Over the last couple of decades there have bene numerous articles, and a handful of books, written pertaining to 'big cat' in the UK countryside. What I find amazing is the sheer lack of decent evidence presented in such works. Local news, magazines, newspapers, and even major news stations seem all too keen to feature the latest blurry photo of an alleged 'big cat' and yet the more obscure evidence found is far more conclusive yet largely ignored. In a recent post I mentioned how a whisker of a large cat, possibly a leopard had been found in Ashford by a woman who, during the snowfall had found a large set of paw prints in her garden that had clearly upset the behaviour of her pet cat. I now present a photo of the whisker, which measures some six inches. I also present a photo of a leopard showing how the whisker compares. This whisker - as naturalist Jonathan McGowan states, is certainly from a large cat, possibly a leopard. Judging by recent sightings around Ashford, a black leopard seems the ideal suspect. On 29th March 2012 a black leopard was seen by a motorist travelling on the A20070 towards Ashford. It was around 12:20 pm when the witness noticed a large, black, sleek-looking anima running across a field near the area of the military canal. The animla had a long tail with a rounded end. The witness stated, "I have seen a black cat at a zoo before, I think it was a jaguar - the cat I saw differed in frame - the one I saw was more slender."

Left, whisker of leopard for comparison to above image of whisker. There has also bene a recent sighting near Edenbridge, and the animal - or at least its back - may well have been caught on film. A dead fox was eaten by an unseen predator that returned to the carcass the following night. The animal slinked by a trigger camera which flashed once, getting a photo of the long back of the animal.

More leopard scat has also been found in Kent, a great contact of mine stumbled across the distinctive scat - full of deer fur - in an area where deer and fox carcasses have been piling up. People must be walking past so much 'big cat' evidence all the time without realising it. Whilst newspapers may not be interested in stories, or photo's of leopard scat, whiskers, and sheep/deer kills, I'd take this evidence any day over another blurry inconclusive photo of an alleged 'big cat'.

On the 24th March I received the following eye-witness report, concerning a possible black leopard sighting at Ulcombe, in rural Maidstone. The email read:

"I sighted a black cat this morning at about 11:15 this morning.  I was walking down Windmill hill towards Pie Corner with my dog and I saw a black object which at first glance llooked ike a black rubbish bag on the side of the road. I was about 200 yards away as I got closer it turned out to be a large black cat and it was going to the toilet; at this point it was about 100 yards away from me. It looked up at me and the dog , then it finished what it was doing, got up and ambled across the road showing no fear and went through a hedge and disappeared. I went to where I thought it went through the hedge to see if I could see it in the field but it was not to be seen. I went back to where it had gone to the toilet to look for scat but could not find anything so I guess it was having a wee. It was strange there were two pheasants wandering near by one only a few feet away from it, they seemed not nervous of it and it did not have any interest in them so I guess it had eaten.  The cats tail was long, I would think as long as its body  and had the head of a leopard and I am guessing I would think it was a very young adult ( not quite a kitten and not quite an adult) adolescent is the word I was trying to think of. I hope this is of help."

Over the last few years Ulcombe had produced several sightings of an overly large cat. There are many woods and fields around the area, and certainly lots of food. A few years ago I was contacted by an Ulcombe resident who claimed that she'd got a photo of a large black cat in her back garden. The witness is very genuine, and the photo, which appeared in the local KM paper, certainly appeared to show some type of black cat. The image was snapped on a trigger camera, and it caused quite a alot of debate and sadly, when the witness posted the photo to various sites asking about the animal in the photo, she was criticised, which was extremely unfair. I visited the garden of the lady in question and took a thorough look around the area. The photo certainly showed a large black cat-like animal sitting on its haunches, just a few feet away from the woman's back door. I showed the photo to naturalists, zoologists and a number of wildlife researchers, and a majority agreed that it was a very large animal. The detractors spat their dummies out and began making personal insults, stating that I'd said the image was a leopard, when in fact I hadn't. However, whilst some people believd it was nothing more than a domestic cat and it's their right to have an opinion) certain details didn't add up. For a start, the cat in the photo was, when sitting on its haunches ,almost as high as the tulip fencing, which is three-feet high. Sceptics claimed the animal was a domestic cat that was sitting on something, but interestingly, there was nothing for the animal to sit on except a flower bed.

The trigger camera had been placed at the bottom of the garden facing the house and the animal was seen peering to the right. In the photograph the animal has large, bright eyes, long greyish/white whiskers but due to the poor picture quality of the camera, no species could be confirmed. One zoologist told me that the animal was a sub-adult leopard, another stated it was a large feral cat. Others suggested the animal was a hybrid, "But of what ?," I asked with a degreee of scepticism.

Whatever the animal is in the photo, it has left paw prints in the garden, and may well be visiting the area frequently - probably because within fifty yards there are woods and rolling fields. The photograph is a mystery, like so many other alleged 'big cat' photographs. What saddened me was the fact that a genuine witness had come forward to report her find and was criticised by a number of so-called researchers who clearly didn't look at the photo with any depth or investigate the area, or measure the fence etc.

The recent sighting of a young black leopard in Ulcombe adds weight to what I've believed all along - that there are at least two black leopards roaming the fields not far from Ulcombe. Whether one is in the trigger came' photo we'll never know, but when witnesses come forward to report their sightings or present their evidence they certainly shouldn't be ridiculed. After all, there are far less conclusive photographs in published works which claim to be 'big cats', when they are nothing more than domestic cats.

There is a posisbility the Ulcombe cat was the same animal seen recently near Paddock Wood by a woman on a train. Witnesses often report sleek black cats with smallish head, and I've read some hilarious theories that these animals are melanistic (of dark pigment) pumas, but a melanistic puma would still have a slate grey/white underside. Also, a female leopard would have a smaller head than the male, so it's no real mystery when people report sleek-looking black cats. Interestingly, there has been recent press coverage elsewhere in the country of a melanistic fox - the white brush of the tail still evident. I'm sure a few people will come forward now and claim that the black foxes can be used to explain big cat sightings, but the walk and look of a fox, even in the distance is nothing like a black leopard. For a start, the tail is very different - even a mangy fox does not resemble a leopard, and the muzzle of a fox and awkward gait is also a dead give away.

It seems a very popular hobbie nowadays to go out into the countryside and set up trigger camera's,and many people believe this is the only chance we have of getting a 'big cat' on film. Sometimes I agree with this, other times I don't. There's nothing like seeing a 'big cat' in the wilds with your own eyes. However, in this age of advanced technology there is an obsession with getting these animals on film - mainly for personal gain, or an ego boost and five minutes of fame. All I will say is that if you do get one on film, make sure the image is crystal clear, otherwise you may end up looking a fool or being made out to be a fool. I'm sure the tabloids or large presas agencies will give you a couple of quid for it and it'll make the front page for ten minutes, but it will only prove one thing - our desire to run off and reveal our find to the press. 'Big cats' in the wilds of the UK could be monitored for many years, but this requires patience, and a love of nature in general. After the hassle the witness got after getting the snap of the mystery cat in Ulcombe, I can see why others may not be so forthcoming with their evidence.

I'm sure there are a few sceptics, detractors and the like among the people who, over the years have read my articles, seen me talks etc. I do wish more detractors and sceptics would come forward with their criticism's rather than hide behind a pseudonym to vent their frutrations at my words. It's a shame that people can't be more civil and simply come forward and talk of their issues, or at least ask questions, which is why on this blog I'm trying to appease everyone with snippets of info and evidence. Mind you, it's always nice when sceptical folk have an encounter with a 'big cat'. Three cases spring to mind over the last few years. One such report concerned a doctor, who, despite all his qualifications, as one of the most ignorant people I ever met. He once told me that he knew everything about British wildlife and constantly pooh-poohed the idea of exotic cats roaming the UK. "I've nevers een one..." he told me time and time again. Sadly, the guy became so angry over the years at my claims, that he began to get rather personal, which I find very weird. Recently I've had a few people telling me they are going to shoot these big cats if I don't do something about it - one chap stated that he was worried about children being killed - but surely a trigger-happy lunatic attempting to shoot a big cat is far more dangerous, especially if he ends up hunting his quarry and injuring it. Anyway, back to the doctor - this guy would ring me time and time again, telling me there were no 'big cats' in the wild, and that he'd never once seen any sign. Now, when I give talks, or write articles etc, I can only put or offer material within the space I'm allowed - but often I show photo's of sheep kills, scat, and whilst I'm happy for someone to say these animals don't exist - my argument is, "Okay then, so if a big cat didn't leave this sheep up a tree or didn't leave that paw print then what did ?" and that's when the sceptics get rather angry, and it's all rather petty.

