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On the Hunt for the Beast of Bevendean
Big Cats in Britain
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On the Hunt for the Beast of Bevendean
By Emily-Ann Elliott
Brighton Argus: 13th June 2008
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As sightings of the big cat dubbed the Beast of Bevendean continue to
pour into The Argus office I was dispatched to be the first to
discover some proof of the elusive animal.
Before setting off on my mission I spoke to Neil Arnold, from Kent Big
Cat Research, to find out exactly what I should be looking for.
Mr Arnold has been tracking, monitoring and collating evidence of big
cats in the wild, including puma, leopard and lynx, for more than 17
years.
He said: "It is very difficult to find evidence of big cats.
"Cats are very clean animals and would walk around things like puddles
so it is not easy to find their tracks.
"The main evidence of big cats is probably live stock kills and also
scratches up in trees which are difficult to see.
Ninety-nine per cent of signs are found purely by chance."
Hoping that my luck would be in I headed to Bevendean with a list of
signs of recent big cat activity to look out for and a selection of
equipment to help with my investigation.
At the fields behind Bodiam Avenue I met up with Bill Batchelor, who
says he has seen a big cat in the area, which he believes to be a
puma, three times in the last two months.
He said on one occasion the wild animal even attacked his dog which
still has scars on his side and head.
He said: "I was with my dogs in the field when I sensed something low
behind me.
"Every time I stopped it stopped and I was concerned that if it was an
animal which had been brought up by humans it would follow me.
"I heard some noises and then one of my dogs Angus ran to me with
slashes on his side, which looked as though they'd been made by a claw."
As I spoke to Mr Batchelor a ginger cat ambled across a field in the
distance.
He assured me the sandy-coloured creature he had seen in the same
field three weeks ago had been much bigger, with a tail two thirds the
size of its body.
With a clear description of the creature in my head I kept my eyes
peeled as I walked across the fields.
The long grass came up to my knees and Mr Arnold had been right - it
was impossible to find any tracks.
However it did seem like the ideal environment for an animal to hide
and there were several areas of flattened grass, as though something
had been lying down.
Next I checked out fence posts for signs of scratching or tufts of
animal hair. Again, no luck.
It's not surprising it's so difficult to find proof of these big cats.
Although experts say animal carcasses are the main evidence of big
cats there was no sign of any dead animals in the area.
After an unsuccessful hunt I had to call it a day and despite the many
big cat sightings, I was left disappointed that my own thorough and
exhaustive investigation had been unfruitful.
Brighton Argus: 13th June 2008
Comment Posted By Krystina Wheeler, brighton
I am a shepherd in rottingdean. towards the end of last year our flock
of sheep were being kept on the land whichback onto Benvendean. One
morning I was driving around the field and saw a cream coloured animal
laying in the grass. Thinking it was a dirty sheep, i drove over. As i
approched, it lept out of the long grass and ran into the tree line.
to my ammazement it was a huge cat, with a tail as long as a puma,
bigger then the collie that was with me. That night I came home know
one would believe me. None of out sheep were hurt while they were
there. However, I know that there are so many phesant in that area.
Do you have any information on the above reports. Were you the person
involved, or are you aware of any more sightings in this area. We would appreciate any information that you could
give us.
Have your say on the forum.