Big cats are already ‘in every single place’ in UK they usually’re ‘right here to remain’, professional says
Wild big cats are already prolific in Britain, boffins say.
Paul Macdonald of the Scottish Big Cat Research Team said a database of sightings is kept under wraps to protect the creatures from being disturbed or hunted.
But he says the stats shows lynx and other species are definitely present all over the UK. The expert, says: “The info has surprised us. We expected there to be a few pockets – instead they are everywhere.
“We are sure about these sightings because they are such weird looking creatures, with an unusual gait.
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“They’re lanky looking with a bushy face, white beards, tufted ears and a short tail.
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“When we have two or three of these unique features reported in a sighting, it’s only going to be a lynx.
“We’re confident that they are quite active.”
Other big cats are present too he revealed.
It’s suspected big cats and other exotic species were set free by their owners following the Dangerous Wild Animals Act in 1976.
It’s also thought US military bases in Scotland in the aftermath of the Second World War kept big cats as mascots which were released into the Highlands when they packed up and left.
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British big cat expert Alex Bowler added: “Certainly big cats are breeding in the wild in Great Britain.
“There have been genuine and credible sightings of pumas and black panthers with cubs in the British countryside.
“I know of such sightings in woods in Devon, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Dorset.
“My estimate is that at least 1000 big cats live in the wild in Great Britain and I am not alone in this estimation.
“Our big cats are here and are here to stay.”
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