An undisclosed Cumbrian hill farm is the location for the first ever positive identification of big cat DNA taken from a carcass.
“To my right, I saw something black running, and assumed it was a sheepdog,” she said. “Then I did a double take and realised it was a black cat. It ran towards a stone wall, stopped and then jumped the wall. It was big – the size of a German shepherd dog.”
Larkin-Snowden took swabs from the sheep's nose and back and front legs, and they were sent to a laboratory at the University of Warwick which specialises in testing for big cat DNA run by Prof Robin Allaby.
Allaby told BBC Countryfile Magazine they were able to make a positive identification of DNA belonging to a cat from the Panthera genus. This includes five species – lion, leopard, tiger, jaguar and snow leopard, but only two – leopard and jaguar – that have melanistic (black) forms as seen by Larkin-Snowden.
This news follows the 2022 discovery of strands of black animal hair on a barbwire fence in Gloucestershire apparently belonging to a big cat
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Is this the first wild animal larger than a rodent on the british isles in 8000 years?
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
More options
Context
We have quite a lot of deer but that's the only big wild animal here really, we've killed off everything else
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
you lot should reintroduce lions. Into london.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
More options
Context
More options
Context
More options
Context
Cryptid.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
More options
Context
There is NO wildlife in Britain.
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
More options
Context
I was shooting heroin and reading “The Fountainhead” in the front seat of my privately owned police cruiser when a call came in. I put a quarter in the radio to activate it. It was the chief. “Bad news, detective. We got a situation.” “What? Is the mayor trying to ban trans fats again?” “Worse. Somebody just stole four hundred and forty-seven million dollars' worth of bitcoins.” The heroin needle practically fell out of my arm.
Snapshots:
https://www.countryfile.com/news/new-dna-evidence-confirms-presence-of-big-cat-in-cumbrian-countryside:
ghostarchive.org
archive.org
archive.ph (click to archive)
Jump in the discussion.
No email address required.
More options
Context