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17 June 2004 Strange meeting at Black Dog. BUSINESSMAN Andrew Amor was left stunned after he saw what he believes was a big cat. Mr Amor, 40, was driving home just after midnight on Monday when he saw a large black animal on the side of the A360, ironically, just before the Black Dog crossroads south of Potterne. Mr Amor, of Great Cheverell, said: "I had my headlights on main beam when I saw something on the side of the road looking back at me. "My lights picked out its reflective eyes. "As I drove past I looked at it and although it wasn't panther size it was like a lynx or cheetah but all black. "It had long legs, a long tail and was quite slim. It definitely wasn't a domestic cat or a dog. "I wasn't tired and I didn't imagine it. When I saw the animal the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. It was a bit spooky, especially the way it casually looked round at me and didn't move. "When I got home I kept thinking, what on earth was that?" There have been numerous sightings over the years of big cats in the Cheverell and Lavington areas. Mr Amor, a UK sales manager for a tool company, said: "Up until I saw this animal I hadn't taken a lot of notice of stories of sightings of big cats. "I was so convinced by what I saw that I went on to a website on black cat sightings." There have been various sightings of big cats in Wiltshire. According to the British Big Cat Society there have been 60 sightings of big cats across Wiltshire. A black leopard is believed to have been seen in Great Cheverell in April 2000. A big cat, thought to be a lynx, was seen by two teenage girls in Drews Pond Lane in Devizes in January 2001. In July 2002 a black panther was sighted in fields on Rowden Hill, Chippenham, and a month before that a black panther-type cat was spotted at Great Bedwyn. As yet no one has been able to produce photographic evidence of the big cats but the society is convinced that big cats are living freely in the countryside. The society believes that when new legislation brought in in the 1970s made it illegal for wild animals to be kept without a licence many big cats were released into the wild. During a 15-month study there were 2,052 reported sightings of big cats throughout Britain, which is four a day. At 21 per cent of sightings nationally the South West region has had the most incidents. The society has presented its evidence to DEFRA and the Home Office and is calling on the Government to undertake a long-term and UK-wide properly funded scientific study. Danny Bamping, founder of the British Big Cat Society, said: "The evidence has been increasing and is becoming clearer. "We have asked the proper authorities for their support in undertaking a properly funded scientific study on the big cats in Britain. "We'd like to focus on the South West as this is the most active area." The BBCS was set up to scientifically investigate the status of big cats roaming the British countryside. It aims to identify, quantify, catalogue and protect the big cats. 21 May 2004 Big cats on the prowl near you The skull of a woolly mammoth found in a Wiltshire gravel pit will form the centrepiece of a new education centre. There have been numerous sightings of big cats across Wiltshire, many of them pre-dating the British Big Cats’ Society’s survey. One correspondent on the Evening Advertiser’s Weird Wiltshire Big Cat Forum recalls an 18lb Scottish wildcat being brought into a veterinary surgery in Blunsdon after being struck by a vehicle. This week, the British Big Cats Society released data from its 15-month survey, which took place between January 2003 and March 2004. The results, published on the BBCS website, www.britishbigcats.org, indicate that there is little doubt that big cats are roaming Britain. The BBCS is calling on the Department For Food The Environment and Rural Affairs and the Home Office to work to undertake a long-term, UK-wide scientific study. Danny Bamping, the founder of the BBCS, says: “The evidence has been growing and is increasingly clear we are now going to approach the proper authorities to ask for their support in undertaking a scientific study on the big cats in Britain. “We’d like to focus on the South West this is the most active area and is where the BBCS is based. “The survey has yielded some staggering figures throughout Britain but it has also produced scientific evidence, both visual and physical, supporting the presence of exotic felines here. “The data includes five reports of attacks on horses, more than 30 incidents regarding sheep kills and several confirmed discoveries of paw prints, from which plaster casts have been taken. “More than a dozen bits of video footage have been sent to the BBCS and, while several of them are obviously not big cats, some could well be. “The problem with visual evidence is basically the sense of scale. Until we go to these locations and carry out proper study of the areas they will remain inconclusive. “A location in Lincolnshire where a hair sample was found proved to be the same place where a big cat had been filmed and where police and DEFRA officials had been called in. “The hair was studied and found to be from the big cat family. “Over the last 18 months sightings in this area have more than doubled and the society’s research has revealed that it was once a haven for people with private collections small zoos of exotic animals, including big cats. “Recently the society has given a presentation of its evidence and data to the DEFRA Wildlife Unit. “After attending the annual Police Wildlife Liaison conference last year, the BBCS is now aware of potential changing attitudes within the authorities. “During these last few years we have certainly made pro-gress in getting our message heard. “Not only has this been to the public through the media but also to the proper authorities who are responsible for the current and future situation. “The presentation of the data I gave on behalf of the BBCS to the DEFRA Wildlife Unit was well received and I was black and white in informing them of my conclusion. “I said they should finally admit the facts and undertake a proper study of the animals and their presence here in the UK. “When that is complete DEFRA should release the facts and deal with the situation in the necessary, educated, way. “About nine years ago the Government undertook a minor study into the presence of the Beast of Bodmin Moor. “They concluded that they could not conclude! “It’s about time they took the issue seriously and became proactive, rather than remaining as reactive as they have been up until now.” |
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