34 years ago while holidaying on the Isle of Wight, I was returning to my chalet in Yaverland from Sandown town centre one starlit night, along the beach around 11.30pm. I reached the cliff path that took me towards my destination and began ascending it. About halfway up, suddenly a large cat, much larger than a domestic cat, ran across my path, from East to West, less than 10 metres in front of me. It was too dark to determine its colouration, but it wasn't black. It had a distinct kink in its tail towards the end. I knew that I'd stumbled across something unusual. The next day I visited Sandown zoo with my family and broached the subject with one of the keepers. Specifically, I wanted to know if there had been any other reports of a large cat being seen on the island. She was quite dismissive and insisted that I must have seen a badger or fox perhaps. I told her that I was a country boy who was familiar with seeing those animals and other large creatures, including different species of deer after dark and that I know what I'd seen was a large cat. Nevertheless, My encounter was simply dismissed out of hand, and that I have to be mistaken.
I live not too far off the majority of sightings, and around 6 years ago found wool from a sheep, that was clearly dragged over a wall (stone bridle), and then partly pulled under the cavity of an old demolish house in the middle of nowhere. The sheep having been killed perhaps the day before when I found it. No obvious signs to say it was a man made kill and very much looked like it was being dragged under the old construction, which was spacious enough for a big cat/dog, but would have been hard for any fully grown man to maneuver the body into considering the angle. Now I can't say for sure that it was a big cat, it could have been a farmer trying to hide a dead sheep, however the positioning, circumstances and location suggest to me that was very unlikely. The sheep was also too heavy and wall too big for it to be any animal like a fox or badger. There have also been past sightings in this area, and rumors of a "beast" like creature that have been in the papers if I recall. Although no tangible evidence. I have been intending to go back to the location ever since to check it out further, but keep putting it off. Considering the years that have passed, it likely might not even be there or alive anymore. I did ponder the idea of squeezing into the cavity to see if I can see anything. I figure if it was a big cat and lived out it's days there, it might have passed away of age/illness undisturbed. Or knowing my luck it would bite my face off. Still though, it keeps me pondering because I cannot imagine it being anything else.
The problem with getting better photos and videos is their elusive/nocturnal nature and the unpredictabilty of their whereabouts. People are trying with game cams.
@Bigcatuk It would be great of someone could capture an image on an actual camera, sharp and detailed, however if anyone was ever to achieve this they would have to share all the metadata from the image to prove its not ai or fake as .most would think its too good to be true. I think to get a picture of one would be more out of luck really. Thank you for comment and time I appreciate it!
Part of the answer is in digital forensics. Pictures have editing metadata that can probably be faked, but it's much harder. Also context on the camera memory card: if it's sequenced between other pictures of the same area, on the same day, it makes it hard to insert an edited or manipulated fake between genuine pictures. And good photographers are likely to take dozens of pics in a short time. Someone must have solved this from the PoV of verifying news photos.
@anotherfreediver3639 Yeah I'm a photographer myself and if I was to ever be lucky enough to snap a big cat in the UK I would share as much meta data, properties etc as I could a long with the image. I think these days this is the only way people will beleive, especially when it comes to something unknown or a matter of belief. Thank you for your time and comment!
Greetings my friend. Yes big cats are in the uk but to answer you comment on them not being cryptids. If a big cat is found and proven to exist and it is for example a lynx it's not a cryptid however it is believed that there is a high possibility that we have hybrid variants of big cats in the uk and they do come under the classification of cryptids. A cryptid is simply a creature/animal that is reported to exist but has not been scientifically proven to exist. An example of this (and there are many) would be the komodo dragon which was classified as a cryptid until it was proven to exist. The term cryptid is not about being supernatural. So a hybrid variant is a cryptid until proven to exist. I am a wildlife photographer and videographer and I do agree with you that any actual video/photos will in this day and age be seen as fake by a percentage of the population. That said if I do capture evidence myself then I'd be happy with that regardless of what others may think. We live in an age of deep fakes and I see no way around that. I suppose the best proof would be the cat being spotted at the same moment by several different independent people but that would be very hard to accomplish I guess. All my best to you and good luck with your investigations.
@eastbedsbushcraft Thank you very much! Yes I believe that some one the big cat sightings are hybrids of some kind, as well as the lynx, leopard and Puma. Which would make the hybrid types cryptids you are correct. I am also a photographer myself architecture and landscapes are my main skill. But if I was ever lucky enough to capture a shot of a big cat in the UK iw would make sure to back it up by sharing all the meta data, properties, raw image information and even take a photo of the image on the camera display. Otherwise most will assume it to good to be true and think its ai, photoshopped or taken in another country. I really appreciate your insight and time! Thank you for your comment and time!
