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The Truth About Big Cats is Out There
Big cats are roaming wild across East Yorkshire, but no one seems able to catch them on camera.
That is the view of a group of enthusiasts, who claim the area has more reported sightings than anywhere else.
But there is less photographic or video evidence than in other areas.
Organisers of a convention held in Hull at the weekend have now urged people to get in touch with them if they see a big cat, or think there is one near by.
Mark Fraser, the 43-year-old founder of Big Cats In Britain, is originally from Hessle Road, in west Hull, but now lives in Kilmarnock, Scotland.
He said: "We want to raise public awareness because researchers aren't going to solve this by themselves.
"What we want is close-up photographs.
"People should try to get pictures or let us know if there is a cat nearby so we can come into the area."
The group has records of big cats spotted in areas including North Ferriby, Hessle, Paull, Pocklington and Wawne.
Mr Fraser said: "We also had a report last week in the Burton Pidsea area.
"We don't know what sort of cats they are.
"Some people think they're an indigenous species and others think they have been released by their owners."
About 50 people from across the country attended the three-day convention at the Dorchester Hotel in Beverley Road, west Hull, which ran from Friday until yesterday evening.

Big Cat Experts Aim to Throw Light On Some Rural Mysteries
By Simon Bristow
Almost every county of the UK is subject to stories of panther-like big cats roaming the countryside, leading to legends such as the Wildcat of the Wolds, the Lincolnshire Lynx and the Surrey Puma. The phenomena is followed closely by a network of enthusiasts, some of whom are attending a two-day conference at Hull's Dorchester Hotel to discuss the latest evidence. Members of the Big Cats in Britain group will be told of the latest reports from Yorkshire, including a sighting in the Fylingdales area where an animal "the size of an Alsation but longer in length" was spotted crossing the road, scurrying between farm buildings and approaching a patio window. The group compiles photos and lists of sightings from across the UK, and members will also patrol "hot-spots" in a bid to find evidence to prove their existance. Group spokesman Mark Fraser said: "It's accepted by most people that these creatures are there, we just don't know what they are." "A lot of people think they've seen a puma, but there's no such thing as a black puma. It could be some sort of hybrid. People see something that catches their eye and looks out of place and they can't really explain it. People are describing animals that don't fit any type we are aware of." Mr Fraser's wife Hannah said: "We are down to earth people and not prone to flights of fancy. "About 80 per cent of sightings are of a big black cat and that seems to be a mystery British cat; we just want to find out what it is." For information on the group and the conference, see the group's website at www.bigcatsinbritain.org. Yorkshire Post: 24th March 2007

