Posted on 03/22/2005 9:53:19 PM PST by Dan from Michigan
Giant cat alert after London man attacked by 'beast of the suburbs'
Tue Mar 22,10:14 AM ET Offbeat - AFP
LONDON (AFP) - A giant puma-like cat was feared to be on the loose in one of London's leafiest suburbs after a man said he had been pounced on by a creature, which then stood hissing on his chest.
Anthony-John Holder, who escaped with scratches and bruising after the incident in his garden in Sydenham Park, a suburb in the southeast of the capital, said he feared the animal could kill someone.
Holder, 37, had ventured to the bottom of his garden late on Monday after hearing his own pet cat howling.
"All of a sudden I see this big black thing pouncing at me, knocked me flying. I was just stunned with it all," he told the London-based radio station LBC.
"I just didn't know where I was, and the next thing there was this big black figure laying on my chest.
"It was growling, growling at me and hissing and it then started scratching."
Holder said he had used "brute force" to push the animal, described as being roughly the size of a Labrador dog, away from him.
"This thing knew what it wanted. If I was weak... I think it could have killed me and then it could have gone on to hurt my family and everything else. I do think it would have done damage to someone," he said.
Police, who were called by the terrified Holder, said they were seeking advice from London Zoo and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, which deals with stray animals in Britain.
"We are advising the local public if they see the animal, do not approach it and to report it to police using (emergency number) 999 and to keep pets indoors," a spokesman said.
In recent years, sightings of giant cats have been reported throughout Britain, but although livestock have supposedly been attacked a number of times there have been virtually no instances of encounters with humans.
Initially dismissed by scientists as unlikely, evidence from pawprints and droppings has led many to conclude that a number of big cats, perhaps released into the wild from private zoos, are roaming the country.
The notion of a puma living in London is also not as far-fetched as it might seem.
Despite its size and population, London has far more green spaces than most similar-sized cities, both in hundreds of public parks and squares and through the gardens of terraced homes, which form the bulk of its housing stock.
Around 15,000 foxes are believed to live in the capital, as well as a large number of squirrels and other creatures.
Werewolf! after all, it is London.
Are there regular old European Wildcats still left in Britain? They look like overgrown housecats, but they're vicious!
"I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic's"
---"I just didn't know where I was, and the next thing there was this big black figure laying on my chest.
"It was growling, growling at me and hissing and it then started scratching."---
After an elicit ear rub no doubt.
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Have Camilla Parker Bowles' whereabouts been accounted for?
WHoA! That would be one freaky encounter... Bet he wishes they were allowed to carry guns in London. He would have a cat head on his wall right now. :D
That really looks good, I've never seen anything like that posted before!! I also loved your eagle on the white cloud background.
...and his hair was perfect.
could use MStars on Mstars BG too
lots of action
Wow, that would be something with the animated BG but maybe slow for some people like my profile page is.
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Having a hard time believing this -- or at least believing that the critter wanted to kill him. As reported, this is not typical hunting behavior of big cats, I believe. If he is reporting its behavior accurately, it sounds more like the poor thing was all confused and scared. Probably someone's pet who got out and is now terrified by the unfamiliar outdoors.
It has got to be a Chupacabra, or Mike Tyson!
I bet it is a liger
Nahhhhhhhhhhh, NVA:
It was that creepy, nefarious Dr. Jekyll performing sins against nature experiments in his lab again!
Jack.
No, more likely it would've killed you, dragged you off to a safe place to be partially eaten and then the leftovers would be cached for later!
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