The Time A Dead Fox Became A Dead Puma....

At times I despair.

I don't want to disappoint anyone but.... I'm considered an expert in foxes (I wrote the book on the history of foxes in the UK as well as other wild canids -the other book I wrote looks at the evidence for "big" cats). I work with wildlife rescuers and get to see roughly 250-300 photos of dead foxes each year and the animal in the photo is a fox.

This is believed to have been a  "suspected puma believed to have been killed on the A483 on the outskirts of Chester in April 2024"(Image: No credit) so my question is why the news service did not just enlarge the image and clearly see what it was? Why did the uncredited photographer not do that. WHY has no one on UK "Big Cat" groups done that? It look me a minute to crop and enlarge but even without that I saw it was a fox.

Another part of the press report of two uniformed policemen moving something heavy in a white sheet. No. The police DO NOT remove anything dead in a white sheet –even dead deer are left for nature to take its course. Animals killed on motorways or dangerous roads are only moved IFD they pose a risk to drivers and might cause an accident. We must stop poor humans being hurt, mustn’t we?

There have been reports from people who have seen dead exotics in the UK (I saw a dead panther on the Belgian-Dutch motorway in the 1970s) and I am sure that someone must have caught one on dash-cam footage. As for the current case from Gloucestershire…it is just another unconfirmed dead big cat report so…nothing.  

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/woman-sees-dead-big-cat-10434468?fbclid=IwY2xjawMROYtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHlC8dgiGAivs5aoksTO5pK6BGWbZwvlNyyCPti_hpC2ZzzGkbIhpZJ_Myqlk_aem_VmTIEDJSi0S6v1lwQSecwA#4zsbxexhfkn97uc2weieoh9479t8r1y3

A woman travelling back from West Midlands Safari Park claims she saw a dead puma on the central reservation of the M5 near Gloucester Services.

Jodie Jenkins, 38, from Barry Island in Wales, said the creature was laid down on its side, and the rear of the animal had two thick hind legs and a 'a long, thick, rope like tail'.

She saw the animal around 7pm on Tuesday, August 5 and is adamant it wasn't a deer.

She did however watch a wildlife TV show the day before about big cats, and believes the creature she had seen was a fawn-coloured puma.

Jodie said: "We were traveling back from West Midlands Safari Park and shortly before the Gloucester Southbound Services we spotted a deceased animal in the central reservation.

"As we got closer we could see the rear end of the animal. It had two thick hind legs with a long, thick, rope like tail which was long enough to be sprawled out away from its back legs but curled back on its self, so the tip of the tail was under the animal.

"The animal was on its side, legs facing the central reservation, with its back to the road and rear end facing on coming traffic.

"From the size of the legs and body there was no way it was a deer. The length of the body from rear end to shoulder was long and looked muscular. It was sandy and tan colour. I remember thinking you would never have spotted it in the field opposite with the dried out grass as his colouring would have been perfect camouflage.

"I was in complete shock when I turned to my partner and asked "did you see that?' Confused he replied 'yes, what animal was it?' I said 'a big cat'. His response was he was going to say the same but didn't want to look stupid.

"We discussed what we had seen and both agreed, making me believe I hadn't mistaken what I saw.

"I Googled large wild animals in that area, and read that there has been believed sightings in the area of pumas. I 100 per cent believe that is what I saw.

"Intrigued by this i found a big cat sighting group on Facebook, requested to join and once accepted I posted what I had seen. I;d have liked the body of this animal to go to experts who could investigate this animals further and was given Frank Tunbridge's name. After finding his email address online I got in touch with him.

"Unfortunately another member of the Facebook group had said they were traveling to Gloucester Southbound services and also spotted the animal that they too believed was a big cat. After a short stop at the services they headed back north only to see two police officers carrying the large animal in a white sheet, the animal the officers were carrying seem to be very heavy. This was at the same location she had seen the big cat shortly before.

"I saw the big cat around 7pm and the person who seen it being removed said it was still daylight when it was removed.

"Myself and my children are animal lovers and have always been intrigued by reports we have read about big cats living wild in the UK but I have always been sceptical.

"If big cats are living wild in the UK that should be something to celebrate, to be proud of. But that doesn't seem the case. I can only imagine that the reason these animals are kept hidden or secret is to protect the animals safety from humans."

It's not the first time motorists have reported seeing 'big cat' carcasses on busy roads.

A woman was left stunned in April 2024 after capturing footage of a suspected dead puma on the side of a busy road. Courtney Roberts, 21, was travelling on the A483 on the outskirts of Chester when she spotted the dead animal lying in the central reservation.

And almost two years ago, a motorist claimed to have seen a big cat lying dead on the side of a motorway in the West Country. The grim scene was on the M49 near Bristol in November 2023.

 

Wildlife enthusiast, Frank Tunbridge, from Podsmead, Gloucester, said: "On August 6, I received an email from a lady saying that she and her partner had noticed a big cat, similar to a puma laying, presumably dead, on the central reservation of the M5 motorway in Gloucestershire, between J12 and 11A.

 

"The couple were driving south, returning from a visit to West Midlands Safari Park, when they spotted the animal at around 7pm on August 5.

"The lady's description of what she saw certainly matched a puma, or puma hybrid. It is said to have been fawn in colour, with a long thick body, with a long rope like tail.

"She had been watching a programme called pumas in Patagonia the evening before, and noticed the similarities to the dead animal.

"Gloucestershire has always been a hot spot for British big cat sightings, and where this deceased one was located is in an area often frequented by big cats, being part of their territory or home range. A conduit route, which would involve crossing the motorway at some point, probably in the early hours of the morning, when traffic was at a minimum.

"Over the years I have received a number of cases black and fawn big cats, being knocked down and killed on our roads. However the majority of these fatal collisions I believe have soon been removed by the police, or other authority.

"Let's face it though, every form of British wildlife, both common and rare have been killed on our roads at one time or another. So an incident like this is not that unusual, especially considering that nearly every county in the UK has a healthy population of these stealthy predators. with reports coming in week after week. Unfortunately most close up encounters shake people up, and they freeze with a mixture of fear and awe, taking a photo being the last thing on their minds.

"Like it or not, big cats, similar to black leopards, or pumas, and also lynx, are here to stay, but even with overwhelming evidence, their existence is still denied. Which is good in one respect, as any large out of place predator would soon be targeted by hunters, and the authorities combined.

"As their track record, proves, big cats pose no threat to humans, and are now part of our diverse wildlife, alongside, parakeets, beavers, zanda , wallabies, and eagles owls."

"Anyone who has had a sighting of a big cat, or other exotic animal, can email me in confidence at franktunbridge@hotmail.co.uk"

What police and highways say

Gloucestershire Police and National Highways said they have not any reports of a big cat on the M5 near Gloucester, or their legs.