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The
big cat watchers in question are Mark Fraser and Brian Murphy from
the Scottish Big Cats Society and Chris Mullins from Beastwatch
UK.
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| Something
left by the big cat? |
All
three are experienced at knowing what to look for and have studied
tracks and habitats of these creatures.
Although
there's not an exact idea of how many big cats are roaming Lincolnshire
we were at Hemingby for a black panther - and they had the footage
to prove it. A large black cat grooming itself next to an old caravan
- so you had a good scale to go by.
The
vigil's been held to find more evidence of big cats on the loose
and to establish what sort of big cats are roaming Lincolnshire.
The
Lincolnshire Wolds has had more than twenty sightings recently,
and this was why the county was chosen for the latest study.
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| Brian
Murphy gives the idea of how big the cat that Frank Speake saw
may have been |
Brian
Murphy from the Scottish Big Cat Society has already seen three
big cats in his homeland. He described the most memorable to me.
More (Real
56K, 36") >>
During the vigil special equipment was used like
trigger cameras, camcorders and sand traps, which can capture paw
prints. One trick I learnt whilst being out was to watch for the
other wildlife in the area as this is a good indicator of whether
there is a predator around they are nervous of.
All
those involved in the vigil are kept busy, as Brian described.
More
(Real 56K, 42") >>
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| The
cast of a rear paw of a young Siberian Tiger from a Leicester
Museum |
There
are theories that big cats were released into the British countryside
when the Dangerous Animals Act came into force in the late seventies.
Strict and expensive regulations led to some owners getting rid
of their so-called pets. The closure of zoos is thought to be another
reason, and Brian Murphy also explained another theory.
More
(Real 56K, 17") >>
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| Mark
Fraser looks through the night vision sights |
Unfortunately
whilst I was with them we didn't have any sightings but on Wednesday
night near the sewage works on the Boston Road in Horncastle they
caught a glimpse of something, and Brian, Chris and Mark have kept
a diary for us which you should be able to read on this site soon.
So
should we be concerned? Brian says an attack on a human being is
extremely unlikely.
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| Chris
Mullins of Beastwatch UK |
"Well
they're not likely to hunt human beings, they will come into places
of human habitation for a source of easy feeding, but they wouldn't
pose any threat to human beings. They're more likely to run away
or just hide".
More
(Real 56K, 36") >>
Now
read- the diaries of the whole vigil - what did Mark,
Brian and Chris find roaming
the Wolds of Lincolnshire.
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