Alien big cat

9c7bfb246113924fccb6be8560e842e0 — Still image from video footage showing a supposed alien big cat in Australia from 2001.

Alien big cats or Phantom cats (also known as ABCs) are terms used to describe sightings of supposed exotic cats in an area which they are not native to. They are most commonly reported from the U.K., North America, and Australia, with a minority of sightings in Europe and New Zealand. Many are reported to be black in color. Many cats have become staple creatures in local culture; such as the Beast of Bodmin Moor, The Beast of Dartmoor, the Surrey Puma and the Gippsland Phantom Cat. The most common cat identities are black leopards and pumas. The U.K. has only one native cat, the Scottish wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris), as well as a unique hybrid between the domestic cat (Felis catus) and the wildcat known as the Kellas cat, both inhabiting Scotland, but ABCs are much larger and have been spotted as far south as Cornwall. Australia does not have any native placental cats, though a marsupial identity has been proposed for some sightings.

Theories[]

There are many theories as to how exotic big cats arrived in these areas, such as escapees from zoos and circuses. In the U.K., the most plausible answer takes us back to the 1970s: exotic animals and especially big cats were kept as pets across the country by members of the upper class as a sign of status. In 1976, the "Dangerous Wild Animals Act" (or DWAA) was passed, stating that it was now illegal to own dangerous, exotic pets. By order of the act, the government was given the power to seize and dispose of pets without compensation to the owner. Often this meant that the animal would be put down. Owing to this, many pet owners during the time instead opted to release their animals into the wild, causing wild populations of big cats to be started. Due to the time gap and sightings still being made in the present, it is even thought that these big cats released in the '70s have begun to breed. Interestingly, it is to be noted that under the DWAA, animal circuses were actually exempt from the act, and in fact animal circuses were only made illegal across the U.K. as recently as January of 2020. However, it is still thought that a large portion of British big cats originated from zoos and whilst not concrete evidence, famous circus owner Mary Chipperfield came forward and said that she released three pumas during the 1970s into the British countryside.

Another important explanation to be taken into consideration is the popularity of savannah cats as pets. Savannah cats are domestic cat (Felis catus) and serval (Leptailurus serval) hybrids, and the largest of the domestic cats. These could easily be misidentified as big cats due to their appearance and size and it's almost certain that a large number of ABC sightings can be attributed to them.

Known Specimens[]

Felicity caged 2 — Felicity the Puma shortly after her capture. She was an escapee from a private collection.

In 1980, a semi-tame Puma was captured near Inverness, Scotland. It was subsequently dubbed Felicity, and was kept at the Highland wildlife park until its death, when it was stuffed and turned over to the Inverness museum.

British canadian lync — The Canadian Lynx specimen which was shot and killed in 1903 in Devon, U.K. The taxidermy is currently kept in the Bristol Museum.

In 1903, a Canadian lynx thought to have escaped or been set free from captivity was shot after attacking two dogs in Devon, U.K. The animal was stuffed and donated to the Bristol museum where it remains to this day.

Documentaries of note[]

On The Trail of The Big Cats - Mysterious Universe (1994) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2bedloYjoM

Finding the UK's Elusive Black Cats - Real Wild (2017) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjCoyPSatVw

U.K. Sightings[]

1903[]

In 1903 a Canadian lynx was killed after attacking two dogs in Devon, U.K. The animal was taxidermied and donated to the Bristol Museum.

1980[]

Felicity as she came to be known, was a cat first reported in 1977 and eventually captured by farmer Ted Noble in 1980. The animal was held responsible for the deaths of many of Ted's sheep and he even witnessed it stalk his ponies. Due to the police's reluctance to aid the capture of Felicity, Ted took matters into his own hands and managed to trap the puma in a cage. The animal was then kept in captivity for the rest of its life and subsequently stuffed and donated to the Inverness museum.

1991[]

On March 7th 1991 in Grimsby, three lions escaped famous circus owner Mary Chipperfield's big top and ran away. Roaming the streets, one of the lions mauled a man called Michael Strandt. The lions were eventually recaptured and returned to captivity.

1996[]

In 1996, police marksmen shot and killed an animal believed to be a lion. Upon further study it was found to be a caracal (an African lynx.)

1998[]

On the 21st of November 1998, schoolboys reported being attacked whilst camping on Dartmoor. One reported that the cat was roughly the size of a great Dane and another described its appearance as somewhat resembling a lynx. Despite this, the animal came to be known as the "Dartmoor lion." Upon police inspection, a pawprint casted by big cat specialist Robin Goodbeer proved to belong to a big cat.

1999[]

In 1999 a retriever-Rottweiler cross with eczema was concluded to be the culprit of numerous ABC reports.

2000[]

On an unknown date in 2000, an 11 year old boy named Josh Hopkins was attacked by a supposed black cat in Monmouthshire, Wales. The boy was playing outside his house in Trellech when the creature attacked and he came out with five long claw marks, some to the face which needed immediate medical treatment. It is thought that this is credited to a house cat rather than any wild cat.

2001[]

In May of this year, a woman reported a large cat in her back garden in Cricklewood, London, which she described as a leopard. Once the animal was sedated, it was found to be a European lynx and was transferred to London Zoo. It is still unknown where it came from.

Other sightings[]

Portugal[]

The Lion of Rio Maior is a former cryptid sighted in 1973, in Rio Maior, Portugal. Many locals claimed to have seen a lion in the rural areas surrounding the town. Several cattle were gutted, and the national TV station came to town to interview witnesses and report on it. A hunt for the beast was done by locals and hunters, but none was found. Assumed to be a hoax or mass paranoia by authorities and most of the national community, it would prove to be more complex when in 1984, José Diogo, a merchant and hunter, confessed to having found a lion cub by the side of the road, possibly after a local circus exhibition. He raised the cub assuming it to be a weird dog breed, until later realising the true identity of the creature. A year into the life of the lion, due to its size, José moved the lion to an old abandoned area, but possibly due to lack of enough calories or simply to explore, the lion escaped. According to José Diogo, after the first few sightings and cattle kills, he decided to take matters into his own hands and call for the lion. Eventually, perhaps recognising its owner's voice, the lion came to him and as he approached José shot him point blank with his hunter's shotgun, killing the animal. He claims to have disposed of the body by burning, to hide any evidence, afraid of civil repercussions.