So, this doctor, time and time again began persecuting my words and my research until one afternoon when he went for a countryside stroll with his Alsatian dog. It was a warm, clear day in Ashford and the path he'd taken was like any other path - bracken and brambles either side, a frequently used route by him and many other ramblers. The trouble is, on this occasion, at about 2pm his dog saw something that the doctor probably, deep down, never wanted to see - it was a black leopard sitting on the pathway about 80 yards ahead. The doctor so wanted it to be another dog, but his own dog began to growl, and then whimper and stood firm between his legs, refusing to move. The doctor tried to drag the dog along the path, refusing to believe what he was seeing, in his own ignorance he persevered along the wooded path until he got to within about 50 yards and at that point the animal up ahead shidted and was now standing on all fours. The doctor - especially due to his nature expertise which he was all to eager to tell me off, could see that the animal was around 5ft long and the tail seemed to swoop down behind it. The tail was thick. The shoulders were muscular, the head square and flat, there was no muzzle. The Alsatian continued to resist and the animal up ahead seemed to casually look at the frightened pair - then look away - and then back at them before slinking nonchalantly off into the undergrowth.

It took the doctor 4 months to phone me, but even then his voice was full of...what I can only describe as anger. "Someone probably just let a leopard go," he snorted. I tried to be polite, and so I tried to get every detail from him, distance, size of animal, and asked him was he sure it wasn't a feral cat, and it was that comment which seemed to irk him the most, but now he understood the sort of comments I'd received over the years. Even so, deep down I was actually happy for him and hoe that he'd felt privileged as to what he'd seen rather than simply angry with me because he was wrong. On another occasion a man from Meopham stated quite categorically that there were no 'big cats' in Britain, until he saw one, with a whole group of people whilst on a ramble through the woods of Meopham, not far from Gravesend. Again, it was a daylight sighting, and the group had observed the animal up ahead sitting on the pathway. At first the witness thought it was an Alsatian - or hoped it was - until it moved off slowly into the bushes, but at least this witness wasn't full of such contempt, he was oberjoyed he'd seen the animal. Another case actually involved a relative of mine, a completely ignorant man who for around fifteen years had resffused to take my research seriously. He always commented, "I go out shooting all over Kent and I've never seen a cat, surely if anyone was going to see one then it would be me." I laughed and replied, "If you're out blasting the hell out of rabbits I don't think there'd be a reason for a cat to be around, and let's fact it, you can't be 'all over Kent' at the same time can you ?"

My relative had been shooting not far from Sittingbourne on private land. He was watching a JCB in the distance when a massive black animal ran across the field. He immediately phoned me, his voice shaking as he reported the animal - he was so startled that anyone would have thought he'd seen a dinosaur. When I told him, jokingly, that I didn't believe him he slammed the phone down. Oddly, the man now thinks he's the only person in England to have seen a 'big cat'!!

Sceptics and the like are funny ol' folk. I've often been of the opinion that it's ideal to be open minded, nothing more nothing less. When, as a kid I began looking into sightings of 'big cats' I never believed them and I didn't scof at them either, I simply decided I'd look at the evidence. Over the years I have and have formed my own opinion based on this which I thought was the best thing to do, maybe I'm wrong. I certainly don't think it's a good idea to go out all guns blazing thinking these cats exist in their thousands etc, too much belief can be just as bad as too much disbelief, but if someone is genuinely trying to put the evidence out there then all I can say to the sceptics and detractors is, look at it with open eyes, or at least get in touch with any isues you have, rather than hide behind pseudonyms making petty comments. It's not a playground, it's a subject that interests many people and many people have sen these animals. For many years I've written about ghost stories etc, but I keep the 'big cat' research separate. I've never seen a ghost, but I'm open minded because so many people claim to have seen one but evidence is lacking, but with regards to exotic cats in the wild, there is evidence.