Big Cat Panic as Police Reveal 185 Sightings
By Eva Langlands
ARE they pumas, leopards, lynx or simply the figments of overactive imaginations?
Whatever the answer to the phenomenon of big cat sightings, newly released documents reveal the full extent of the lengths police are going to prove the mysterious beasts exist.
Data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveals almost 200 sightings were reported by members of the public to Scottish police forces between 2000 and 2006. Police in Grampian and Fife recorded the highest number of sightings, 55 and 42 respectively. Other hotspots include Lothian, with 30 sightings, and Strathclyde, with 27.
The documents reveal that the police are using extensive resources to investigate claims of big cat sightings. Helicopters have been deployed on four occasions by Strathclyde Police to patrol areas following an alleged sighting. The documents also show how police collect samples for examination by respected academics.
This week experts will discuss the findings at the UK's first conference on big cats.
Event organisers welcomed the police data, which they said provided vital clues in the search for the elusive creatures.
But the true number of sightings is significantly higher, warn experts. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," said Shaun Stevens, a Scottish representative of Big Cats in Britain (BCIB), a group dedicated to researching the alleged existence of big cats and host of the conference in Hull.
"We register three sightings on average a week in Scotland. Many people never report what they've seen. I believe there could be up to 40 big cats roaming wild in Scotland.
"All the hundreds of people that have reported sightings can't be wrong. Someone has got to be telling the truth. Now it's just a matter of getting proof."
For the first time, this year the group will erect trigger cameras in remote areas of Scotland in an attempt to finally capture a definitive image of the black beasts.
Several theories exist on the creatures' origin. One is that the felines are descendants of animals released more than 30 years ago by individuals who didn't want to comply with regulations in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1972.
Others believe the animals escaped from registered ownership or that consumer demand for designer cats spawned a new generation of hybrids.
But the most radical theory claims there is a native species of wild cat in Scotland that has not been identified to date. According to BCIB, people consistently give the same description: round head, black body and pointed ears.
"We are getting more and more sightings of these strange black beasts that don't fit descriptions of any known species," said Stevens.
"The only black cats of similar size to these descriptions are leopards or jaguars, but they have rounded ears. These cats are not big enough to be a panther but are bigger than a domestic cat. It's a mystery."
Fife, with its dry climate and rural landscape, provides a perfect habitat for wild big cats, according to Mark Maylin, wildlife crime officer at Fife Constabulary.
There have been numerous reports of big cats in the Kingdom in recent years.
Last year Maylin's team believed they had the first conclusive proof of a big cat, the "Beast of Balbirnie", on the loose in Fife. Police officers presented a plaster cast of a pawprint verified by experts who believe it is from an 18-month-old exotic large cat - possibly a black leopard.
"We have massive areas of forest in Fife. There is sufficient cover and food for them to survive," said Maylin, who believes the lynx and black leopard are roaming Scotland. "I don't believe people are making this up. I'd say two-thirds of all sightings are genuine."
But in Grampian, another alleged big cat "hotspot", police officers vehemently disputed the claims.
"I don't believe for a minute that there are breeding big cats in Scotland. If there are, why have we not had one killed on our busy roads yet? Why have we not had a fully recovered skeleton? Why are we not seeing livestock killed in large numbers?" said wildlife officer Dave MacKinnon of Grampian Police.
Dr Andrew Kitchener, curator of birds and mammals at the National Museums of Scotland is also sceptical. The world expert on mammals appealed to the public to come forward with evidence.
"I've heard of people accumulating evidence in their freezers at home. But so far no-one has come forward. Until we get hard evidence it's impossible to say conclusively whether there are big cats are in Scotland," said Kitchener.
"We keep hearing about these bodies, which later disappear. Any footprints we've examined have always had a different explanation, often that of a dog.
"I've read newspaper reports of alleged big cat sightings. But people are actually describing the Scottish wild cat. They don't realise the animal is significantly bigger than the domestic cat.
"I am not suggesting that people are making this up. But it's difficult for people to accurately identify animals when looking at them in the distance in the dark."
'The animal bounded towards me at great speed'
ON January 16 at 11.30pm, security officer John Golder was patrolling the Manse Estate in Galston, Ayrshire, when he suddenly spotted a large animal he thought resembled a cat.
"I shone my torch on to the playing field and immediately lit up a set of eyes, which then stopped and turned to look directly at my torch beam," he said. "Immediately the animal began to bound towards me at great speed. I became spooked, turned round and ran into the Portakabin, blocking the door with a metal bar."
Scared, Golder rang BCIB. A representative appeared on the scene at 12.15am to find the security guard visibly shaking.
"It reminded me of a cat. It bounded. I don't know any other animal that would move like this," said Golder.
"The eyes were a yellowy-blue colour and bright - almost like a star. They seemed to be about two and a half to three feet off the ground."
Golder stayed in the cabin for 20 minutes before venturing outside again. But before he dared open the door, he turned off all the lights and peered into the darkness for signs of any unexpected wandering beasts.
Reported sightings of big cats in the Galston area stretch back over several decades. In fact, this was not the first time Golder claims to have seen this big cat. Several months earlier, the security guard alleges he saw the same creature walking across a field.
Scotland on Sunday: 18th March 2007

