Episode 7: The Big Cat of Biggleswade and Phantom Felines

Find out more about my fabulous guest Owen Staton and his podcast Time Between Times here: https://www.welshstoryteller.com/

Show notes and links to further reading

General history of big cat sightings

General summary:

https://thewebinarvet.com/blog/british-big-cats-truth

Interactive map of sightings across the UK:

https://www.britishbigcats.org/sightings.php

Jungle Cats

Indian video about jungle cats

Here’s an article about the Shropshire jungle cat:

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/features/2020/02/03/flashback-february-3/

Here’s a blog post from a Zoology podcast all about the Hayling Island jungle cat:

https://tetzoo.com/blog/2022/3/23/meeting-the-hayling-island-jungle-cat

Highland Puma information

The 1980 Puma that turned out to be a pampered pet caught in Scotland:

Felicity the Puma

Baron Rothschild

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/walter-rothschild-a-curious-life.html

Beast of Sydenham 2005

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/mar/23/patrickbarkham

Historic sightings and evidence

Dartmoor

https://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/23760595.uk-big-cat-sighting-dartmoor—deer-carcass-found/

1991 lynx shot in Norfolk

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/4830320.stm

Recent activity

Pass Notes in the Guardian about recent big cat film

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/aug/16/the-staffordshire-panther-is-the-british-countryside-really-teeming-with-big-cats

Lad Bible article about black foxes being mistaken for big cats

https://www.ladbible.com/news/uk-news/big-cat-sightings-uk-2023-explained-panthers-black-foxes-763417-20230905

Killer Clown Panic

Articles linked to below will contain images of clowns!

Northampton Clown

The man behind the Northampton Clown

https://www.northantslive.news/news/northamptonshire-news/man-behind-northampton-clown-who-4306658

Actual reporting at the time about the Northampton Clown:

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/northampton-clown-goes-viral-creepy-2276792

Killer clown panic of 2016

Wikipedia summary:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_clown_sightings

Guardian summary of the panic:

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/oct/31/the-great-clown-panic-of-2016-a-volatile-mix-of-fear-and-contagion

Big cat sightings around Wales

2005 theory about big cat sightings around Baglan:

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/baglan-beast-real-big-cat-2900722

Sightings from 2021 around Port Talbot:

https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/19265703.big-cat-spotted-cefn-mawr-day-chirk-oswestry-sightings/

Big cat sightings around mid and north Wales:

https://www.countytimes.co.uk/news/19019945.powys—big-cat-spotting-hotspot/

Brecon and Radnor Express teased readers to buy their news paper in 2011 with an article about the need to take action to tackle the beast of Brecon.

https://www.brecon-radnor.co.uk/news/big-cat-plan-of-attack-needed-76298

Some history about the Three Cocks Inn where Owen was called out to investigate after a big cat sighting:

http://www.wales-tourist-information.co.uk/accommodation/item/22732/Three_Cocks_Coaching_Inn.html

I have to say this inn is now on my list of places I want to stay! I promise we’re not sponsored by it 🙂