Wednesday 29 June 2011

I’ll Go With The ‘Reasonable Interpretation’…

A ‘big cat’ was captured on camera by a Burnley couple enjoying a day out in the Yorkshire Dales.
Yes, it is indeed a large cat, though it’s very very far from being a ‘big cat’:
Mr Eastham, who took a photograph of the creature, said it resembled a young panther or leopard.
It’s black and cat shaped. But it doesn’t resemble a panther otherwise…
“It was twice the size of a domestic cat and it was jet black with a long tail,” he said.

“It’s possible it could have been a domestic cat, but I don’t think so from the way it slunk along.

"Its walk reminded me of a young panther or leopard.

“My wife and I both looked at it through the binoculars and we were both convinced it wasn’t a domestic cat.”
Sadly, even the self-proclaimed ‘experts’ can’t bring themselves to get excited about this one, but they give it their best try:
Ian Bond, an ecologist and author of a book about big cats in Britain, was sent the photograph to identify the animal.
And…?
He said: “This is a very interesting photo. The animal is nothing like panther-size, but I wouldn’t disagree with the estimate of about twice the size of a domestic cat.

“Even more interesting points are the length of the tail and the shape of the head.

“The animal in this picture is clearly not an adult panther and I suppose the reasonable interpretation is that it is an outsized domestic cat.”
Phew!
“I think this picture will create a lot of interest among those interested in the big cats in Britain community,” said Mr Bond.
Why? Since it isn’t a ‘big cat’, but a big cat?

15 comments:

Open All Hours said...

If it isn't a domestic animal or an animal native to these shores, then it must be an illegal immigrant.

Someone tell the Border Control people at once!

Tattyfalarr said...

There's some huuuge cats where I live although my neutered tom fearlessly patrols his property and sees 'em off. Just one explanation and probably the simplest is; inject growth hormones in livestock ground up for petfood and what do you get ? Taa daaa....monster moggies.

Shinar's Basket Case said...

Like the advert says, I'm only going to start worrying when they evolve opposable thumbs.

Anonymous said...

Growth hormones are very species-specific, and are proteins so don't survive digestion. A better guess is that the outsized cats are toms which were neutered very young; this knocks out their testosterone which is actually a growth retardent, letting them grow huge. Owners over-feeding 'em doesn't help, either.

Anonymous said...

Dan Sarf, we had a white tiger sighted in a meadow. 5 coppers (one a chief inspector) kept the "tiger" under surveillance whilst the chopper they had called up arrived, "use the downwash of your rotors" to make it move" came the command "Roger, wilco out" after a pause, " we're right over the tiger now what's happening?"
"he fell over"
It was a toy.

Jonathan said...

The sheep fencing it's sat behind is standard sized:- the squares in it are 6"x6". The sitting cat is just over 2 squares high, so 12"-18" which seems in the ballpark for a domestic cat.

Shinar's Basket Case said...

"The sheep fencing it's sat behind is standard sized:- the squares in it are 6"x6""

You're from Norfolk aren't you? We can tell.

Captain Haddock said...

Open All Hours said ...

"If it isn't a domestic animal or an animal native to these shores, then it must be an illegal immigrant.

Someone tell the Border Control people at once! "

Don't waste yer time or breath .. they'd only be interested if it was British & had any tobacco products in its possession ..

Could said moggy have been a dark variant Maine Coon ?

Shinar's Basket Case said...

CAPTAIN HADDOCK! I am shocked, S H O C K E D that you should use such a DISGUSTING RASCIST term such as 'c**n'!

I INSIST Joolz edit's your post and uses the more appropriate modern name of 'Maine Shag' (I kid you not!)

Although on 2nd thoughts 'shag' could be construed as having links with the EVIL TOBACCO and we should perhaps stick to the neutral 'Maine Cat'.

Captain Haddock said...

Shinar .. I most humbly apologise for giving you a touch of the vapours .. but feel, in truth, that your interpretation says far more about you, than it does about me .. ;)

Meanwhile, I call

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_Coon

in my defence ... :) :) :)

Pavlov's Cat said...

what intrigued me was

"It's walk reminded me of a young panther or leopard.


He can't identify it, but he can identify the difference in gait between and immature and mature Leopard. Does one have a cocky insouciance and the other a more stately outlook.
either way it seems a very narrow field of study.

(As an aside, because we waited until he was a year old before having him neutered my Maine Coon was able to achieve his full natural growth, he was easily twice the size of a 'domestic' cat)

Captain Haddock said...

"It's walk reminded me of a young panther or leopard" ...

Which is rather strange, considering that Leopard & Panther are in fact the same animal .. one merely being a melanisitc variant of the other ..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther

Woman on a Raft said...

A couple of years ago the police and RSPCA thought they had finally captured the elusive Fen Tiger, which is a persistent legend and not just another name for Cromwellian guerillas.

Turned out to be a fun-fur car seat cover which had been abandoned in a hedge.

Wouldn't you think that by now there would have been one of them killed on the road or just dropped dead of old age, but we never hear stories about large skeletons being recovered.

Malcolm Stevas said...

There are some very big pussy cats around. Friends of mine, out lamping, shot a fox - which turned out to be, as they put it, "The biggest ginger cat we ever saw!"
High velocity bullet between the eyes, best thing to do with cats, vile bloody things that crap in my garden...

JuliaM said...

"Like the advert says, I'm only going to start worrying when they evolve opposable thumbs."

I love that advert!

"The sheep fencing it's sat behind is standard sized:- the squares in it are 6"x6". The sitting cat is just over 2 squares high, so 12"-18" which seems in the ballpark for a domestic cat."

Now, there you go, bringing logic and deduction into it!

"He can't identify it, but he can identify the difference in gait between and immature and mature Leopard. Does one have a cocky insouciance and the other a more stately outlook. either way it seems a very narrow field of study."

:D

"Which is rather strange, considering that Leopard & Panther are in fact the same animal.."

You'd be astounded at how many people don't know that...

"Wouldn't you think that by now there would have been one of them killed on the road or just dropped dead of old age, but we never hear stories about large skeletons being recovered."

The rumour is that the police cover it up, with the help of DEFRA. Remember, you heard it here first!