Back to 2008 English News
Jonathan - the big game hunter
Big Cats in Britain
English News - can you add to this story? email here
 BCIB NEW blog spot
|
|
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
| |
|
|
|
Jonathan - the big game hunter
Western Daily Press: 5th September 2008
|
| |
|
NATURALIST Jonathan McGowan spotted his first big cat in 1984 while on a badger watch in Dorset.
He saw the puma and its cubs several times, and has been studying the mystery ever since.
There are now more than 2,000 sightings logged every year across the UK, says Jonathan, who is the Dorset recorder for the Big Cats in Britain Group set up three years ago by Merrily Harpur. Last month, there were several sightings of puma and leopard in the north-west of Dartmoor.
Jonathan, of Bournemouth, is often called in to give expert advice and his research has extended to Devon and to Gloucestershire where sightings have "rocketed" in the last five years – he claims evidence of big cats breeding in the Stroud Valleys.
"There are not just two or three big cats roaming around," he said. "They are breeding and becoming quite common.
"You could say there are more leopards in the UK than in certain parts of Africa, and more pumas here than in states of America.
"These animals are protected in their natural environment so they should be protected by law in the UK." Big cats had proliferated in the South West – the Beasts of Exmoor and Dartmoor, for example – probably due to a milder climate and plentiful prey, including rabbits and deer. Recently, sightings of lynx had also increased. "Some of these cats are becoming so common they are going into towns in a similar way to foxes and sometimes eating people's pet cats, dogs and rabbits," said Jonathan.
Also a taxidermist, Jonathan hopes one day to find a carcase of one of the big cats. "I'm waiting to get my hands on a dead animal so I can mount it and exhibit it in my local natural history museum as proof," he said.
There had been many cases of big cats shot on farmland or run over, including some police reports, but, oddly, carcases had never come to public view.
¦ Jonathan has a big cat exhibition at Merrily Harpur's book launch at the Dorset County Show, and another at the Bournemouth Natural History Society open day on Saturday, September 13. If you see a big cat, Jonathan would like you to call him on 07707 928981 – and I'd like to hear from you, too! Call me on 0117 934 3205 or email me at the address at the top of the page
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.