There was little point of a police officer attending in the dark. It was at this point that the police were contacted. He fled into the house, minus the bucket of coal, and was prepared to endure the cold rather than venture back for the coal. ![]() He heard a growling sound coming from the wood not many yards from where he was standing and was convinced at that time that the sound came from a big cat. A few nights later, in the pitch dark, one of the family was round the back of the house filling a bucket of coal for the fire. As is sometimes the case the person who has the experience is sure that what he or she hears or sees is a big cat but is not convinced that the story will be believed. The sound seemed to have come from a field in front of the house and had been heard several times. One family living in a rural location east of Perth were absolutely convinced that they heard the growl and scream of a big cat one winter’s night, but did nothing to report the matter at the time. Leaving aside smell, which has never entered the equation so far at any of the calls I have attended, the sound aspect was slightly more interesting. I have never visited the location of a sighting where I have smelt anything that may indicate the presence of a big cat, or heard anything that resembled any sound made by a big cat, or even seen any mark that could without doubt have been made by a big cat. There is seldom anything to look at to make any sort of judgement as to the accuracy of the information or to be satisfied that the efficacy of any evidence leaves no doubt that the animal was a leopard, mountain lion, lynx or whatever exotic species had been imagined. I have attended at several of the locations but in truth there is little that the police can do to either establish that the sighting was indeed a big cat or rebut the allegation as a false alarm with good intent. There are many sightings of big cats reported to the police. Many people have claimed to see one but it’s hard to find any evidence to substantiate this most persistent and resilient of rural myths. The Myth of the Big Cat (part of a chapter in my first book Wildlife Detective) It reminded me of chapters I have written in three of my books of footprints in the snow and also of my views on ‘big cats.’ I have reproduced the relevant parts here. ![]() I responded to a tweet the other day that showed a mammal’s footpring in the snow and gave my view as to which mammal might have left it.
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