Big Cats and Public Safety
The two most commonly seen big cats in Great Britain, the black leopard and the puma are both large predators and must be treated with the utmost respect. The power of these animals must not be underestimated.
Most black leopards hunt during the night and have superb night vision, that makes their prey so vulnerable in the dark! They are masters of stalking and hide themselves amongst the undergrowth and surrounding terrain as they move towards their prey, creeping forward until they get close enough to strike. At this point they dash at their prey and leap on them grabbing them with their front paws and killing the victim, usually with a powerful bite to its neck. Black panthers also wait in tree branches for their prey to pass below and then drop on them, with the same fatal results. These cats are capable of carrying prey twice their weight up a tree to be eaten. Black panthers are far more likely to mount fatal attacks on people than pumas.
Pumas are formidable hunters too, most active at dusk and at dawn and they also have excellent night vision. Like black leopards, they stalk their prey, and then run at them and jump on them, sinking their teeth into their necks to kill them. Pumas can jump up to 18 feet into the air and can make horizontal leaps of up to 40 feet! They can run at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour, are excellent climbers and can even swim! Like black panthers they are capable of carrying prey much heavier than themselves in their mouths.
N.B. It must be pointed out that both pumas and black panthers can be active in daylight hours too. I have seen them in the daytime a number of times.
Most black leopards hunt during the night and have superb night vision, that makes their prey so vulnerable in the dark! They are masters of stalking and hide themselves amongst the undergrowth and surrounding terrain as they move towards their prey, creeping forward until they get close enough to strike. At this point they dash at their prey and leap on them grabbing them with their front paws and killing the victim, usually with a powerful bite to its neck. Black panthers also wait in tree branches for their prey to pass below and then drop on them, with the same fatal results. These cats are capable of carrying prey twice their weight up a tree to be eaten. Black panthers are far more likely to mount fatal attacks on people than pumas.
Pumas are formidable hunters too, most active at dusk and at dawn and they also have excellent night vision. Like black leopards, they stalk their prey, and then run at them and jump on them, sinking their teeth into their necks to kill them. Pumas can jump up to 18 feet into the air and can make horizontal leaps of up to 40 feet! They can run at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour, are excellent climbers and can even swim! Like black panthers they are capable of carrying prey much heavier than themselves in their mouths.
N.B. It must be pointed out that both pumas and black panthers can be active in daylight hours too. I have seen them in the daytime a number of times.
These big cats survive easily in the British countryside, keeping themselves to themselves in the main and feeding on such animals as deer, sheep, rabbits, wood pigeons and pheasants, though they have been known to attack cattle, horses, wild boar and without question, dogs and cats. No one must be in any doubt that both these big cats, but leopards especially, could attack humans too if given the chance in the right circumstances. I would never advise anyone to walk through woods alone at dawn or at dusk or in the night or sleep out at night in woods and, indeed, we should all, perhaps, walk through wooded areas, deep valleys and ravines, coastal areas with dense thickets etc. with a degree of caution and awareness that just a few feet away there could be a big cat lurking in the undergrowth, behind a rock or even on a branch of a tree. Even if you are walking through such areas in the daytime, I would advise you to glance behind you from time to time and even glance up at large overhanging tree branches.
I would advise parents not to let their children run ahead or lag behind in woods. I have been told about and have read about a number of very close big cat encounters involving children in the British countryside and can only thank God that these incidents did not end in tragedy. PLEASE BE CAREFUL.
