The Big cats of Britain and bucks
Big cats like leopards, pumas and lynx are highly adaptive animals and would have no problems with the UK's environment. Leopards are found all over the planet in various environments and temperatures. The UK's a nice cool afternoon walk for them and full of easy unsuspecting prey!
Black Leopard
The Black Leopard, is a leopard with a genetic condition called melanism causing a colour variation and giving them a dark colouring.
They are strong, agile and excellent climbers and like all leopards are normally active dusk to dawn choosing to sleep during the day.
Black leopards seem to make up the majority of big cat sightings in the uk with nationally and within bucks making up around 65-70% of sightings.
This may be due to the fact they tend to not blend into the British countryside as well at the other cat species we seem to have.
Often described as being a similar size to a Labrador at around 2-2 1/2 ft tall, having a very long t black tail often with a kink at the end, sometimes shiny looking coat, rounded ears and looking sleek yet mucular.
Tagline
PUma/ cougar /mountain lion
The puma goes by up to 40 different names because its so well spread over the world, but mostly known as the puma, cougar or mountain lion. Though my favourite is the Ghost cat.
Pumas are known for having a tan or brown coat, though they can come a few different shades. Although they they are shy animals and typically avoid humans they are incredibly adaptable cats and can survive in many different environments, of which the uk is actually quite mild and almost idyllic
Pumas make around 30% of the sightings of suspected big cats in the uk, though they could have similar numbers to the Leopard but being better camouflaged in Britain may simply be spotted less frequently.
Again also described normally as a similar size to a Labrador but with teddy bear like ears, a thicker tail than a leopards and a powerful muscular body and tan coat.