Mark's out to Bag the Beast of Bodmin.
By Russell Stoddart
Photographs and eyewitness accounts aim to prove Britain's big cats really exist. A cat show with a difference is hoping to shed new light on one of our countryside's greatest mysteries.
Big cat-like animals have been haunting people's imagination since Victorian times.
But it wasn't until the first sightings of the Exmoor Beast in the 1960s that the prospect of "real" big cats roaming our moors was suggested.
Since then, the likes of the Beast of Bodmin the Fen Tiger, the Lincolnshire lynx and the White Cat of Cardrona have taken on almost mythical identities.
Now experts from across the world, including South African trackers and wildlife authors, arte set to gather for the first-ever conference of Big Cats in Britain.
The organisation has the biggest online archive information on British Big Cats, with the aim of discovering what species may be roaming our countryside and how they came to be here.
Set Free
The term “big cats” refers to any feline not indigenous to Britain, and includes jungle cats, leopard, lynx and puma.
In 1976, a law change meant owners of exotic big cats required a licence, and it was rumoured that many of their prized pets were set free.
Founder member of Big Cats in Britain, Mark Fraser, believes the conference will go a ong way to sorting out fact from fiction, and whether many of these animals not only survived in the wild, buit could have bred.
“We’ve had reports of 4000 sightings of large cat-like beasts on our website and we continue to get on average about three new ones each day,” he said
“The increase in sightings could be explained by greater awareness of big cats, and also that the ridicule factor associated with sightings has gone.
“Big black cats, often described as looking like leopards, account for about 70% of the sightings but, frustratingly, we’ve no clear photo images or a body to prove they really exist.
Indigenous
“If all the sightings of black cats were true, the we’d actually have more big cats in this country then there are in the whole of Africa!”
Researcher and author Di Francis got Mark and many other enthusiasts interested in big cats with her book, Cat Country, which contained details of many famous sightings.
“Di believes big cats do roam the country and are an indigenous species,” he added. “She’s supposed to be bringing to the conference photographic evidence taken from a river estuary near Oban, in the west of Scotland.
“The Freedom of Information Act has enabled us to read about the account of other sightings particularly from police officers, and we hope to have a few at the conference to tell about their experiences.
“The conference will also have zoologists, researchers, a Defra official and South African trackers, who can offer advice on what it is we might actually be seeing.”
The conference will be taking place at the Dorchester Hotel in Hull from March 23 to 25.
For more information click on the website www.bigcatsinbritain.org
The Weekly News: 10th March 2007

Mystery of the Big Cats
There have been so many sightings now of big cats, its not a question of whether they exist. It is just a question of what exactly they are.
By Mark Gee
Experts from across the country are set to gather in Hull to discuss multiple sightings of big cats across Britain.
The conference at the Dorchester Hotel next month is the first to be organised exclusively by the Big Cats in Britain group.
Founder member Mark Fraser, originally from Hull, said there have been multiple sightings of the animals in East Yorkshire, including Burton Pidsea and Risby fishing lake just last week.
He said: “This conference is for anyone who wants to find out more about the Big Cats in Britain group.
“We will take people back to the beginning. People will be able to ask questions from a range of experts.”
Vetaran big cat researcher Di Francis will speak at the gathering.
She is working on her new book, Cat Country Revisited, a sequel to Cat Country, published in 1983. Which started many people on the trail, including Mark.
Other speakers include zoologist Chris Moiser, police officers, South African trackers, scientists and witnesses.
The event also includes film shows, a raffle, quiz, displays and a book stall.
It is now more than 40 years since the first spate of sightings hit the headlines with the “Surrey Puma”, yet organisers say they are still no closer to solving the mystery.
Mark said: “There have been so many sightings now, so they do exist. It is just a question of what they are.”
Humberside Police was the first force in the country to say, in 2003, it thought big cats were at large in the countryside.
Tickets for the full event, from March 23 to 25 cost £20. Day tickets cost £14. The conference is also open to non-members.
Visit www.bigcatsinbritain.org or call Mark Fraser on (01563) 551710 or (07940) 016972.
Hull Daily Mail: 8th March 2007

