A Puma in Gevaudan, France?

 I was aware of old reports from France of large cats as I was contcted by journalists at the time.

A PUMA IN THE GÉVAUDAN? A VERY REAL INVESTIGATION

Could a puma live wild in the heart of France?

The story could resemble a new legend of the Gévaudan. Yet, behind this case lies a real investigation conducted over several years by wildlife photographer Bruno Loisel.

Since 2014, he has been interested in reports of a large feline spotted between the Haute-Loire, the Cantal, and the Lozère. Some reports date back to 2011 and 2012.

His research led to the documentary "Puma, the ghost of the Gévaudan," produced with Samuel Ruffier and aired on ARTE in 2019.

TESTIMONIES AND TRACES

During his investigation, Bruno Loisel collected 28 testimonies, of which he considered 21 to be sufficiently reliable.

But he did not rely solely on these accounts.

Fingerprints attributed to a large feline were discovered. Claws were also observed on a tree in the Margeride, about 1.80 m above the ground. According to the specialists consulted for the investigation, some of these traces were compatible with those of a puma.

Bruno Loisel is well-versed in the animal: he spent more than twenty years working in Latin America and explains that he himself had only seen pumas eight times during this period. The feline is indeed extremely secretive.

BUT WHERE IS THE PHOTO?

This is where the case becomes particularly interesting.

Despite automatic cameras, field research, and devices intended to attract the animal, the 2019 documentary provides no photographic evidence to establish with certainty the presence of a wild puma in the Gévaudan.

Bruno Loisel, however, was convinced of his presence and even considered the possibility of several individuals.

HOW COULD A PUMA HAVE ARRIVED IN FRANCE?

The puma (Puma concolor) is naturally present on the American continent. A wild European population could not have simply gone unnoticed for so long.

One of the advanced hypotheses is much simpler: an animal kept in captivity could have escaped or been deliberately released.

This has already happened in Europe with different exotic felines.

AND THE STORY HAS NOT STOPPED IN 2019...

Even more interesting: several years after the documentary, Bruno Loisel was still pursuing his research.

In 2023, he told Progrès that he now had cat images and stated that he had collected 57 testimonies, two of which date back to July 2022.

However, he had not yet shared these photographs with the newspaper, explaining that he was working on a new documentary.

We are therefore faced with a rather fascinating situation:

dozens of testimonies, traces considered to be compatible with a puma and several years of investigation... but still no public and irrefutable evidence to definitively close the case.

So, is a large cat really moving in the shadows in the forests of the Massif central?

For Bruno Loisel, the answer is yes.

For science, however, the case remains to be proven.

And that is precisely what makes the "Gévaudan ghost" so interesting.

If You Are Just Playing, Fine. If You Are Serious -Publish and Share

 

As a follow up to the last post I need to rteport the following: not one single British "big cat" group has been willing to share any of its allehed evidence or reports for checking. Oh, yes, they will be "willing" to see all the data I have but that is it.

I worked (and occasionally still do) work with UK police forces since 1977 and how many of the hundreds of people I spoke to have I ever publicly named? ZERO. I worked under the Public Records Act and even more tougher was my own word.  The excuse "We can't share because we promised confidentiality" is now well beyond weak as an excuse.

Did you promise plaster casts of tracks confidentiality?

Did you promise "animals evidently killed by a big cat" confidentiality?

WHERE is the evidence that these peopler claim to have?  The EAR gathered information from experts (see New Native Species book) and we had DNA results from labs police sent samples to. A new documentary reveals big cat DNA evidence for the first time?  Well, I emailed and asked whether it was possible to get a copy of the results? Silence.  Asked again: silence. A third time -silence.I and the EAR are quite open about the data gathered and it was all done without seeking media publicity or going around posing in all balck or cammo combat gear.

I suspect, based on what these groups appear to accept online, that their data is not strong and has false data (ie domestic cats, dogs etc) mixed in with iyt. A map showing a country completely covered in dots indicating these cats (leopards and pumas) aree everywhere is pointless unless it is to excite journalists? Where are the indicators that cats have been identified and their territory at least partially outlined? Five panthers or pumas could cover the UK in their meandering territories. There are NOT "hundreds" of "big cats" in the UK. 

