Cat Beast and His 5,930 Pals
THE cat beast of Calderdale is not alone – there are thousands of exotic animals on the loose in Britain, says a survey today.
The local big cat, thought to be a black panther like the one pictured, has been blamed for killing livestock and mauling pets in Calderdale.
Now the Beastwatch UK survey has revealed Britons have come face to face with leopards, crocodiles, snakes, sharks, spiders and monkeys.
There have been more than 10,000 reports of unusual animals in the UK since 2001.
They include: 5,931 big cats, 3,389 sharks, 332 wild boar, 51 wallabies, 43 snakes, 13 dangerous spiders, 13 racoons, 10 crocodiles, seven wolves, three pandas, two scorpions and a penguin.
Hebden Bridge lecturer Steve Burnip has also reported a long serpent-like creature in Windermere.
Now scientists are now appealing for the public to record any sightings at England's largest lake.
Steve 51, said: "In July my wife Eileen and some friends were walking along the lake. At Watbarrow Point I saw this thing. I could see a lump where its head was and I thought, Oh my goodness – it's the Loch Ness Monster.
"The body was in three parts and about 20ft long. It moved up the lake quite quickly against the current then disappeared.
"It was quite extraordinary," said Steve. "I'm a sceptic and if anybody else had told me they had seen it I would not have believed them. But I really did see something out there."
Halifax Courier: 18th September 2006
