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MSP calls for official big cat investigation


crosis

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Here is a little something for the scots among us. :sq

Ananova :  

 

MSP calls for official big cat investigation

A Scottish politician is calling for a government investigation into big cats after the latest sighting.

Motorist Steven Clark claims he saw the Beast of Bennachie while driving through Aberdeenshire in the snow.

North-East Scotland MSP Richard Lochhead wants the Government to gather information on the panther-like creature.

Mr Clark, of Kemnay, says he didn't believe in big cats until he saw the Alsatian-sized sleek, black, green-eyed animal.

He told the Press and Journal he stopped his car after spotting the creature and followed its 8cm paw prints.

He took a tape measure with him and says there was a one-metre distance between the front and rear paws.

Mr Clark, 37, said: "It was about the size of an Alsatian, but shorter and sleek with a lovely shiny coat and a small head. It had a very long tail, about 3ft long and it only turned up at the end. My first thought was that it was a panther."

Mark Fraser from the Scottish Big Cats monitoring group says there's been a number of sightings of a big cat, dubbed the Beast of Bennachie.

Mr Lochhead said: "The Government seems wholly disinterested in an issue that has been going on for years, and which we are no closer to knowing the truth about."

Story filed: 16:31 Friday 22nd February 2002

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  • crosis

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I think it's about time there was an official investigation into the whole Big Cat phenomenon. There are quite obviously large cats roaming around the British Isles, and it's time something was done to find out just how many of them there are, and whether or not they are breeding in the wild ( which is also very likely ).

If looked into properly, it could be found that there is an entire population of big cats roaming wild in the countryside that the general population is unaware of. It would be a huge step forward if an official statement was made that actually confirmed their existence once and for all.

:sk

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I'm worried that the big cats might be safer if they weren't investigated, at the moment the general public don't really believe there are any - not to any great degree. If it was found out we had (as some suspect) quite a population of them then their lives could be in danger which would be a sad thing. I'm quite willing for them to stay a mystery if it means that they survive.

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I agree PS,what we dont need is scared and twitchy people with shotguns roaming around looking for big cats :s9

:sq

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  • 2 weeks later...

after all if you get people going around with an air rifle shooting children in the face at point blank range then this would be a bad thing.

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I agree, after all there are no reports of these cats attacking or killing anyone, so leaving them in peace gets my vote.

Mind you, with the banning of fox hunting, the cats will probably be the next target for the rich "sportsmen".  :s08

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well it's a good job that they are not widely believed to exist otherwise reports like that could lead to them being hunted down.

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What I find more worrying are all the snakes that have either escaped, been flushed down the pan, or taken out into the "wild" and left to fend for themselves.  I am terrified of snakes!

So, fox hunting has been banned in the UK then?  I'm glad to hear it.  I wonder what will happen to all the foxhounds.  Not really the ideal family pet, unless you want to rid the neighbourhood of cats and the like!

What about any other blood sports?  Are they still allowed - hares, rabbits (pursued on horse back)etc.?

Is fishing a blood sport?  Is shooting considered to be a blood sport?

Bull fighting is big in this area of France and I can't bear it when the season starts up (soon).  I can't see any honour or art in killing an animal purely for the pleasure and approval of the audience.

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            I think I first learned about bull fighting when I read one of Ernest Hemingway's novels (can't remember which one),  which he vividly described.  And later I found out (from animal safety advocates) that the horses that are ridden in the ring, are very often gored by the bulls,  so that they also suffer and die.  It's a sick and cruel practice that should have been outlawed a long time ago.   >:(

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  • 2 weeks later...
 

If people want bloodsports so much maybe they should be armed with their choice of trident and net or Gladius and shield and forced to fight each other for our enjoyment and leave the poor animals out of it

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KC

Hemingway was passionate about bullfighting and big game hunting.  Whilst I class "The Old Man and the Sea" as one of my all time favourite stories (I cry buckets every time I read it), I still can't understand how anyone can call slaughter for pleasure an art.  The animals have no chance at all -it's not a fair fight.  Of course the horses are often gored (don't even think about their training).  I don't know about Spain but the horses here used for bullfighting amongst other things,(we're not that far away from Spain) are Camargue horses and they're BEAUTIFUL, willing, gentle, loyal, etc, etc.  I learnt to ride at the age of 4 on Camarguais horses.  They're almost always grey, or white, although can be black when born and noone seems to know their origin.

As for the bull - how do you expect a large and very solid animal who has had it's horns 'tipped' or blunted ever to win against a small very agile human being with a very sharp dagger?  Please don't ever think that the bull wins because it doesn't - it's killed whatever happens ' guardian de taureau' is a delicacy.

Purple Stuart, I hate blood sports of any kind but I would be quite happy to accept consenting and equal humans killing each other for the fun of those who want to watch.  However, given that you stated not so long ago that you were against any more controls with regards to violence, crime, etc, etc, how can you possibly say what you said in your post?!!!!!

By the way, having seen your photo (how the hell do you eat???!!!) I think you should walk around with a black panther but I suppose that would be cruel.  You definitely would look cool and PA too, with a couple of BP's or even.......................black wolfhounds or Danes!!

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        Felisha,

      Those horses you talk about sound beautiful.  They remind me of the Lippizaner stallions,  I was lucky enough to see perform.  They also are dark when they are born,  and turn white with age.

       The book I was trying to remember by Hemingway,  was 'The Sun Also Rises'.  I understand that back then  bullfighting was a fact of life,  so it would naturally be a part of the stories.  But,  I thought it had been out-dated (if not outlawed),  until you wrote that it was still going on!    :'(

        BTW,  I have a black Wolfhound/Dane mix!  She is a gentle giant.

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it is about time we had a serious investigation into these big cats if just for the big cats sake.

But have to agree with most who have posted here that although a good idea, it'll just give some raving loony an excuse to wander around moorlands etc with a gun.!! As soon as one is spotted on Bodmin moor (not very far away) you get all sorts going up there with and without guns!

Btw my mother has Chows (three) and they look more fierce than they really are(more like teddy bears) :sk  

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