Big cat blamed after cow attack

A big cat is being blamed for the attack on a cow near Plymouth

A big cat is being blamed for an attack on a cow at a farm near Plymouth.
There have been a series of alleged sightings of big cats in the area around Langage Farm.

The cow's owners say they have no other explanation for the animal's injuries and say vets have agreed they are consistent with a big cat attack.

The animal is expected to make a full recovery, but the incident is likely to relight the debate over the existence of big cats in the area.





Farm manager Andrew Stead said they were unsure at first about the Jersey cow's injuries.

He said: "When we looked at her initially we thought she may have been caught in barbed wire.

"But when we got her into the crush and we could see the extent of the damage we could see what looked like four parallel scratch marks on her muzzle and the side of her cheek was damaged.

"She's got barbed wire scratches on her back end. She's been pushed up against a fence I think. They're totally different from the scratches on her face.

"Her ear's been chewed up slightly. It's an injury I've never seen before. It's not barbed wire, it's not a dog.

"There are plenty of rumours and sightings of large cats around here. It's a big animal for a cat to have a go at but I can't explain these things any other way."

'Quite exciting'

Colleague Paul Winterton said: "The vets have to be very careful but they're saying it's a probable large cat attack.

"Twelve months ago two guys were having a break when they saw a big cat. When it saw them it began to make it's way towards them and cleared a 6ft high hedge.

"As you can imagine there was a bit of ridicule in the factory at the time, but this latest attack just endorses what happened last year."

However staff at the farm are not too concerned.

Commercial manager Dave Pearce said: "It's quite exciting something like this has happened."




http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/4599441.stm

Exciting? I'd be a little less than excited if my livestock had become the target of "big cats"....Maybe they should replace the barbed wire with an electric fence....that might keep future attacks to a minimum.

It must've been a puny big cat. A cow survived its attack. Nobody's scared of it.

Yeah, I guess so. Must've been hungry, though, to go after a cow....

4 scratches, doesn't prove it's a big cat.

I'd like to know what sort of damage was done to the cheek.

Don't cats normally go for the throat or de-bowelling

I dont know much about other cats, but lions usually go for the throat or the muzzle and suffocate the animal.

i believe all big cats do that

The Jaguar goes for the skull.

Have you seen this kitty?...............

Yes. It was flat as a pancake when i found it. People just kept driving over it. Poor little fella.

sorry about that, I thought it was el chupa when I hit it.

Now that is just evil!

jaguars go for the skull, tigers adn lions go for teh throat, adn I think leopards go for the throat too, not sure about that one. but I know tigers go for the back of the neck too.

cats vary the type of attack depending on the type or prey animal
what you all think they just got one plan of attack
they'd be exctinct if they weren't adaptable
and they wouldn't be in devon
The type of attack also varies on wether the animal is a threat or dinner.

I just got it. That's cold!