Fortean Times

What first sparked your interest in ABCs, and how long have you been
investigating them?

I have always had an interest in mysteries since I can remember, growing up in a haunted house and having had several ‘paranormal experiences’ I think helped me a great deal!  As a teenager in the 70s I would spend all my money on second hand books covering subjects such as Cryptozoology, ghosts UFOS, ancient mysteries etc. I would eagerly devour their contents, in those days you believed everything! I still have most of those books today including Loren Coleman and Jerome Clarkes, ‘Creatures of the Outer Edge’ torn and battered, it was one of the books that really inspired me.

It was the books by Di Francis that actually encouraged me to take up the big cat quest myself in 1985. Here was a mystery on my doorstep, a mystery I could get my teeth into. In those early days I travelled around the East Riding of Yorkshire on my Harley Davidson talking to witnesses and scouring the countryside where the most recent sightings took place. I met a lot of witnesses, made a lot of mistakes, but also made a lot of friends in those early days, the experience were invaluable. Alas, I discovered girls and nights out, and big cats were put on the back burner for a little while.

It is interesting to note that 20 or so years later the areas I investigated in the 80s are the same areas today that are producing the most sightings. In fact Humberside police, in the form of PWO Sue Rhodes, was one of the country’s first forces to publicly admit that large cats were present in our countryside, and had been for some considerable amount of time. It is for the reasons above that the first ever BCIB conference was held in Hull.

It was not my actual intention to start a group, it just sort of happened over the years and grown into the thriving community it is today.

Tell us a bit about Big Cats in Britain.

Big Cats in Britain is an investigative group made up of a network of researchers across the country. We gather evidence and information with the aim of discovering exactly what species of big cats are roaming the British countryside and how they came to be here. For our purpose the term ‘big cats’ denotes any feline not indigenous to the British Isles or any unknown indigenous big cat. We offer – and are continuing to expand – the biggest online archive of information on British big cats.

Members include some of the people from the earliest days of this saga including Di Francis, Nigel Brierly and Merrily Harpur. Membership is open to anyone, but we do insist on team workers, not everyone can adhere to this. BCIB is no place for lone wolves or those who do not participate in assisting members in the research of our mystery felines. BCIB have always prided themselves on working as a team although we do not always agree with each other. We discuss and debate in a friendly and open manner to help further our knowledge and understanding on a subject that for some of us is a way of life. It costs nothing what-so-ever to be nice!

Our main social event is the conference, held each year in various parts of the country. Members and non-members alike meet to discuss the past years events. We have film shows, stalls, displays and a general collection of British big cat evidence gathered over the years. The latest conference was held in Teesside, speakers included Eddie Bell of the Durham Constabulary, Di Francis and several local researchers. Dr Peter McCue also gave a talk on the Cannock Chase ‘window area’ because not everybody believes these animals are flesh and blood!

BCIB is unique in the British big cat field as we have members in most areas, when a sighting comes in the details are passed to the relevant people who look into the report a little further. We aim to get the whole country covered in time. We also have many experts in various fields to call upon when the need arises.

Today the question is not if these cats exist, but what are they? Big black cats that scream like pumas with white blazes on their chests that are seen running with equally large white cats, big cats with tufted ears and long tails, tabby cats running with large black cats; there is still a mystery as to the identity of these animals. Instead of dismissing the awkward reports because they do not fit, we listen to the witnesses. If only a few anomalies were reported each year we could indeed maybe dismiss them as mistakes, problem is the pattern is repeated time after time.

One zoologist reported to us after literally coming face-to-face with one of these animals. “It frightened me because I didn’t know what it was, and I should have done.”

Aims and Objectives

 

1.   To gather as much evidence and information on the British big cat as possible.

2.   To compile a county by county sightings register

3.   Actually investigate on site whenever possible.

4.   To Discover exactly what species of exotic cat is roaming the British countryside.

5.   To discover just exactly how they came to be present in the British countryside

6.   Respect witnesses confidentiality at all times

7.   Collate the biggest online archive on the British big cats

8.   To take conclusive video or photographic evidence that cannot be disputed.

9.   To open a small ‘museum’ displaying the information that the group has

 

Can you take us through what investigating ABCs involves?

