Baglan Beast is a real big cat

[Deleted]

Baglan Beast is a real big cat

Dec 1 2005
Daily Post


AN expert has identified the mythical Baglan Beast in South Wales as an authentic big cat living in the wild.

A mountain lion or lynx living in forestry in South Wales is apparently the origin of countless big cat sightings over three decades.

Traditional detective work linked to modern forensic testing has transformed what many dismissed as a myth into reality.

South Wales police said yesterday the breakthrough came last month after an off-duty policeman saw the big cat while walking his dog.

Officers were then able to make a plaster cast of a giant paw print left by the animal, and were also able to DNA test hairs found in the print.

The big cat was dubbed the "Baglan Beast" after it was repeatedly sighted in the Baglan area close to Port Talbot.

Now an expert from Aberystwyth University who examined the evidence has confirmed a real big cat is living in the wild outside the town.

icnorthwales.icnetwork.co.uk/news/regionalnews/tm_objectid=16434499&method=full&siteid=50142&headline=baglan-beast-is-a-real-big-cat--name_page.html

[Wall1]

Greetings
This has now been officially refuted, copy of post in mail to Mike.
Regards to all Wally

[Deleted]

Big cat 'proof' rejected Dec 3 2005

Tomos Livingstone, Western Mail

INVESTIGATING experts have dismissed reports claiming proof had been found of the existence of big cats roaming the Welsh countryside.

It was reported conclusive proof had been found by experts after an off-duty police officer walking his dog near Baglan, Port Talbot, claimed to have seen a beast.

But specialists from the National Assembly have denied there is proof of a "Baglan Beast."

An Assembly spokeswoman said, "There has been no confirmation a big cat is at large in the Baglan area.

"A member of the Welsh Assembly Government Wildlife Management Unit visited the site this week and was given a plastercast of a paw print by police.

"There was no hair from the animal available from which to take a DNA sample.

"The paw print plastercast is of poor quality and unlikely to prove the existence of a big cat."

[wally1]

On again. Off again. On again.
Now there is a claim that hairs were found in the disputed footprint and they have been identified as puma.
No word from the establishment yet.
So whats new?

Cheers Wally

[Deleted]

Now there is a claim that hairs were found in the disputed footprint and they have been identified as puma.

This was raised when the story was initially reported.

Officers were then able to make a plaster cast of a giant paw print left by the animal, and were also able to DNA test hairs found in the print.

Ruby

[Thylacoleo Gal]

Been doing some serious digging in academic databases - Yup, QfT has access, at last! It's a prob cuz all the scientific publishers have gone totally commercial on the internet and if u don't have privileges, u have to , aaarrrgh! Pay. And it soon adds up, let me tell u. The only other option is to do manual searches in library basements - and that has its drawbacks too.

Anyway, re these "big cats" we keep hearing about in Britain, it seems like, just maybe, there might be something in it. Check out the abstract below. The last fossil is not the last survivor, obviously, so maybe it's possible a small population held on since medieval times? I reckon a camera survey over there, in a suitable remote area(?), could pay a major scientific dividend.

Journal of Quaternary Science
Volume 21, Issue 1 , Pages 3 - 8
Published Online: 10 Oct 2005

2005. New evidence for the occurrence of Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) in medieval Britain. J. Quaternary Sci., Vol. 21 pp. 3-8. ISSN 0267-8179.

Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK.
Hetherington, D. A., Lord, T. C. and Jacobi, R. M.

Abstract
The presence of Eurasian lynx as a former native species in Britain during the Holocene is known from bones recovered from several sites. AMS radiocarbon dating of lynx bone recovered from two sites in the Craven area of northern England gave 1842 ± 35 14C yr BP and 1550 ± 24 14C yr BP, together representing the youngest dates for lynx from England, and in the case of the latter, the youngest for Britain as a whole. These dates support the view that the game animal whose occurrence in the nearby Lake District is described in the early 7th century Cumbric text Pais Dinogad, and whose translation to date has been problematic, is a lynx. The occurrence of lynx in early medieval Britain shows that earlier periods of climate change, previously blamed for the species' extinction in Britain, were not responsible. Instead, anthropogenic factors such as severe deforestation, declining deer populations, and persecution, are likely to have caused the extirpation of lynx in Britain. Consequently, the lynx qualifies as a candidate for reintroduction. Large-scale reafforestation, the growth of deer populations, and more positive attitudes towards carnivores in modern society, could permit the restoration of lynx to Britain, particularly in Scotland. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Received: 16 May 2005; Revised: 27 June 2005; Accepted: 29 June 2005

[Deleted]

Nice one Debs!

