Wednesday, February 22, 2012

BIG CAT NEWS: The Beast of Smallthorne

We are getting an increasingly high profile in the murky world of Big Cat Research. This has good, as well as bad knock-on effects.

For example, the other day, I had a strange telephone call from someone with a gruff voice claiming "to 'ave seen a bleedin' big cat mate". When I asked him for details he began to get progressively more silly, before bursting out laughing and putting the 'phone down.

Then, yesterday morning I received this photograph in the mail. It was apparently taken on the 18th February, at Ford Green Nature Reserve, Smallthorne, near Stoke in Staffordshire at 4:09PM.

It is claimed that the photo was taken on a mobile 'phone and then cropped. I post it without comment, apart from saying that it appears to be a black leopard. I have asked for the uncropped version so that I can subject it to analysis, and we shall wait and see what happens.


Ford Green Nature Reserve certainly exists.

http://www.fordgreennaturereserve.moonfruit.com/

But is it where this photo was actually taken?

I have asked my wonderful son-in-law Gavin, and my wonderful step-daughter Shosh to go and investigate for me. Their first job is to see if they can find the exact location where the picture was taken...

STOP PRESS: The Mystery is solved...or is it?

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2 comments:

  1. Dr Karl Shuker11:08 AM

    Hi Jon,

    I'm afraid it's a crude cut-and-paste hoax. A quick Google Image search for black panther pix found the exact same photo (except that the Smallthorne version had been horizontally flipped) on a website for animal posters: http://www.animal-posters.info/catalog/411968.htm

    All the best, Karl

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  2. Neil A1:07 PM

    Absoloutely hilarious...can you imagine Mr Big Cat Hunter getting this close to a leopard! Picture the scene in his camo' gear, cuddly leopard toy under his arm saying to himself, "Okay big guy, take it easy, deep breath...this couold be the Holy Grail..."

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