lions and other exotic creatures.
 
Do you know the story behind the population of wallabies in the midlands? How did they get there?
 
Back to Top
Carcharodon View Drop Down
Baron
Baron


Joined: 04-May-2007
Location: Sweden
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 486
  Quote Carcharodon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-May-2009 at 12:43
Some domestic cats can really become oversized:
 
    Cat
 
         
Back to Top
Terri Ann View Drop Down
Janissary
Janissary
Avatar
Banned

Joined: 18-May-2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20
  Quote Terri Ann Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-May-2009 at 10:52

I still don’t get how a handful(?) of pumas released over (whatever the square mileage of the UK is) could come to form a viable breeding population.  Isn’t the Florida puma in dire straits because of an unnaturally small gene pool? 

 

And how come it’s only pumas?  Surely, there would have been equal numbers of released lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs – especially cheetahs – being almost totally non-aggressive, they were very popular pets among the rich and famous. 

 

There have been very very few mild attacks on humans (as far as anyone can tell – of course, humans do disappear ……….!), it’s mostly sheep that are preyed upon.   I think most Brits like the idea of having something a bit scary and exotic lurking in the countryside – adds a certain spark of excitement to the Sunday picnic.  It’s only the farmers who aren’t so keen.

 

A few Lynx have been spotted, mostly around London, so are certainly escapees from private collections.  But wild lynx are long gone, along with wolves.  Wild boar are making a come back though ……….     and there’s a decent population of wallabies living wild in the Midlands.

 

Windermere – so black is a kind of wild/feral hybrid default colour?  That is interesting!  Of course a dominant mutation in the right place could explain much about our big cats.

 

 

Back to Top
Jams View Drop Down
Consul
Consul

Suspended

Joined: 06-Sep-2006
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 365
  Quote Jams Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-May-2009 at 01:44
Terri Ann
The thing is, when cats that were claimed as Kellas cats were measured, they were just the size of normal cats. Afaik, they did have some specific colouring, but all sources seem a bit vague. In many of the other cases the bodies 'disapear'. Pretty weird. If someone really shot or found a true big cat, I'm sure they would make the remains available for the authorities.
 
That size thingy - spaniel size may be small, but labrador size? None of the small cat species are anywhere near the size of a labrador dog at all, far from it. The only cats that can be of a similar size are the big cats (and that is a well understood term, it means the roaring cats - leopard, jaguar, tiger, lion and possibly the snow leopard) + puma, unusually big lynx and cheetah. None of the others are remotely near that size. Especially not Scottish wild cats.
 
If someone sees a large cat, but a cat that is just a tad larger than a domestic (about spaniel size, for example), well then the most reasonable conclusion must be that is just IS a large domestic cat (feral or otherwise). Actually, if people can't tell what species of big cat it is, (except for the leopard/jaguar), then I wouldn't trust them to be able to determine that it is a cat at all.
 
We did have a cat here once, that people claimed was a puma, but when it was caught it turned out that it was an escaped serval - a drastically different looking animal. It is pretty mysterious how people could think they saw a puma when they looked at a serval, but they did. Never underestimate the power of the human imagination, not even your own.
 
Ps. another thing to consider is the very large size of big cat territories, easily in the 100 square kilometre range - or more!
 
Originally posted by Carcharodon

Here in Sweden a couple of seasons ago there where several sightings of a Kangoroo in the county of Värmland. And also there where several sightings of a lion in Finland, making people, in the area where the sightings occured, afraid of going outdoors.
 
None of these animals were ever captured.
 
At least in Sweden there really are "biggish" cats, the lynx.
 
Pps. Forgot about the "small fox" yeah, a small fox is the size of a domestic cat pretty much, so that means nothing. British foxes are among the smaller foxes, they vary in size depending on where they live. Scandinavian foxes are noticably larger, for example.
 
And don't forget this phenomenon,


Edited by Jams - 21-May-2009 at 02:23
Back to Top
Carcharodon View Drop Down
Baron
Baron


Joined: 04-May-2007
Location: Sweden
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 486
  Quote Carcharodon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-May-2009 at 00:58
Originally posted by eaglecap


That would be nice but are there any left? When I hiked in Scotland/England and locals fold me about wild cats but that they were like feral cats. I was told the difference was they had always been wild and never domesticated.
 
Yes the European Wild Cat (Felis silvestris) exists among other places in Scotland. It is rather rare and is regarded as an endangered species.
Back to Top
Constantine XI View Drop Down
Suspended
Suspended

Suspended

Joined: 01-May-2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5711
  Quote Constantine XI Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-May-2009 at 00:58
Haha, I don't think you have anything to fear from kangaroos, they are largely harmless
Back to Top
Carcharodon View Drop Down
Baron
Baron


Joined: 04-May-2007
Location: Sweden
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 486
  Quote Carcharodon Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21-May-2009 at 00:53
Here in Sweden a couple of seasons ago there where several sightings of a Kangoroo in the county of Värmland. And also there where several sightings of a lion in Finland, making people, in the area where the sightings occured, afraid of going outdoors.
 
None of these animals were ever captured.
Back to Top
eaglecap View Drop Down
Tsar
Tsar
Avatar
Retired AE Moderator

Joined: 15-Feb-2005
Location: ArizonaUSA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3959
  Quote eaglecap Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20-May-2009 at 23:42
This whole thing seems to go in line with the large eagle-like bird sightings in the USA/Canada. Have there been any big raptor sightings in England? They were called Thunder birds by the Native Americans and it is a powerful religious symbol amongst some native cultures.

Next of course is big foot- any sightings in England? -
Λοιπόν, αδελφοί και οι συμπολίτες και οι στρατιώτες, να θυμάστε αυτό ώστε μνημόσυνο σας, φήμη και ελευθερία σας θα ε
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.56a [Free Express Edition]
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz

This page was generated in 0.129 seconds.