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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think friend was mistaken about seeing a 'black panther' behind my house?

171 replies

HourOrTwo · 15/04/2015 15:57

So last week friend turned up on my doorstep in a right state, saying she'd just seen a 'black panther' run across road and disappear into field behind my house!! I said it must have been a dog or badger but she no it was definitely a big black cat. She was very upset and shaken (left her bike in road and ran to my house on foot, would not tell me what was wrong until we were inside!)

FYI we live in a rural area, only one other house nearby. Our garden backs onto fields with woods nearby. Road is more of a lane, hardly any traffic.

Friend said she'd cycled round bend in road when big black cat about 5ft long with a long tail ran into road about 10m from her, she braked, cat froze and 'snarled' at her then ran rest of way across. She saw it go through hedge then lost sight of it. She said it sort of 'slunk' across moving low to ground and had a strange shaped head. I can't think of anything else to fit this description, any ideas?

I told her it had to be a big black dog but she was having none of it, insists it was a big cat. Apparently it moved like a cat. She doesn't have any vision problems, she wasn't drunk or anything (I did wonder at first). She does get scared easily though and can be bit hysterical e.g. she is scared of wasps and dogs. She wanted to phone police but I talked her out of it and when DH came home he gave her a lift home.

Thing is DH has taken this seriously!!! He won't let DD (7) play in garden unsupervised, has cut back all bushes around house and won't let me walk DD to school (2-mile walk through fields). He also reported it to police though unsurprisingly they declined to investigate. They said there haven't been any other sightings. DH has been examining garden 'for signs'. Last night he thought he heard 'a big cat coughing' (!!!) when he was standing at end of garden. Naturally he didn't see it.

AIBU to think this is all crazy and my friend must have made a mistake?

OP posts:
Mrsbaconandbeans · 15/04/2015 17:21

I have seen one before and there's no mistaking it!! Reported it to forestry commission who said they hadn't had one reported that day Confused freaked me out totally Sad

SilasGreenback · 15/04/2015 17:36

I think they are meant to be on the Herts/Essex boarder periodically. I was always a bit dubious but know the RSPCA were out trying to catch them once and the farmers were more careful with the lambs if there had been a sighting.

IggyStrop · 15/04/2015 17:44

From what I've read on the internet, big cats like this don't hunt rabbits, birds etc unless larger prey is scarce. Lots of sheep and cows etc all nicely penned up would be easy pickings for a large kitty.

That's why I think I'm tending towards George Monbiot's take on this one.

t3rr3gl35 · 15/04/2015 17:45

I'm on the fence over big cats. I probably veer towards believing that there are a few breeding populations throughout the UK, but that a huge amount of reportings are mistaken identity with occasionally some hysteria thrown in.

I really don't believe we have many (if any) black panthers - these guys are basically heavily pigmented leopards, and are scarily big and far less shy than their American cousins. We would definitely have far more reported cases of pet dogs and livestock being attacked if there were as many of these as reported.

The general consensus amongst the wildlife experts I used to associate with was that almost every reported sighting that could be classed as reliable was of puma/cougar/mountain lion - all the same beast, just different regional names and not really terribly scary unless absolutely starving, which wouldn't really happen in the UK as small game is plentiful all year round. Even sheep are on the big side for these guys to take on unless they are pretty desperate.

Finally, if big cats are breeding in the wild, they would have to be fairly inbred by now (due to being in isolated pockets) along with all of the associated issues inbreeding causes. I can't remember much detail of the breeding ages etc. these days, but I'm assuming that late 70's - mid 80's will be about 6-7 generations, perhaps more, so they may well be fairly puny versions of their truly wild cousins, in short - more intriguing than worrying. Wink

Would love to see one, though!!

VivaLeBeaver · 15/04/2015 17:57

I've seen one and I'm 100% sure it was one.

It chased my greyhound which thankfully was fast and also had a slight head start. It was a similar height to my greyhound but stockier, with a long tail. Was no way a dog or a normal cat.

I'm a country person, am not an over imaginative person.

Got back to the village and told my very sensible neighbour who I thought would laugh and he to,d me he's seen big cat footprints in the fields.

listsandbudgets · 15/04/2015 19:05

My mum and I saw one in a very rural area of Devon. I initially didn't believe what I'd seen but she was adamant she'd seen it too. Mum said she'd seen it before a couple of weeks ago but thought she was mistaken but this time there was no mistaking it. They are definitely out there.

