References
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.
Tooth Pits
Tooth pits, or tooth marks, are a forensic technique used to identify the presence of big cats in an area by analyzing the remains of their prey animals. Tooth pit analysis involves examining the bones of prey animals for characteristics such as tooth pits, scores, punctures, or furrowing. The process includes using dental putty to create casts of the bones, which are then measured with digital calipers to determine the length and spacing of the tooth pits. These measurements are compared to the scale and pattern of known carnivores to identify the predator
ABOVE:
This is the triangle pattern to look for on bones of suspected prey, especially on mandibles and pelvic bones. The result is notches or 'pits' made by the sharp cusps of the carnassial, and is a distinctive dimension to cats.
RIGHT:
An example of the triangle pattern on a young elk pelvic bone in Colorado.
Do we have hybrid cats in the UK?
Apart from the three big cats typically reported in the UK—leopards, pumas, and lynxes—there have been sightings that do not match the identification of these species. This raises the question: Are there also hybrid cats roaming the countryside in the UK?