We receive four or five reports a week from the British Isles and Ireland. We do not follow every case up, that would be pointless although we do try and acknowledge every person who contacts us.

Most sightings are but the briefest of glances of the cat running across the road or a field, regardless, that brief encounter leaves a lasting impression on the witness. Many reports do turn out to be mistakes, the amount of domestic cat pictures that BCIB receive show this, but this leaves those cases that cannot be easily explained away. Prints left by cats are quite rare in this country, but from time to time among the dog, fox and even rabbit prints, a print of a large cat does turn up, and if discovered then that means there is a cat out there. Whether it be from a released, escaped or an animal born and living wild in the British countryside is another matter.

Because of the large volume of reports county representatives usually follow up the sighting via email. If there is an incident where damage has been caused, livestock killed, even a photograph, a more comprehensive follow-up is undertaken by the BCIB rep with a visit to the scene and an onsite investigation. Every photograph that cannot be dismissed as a domestic should be followed up. Measurements taken etc. unfortunately we cannot take photographic evidence at face value.

BCIB have at their disposal several infra-red cameras which we leave out in various areas in the hope of catching one of these elusive felines on camera. They are left out for several months at a time on location. We have captured several odd pictures which may make a paranormal researcher look twice, but alas as yet among the hundreds of indigenous animals caught on camera, no British big cat. We are happy to loan these cameras out to land owners as long as they are sited in a safe location. Camera theft is an increasing problem.

Field researchers scour the countryside in their own ‘patches.’ There are several people across the UK who do this, most are naturalists and would be out there anyway, but these people are an asset to the BCIB who also look for any signs of big cats. There have been some pretty impressive results in evidence gathering so far. It is these people who are likely in the end to come up with the hard evidence.

Where do you conduct your investigations?

Many people call BCIB in after they have had several sightings, or have suffered livestock kills, these include factory sites, land owners, and even the MOD. Usually the main concern of these people is safety for their workers. We will work honestly and quietly as possible, we do not ask for money for our time, nor do we expect it. Many of these people do not wish publicity and certainly no press involvement, it is one of the main reasons they come to us, our reputation is known and trusted. We will not make a mystery where there is not one simply to gain cheap publicity, if we find evidence to suggest that an indigenous animal was not responsible for the recent events we will have no hesitation in saying so; sometimes that does not make us popular!

Most BCIB representatives concentrate on their local areas, chasing up reports and witnesses when the sightings come in, obviously local knowledge is invaluable..

What kind of evidence are you looking for?

We are looking for hard evidence in the form of prints, hairs, scat, video footage and photographs. We are concentrating today mainly on road kills, we have many reports but are usually too late to get to the area before we can discover what was killed. The animals are usually whisked away pretty damn fast, too fast! In March two large cats were reported at the roadside in Derbyshire apparently killed by a car, again gone when we got there. Of course some of these reports are hoaxes and mistakes. Many a time we have rushed to the scene of a tyre shred from an articulated lorry that the witness were adamant was the body of a big black cat. Plastic bin liners and even teddies placed in strategic places have had us rushing around the country in the hope, that this time, it will be the one. Recently BCIB Cambridgeshire representative Terry Dye risked life and limb on a busy dual carriageway to video a greyhound that the witness believed was a dead puma. But then come the cases were roads are shut off, witnesses will swear they hit a big cat and that it was taken away by the authorities never to be heard of again. We have even had a police officer admit to have been present when a large cat, he described as “a hybrid” was taken away after the road was closed. But official confirmation of this has never been fourth coming.

We need to be informed as soon as possible about a road kill, just in case, because you never know, one day!