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34 years ago while holidaying on the Isle of Wight, I was returning to my chalet in Yaverland from Sandown town centre one starlit night, along the beach around 11.30pm. I reached the cliff path that took me towards my destination and began ascending it. About halfway up, suddenly a large cat, much larger than a domestic cat, ran across my path, from East to West, less than 10 metres in front of me. It was too dark to determine its colouration, but it wasn't black. It had a distinct kink in its tail towards the end. I knew that I'd stumbled across something unusual.
The next day I visited Sandown zoo with my family and broached the subject with one of the keepers. Specifically, I wanted to know if there had been any other reports of a large cat being seen on the island. She was quite dismissive and insisted that I must have seen a badger or fox perhaps. I told her that I was a country boy who was familiar with seeing those animals and other large creatures, including different species of deer after dark and that I know what I'd seen was a large cat. Nevertheless, My encounter was simply dismissed out of hand, and that I have to be mistaken.
You should use motion activated trail camera's.
I live not too far off the majority of sightings, and around 6 years ago found wool from a sheep, that was clearly dragged over a wall (stone bridle), and then partly pulled under the cavity of an old demolish house in the middle of nowhere. The sheep having been killed perhaps the day before when I found it. No obvious signs to say it was a man made kill and very much looked like it was being dragged under the old construction, which was spacious enough for a big cat/dog, but would have been hard for any fully grown man to maneuver the body into considering the angle.
Now I can't say for sure that it was a big cat, it could have been a farmer trying to hide a dead sheep, however the positioning, circumstances and location suggest to me that was very unlikely. The sheep was also too heavy and wall too big for it to be any animal like a fox or badger.
There have also been past sightings in this area, and rumors of a "beast" like creature that have been in the papers if I recall. Although no tangible evidence.
I have been intending to go back to the location ever since to check it out further, but keep putting it off. Considering the years that have passed, it likely might not even be there or alive anymore.
I did ponder the idea of squeezing into the cavity to see if I can see anything. I figure if it was a big cat and lived out it's days there, it might have passed away of age/illness undisturbed. Or knowing my luck it would bite my face off.
Still though, it keeps me pondering because I cannot imagine it being anything else.
There was the perfect undeniable video regarding the capture of Lara the lynx Cricklewood during 2001, but I can't seem to find it anymore.
The problem with getting better photos and videos is their elusive/nocturnal nature and the unpredictabilty of their whereabouts. People are trying with game cams.
Hey Buddy. How would you do this? get this perfect pic? I have seen great pic's but nobody believes them
@Bigcatuk It would be great of someone could capture an image on an actual camera, sharp and detailed, however if anyone was ever to achieve this they would have to share all the metadata from the image to prove its not ai or fake as .most would think its too good to be true.
I think to get a picture of one would be more out of luck really.
Thank you for comment and time I appreciate it!
Part of the answer is in digital forensics. Pictures have editing metadata that can probably be faked, but it's much harder. Also context on the camera memory card: if it's sequenced between other pictures of the same area, on the same day, it makes it hard to insert an edited or manipulated fake between genuine pictures. And good photographers are likely to take dozens of pics in a short time. Someone must have solved this from the PoV of verifying news photos.
@anotherfreediver3639 Yeah I'm a photographer myself and if I was to ever be lucky enough to snap a big cat in the UK I would share as much meta data, properties etc as I could a long with the image. I think these days this is the only way people will beleive, especially when it comes to something unknown or a matter of belief.
Thank you for your time and comment!
Greetings my friend. Yes big cats are in the uk but to answer you comment on them not being cryptids. If a big cat is found and proven to exist and it is for example a lynx it's not a cryptid however it is believed that there is a high possibility that we have hybrid variants of big cats in the uk and they do come under the classification of cryptids. A cryptid is simply a creature/animal that is reported to exist but has not been scientifically proven to exist. An example of this (and there are many) would be the komodo dragon which was classified as a cryptid until it was proven to exist. The term cryptid is not about being supernatural. So a hybrid variant is a cryptid until proven to exist.
I am a wildlife photographer and videographer and I do agree with you that any actual video/photos will in this day and age be seen as fake by a percentage of the population. That said if I do capture evidence myself then I'd be happy with that regardless of what others may think. We live in an age of deep fakes and I see no way around that. I suppose the best proof would be the cat being spotted at the same moment by several different independent people but that would be very hard to accomplish I guess. All my best to you and good luck with your investigations.
@eastbedsbushcraft Thank you very much!
Yes I believe that some one the big cat sightings are hybrids of some kind, as well as the lynx, leopard and Puma. Which would make the hybrid types cryptids you are correct.
I am also a photographer myself architecture and landscapes are my main skill. But if I was ever lucky enough to capture a shot of a big cat in the UK iw would make sure to back it up by sharing all the meta data, properties, raw image information and even take a photo of the image on the camera display. Otherwise most will assume it to good to be true and think its ai, photoshopped or taken in another country.
I really appreciate your insight and time! Thank you for your comment and time!