A jogger was forced to run for his life after encountering the infamous Beast of Sydenham.I know ‘Silly Season’ seems to get earlier each year, but come on!
Father-of-four Roger Fleming, 40, was on a late night run with his puppy King on December 9 near Sydenham Hill station when a giant cat chased them through Dulwich Wood.
Mr Fleming believes the creature, which he says looked like a brown cheetah, was the Beast of Sydenham, seen several times in the area over the years.
The building services manager first saw the beast at the bottom of a path in the wood.Outpacing his mysterious assailant easily, it seems…
He said: “It was at least five or six feet long.
“I thought to myself ‘what the hell is this?’ That’s when the panic set in.
“It sat there, locked its eyes on to me, sat up and - boom - it started running towards us.”
Mr Fleming grabbed hold of his dog and ran through the wood.
He said: “I looked over my shoulder and could see it still running at me.But since he’s giving an interview to the NewsShopper, we can obviously take it he didn’t?
“I was just thinking ‘please stop’. It was knackering and I was almost ready to give up.
“I was thinking ‘this is it - I think I’m going to die’.”
After realising the beast had given up the chase, Mr Fleming rushed home to Dulwich and read about other sightings on the News Shopper website.Signs..? Good lord, are phantoms the responsibility of the council now?
He said: “When I got home I was almost in tears the adrenalin was pumping through me so fast.
“I swear an oath to God never to go to that same part at night again.
“There should be signs telling people to take some caution because they’re walking around willy-nilly.”
Neil Arnold, a researcher (Ed: translation – unemployed nutjob) who runs Kent Big Cat Research, said the beast is believed to be a black leopard, the offspring of pets released into the wild.Except, of course, Mr Fleming insisted it was brown. Perhaps he didn’t want to be racist?
Or it’s faded in the sun…?
He said: “He should have stood his ground, maintained eye contact and backed off slowly - but it’s easy to say that. ”Err, yes. Perhaps he should have gone to Specsavers too, I think that might have done him more good…
“People don’t need to panic because big cats won’t harm them. ”Riiiiight…
Particularly not imaginary ones, that’s for sure.
“I do this full-time to let people know that these animals aren’t a threat.”Not because you are otherwise unemployable then?
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ReplyDelete“I was thinking ‘this is it - I think I’m going to die’.”
But since he’s giving an interview to the NewsShopper, we can obviously take it he didn’t?
"
He died a little inside at having to come out with this crap.
That's nothing - I was chased down Rochdale canal by a pink elephant last week.
ReplyDeleteAnyone wanna buy my story? Hic.
Probably just a puma. They come in all hades of brown and they could easily live in this climate
ReplyDelete"Anyone wanna buy my story? Hic."
ReplyDeleteHe's getting quite a mauling in the comments to that story; he might rather wish his mystery assailant had caught up with him instead...
"Probably just a puma. They come in all hades of brown and they could easily live in this climate"
They don't come in black, though, and a LOT of people report 'black panthers' when they see things they identify as 'big cats'.
Uh JuliaM... where where ->you<- at that time?
ReplyDeleteBecause that beast sounds a bit like a thylacosmilus ;-D
To be fair to the poor guy, it could have been a large dog that chased him, and when you're getting chased like that, an ancient autopilot kicks in and does all the deciding for you, there is not much thinking on your part involved at all.
When I was a little kid I spent a few hours on a tree after disturbing a boar piglet and getting chased off by the sow. I'm pretty sure that I live because I scrammed immediately and ceased to be a threat -- the sow could certainly run much faster than me and could have caught me easily, but was content to just 'see me off'. True, it's not piglet season now, but a territorial animal making it's space is a definite possibility here, especially if it's semi-socialised and not quite wild.
So I'm inclined to believe his story... and as for beasts in the woods... those animal 'friends' (like our researcher friend) have a history of releasing things into the wild that ought not to be there (minks, boars, wallabies etc). The fact that this guy runs a 'big cat rescue' certainly points to there being potential problems afoot.
Some folks really are crazy and among the veritable freak collection we've amassed in merry old England... snake, tiger, lion keepers who no longer can handle their now-adult-and-no-longer-cute and harmless charges would not surprise me in the least if they dump them in the woods.
I know Neil Arnold, and wish to correct your witlessly insulting comments. He does not live on benefits.
ReplyDeleteNeil makes a living from journalism, writing books and a very busy schedule of talks, as a quick look at his website will confirm:
http://kentbigcats.blogspot.com/
"To be fair to the poor guy, it could have been a large dog that chased him, and when you're getting chased like that, an ancient autopilot kicks in and does all the deciding for you..."
ReplyDeleteAnd given he had a dog with him (the likely target of a bigger dog's aggression) that could well be the explanation.
Well, that, or he's an inveterate attention-seeker, like Mr Arnold.
"...would not surprise me in the least if they dump them in the woods."
Seen plenty of run-over deer, badgers, foxes, etc. Never seen a lion or cheetah! They must have taught their charges good road sense before they releaded them... ;)
"I know Neil Arnold, and wish to correct your witlessly insulting comments. He does not live on benefits."
You mean, he earns enough giving interviews to credulous TV companies?
Truly, we do allow people too much money in the 'entertainment' business...
Do I detect the the faint whiff of sour grapes?
ReplyDeleteAt least Neil Arnold is able to earn part of his living from writing - something you will never be able to.