A lady kindly contacted me to tell me what happened to her son in a wood on the Blackdown Hills in Somerset some years ago and she and her husband and her son are happy for me to include it here as a cautionary tale for others. Here's the account: 'Hello, I have appreciated what I've read on your website. When our oldest son Josh was 11 years old (born 1976) he remembered he was gaily going along a path in Neroche Forest. We, my sister and I and our younger children, were coming along on same path but were a considerable way behind. Josh heard a noise to the left and out of the undergrowth stepped a very large black panther, quite close enough & a bit behind him. Josh turned and backed away with his face kept towards the cat I think, until he was far enough away to walk normally, though the cat watched him all the time. Latterly I have been thankful he 'made his escape'. He was near some deserted farm sheds & I feel she may have had young inside. My gut feeling is that there are many big cats around here. In our village night lighting is low, the quiet intense and, as you say, one has no idea anyone feline could be stalking one, as you experienced. '
In 2008 a friend's son was actually attacked by a juvenile black panther on his way to the Cub Scout hall in the woods and I thank God that he was able to beat it off with the sturdy stick he was carrying! You can read about this frightening encounter on my page Bishops Lydeard 2008.
A lady kindly contacted me to tell me what happened to her son in a wood on the Blackdown Hills in Somerset some years ago and she and her husband and her son are happy for me to include it here as a cautionary tale for others. Here's the account: 'Hello, I have appreciated what I've read on your website. When our oldest son Josh was 11 years old (born 1976) he remembered he was gaily going along a path in Neroche Forest. We, my sister and I and our younger children, were coming along on same path but were a considerable way behind. Josh heard a noise to the left and out of the undergrowth stepped a very large black panther, quite close enough & a bit behind him. Josh turned and backed away with his face kept towards the cat I think, until he was far enough away to walk normally, though the cat watched him all the time. Latterly I have been thankful he 'made his escape'. He was near some deserted farm sheds & I feel she may have had young inside. My gut feeling is that there are many big cats around here. In our village night lighting is low, the quiet intense and, as you say, one has no idea anyone feline could be stalking one, as you experienced. '
In 2008 a friend's son was actually attacked by a juvenile black panther on his way to the Cub Scout hall in the woods and I thank God that he was able to beat it off with the sturdy stick he was carrying! You can read about this frightening encounter on my page Bishops Lydeard 2008.
Look After Your Dogs
If you have a dog it's probably best to keep it on a lead in woods, on heathland, in ravines, deep valleys, rocky areas, abandoned quarries and near dense coastal thickets, for instance. Many people have reported losing their dogs in and by woods and near dense thickets especially and it happens every year. It is possible that a number of them are taken by big cats and carried into the undergrowth. Such is the strength and ferocity of these attacks it would be very unlikely that you would even hear the dog bark.
I have spoken to a man who told me that he saw a puma in a Devon wood whilst having a picnic with his family and his dog, which had been exploring on its own, disappeared shortly afterwards, never to be seen again.
I found the spine and ribs of a small dog in a wood in the same area where a man told me that one of his terriers had disappeared after running into a dense thicket with his other terrier. He searched for days for his dog but, sadly, never found it.
Dog walkers I have chatted to have told me that their dogs have been terrified by something they have encountered in woods. One person has even told me that her dog came back to her shaking and trembling on one occasion when he ran ahead of her in a wood and on another occasion he was so terrified that he collapsed with fear in front of her!
A man I met whilst walking my dog told me that someone was exercising her dogs in a large and deep Devon wood and one of of them suddenly jumped off a high ridge in terror. The owner was astonished to see this and was upset by what had happened although, thankfully, her dog survived. Someone else who was passing by said that he had glimpsed a large cat-like animal in the wood not long before this happened! Other dogs show their fear when they enter certain woods or walk on certain paths by their reluctance to go ahead. It would be wise to take notice of this kind of behaviour and even to consider not going any further. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Remember that dogs are very sensitive to danger and have an incredible sense of smell too. Please take special care when going through woods, and the other areas I have highlighted above, with your dog. You may save its life by doing so.
I have spoken to a man who told me that he saw a puma in a Devon wood whilst having a picnic with his family and his dog, which had been exploring on its own, disappeared shortly afterwards, never to be seen again.
I found the spine and ribs of a small dog in a wood in the same area where a man told me that one of his terriers had disappeared after running into a dense thicket with his other terrier. He searched for days for his dog but, sadly, never found it.
