Big cat sightings in Sussex

[Bold Seagull]

It's difficult to imagine how something like that could remain hidden in the area, there's not exactly alot of wilderness around for it to disappear in to. In some areas of the country maybe, but can't imagine it down here.

I think this is a bit of a misconception, mainly due to people using only main roads to get around.

Get off the beaten track and you will find Sussex still has abundant untouched woodland and wilderness that an animal completely terrified of humans could keep themselves hidden away.

 

[Doc Lynam]

Helping the people of Essex

 

[Mo Gosfield]

The only Big Cat I've seen in Sussex made a magnificent hundred on the County Ground.

 

[Hastings woody]

Im sure i saw a big black cat cross the road in front of me down the lane between Sandhurst & Bodiam about 15 years ago, It was far to big to be a domestic cat. at the time i wish i kept my mouth shut as all i got from friends & family was "what have you been smoking.?" etc etc. but I know what I saw.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Do you get feral cats over there?

We also have a "big black cat" mystery over here as well.

When I used to go out shooting a lot I was on a property one dusk and about 400 metres away near a rocky outcrop by a dam I spotted what looked to be a big black cat.

Far bigger than a normal moggy, but not panther size either. I was going to take a shot at it but in the time I brought the sight up to my eye it must have sensed we were in the area and took off at an incredibly fast pace, far quicker than a domesticated cat could. Tried tracking it but all we found were a few paw prints, which were 3-4 times bigger than a normal cats paw print.

Often a feral cat whose been out in the wild for many years can gain a fair bit of size about them. Get a few of them breeding and you produce larger cat like creatures.

I tend to think feral cat before I think exotic cat.

 

[Hugo Rune]

I saw the fabled beast of Bevendean one autumnal dark and misty night about 6 years ago on Nevill road opposite Nevill recreation ground in Lewes. I was driving and saw it stalking along the side of the road. I had a couple of cars behind me so didn't stop but I was convinced I'd seen a large cat. It was beige/sandy in colour so could have been a Mountain Lion but was not too much bigger than a Labrador. No one believes me but I know what I saw. I feel very honoured to have glimpsed one at all.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

This is a feral cat shot here. It give a bit of an idea how they can grow quite big.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

This pic is a good pic of a feral cat, looking at its physical attirbutes its startng to look more "panther" like in its frame.

 

[Hastings woody]

Im sure i saw a big black cat cross the road in front of me down the lane between Sandhurst & Bodiam about 15 years ago, It was far to big to be a domestic cat. at the time i wish i kept my mouth shut as all i got from friends & family was "what have you been smoking.?" etc etc. but I know what I saw.

There are ferel cats around here but not that big.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Another good image of a feral cat to show how big they can get.

 

[Commander]

This is a feral cat shot here. It give a bit of an idea how they can grow quite big.

View attachment 46280

I always wondered what you looked like. Turns out I was spot on.

 

[Doc Lynam]

Do they just hate cats in the outback or what?

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

And this is what they can do to possums, wallabies, small roos.

 

[Bold Seagull]

And this is what they can do to possums, wallabies, small roos.

View attachment 46283

Are you sure that is not a Damien Hurst piece?

 

[Doc Lynam]

And this is what they can do to possums, wallabies, small roos.

View attachment 46283

They leave the arse every time?

 

[Hastings woody]

I think this is a bit of a misconception, mainly due to people using only main roads to get around.

Get off the beaten track and you will find Sussex still has abundant untouched woodland and wilderness that an animal completely terrified of humans could keep themselves hidden away.

Totally this, Maybe not the downs area but this part of sussex north of Hastings is very wooded & wild in a lot of areas where it would be easy to hide.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

This is the biggest one ever recorded.



Head shot obviously took it out, however it shows it could easily be confused with a panther like cat.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

Do they just hate cats in the outback or what?

Hate em every where. They are decimating the native fauna and native bird populations.

 

[Commander]

My wife swears blind she saw what she thought was lioness on Bodmin Moor about 15 years ago. She now thinks it was a puma, having looked at photos of other big cats. No way on earth is she lying, and her whole family saw it, they were going past on a train and it was stalking some cattle.

I don't understand how a dead one hasn't been found yet though. And how difficult would it actually be to find one and prove it? Surely if there are big cats roaming the South Downs someone could just set some bait out and leave a webcam filming the spot? Eventually you'd get one on film if you left it long enough.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Totally this, Maybe not the downs area but this part of sussex north of Hastings is very wooded & wild in a lot of areas where it would be easy to hide.

the whole of central Sussex, north of the South Downs escaprment is pretty wooded.. what remains of the Weald that covered it all once upon a time. With isolated remnants of proper woodland even in more built up areas, there's loads of room for what are mainly nocturnal hunters to hide out of sight.