Identity of Big Cat Found Dead to be Unveiled
The identity of a big cat found near Oban is to be revealed at a conference next month.
British big cat researcher Di Francis has decided to reveal photographic evidence showing the body of a large unknown cat found on a river estuary.
"We have gone a long torturous route in identifying the reality of British big cats but now in the 21st century, the question is not are they here, but what are they? An elderly couple, walking along a beach near the river estuary in Oban, found the body of a puma-sized silver grey female cat with a faint ginger stripe across its face and a white or cream chest, washed up on the beach."
She will reveal the photos for the first time at the Big Cats in Britain Conference in Hull.
Big Cats in Britain founder Mark Fraser said: "I have been aware of these photographs for several years but have not yet seen them - I am as eager as everyone else. Controversy is sure to arise at the conference which is attracting delegates from all over the country.
"Other speakers include zoologist Chris Moiser, Centre for Fortean Zoology director Jonathan Downes, police officers, researchers, authors, South African trackers, scientists, witnesses - all with one common aim which is to discover just exactly what large felines are roaming the British Isles."
Big Cats in Britain Argyllshire representative Shaun Stevens will also be presenting the results of a year-long study into exotic animals in the British Isles using data he received through the Freedom of Information Act.
He said: "There are many researchers out there desperate to view this ground-breaking evidence. It could be a catalyst in changing the perception of the big cat phenomena in the UK for ever."
The inaugural Big Cats in Britain conference is being held from March 23 to March 25. Tickets for the full weekend are £20, and day tickets cost £14.
The event will also include debates, film shows, a raffle, quiz, displays, stands and a book stall. A copy of the full itinerary can be sent out on request. For details, log on to www.bigcatsinbritain.org or call Mark Fraser on 01563 551710 or 07940 016972, or e-mail Bigcatsinbritain@btinternet.com
Press & Journal: 16th February 2007

Cat Beast: the Big Debate
By Colin Drury
THE mystery of the Calderdale cat beast will be discussed at a national conference.
Experts including zoologists, Defra officials and cat trackers will debate if the animal exists and where it came from.
There were several sightings of the beast – reported as being black and bigger than a fully grown Staffordshire bull terrier – between February 2005 and July 2006.
In one report the cat was seen sniffing rubbish in a back garden at Copley, Halifax.
In another, a Todmorden pub licensee feared for her dog's safety after seeing the creature while walking her pet.
The conference has been organised by the Big Cats In Britain group.
Founder Mark Fraser said he would be bringing up the Calderdale sightings for discussion. He said: "These have been some of the most interesting there have been.
"I get a lot of hoaxes but I'm sure this isn't one of them.
"Sightings have come from reliable sources, and bones have been found which suggest an attack.
"All we need is that conclusive photo or fossil."
He said the cat could have been released into the wild after being brought into the area as a pet.
And he did not rule out the possibility there was more than one cat stalking the area.
Edward Ashman, Cal-derdale Council countryside project officer, said he would not be attending the conference but would be interested in any findings.
He said: "We might be able to pick up a couple of tips on how to handle any more sightings.
"There's every likelihood of an animal out there, but people shouldn't worry. These animals are scared of human contact."
Sightings have been at Cunnery Woods, Hip-perholme; Park Road, Elland; Cragg Vale; Goitside, Booth; Thorn-ton, Bradford and Wyke.
The conference at the Dorchester Hotel, Hull, runs from March 23-26. Speakers include big cat researcher Di Francis and zoologist Chris Moiser.
Halifax Courier: 16th February 2007

On the Trail of Big Cats
A cat show with a difference will be held in Hull next month.
Experts from across Britain will discuss if scores of sightings of big cats are genuine or cases of mistaken identity.
In 2003, Humberside Police was the first force in the country to officially admit it believed big cats were at large in the countryside.
At the time, its wildlife officer, Sue Rhodes, said she was dealing with more than 80 reports of big cats around the market towns of Driffield and Hessle.
Now, members of Big Cats in Britain are preparing to come to Hull next month for their first conference.
The group gathers evidence from the public and other sources with the aim of discovering what species of big cats, if they exist, are roaming Britain's countryside and how they came to be here.
The term "big cats" denotes any feline not indigenous to the British Isles or any unknown indigenous big cat.
Founder member Mark Fraser, originally from Hull but now living in Scotland, said: "We discuss and debate in a friendly and open manner to help further our knowledge on a subject that for some of us is a way of life."
Among the speakers at the conference will be researcher Di Francis, who wrote Cat Country, which contained famous sightings of big cats and started many enthusiasts on the big-cat trail.
Other speakers will include police officers called to investigate sightings of big game and South African trackers.
The first sighting of a big cat in Britain was made in the 1960s on Exmoor. The animal was later dubbed the Exmoor Beast.
Since then, enthusiasts have reported the likes of the Beast of Bodmin, the Fen Tiger, the Beast of Gloucester and the Lincolnshire Lynx.
Big Cats in Britain has more than 4,000 sightings of large cat-like animals on its website.
In 1976, a change in the law meant owners of big cats had to obtain licences.
But these were expensive, driving some owners to dump their prized pets in the wild.
Debate rages over whether the cats could have survived and bred.
Tickets for the conference, which runs from March 23 to 25 at the Dorchester Hotel in Beverley Road, cost £20. Day tickets cost £14.
For more information, visit the Big Cats in Britain website or call Mr Fraser on 07940 016972
.Contact the Hull Daily Mail k.shoesmith@hdmp.co.uk
The Hull Daily Mail: 17th February 2007

