Ewe Found With Throat Injury
Neil Dennis found one of his ewes dead in a field in 2019. Neil explained that the ewe was still warm when he arrived that morning. The blood had not clotted, and there were visible 2-and-a-half-inch deep puncture wounds in the neck and what looked like 4 small punctures in the back like a paw had held it down. The rest of the sheep had fled the field but Neil said he could see where all the sheep had been laying as there was a hard frost that night, the sheep were still wary that evening. There were no signs of a struggle and Neil believes the ewe was asphyxiated where she slept.
Carcass Found In Herefordshire 2024
Big cats have a rough textured tongue that have numerous small, pointed projections called papillae which give them a rough texture perfect for scraping off fur and meat. Cats will lick their prey to remove loose hair, dirt, and small pieces of flesh from the carcass before eating it.
Cats will peel back the skin on the ribs of their prey to access the organ meats which are a great source of protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.
Cats can eat smaller prey whole, while larger prey can provide them with food for several days.
This image shows an injury to the mouth and nose area of a deer. The muzzle clamp is a technique big cats use, though it is less common than the throat clamp. Young cats may also use the muzzle clamp if they are unable reach the throat area.
Caithness, Scotland.
A witness who was living in a remote valley in Caithness, Scotland at the time reports seeing a big black cat chasing sheep.
" What first made me realise something major was up was several sheep started running towards me, which they never do with anyone on foot. As those sheep parted I then saw the cat and got a good clear view, it was either black or very possibly a dark brown. It was a large leggy Labrador build with a very long tail and a cat-shaped face. Its overall height was slightly lower than the sheep"
A big black cat was seen entering the forest on the edge of the valley, near to where a dead sheep had been found. The killing of that sheep took place in a short time window and was found early morning. Other sheep were attacked on other occasions and parts of sheep skeletons were often found in the forest.
Lynx Found In Freezer
The discovery of a 59-pound dead cat occurred during a search of a gamekeeper suspected of killing birds of prey in 1991. According to the officer involved, "At the beginning of the search in an outhouse, which contained a large chest freezer, I asked him what he had in the freezer. He replied, 'Oh, just some pigeons and a lynx.'" Upon opening the freezer, the officer found a large lynx lying stretched out on top of a pile of pigeons. The gamekeeper confessed to shooting the lynx after witnessing it chase his gun dog. The report states that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was notified, and officials believe the cat may have escaped from illegal ownership or a zoo. It is suspected that the lynx was shot in Great Witchingham and has reportedly been sold to a wealthy landowner, who has had the animal stuffed.