The fact that groups allow negativity and name callng when you present accurate, checked data tells a lot. A bit like UFO  and paranormal groups facts do not matter. It is the fun of being "the experts" or "the body studying big cats" that seems to matter. 

Fisrt, if they were serious they would drop the "big cat" tag. Only one member of the Big cat family has been proven to be here: the leopard/panther.  The puma is NOT a big cat but a member of the medium sized cat family. Lynx are not big cats. Jungle cats (for which we have the bodies) are not big cats. And the Golden cat?

Let's put it this way:

Data on fox study and research -shared

Data on badger study and research -shared

Data on wild cat (large and small) research -shared

Data on primate research -shared

Data on amphian research -shared

Even information and data on of all things Bigfoot is shared.

But in the UK there is no presentation of reports or data/field studies published like the EAR did from 1977 onward. WHY?

We Had The Answers 20+ Years Ago and No Funding

Back in the 1970s (yes, I did have hair) when I started up the work on a number of prjects including the Exotic Animals Register (EAR) was I thinking of making money?

No.

I was a young naturalist and my interest was specifically mammals although I had to branch out to various other species/ I wanted to put the silly claims that there were large cats -lynx, puma and panther- in the UK. That was 1977. By 1980s I realised that it was not all tall stories and hoaxes. How did I go about checking a report made? 

Firstly, I listened and took notes of what the person was telling me but I also had a map in front of me on which I, obviously, mapped sightings.  I checked the local geography and then I would ask questions -often for 40 minutes to one hour. There was a list of questions and each one added something more to the report. I am quite sure that most of the witnesses thought they were being grilled by the police (most of the reports came through police channels).

By 1997 I was transferring all the map sightings to a 1997 Collins Road Atlas of Britain with colours denoting what cat type was sighted. This meant that it became very clear that there were territories and answered a lot of questions which, in 2026, "Big Cat" groups in the UK are asking. And if you are still asking certain questions after 5-10 years then you are not looking at the data. That said I am glad that unlike most of these groups I am not adding domestic cats or exotic pet breeds to the record as that means the data base is useless.

Around 1999 the Daily Express newspaper asked me how much I wanted for my maps and data on "where the cats are"?  I had already been tipped off that a couple newspapers had provisionally hired 'big game hunters' to track and shoot a "British Big Cat". I declined the offer and also one from The Sun which had similar intentions. Yes, I really could have done with the money to solve financial problems but it would be, potantially, blood money.

Police forces in the UK were being fleeced by one very well known "big cat hunter" and others were also over charging for basic info. I never charged a police force a single penny for advice, looking at evidence or other information.

By 2000 we had DNA as well as a lot more evidence of large cats in the UK and this was backed up by decades of historical records studying. 

If youi see someone write that "big cats" were relased during World War 1 and World War 2 and later when the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act came in then the first two are based on the data I distributed in the early days of the work and most writers, etc were simply citing the DWAA before that. Those were early days and by 2000 all of that had changed as various cats had historical records going way back before WW 1 (as outlined in Red Paper: Felids and the 2025 New Native Species book). 

The Red Paper books were supposed to be a way of financing future research but it is very telling that none of the members of  "big cat" groups or others supposedly seeking answers has purchased a copy of any of the books. In fact even mentioning one got me blocked from one group and that was from simply mentioning that a certain photo came from that. Another group approved my post mentioning the Irish wild cat and the possible British big cat and then...removed my post, took all my Top Contributor and other Face Book stuff from me. Why approve and then remove the post and insult me to the point where being on the greoup was no longer an option? Truth.

Naturalists (at least us dinosaurs and we are becoming quickly extinct) never get into the work for money. Many do today and also for the prestige of "celebrity".   It should be about seeing if there is any impact on biodiversity and educating people.  

There has NEVER been a large (non captive) cat attack on a human going back centuries. 

Cats and other former exotic animals have not had any negative impact on existing UK wildlife but all seem to fit a natural nicheleft vaant by human created extinctions. In one area I was told that predation on sickly or injured deer had created  much stronger and healthier herd. Is my information reliable? Well, point out to me a naturalist who has spent 1977-2026 looking at exotic species in the UK and we'll compare data (unlike groups who seem to want and even demand data but will not reciprocate.

