Filmmakers have uncovered a path cam photograph displaying a ‘large cat’ stalking Britain which could possibly be a uncommon ‘pumapard’ – a cross between a puma and a leopard.
The big feline was snapped within the Kent countryside and its neck muscle, ear form and tail will not be that of a home, specialists say.
It’s thought it could possibly be newest proof of massive cats within the UK – and could possibly be a uncommon dwarf breed often known as a pumapard. They’re a cross between a leopard and a puma or cougar – and have beforehand been born in captivity.
The photograph, taken in 2013, has been unearthed by makers of the brand new documentary ‘Panthera Britannia Declassified’ It has the specialists cut up – with a number of claiming it reveals one thing totally different to your typical pet moggy.
Prof. Andrew Hemmings of the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester stated its dimensions counsel it isn’t a home cat.
He stated: “The developed neck musculature and curvature of the tail each counsel one thing aside from Felis Catus. Scaling is troublesome however this doesn’t seem like of grownup leopard dimension.
”It’s nonetheless fully believable that populations of leopard-sized felids may have grow to be smaller over a number of generations, possibly in response to pure genetic choice imposed by a prey-base of smaller animals comparable to rabbits. ‘It will make good evolutionary sense to adapt to a plentiful, low-risk species such because the rabbit.”
A pumapard is a hybrid of a cougar/puma and a leopard. Each male cougar with feminine leopard and male leopard with feminine cougar pairings have produced offspring.
Usually, these hybrids have exhibited a bent to dwarfism. One concept of how large cats arrived in Britain is the unregulated unique pet commerce of the final days of the Empire.
Leopards had been imported from Africa and Asia and pumas or cougars from the Americas. Specialists consider each species being launched into our countryside.
Showing within the documentary knowledgeable animal tracker Rhoda Watkins, speculates that this might presumably be a ‘pumapard’.
Sarah Hartwell, proprietor of the web site ‘MessyBeast’ stated: ”The puma and leopard hybrids had been smaller than both guardian, however most appeared to have died as juveniles so we do not know their remaining dimension. The ear form is the massive giveaway. Huge cats all have rounded ears. Domestics (and their relations within the Lybica household) have triangular ears – huge on the base and narrowing on the tip.”
Well-known monster hunter and star of Animal Planet’s hit TV sequence ‘Discovering Bigfoot’, James “Bobo” Fay agrees with Prof. Hemmings:
“I’ve seen 4 mountain lions prior to now month; I see them on a regular basis in California. It possesses traits related to the North American cougar. It’s undoubtedly not a bobcat. The tail appears cougar-like to me and it appears extra muscular than a home cat, however my general impression is that I am taking a look at a big home dominant hybrid.”
Huge cat researcher Kevin Steele runs the ‘Actual Huge Cats in Kent’ group on Fb. Kevin stated: “There have been quite a few sightings of massive cats in Kent now over a number of a long time. I do know the placement the place the photograph was taken and sightings are reported from that space very often.”
The documentary ‘Panthera Britannia Declassified’ by Dragonfly Movies is that can be purchased and hire on Amazon Prime, iTunes and Google TV