Yesterday I was contacted by a lady named Trina who found a fox carcass that had been completely rasped clean (see image). She sent me several images. I've had these looked at by 4 different people who all are of the opinion that a large cat had killed it. Clearly, the fox hadn't died of natural causes, and whilst birds may have finished the carcass off, the rasped ribs etc, are the hallmarks we see time and time again with cat kills. I'm more than happy for someone to step forward and challenge this opinion, but to dismiss is entirely through ignorance is the worst thing you can do. Being open minded and having healthy debate is great, but to believe or disbelieve at an extreme is ignorance.

Recent visits to the wilds of Dartford Heath and the marshes of Higham and Cliffe prove without a shadow of a doubt that there is enough cover in the county of Kent to hide a handful of elusive animals. When one considers the amount of forest still left, especially in places such as Ashford, Canterbury, and neighbouring Sussex, I'm rather surprised how many people seem to think that there's nowhere in county for a large cat to conceal itself. Paw prints and scat (faeces) are relatively easy to find on remote pathways. Paw prints can of course be distorted in snow and ruined on bridle paths by dogs, horses, people, bikes, but they can be found. In most cases the paw print of a leopard or puma will be bereft of claw marks - cats retract their claws but dogs do not - dog prints are symmetrical in shape and the claws will be blunt. When a cat does throw its claws out, usually to grip, they'll often show as tiny pin pricks around the toes. The main pad is often 'away' from the toes whereas you'll find a dog pad seems to be pushed up behind the toes. The images show a sketch of a print and also an actual 'big cat' print found near Tonbridge, and cast.

Left - sketch of cougar print. Note three lobes on base of pad. Also, prints can be distorted as the rear paw of the cat comes forward to step in the front impression.

 Left, leopard prints cast in Penshurst.

With regards to other prints it's always worth getting used to the marks made by native species - badger, fox, deer. It's amazing how many photographs I get sent when we've had a heavy snow fall. As snow thaws prints distort as they melt and one animal that often leaves a fist-sized impression in the snow is a rabbit! Although the print would be bereft of a main pad, when a rabbit sits on its haunches it leaves seemingly four toe marks, this is caused by the front two feet and the hind feet. If you are unfamilar with animal tracks and signs it's worth looking on the internet or buying a book to guide you and then you'll know what to eliminate when looking for a cat. Other evidence left by large cats would be scratch marks on trees. Badgers marks trees up to a couple of feet, and deer often mark bark with their antlers, but a cat such as a leopard will often reach several feet up a bark not only to sharpen its claws but a male leopard sweats from his feet, excreting a scent from a gland as a marker. Bark will often be peeled back or there will be deep score marks. In some cases it will be worth looking around the base of the tree in case the cat had shed a claw.

Hair samples are also worth taking - a couple of years ago hair found in woods in Devon were analysed and proven to belong to a melanistic leopard. Hair can often be found on game trails in England where deer, foxes etc, travel through wiry bushes or under barbed wire fences etc. Hair can also be found on the carcass of prey.

Finally, we have scat. Leopard, puma, lynx, like any animal drop scat. Their scat reflects what they've eaten - when dry ,the scat of a leopard, which can reach lengths of 8 or so inches, will appear in chain formation and be greysih in complexion and it'll be full of hair and bone. Usually deer and rabbit fur is evident. The image below was photographed by a James Mitson who has proven to be a vital contact in the heavily wooded areas of Tunbridge Wells. James has photographed deer, fox and rabbit kills and numerous scat. It's always worth looking on countryside pathways, especially near to where dogs have desposited. cats mark their territory. On one occasion a huge piece of scat found has actually be trodden on by a dog walker!

Left, leopard scat - photo by James Mitson - sample is full of deer fur. Three separate zoologists agreed this scat was from a large cat species.