I really doubt that there is anything that can prove conclusively that large cats are breeding and living in the UK. Everything, including a body can be put down to a one off animal. What we really need is a documentary maker, in a hide for five or six months with cameras ready. This is done in countries all over the world, but no one has thought yet to do it here. It is only a concentrated effort like this which is likely to produce any positive results. Unfortunately we do not have the money for such an undertaking, but are open to sponsorship.

Can anyone investigate ABCs? Is it expensive? Do you need any special equipment?

Anyone can take up the quest, you do not need special equipment or fancy gadgets, of course over time these things you will no doubt collect. There are many ways of researching these cats. We need people who will scour the archives, trawl the internet gathering information for reference. All aspects of research is as equally as important as the other. Combined you build up a pretty impressive collection of data.

Recently Argyll representative Shaun Stevens conducted the first ever FOI search of every British Police Force and county council. He gathered information such as how many exotic animals are kept legally in the country, and where, including big cats. Most police forces with the exception of one or two were very helpful and has brought many news cases to light, and FOI from DEFRA reveals that THEY ARE interested in collating reports, however much they deny this publicly.

Do not be put off joining BCIB because you think that you cannot get out in the field, there are many ways you can help. Many members also like to just simply read the reports and watch events from a distance.

What advice would you give to someone who’s just starting out?

For anyone who is starting out in this game I think the best thing for them to do is learn the history of the UK big cat saga, there are many books out there on the market. Also start locally, compile a list of sightings in your area and map them. Visit as many local witnesses as you can, and visit the areas of sightings. Learn the land and the cats territory. It is also very important that you learn what signs and damage indigenous animals can do, a lot of normal British countryside animal activity is put down to big cats, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth. Experience is essential, and that begins with the first step.

Give us a top tip.

The best tip that I can give is take up stamp collecting! But seriously always treat your witnesses with respect, if they state that they do not want any personal details or even the location of their sighting made public in anyway, adhere to this. You will find you may get attacked by other researchers for this, that doesn’t matter, respect and look after your witnesses. Do not take newspaper reports at face value, while there is a lot of excellent reporting out there beware of the false quotes and misleading headlines. The recent press furore over the ‘images’ taken by Forestry Commission workers is a prime example, there were  no images taken, only animals seen through night vision equipment. Still I hear people talking about these images, images I quickly ask if they have actually seen! Go beyond the newspaper reports, believe it or not people have based their theories on such reports from news papers, the media only carry a very small fraction of what is actually reported.

What’s the most convincing proof of ABCs you’ve uncovered in the course of your investigations?
Have you ever had any scary moments?

I think the most convincing proof of these animals for me is actually seeing them. Some researchers say that they cannot see the point in actually holding a vigil looking for these cats, this is a statement I still cannot get my head around. In all these years I have only seen three of these animals, and on each of these occasions it was on a vigil. Quite simply if I wasn’t out there I would not have seen them. You are not going to gather any evidence sat at home on the computer, not with the best will in the world will that one happen.

The only scary moments I have had is looking at my bank balance, prepare to spend a lot of money chasing evidence up and down the British countryside. Prepare to make enemies as there are many jealous individuals out there, not to mention strange ones. When hairs were found in the British countryside earlier in the decade, and were confirmed to have come from a leopard, the laboratory that did the testing then received death threats for doing so. Yes you heard right, death threats for examining and confirming that hairs found in the British countryside came from a leopard! The mind boggles. On the plus side you come across many enlightened individuals and make good friends who you otherwise would not have met. Although this can become an obsession, a healthy balance will keep your time and investigations enjoyable.

BCIB are about to go on the road, with a double-decker bus, it will be the first Big Cats in Britain road show accompanied by veteran big cat hunter Di Francis. The lower deck will house an exhibition while the upper deck will be the living quarters. We aim to travel the country attending shows and exhibitions, the only way we can find evidence is to get out there to the people. Waiting for them to come to us is not good enough.

The next time you run one of these animals over, or shoot one, make sure the first people you contact is Big Cats in Britain, do not bury it, do not hide it – do not go to anyone else but us!