BBC News Yorkshire & Lincolnshire: 13th February 2007

BBC Radio Humberside: 13th February 2007

Experts to Debate Big Cat Sightings
By Felicity Collinsonn
EXPERTS are meeting to discuss if big cats really do roam our countryside.
Sightings of panthers and pumas in and around Hartlepool and the North-East have been reported for decades.
But the issue has still not been resolved as to whether the elusive creatures really roam around the green fringes of the town.
It seems other parts of the country are as baffled, with reported sightings in places as far away as Surrey and Ireland.
Next month, however, big cat experts from all over the country will be gathering to discuss the never-ending issue.
A spokesman for the Big Cats In Britain (BCIB) group - which has organised the gathering - said: “We average three sightings daily from all over the countryside including Ireland. In fact people these days are more likely to see a big cat rather than a pig. “This conference is the first organised exclusively by the group and there is an exciting line up of speakers.”
The Mail has carried dozens of stories over the years of people claiming to have seen big cats.
But their stories are almost always trashed by experts who say the animals are extremely shy and would never get close to man.
On one occasion, Durham Police’s wildlife liaison officer Inspector Eddie Bell, who believes the animals do live alongside us, said: “One of the dangers is when people say ‘it looked a bit like a picture of a puma’. It can’t be a puma if it’s only close to looking like a puma.”
Eddie also said that since he started investigating the sightings in 1986, people have made provable mistakes with one man mistaking his own Rottweiler for a puma.
In the summer of 2005, Hartlepool brothers Reece and Aaron Luckett, of Masefield Road, spotted a “gorilla-shaped” animal in the Burn Valley and Insp Bell believed it was an Indian Muntjack deer.
In October 2004, Jack Smurthwaite, 78, and his neighbours’ children Liam Claughan, 11, and sister Emily, eight, all from Elwick, spotted a big cat and its cub in the village’s woodland.
Eddie believed these animals to be large feral cats, which can grow to the size of Labradors.
The incidents are the latest in a 20-year series of sightings of mysterious creatures in Hartlepool, Trimdon, Wynyard, Hart and Castle Eden.
The BCIB conference will be held in The Dorchester Hotel, Beverley Road, Kingston-Upon-Hull, from March 23 to 25, with full weekend tickets costing £20 and day tickets £14.
Hartlepool Mail: 13th February 2007

Big Cat Sightings Under Spotlight
By Simon Bristow
THE Wildcat of the Wolds, the Lincolnshire Lynx and the reported sightings of other mysterious "big cats" will be debated at a conference in Hull next month.
The Big Cats in Britain group is hosting the three-day event at The Dorchester Hotel, in Beverley Road, from March 23.
Guest speakers will include veteran big cat researcher Di Francis, zoologist Chris Moiser, South African trackers and several people claiming to have witnessed the phenomenon.
A spokesman said: "It is over 40 years since the first public spate of sightings hit the headlines with the Surrey Puma, yet we are still no closer to solving the mystery.
"Experts from all over the country will be gathering to discuss if these cats really are all black leopards, hybrids, or a relic, indigenous species that we never knew existed alongside us."
The event also includes film shows, a raffle, quiz, and book stall.
Yorkshire Today: 12th February 2007