I once saw a fox doing a break-dance across a three lane National Speed limit carriageway as I was accelerating up it.  It didn't have baggy trousers on and it wasn't rapping "You can't touch this" (yeah, I'm an 80's bird).  It was kind of drifting/floating in slow motion, a bit like a carrier bag does.  There was nothing I could do as I was on an overtake; luckily it missed my wheels and hit the wheels of the vehicle I was passing.  It had already been hit by a vehicle from the oncoming and was just spasming out in the aftermath of that.   It would have been dangerous to stop.  I had to put it out of my mind so stuck firmly with the carrier bag thought and concentrated on my driving.

How do you know if the animal you've hit has been killed outright?  Unless it's a deer or a badger because they kinda make one helluva mess to your bodywork, needless to say their own.  The amount of times I've seen badgers curled up at the side of the road.  If I stopped at every one, I wouldn't have a business but how do we know they're not in complete agony dying a very slow, painful death.

I'm making an admittance on here of once killing a baby bunny.  She was beautiful, tiny and fluffy.  All I did was avert my eyes for a mirror check and there she was... little Bunnikins in the gutter.  Why do their mum's teach them to eat the dirtest most polluted grass and sit in the gutter whilst they're doing it.  It's most definitely Bunny Abuse.  Anyway, I had to stop afterwards and sob down the phone to my mum; I didn't go down that road for two weeks after the tragic event. 

A colleague of mine once gave me some good advice; if an animal doesn't use it's Green Grass Code (or whatever it is these days) and it's safe to do so, accelerating a little lifts the front of your car so if they go under it, they have a chance.  However, if it goes to your wheels it's obviously 'bunnered'.

It makes me wonder what it's like to hit a human.  I hope it never happens because that's me finished; never driving again.  How can people drive so fast without a conscience to this?  I don't understand.

I visit Oxted in Surrey quite often and there are a few quarries at the back of this buzzing, friendly community and needless to some people have more money than sense and they want to open a new one.  One of the routes the trucks take in and out of the area goes past a park and via a narrow residential area.  It's a lovely park; typical of the days when I was a kid.  It's a safe, open environment that's very well used by the community for all types of family events; every day, all day.

As I was passing it the other day, one of the quarry trucks was coming towards me in the middle of the road so fast, I actually had to get up on the grass verge because I could see he wasn't slowing.  He was overtaking parked vehicles.  The car in front also had to do the same thing.  If a child had been stepping out between one of the parked cars, there is no way that lorry driver would have felt it or seen what devastation he had caused.  Poor bunny.

Possibly a dad earning a crust himself; possibly a selfish nutter with PMT on a mission (men have PMT for at least seven months of the year - maybe more, as we well know ladies).  Whatever he was, he was simply not giving a thought to the environment he was driving through which is unfortunately typical of today's road community.

It appears the least priority for some companies is not ensuring their drivers are fully mentally capable of being on the road - I've met a few and believe me... there are hundreds out there that are not.  The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 came into effect in the UK on 6 April 2008.  If you're one of the unlucky business owners that ends up dealing with a tragic event caused by one of your drivers - you can say goodbye to your comfortable standard of living and peace of mind for the rest of your life.  The remedy is heightened priority and more budget to corporate driver training.  You as a boss have no idea how your driver is behaving when he is on his own in the cab.  You can brush it off and say you don't care over a brew and a gossip or to someone spouting the odds in a blog but .....what if?  There are plenty of 'what ifs' when you own your own business (small or large) - this one needs attention; the cracks are showing out there and blatantly you're responsible.

So how many people are thinking "it'll never happen to me" I wonder?  Similarly, ('they say') cancer affects 1 in 3.  Have you had a prostrate check lately?

Squidgy things leads me back to the break-dancing fox.  It didn't get to go on the Fox-Factor.  I went down the same road I came up on the previous night hoping to see nothing but a carrier bag at the side of it but no, the fox was in the middle of the lanes I'd driven up on in a heap; probably with hungry cubs hidden nearby.

Always expect the unexpected.

<In memory of Lee>

White lines are painted OVER a fox lying dead at the side of the Ratcliffe Highway in St Mary Hoo, SUBMITTED.

Click here to read the full story.