We sorted the "exotic cat" in the UK question over two decades ago and it never made me rich!

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For decades there have been reports of “Big Cats” roaming the British countryside killing sheep and deer. Are all of the observers from naturalists,zoologists, zoo personnel, police and others all mistaken?

Terry Hooper-Scharf set up the Exotic Animals Register (EAR) in 1977 to disprove the claims before become a UK police forces exotic wildlife consultant and member of the Partnership Against Wildlife crime (PAWS).  What he found out was almost unbelievable but with the gathered evidence including DNA results and bone analysis it seemed that there were exotic cats in the UK and that some had been here at least going back to the early 19th century.

The presented evidence saw the Department of Environment Farming and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) force him off the PAWS scheme despite police protests.

Now read fact and not sensationalist press or fringe claims.

 

Mystery 'big cat' captured prowling near Scottish trout fishery...It could be a "Bangle" cat

 

When people start talking outy of their backsides regarding wild cat tails the one thing it tells you is that theyu DO NOT know about true wild cats.

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/general/mystery-big-cat-captured-prowling-near-scottish-trout-fishery/ar-AA2c0zqh?ctsrc=dgst&ocid=edgdhpruby&pc=U531&cvid=6aa3b622cf584c85a02dd0124780e711&cvpid=b287da8777f74dcbc399cda05fb4c361&uxmode=ruby&ei=8

 

A mystery feline captured on camera has sparked a huge online debate – with some claiming it could be a ‘big cat’.

David Duff filmed the animal from his balcony at Ledyatt Trout Fishery near Lundie, Scotland, where he has spotted it regularly for 18 months.

He described the animal as being between a ‘Labrador and a cat’, with a ‘rusty brown’ coat, black stripes and rings around the tail.

His clip, filmed at the Ledyatt Trout Fishery in Lundie, Angus, has been viewed more than a million times.

Mr Duff said many had commented the animal resembled a bangle cat, a muscular feline with a wild appearance, however he insisted it looked ‘nothing like it’.

But he said: ‘It’s not conclusive; it could be a hybrid, a wild cat.

‘It’s very hard to judge the scale and beauty of the animal from that video.’

The fishery owner added the cat was meat lover, and that he had seen it around 20 times in 18 months hunting rabbits and climbing trees.

He said he was unsure whether the ‘beautiful and massive’ cat was male or female, but that he was not surprised it had chosen to make the fishery its home.

Mr Duff added: ‘He is very elusive; he is beautiful and massive – it’s just awesome to have him here.

 

A Scottish fishery owner filmed a mysterious large feline which has made the facility its home over the last 18 months (Picture: SWNS)

 ‘The terrain here is absolutely perfect.

‘There’s loads of animals – it’s a mecca for wildlife, and it’s no surprise that this animal would make it its home.’

Experts at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) suggested the animal may have some ‘wildlife ancestry’ and could be a hybrid, given where it was spotted.

The charity said it would not be able to determine the cat’s exact identity without genetic testing or further footage.

Mr Duff said he had also spotted another mystery female on his land, this one much lighter than the one pictured in his video.

He explained: ‘It’s a magnificent area for a predator. I wouldn’t allow anything to happen to scare wildlife away. It means I am doing everything right.

‘Whether it’s a domestic cat, a cross, purebred, it’s such a buzz to think that an animal has chosen to turn Ledyatt Trout Fishery home.

‘It’s a testament to everything we do.’

The large cat sparked a fierce debate online over its identity, with some believing it to be wild while others think it is a well-fed domestic pet (Picture: SWNS)

Hundreds of online viewers debated the identity of the feline, with some speculating it could be a wild cat.

One wrote: ‘What a capture! I would say wild cat with the stripes but hard to tell with the way it extended out her or his body.”

‘Hard to tell if it’s a wild cat or not. Tail would suggest it is’, another commented.

Others were convinced that the huge cat is in fact someone’s well-fed pet.

One wrote: ‘Domestic cat, tail is wrong for wild cat.”

