ALIEN BIG CATS IN BRITAIN [FT433:4-5]
Following their claim earlier this year to have detected leopard DNA in hairs found in Gloucestershire, the film-makers behind the documentary now say they have “probably the best photo of a British big cat that exists”. Producer Tim Whittard said: “This astonishing lost photograph and amazing new scientific discovery form only a fraction of the collective evidence on display in the film.” The picture is supposed to show a black panther-like cat lying in long grass in Smallthorne, Staffordshire, but its provenance leaves a lot to be desired. The photo was discovered by Carl Marshall, from the Centre for Fortean Zoology, when he was working in their archives. It was accompanied by a handwritten note dated 17 March, but without a year, a sender’s genus, and it’s so clear we can even see its whiskers,” adding, “If it’s genuine, then it’s probably the best photo of a British big cat that exists.” In addition to the less than perfect documentation, the photo, while indeed very clear, does not show enough of the landscape to securely link it to the claimed Staffordshire location, and there has been some scepticism about whether the vegetation in which the animal is crouched even looks English. As a result, it is impossible to securely tie the picture to a date, a photographer or a location, and even to say whether it was taken in the UK. The documentary itself is more sceptical about the photo than the press coverage suggests, but does not dismiss it outright.