Dog walkers I have chatted to have told me that their dogs have been terrified by something they have encountered in woods. One person has even told me that her dog came back to her shaking and trembling on one occasion when he ran ahead of her in a wood and on another occasion he was so terrified that he collapsed with fear in front of her!
A man I met whilst walking my dog told me that someone was exercising her dogs in a large and deep Devon wood and one of of them suddenly jumped off a high ridge in terror. The owner was astonished to see this and was upset by what had happened although, thankfully, her dog survived. Someone else who was passing by said that he had glimpsed a large cat-like animal in the wood not long before this happened! Other dogs show their fear when they enter certain woods or walk on certain paths by their reluctance to go ahead. It would be wise to take notice of this kind of behaviour and even to consider not going any further. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Remember that dogs are very sensitive to danger and have an incredible sense of smell too. Please take special care when going through woods, and the other areas I have highlighted above, with your dog. You may save its life by doing so.
What About Wild Camping?
Some reading this might ask the question, "Is wild camping safe?" Wild camping has become very popular in Great Britain. I have a friend called Adam, who has been wild camping for a while with his friend and they have been going to some densely wooded areas. I arranged to go for a walk with Adam in his favourite forest in Somerset in the late Summer of 2021 so we could look for signs of big cats. We found a few big cat scats on the paths and one of them, a leopard scat, was lying just a few yards away from their favourite camping spot! Let's just say that Adam has now lost his enthusiasm for wild camping!
Many who go wild camping just sleep under an open canopy, some just sleep on a groundsheet in their sleeping bags and others just sleep on the ground with no sleeping bags at all.
Having said all of this, it appears that the vast majority of those who pursue this hobby have an enjoyable and safe experience. I think, however, that sleeping out in woods where big cats live remains a risky pursuit, especially if you are on your own. Most people in Great Britain have absolutely no idea that big cats live in the British countryside. I'd rather people made an informed choice about wild camping.
Many who go wild camping just sleep under an open canopy, some just sleep on a groundsheet in their sleeping bags and others just sleep on the ground with no sleeping bags at all.
Having said all of this, it appears that the vast majority of those who pursue this hobby have an enjoyable and safe experience. I think, however, that sleeping out in woods where big cats live remains a risky pursuit, especially if you are on your own. Most people in Great Britain have absolutely no idea that big cats live in the British countryside. I'd rather people made an informed choice about wild camping.
|
|
A Cautionary Summary
Having been stalked by a black panther on Christmas Eve 1985 on Croydon Hill in Somerset, I know the reality of the potential risks associated with having black panthers and pumas roaming freely in our countryside. Whilst wanting to see our big cats live out their lives in the wild free from persecution, I also want other people to know about the potential risks associated with having them living in our countryside, for their own personal safety. Because of the lack of any kind of official public recognition of their existence in the wild in Great Britain it has been left to those who have seen big cats in the wild in Great Britain and their field signs to inform the public of their existence. It's not always an easy road to tread, for various reasons, but someone has to do it. I think that those who know that big cats live in the wild in Great Britain actually have a moral responsibility to inform others of their existence, so they know what they might encounter on a walk through the countryside. More than once, when visiting woods to look for field signs, for instance, I have found fresh big cat scats moments before one or more people have entered those woods on a walk not long before dusk, just when I was about to leave! I believe that fatal attacks on people by big cats in the wild in Great Britain DO happen but don't expect to see them publicised.
We all have to accept the fact that big cats live amongst us in Great Britain. We have to learn to live with them. This is the reality. Don't have nightmares, enjoy the countryside but be AWARE that big cats could be THERE!
We all have to accept the fact that big cats live amongst us in Great Britain. We have to learn to live with them. This is the reality. Don't have nightmares, enjoy the countryside but be AWARE that big cats could be THERE!
|
|