SteamTrainsRealAleandOpenFires · 15/04/2015 19:40

And just to be unhelpful Grin =======> Could big cats be roaming the UK?

nousernamesleft · 15/04/2015 19:56

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1201234/Big-cat-fears-holiday-park-horse-mauled-puma.html
Hope the link works, this is fairly local to us, they've been spotted multiple times over the years. (apologies for dm link)

evelynj · 15/04/2015 19:58

I'd believe her. Why on earth would she make it up unless she is prone to fantasy? I'd be on the lookout, would love to see one myself. Agree about it being very unlikely that they'll harm anyone but none of us would want to be the one saying ' big cat ate my baby'

SirVixofVixHall · 15/04/2015 20:00

My friend had a panther in her garden. She taped its call and got footprints. It has been sighted again recently (I am in West Wales). I also once saw a mountain lion strolling across a field in Dorset!

HettyD · 15/04/2015 20:02

I have seen one too,in a field. Apparently after the government outlawed the keeping of such animals in 1976 it is assumed lots were released into the wild and their descendants still roam.

londonrach · 15/04/2015 20:05

I saw one in somerset so know they out there. Stood still (was very frightened) and it looked at me (about a metre away) and then a random jack russell ran past me and went for it and it disappeared. I remember its tail. It was huge! Did find a deer shortly afterwards that had been eaten by it. We rushed for a camera and returned to take photos of the deer. My ex still got these photos.

londonrach · 15/04/2015 20:07

The police used to issue warnings that you werent to walk alone or with a small dog.

SirVixofVixHall · 15/04/2015 20:07

www.carmarthenjournal.co.uk/Advice-expert-second-big-cat-spotted/story-22867693-detail/story.html This made me laugh but it mentions the one my friend heard in her garden. She is near New Quay.

starlightmagic · 15/04/2015 20:17

I've seen one,100% sure what it was, I was walking towards a quiet area however had a large security light, light suddenly went on and I saw this great big animal run past into the fields, at first I thought it was a huge huge cat and very quickly realised it was a black panther, as said above the tail was long thick and rounded and it really was massive! However I lived in an area where sightings were fairly common and also regularly found dead sheep, and stripped carcasses when walking in the local area!

MistressMia · 15/04/2015 20:23

The guy who bought Dartmoor Zoo and is the author of We Bought a Zoo mentions big cats in the countryside in his book - Puma's I think he said they are.

Apparently they come up to the zoo at dusk and prowl around and are zoo escapees or their descendants , so yes we do have big cats in the wild.

McFox · 15/04/2015 20:27

I've seen one, it was on a country road at night and I had to stop the car. It was terrifying in a lowdown old mini. Definitely a cat, and I thought it was a panther.

primulaprimulina · 15/04/2015 20:28

You're friend is crazy, it was probably just a large hedgehog or something!

londonrach · 15/04/2015 20:31

Primula. I can show you where i saw the panther and suggest you told to local police. Its fact not fiction!

HelenF350 · 15/04/2015 20:32

There are regular sightings of big cats in many areas of the UK. Both my mother and I have seen them in out locality, granted about 10 years apart.

LadyFlumpalot · 15/04/2015 20:34

There are loads around here. Local farmers on the hills find half eaten sheep quite regularly. The police try to blame foxes and dogs. The problem with that theory is that the sheep have usually been dragged up trees and wedged in the branches.

This is from my local paper.

primulaprimulina · 15/04/2015 20:36

OMG you've all seen one! Your're all crazy!

youarekiddingme · 15/04/2015 20:37

Wow. This is an interesting thread. The most we see here is foxes but I'm a believer there must be animals out there like big cats - enough sightings over the years. But I also am inclined to think they aren't a threat to humans or we'd see them more often iyswim?

KingJoffreyFanciesDarylDixon · 15/04/2015 20:43

I've seen one.

On Salisbury plain/plane.

Very late (early hours of morning). Very dark. Walked past our car.

LadyFlumpalot · 15/04/2015 20:47

More to the point, Joffrey what were you doing up on the plain in a car in the wee hours then?!?

not that I've parked up behind Larkhill ever at all, no not me

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