BCC EP:112 The policeman, the prints & the calling leopard

07/03/24 • 80 min

Our first guest Richard recounts a sudden episode of big cat reports from his time as a local police officer in Wiltshire. One of the cases involved a threatened domestic cat.

In the second part we catch up with tracker and wildlife guide Mark Graves who was first on ep 95. He explains why some photographed footprints and plaster casts are evidence for big cats in Scotland and in Dorset, and he discusses a call which matches a leopard vocalisation, recorded recently in a Devon woodland.

We also reflect on a recent press report of a camper experiencing a black panther advancing towards him in a Derbyshire campsite. Mark gives feedback after speaking with the witness.

Finally, Mark and Rick consider how distinct the British big cats may be, tuned as they are to the UK environment.

Words of the week: character release

3 July 2024

Our first guest Richard recounts a sudden episode of big cat reports from his time as a local police officer in Wiltshire. One of the cases involved a threatened domestic cat.

We also reflect on a recent press report of a camper experiencing a black panther advancing towards him in a Derbyshire campsite. Mark gives feedback after speaking with the witness.

Finally, Mark and Rick consider how distinct the British big cats may be, tuned as they are to the UK environment.

Words of the week: character release

3 July 2024

Previous Episode

BCC EP:111 Cat at the campsite, panther at the portaloo

We hear from Andy and from Gail, the different witnesses mentioned by Nick on his farm in episode 109. Andy and Gail speak about their own various big cat incidents during their farm visits, and they have each had one close up account...

Andy confronted a large black “panther-leopard” one evening at the barns. Gail was on her way to the campsite portaloo when she watched a big black cat sitting in the early morning sun.

The cat-like footprint photographed by Nick for episode 109 (BCC website, Refs & Links page) may match the scale of the cat described by Gail.

Word of the week: coexistence

8 June 2024

Next Episode

BCC EP:113 Daybreak with the Cheshire leopards

Steve our guest trains his working gun dog, a springer spaniel every morning at dawn. We hear of four occasions when he’s encountered a large black cat in his local Cheshire countryside. For one of the sightings the animal had a pronounced limp. On the BCC website (Refs & Links, Ep 113) Steve compares his sighting to the footage of a limping large black cat filmed in Scotland last year.

Steve and Rick also discuss the footage of an alleged large black cat filmed in Steve’s area of Cheshire in January 2024. The footage was shown in the media at the time and is now on the BCC website to view.

Steve also recalls seeing a Scottish wildcat in Scotland and we hear about black panther and lynx reports mentioned on his fishing trips in Scotland.

Word of the week: observant

27 July 2024