Another added

Two NEW Publications: A Genuine British "Big Cat"-The Irish Wild Cat: Fact or Fiction?

 

 

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Terry Hooper-Scharf was the eotic wildlife consultant for UK police forces from 1977-2018 and when reports of “big cat” kills or evidence were received he evaluated the evidence.

In a high number of cases where a “puma” was reported the animals’ size did not match up even if facial markings were noted.

Other reports of panthers (black leopards) and black pumas  were also problematical and not explained as “baby big cats”. His interest in these reports resulted in police wildlife officers calling them “Hooper Cats”.

Video evidence was then received from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the police and  local wildlife enthusiasts. Everything matched up to some “black big cat” reports and once the basic information was gathered a good general description was of a black cat, leggy and the size of a whippet dog.

 There is no doubt that these were large cats but far from escapee exotics from private collections.

This paper presents the facts behind the Hooper Cats and what could well be called a genuine British ‘big’ cat.

 

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Ever since the 18th century many noted naturalists and zoologists have argued for and against the existence of a wild cat species is Ireland (Northern Ireland and Eire). At times the debate in publications became quite heated  to the point of name-calling.

Starting in the late 1970s Terry Hooper-Scharf looked at the archival mentions of such animals in both Irish myth and legend as well as observations by naturalists and reports they collected.

Based on the historical record there was no doubt that an Irish wild cat was no myth but it did not appear to be related to the English, Welsh or Scottish wild cats (distinguished from the accepted European wild cat hybrids of today).  There is no doubt that the latter cats were observed in Ireland up until the 1970s and as with others around the UK were likely imported for hunting.

The big clue lay in an Irish museum as noted in 2021 and in 2026 it is confirmed that remains of a wild cat have been found in an Irish cave dating back 5,500 years and so confirming the Author’s own research.

Britain's X Files TV show Dismisses eye witness testimony and Evidence

I was sent a clip of Blaze TVs Britain;s X-Files in which Richard Freeman of a certain cryptozzology group, stated that the Special Air Service (SAS) weresent in to track and kill the Beast of  Exmoor.

That is 100% incorrect. Fantasy.

Firstly, as I have noted before; the Royal Marines were involved and I have spoken to three of them over the years. They were NOT allowed to open fire on anything as a high powered bullet could miss or go through a target travel on and hit a cottage and kill someone. Live rounds were not allowed and the Marines were there to calm the situation down and hopefully stop the armed groups going out every night.

As I also noted before many times, the MAFF enquiry was sent to calm things down and NOT look for evidence of a large cat.

The program then dismisses, despite what was said, Big Cats as fiction.

Well, that's 50 years of my life wasted. 

Moronic TV continues.

As for the experts in make believe. the "folklorists".  they can go folklore themselves.

An "inauthentic" Polish Puma

 There is something very suspicious going on in Poland re puma sightings and video/photos. Even people in puma territory in North America are surprised at the number of sightings.

Read this one.... https://tvpworld.com/94927409/-poland-mountain-lion-sighting-cougar-photo-declared-fake?fbclid=IwY2xjawT0I-FwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5QAKk63lEcK3GD0JBswji6Fapt5Y6HyHcHH4wb21Nk9wxQ55PVucxpO7afoA_aem_N4CW8CaNGP2yMf8Umi0ObA

A photograph purportedly showing a large cougar in southwest Poland has been declared inauthentic, days after local foresters warned residents and tourists to beware of the animal. 

 

The Świdnica Forest District said police officers had conducted a thorough review of the photograph and available information, and that “the authenticity of the photo of a cougar near Zagórze Śląskie … has not been confirmed.” 

 

It added that its original warning had been issued “for precautionary purposes” and was intended to protect residents and tourists using the forest.

 

 “We thank everyone for their responsible approach to this matter and urge everyone to exercise caution when interacting with wild animals,” it said in a social media post. 

 

The reversal follows an earlier social media post in which the forest district said a camera-trap image provided evidence of a big cat roaming forests near the villages of Michałkowa and Zagórze Śląskie. 

 

“For many of us, the information initially sounded like a joke—there was no photographic or video evidence confirming the presence of an unusual predator,” they had written in the earlier post, adding: “Now, however, we have concrete proof.”