Oh to be able to read the whole paper... keep digging for those gems!

;D

Ruby

[Thylacoleo Gal]

Could d/l the whole article but it'sa pretty big file and couldn't post it under copyright rules anyway. I do have a scanned article (somewhere!) from a tiddly magazine called the Scots Journal - it's all about "the Kellas Cats"(?) and how they might be lynxes. Lots of pics + anecdotes - it's from the 1960s - 70s if i remember it right?

[Deleted]

Print 'proof' of big cat presence
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4671402.stm


Balbirnie cast (top), captive puma (right), dog (bottom), leopard (left)

Police believe they have the first conclusive proof a big cat, dubbed the "Beast of Balbirnie", could be on the loose in Fife.
There have been numerous reports of big cats in the Kingdom in recent years.

Now officers have had a plaster cast of a paw print verified by experts who believe it is of an 18-month-old exotic large cat.

Fife Police's wildlife crime officer, Mark Maylin, said it was most likely to be a print of a black leopard.

Mr Maylin said: "There had been several sightings at one time on the Balbirnie Estate near Glenrothes of a big cat so we went down and discovered this print.

"At the time there was a local man who said he had been walking his St Bernard dog in the area but I was convinced it had come from a big cat so I took a plaster cast of it to two experts who said immediately it was from an exotic cat.

"They couldn't be species-specific because there wasn't specific clarity in the heel pad but said judging by the size the animal was 18 months old and was the offspring of an animal released illegally in the 90s.

"I am resigned to the fact we are going to have to live with this big cat in the area. It hasn't hurt anyone in the past. I would urge people to refrain from shooting it because an injured animal is a very dangerous one."

Exciting news

Rob Martin, The Cat Survival Trust manager who verified the cast was that of a big cat, said it was "exciting news".

"It is definitely a big cat because there were no claw marks and the pad shapes are consistent with a cats.

"It's exciting to think big cats are living wild in Scotland but they will eventually die off. It's most likely to be a leopard."


Police sent the paw print off for analysis by experts

George Redpath, Fife's big cat researcher, said he was "delighted" it had finally been confirmed.

"I have always believed there are big cats in Fife after seeing black leopards on four different occasions.

"But it is great that finally we have the proof and that an expert has come forward to confirm it is the footprint of a big cat.

"Nobody should be unduly concerned because these cats have been here for years. they won't bother you if you don't bother them."

[Deleted]

Hats off to the poms - they beat us in the cricket now theyre beating us to the punch with evidence for big cats.
Crikey; next they'll be sending more convicts....

I like the pic of the comparative footprints - it's one of the better examples of the difference between puma and leopard prints that I've seen. Anyone know where one could get hold of a higher res version?

[Deleted]

Hi Plesiosaur,

Alas, that was the size the pictures were displayed at on the page.

Shame the print wasn't clearer - not one of the most impressive casts I've seen by any means.

You're right though, it's great to have comparative casts to give people a better idea of size.

Ruby

PS Bloody Poms!

[Deleted]

I wonder how many people have perfectly good tracks criss crossing their properties and have no idea too look for them? I must admit I've never noticed myself, except for the possum footprints all over hubbies motorbike! LOL!

[Deleted]

I regularly find tracks and these days I never bother to make plaster casts but sometimes I photograph the them. I find that most animals are terribly inconsiderate and rarely leave truly difinitive tracks, I have seen casts made by other people that have been far clearer than any track I have ever seen. Obviously they must live in an area where tracking is easier, animals are more considerate or they are good at enhancement. ;D

[rodgey]

plesiosaurus said:

Hats off to the poms - they beat us in the cricket now theyre beating us to the punch with evidence for big cats.

LoL. As you can see they've never had a problem in getting evidence for their big cats.

Photo's, bodies and confessions of nutbags here.

www.scottishbigcats.co.uk/escapeandcaptures.htm