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The title of Caithness derives from the Pictish Kingdom of Cat, the place the Cat tribe lived, however the county could also be home to bigger cats who maintain within the shadows.
Large felids, similar to panthers, pumas and leopards, have appeared within the British press periodically and what higher place for them to reside out their days than within the Kingdom of Cat?
Podcaster Rick Minter’s web site Big Cat Conversations (BCC) has a brand new episode known as Top corner cats – tracking the Caithness leopards during which a person, solely recognized by his first title of Paul, talks about his experiences.
A abstract of the episode says: “We hear from Paul, an investigator close to John O’Groats in north-east Scotland. He re-tells a number of huge cat sighting experiences from recent years, and he explains his use of path cams, night time imaginative and prescient cameras, and lures.
“Last summer time he adopted up a neighborhood black leopard report, then discovered himself in a dense woodland with a growling cat only a few toes away. The scary incident took a twist later that night time.”
In the podcast Paul talks concerning the probably prey the massive cats may feed on: “Every patch of forest has two or three roe deer in it. We have purple deer coming in nearer to the centre of the county.”
He continues: “There’s no finish to the locations the massive cats may very well be in with the gorse and the forests – there’s loads of cowl for them. When I used to be rising up I’d frequently hear individuals telling these tales about black cats in carious places concerning the county and I by no means actually doubted they have been there.”
He goes on to say the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 which allegedly led to many individuals releasing massive cats like leopards and jaguars into the countryside. Paul talks concerning the sighting of a big black cat close to John O’Groats which will have been a leopard stalking its prey.
He decides to go and search for the elusive animal and after discovering massive paw prints close to a subject he tracks it to a forest the place he finally ends up having a really shut encounter. In the gripping story Paul talks about being simply three or 4 toes away from what he thinks might have been a leopard defending her young. Though he beat a hasty retreat the sound of the growling he heard that night nonetheless haunts him.
Rick Minter runs the BCC web site and has hosted over 100 comparable podcasts with sightings all through the UK. He has additionally written a e book known as Big Cats: Facing Britain’s Wild Predators which continues to be available to purchase on Amazon or instantly from Dunbeath-based writer Whittles.
Rick says: “On the podcast we hear from huge cat witnesses and investigators proper throughout Britain. Parts of Scotland characteristic frequently due to ongoing credible experiences, and Caithness is not any exception, therefore this episode.
“To me the spotlight was seeing the photograph of the nape chunk affect on a roe deer which Paul got here throughout. Fresh deer carcasses which recommend the work of massive cats are noteworthy – they point out the presence of those predators and present how the cats are culling deer and preserving them predator-alert and skittish, which in flip lessens the impacts of deer looking on regenerating woodlands.”
Rick says that almost all of massive cat experiences in Caithness match the outline of a black leopard, however tan-coloured cats resembling mountain lions are additionally described. “The cats appear to reside round us with out inflicting many points, however when the occasional landowner does expertise issues, similar to with common sheep kills, I wish to see assist and assist supplied.”
If anybody would love additional details about huge cat sightings in Scotland Rick identified a Facebook group that may be discovered at: www.facebook.com/groups/BigCatsScotland
On the sceptical facet, Egil Droge – a researcher of conservation on the University of Oxford – stated in an article in The Conversation: “If there really was an enormous cat on the prowl, the tell-tale signal can be repeated assaults on sheep. There are typically obscure photographs or movies of massive cats, however by no means clear photographs or movies – or clear photographs of paw prints, which might be simple to acquire as a result of prints don’t transfer.”
If you’ve gotten had an enormous cat sighting in Caithness please ahead particulars to: [email protected]
