It was the mid 1990s and Bristol Zoo contacted me (frequently back then) and asked whether they could pass my details along to a lady on a farm who thought she might be having big cat activity? I told them I could and I spoke for almost an hour with a lady who turned out to be a university professor but her husband owned a farm and flock of sheep.
The full story and more photographs can be found in The Red Paper Felids or Wild Menagerie Britain's New Natve Species. The fact that MAFF at the tine threatened "heavy legal action" if, along with a zoo team trapped, took samples from and radio collared the cat said a lot. It was MAFF -like DEFRA later- denying there were large cats in the countryside while suppressing scientific research into the subject.
I am reminded of the two men (I can't recall if they were MAFF or DEFRA off hand) who stood over a dead sheep carcass with all the signs of having been killed by a large cat and telling the farmer "Yes. Probably dog or fox" as the farmer looked up and pointed. The two men turned around to see what we believe was the large male puma slowly cross the trackway. Both men hurriedly said goodbye and "literally jumped into their car" and drove off. When the farmer phoned the agency a day later he asked whether they were still sure it was a dog or fox killed his sheep after what they saw? "We only saw the dead sheep yesterday" was the reply. Thing is two farm hands had seen the men turn and look at the trackway then run off.
On a visit to DEFRA in Bristol around 1997 I was introduced to the man who was in charge of "big cats" and exotics, I asked how he got the job -had he worked in wildlife or zoos? "Oh no. I was sat at my desk one day and the supervisor came in with a folder and told me I was to deal with any big cat reports" he was also given a sheet of paper with the only official responses he was allowed to give. I showed him some paw print casts and joked that he'd not have seen anything like them. He opened a map drawer and in it were plaster casts labelled "lynx", "puma" etc. "And yet your department keeps denying they are out there" I said. He stopped. Gave me a very strange look and THEN asked "Aren't you from MAFF London?" I stated that I was not and explained again who I was. "You shouldn't be in here" he said in panic and I was shown out. It seems that the receptionist had seen the MAFF headed letters in my folder and assumed I was from London.
The plaster cast drawer was later denied and that was that.
But why did the professor and her account pique my interest? Firstly she and her husband had made notes on dates/times of incidents. Secondly, both had only recently returned from Africa where they had experienced wildlife first hand. Although both were convinced that a large cat was involved every local -farmers included- denied knowing about any large cats in the area. The farm dog was blamed and, sadly, put down. After this a pony was attacked. A vet came out and did his work but refused to be drawn on what had caused the wounds. The opinions of various 'experts' was that the pony was likely attacked by a dog....or a badger (that had been wiped out in the area).
Meticulous measurements were made of the wounds and area where claws had been dug in to get a grip as the neck was bitten into. It is a very long story but after sighting one of the cats involved villagers and farmers then -after a dog had been blamed and killed- started talking about their live stock losses and sightings. They had kept quiet as the couple were new people to the area.
The Professor offered to send me some photographs of the wounds (in the book) and I knew what had attacked the pony. I spoke and showed the photos with an ex zoo keeper and zoologist and they both concurred. A puma was to blame.
Here is the photo that convinced me:
