UKC

Anyone out there know anything about Scottish wild cats? I was camping close to the summit of Braeriach two weekends ago (remember that amazing weather!) and woke up to find some very large paw prints in the snow around the tent.

Way too big to be a domestic cat, about 3 inches across and spaced about 3 feet apart, so whatever it was it must've been quite big.

Cheers
Steve B

In reply to Steve B:

this may sound stupid but it wasnt the reindeer was it?

In reply to Steve B:
Don't know about the Cairngorms - probably a wild cat - but a mate of mine swears blind he saw a black panther by the side of Crook Road in the Lakes!

In reply to jude:

Good thinking, but the Cairngorm Reindeer herd have all been held tightly in their compound since FMD broke out. And this was definitely a set of paws. The thing is, I had gone for a pee just before I turned in, about 20 yards from the tent, and then in the morning the tracks led up to this spot and it seemed as though whatever it was scampered away pretty sharpish.

In future I'll be marking my territory out very diligently!

In reply to Dave:

crook road eh? wasnt on his was back from the sunn inn was he?

In reply to Steve B:

yikes!!

In reply to Steve B:

>In future I'll be marking my territory out very diligently!

not the same way as cats do, I hope.

In reply to jenny: I don't think the beasties would pay much attention to a keep out sign in front of his tent...

In reply to jude:
No, he used to pilot the ferry across Windermere so would often be driving across at 5.30/6.00 in the morning - which is when he claimed to have seen it!
Oh, and now that you mention the Sun Inn, that place has really gone down hill. Was nice before they removed the pool table and turned it into a modern family nightmare pub

In reply to Dave:

yeah I know

In reply to Dave:
Perhaps it was a Sno' Cat. I've heard Braemar MRT got a new one recently and they're huge.

In reply to Dave:

there were also reported sightings ages ago of a big cat dude on benson knott in kendal and also up on shap on the bit with all the scary trees.

In reply to jude:
Blimey. Maybe there's a rogue band of stuffed-wild-animal-scaremongers! An international underground group dedicated on scaring residents of the lakes away!
Or is that just silly?

hey jude:

they caught a puma in Cricklewood last week (http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_285914.html) so nothing is impossible.

In reply to Dave:

yeah i'd say that was definitely it

In reply to jude:
Oh good! That's far less scarey than the real thing

In reply to Dave:

maybe there's loads of them living in the quarry and they're all planning some big take over of the south lakes.