Sydenham panther strikes again

Friendly chat, questions, reviews, find old friends or relatives. Not limited to Sydenham only issues but keep it civil!
Thomas
Posts: 632
Joined: 22 Feb 2007 13:08
Location: Upper Sydenham

Sydenham panther strikes again

Post by Thomas »

admin
Site Admin
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Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Post by admin »

Displaying an intimate knowledge of cryptozoology hitherto unrecognised in the residents of SE26 ...

Read on: http://porcospino.wordpress.com/2009/09 ... kes-again/

Admin
leenewham
Posts: 5886
Joined: 2 Sep 2007 11:58
Location: SYDENHAM
Contact:

Post by leenewham »

The Beast of Sydenham...in Bellingham.

Well done Sun Newspaper!
admin
Site Admin
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Joined: 20 Sep 2004 21:49

Post by admin »

Not in the narborhood? ... AAAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!

Admin
maestro
Posts: 1157
Joined: 27 Jun 2008 16:32
Location: 2nd most struck UK bridge

Post by maestro »

aka "the Palace Puma". It certainly gets around, this article also lists sightings in Eltham, Sidcup, Dartford, Gravesend, Bexley, and Thamesmead.

http://www.streathamguardian.co.uk/news/4571308.
leenewham
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Location: SYDENHAM
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Post by leenewham »

Is this like the Penge Panther?

Or the Honor Oak Hyena?

Or the Lion of Lewisham?
BarnacleBelle
Posts: 4
Joined: 30 Sep 2009 16:26
Location: Lower Sydenham

The truth is out there.....

Post by BarnacleBelle »

Well I for one am relieved as this confirms that I am not going entirely insane! My garden was visited on half a dozen night-time occasions by a large creature over a period of about two weeks earlier this year. Each time it would break through my wooden garden fence in exactly the same place, crap on the lawn and tear up a patch of grass with what looked like large clawed feet. Each time I would repair the fence and then it would return, breaking through whatever I'd hammered over the previous hole! This went on until I eventually screwed a double layer of galvanised steel mesh over the area. It had one more try - leaving a bloomin great dent where it had attempted the break through! - and then, as far as I know, never returned. The first time it came it stole my dog's new squeaky rubber chicken which had been banished to the garden because it was so irritating! Judging by muddy marks I think it made it's escape by leaping over a 5' wall. The size and nature of the break-in ruled out a fox. I considered a badger but it was too high up the fence. I dubbed it The Beast of Sydenham - ignorant of previous "sightings" - and all my friends and family laughed and told me to take water with it! There IS something out there. And it's big! And for any pooologists out there - it was pale and quite a creamy texture!
Trawlerman
Posts: 318
Joined: 17 Sep 2009 13:56
Location: Sydenham

Post by Trawlerman »

Sounds like a dirty great Winnie [The pale poo].
Could be the 'Sydenham Winnie'...?
maestro
Posts: 1157
Joined: 27 Jun 2008 16:32
Location: 2nd most struck UK bridge

Post by maestro »

I think we need an inquest over this poo to verify BarnacleBelle's story, I'm not convinced about this big cat malarkey. I've linked a picture of some badger poo, these particular ones are fairly dark in colour, but according to the article, the colour they are depends on what diet they have recently had. Badgers can also easily climb rough walls, and will dig up lawns to get worms. Also, cats always cover their poo so that makes me even more suspicious. Perhaps someone could link a picture of some puma poo so we can compare.

http://www.badgers.org.uk/brocks-world/07trail09.html
Trawlerman
Posts: 318
Joined: 17 Sep 2009 13:56
Location: Sydenham

Post by Trawlerman »

Comparative poo studies ...There must be a PHD in it...!
BarnacleBelle
Posts: 4
Joined: 30 Sep 2009 16:26
Location: Lower Sydenham

Poo studies...

Post by BarnacleBelle »

I knew I should have taken a picture! Or a sample...... I know badgers can climb, but why? It could have just gone through the fence at ground level, whereas whatever it was broke through about 18" above ground. A badger with a trampoline perhaps. Or a human/badger cannon? Could very well be.
BarnacleBelle
Posts: 4
Joined: 30 Sep 2009 16:26
Location: Lower Sydenham

By the way...

Post by BarnacleBelle »

...Maestro! Thank you so much for that edifying picture of badger poo but I don't think that was it! I could elaborate but I think it best not to here.
maestro
Posts: 1157
Joined: 27 Jun 2008 16:32
Location: 2nd most struck UK bridge

Re: By the way...

Post by maestro »

BarnacleBelle wrote:...Maestro! Thank you so much for that edifying picture of badger poo but I don't think that was it! I could elaborate but I think it best not to here.
Au contraire, BarnacleBelle, I think you've curtailed this one much sooner than you needed to. We'd all have been looking forward to a great debate on the ins and outs of the cats @rse.

If, however, it does transpire to be a cat, then I'm sure the explanation will be perfectly simple. You see, having now sadly passed away, she simply had left no provision for anyone to look after it.............

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19AQgpsIMVY
Gaz
Posts: 366
Joined: 17 Sep 2007 23:22
Location: Sydenham

Post by Gaz »

Trawlerman wrote:Comparative poo studies ...There must be a PHD in it...!
Scatology, I think... :oops:

Here's some interesting info and pictures (incl some puma poo):
http://www.bigcatsightings.com/BigCatInformation.htm

http://www.flickr.com/photos/carlyvynne/2406147464/

Enjoy! :shock:
NorthernIrelandSydenham
Posts: 35
Joined: 2 Oct 2009 09:09
Location: Co Armagh & Sydenham

Post by NorthernIrelandSydenham »

This is an interesting one, interesting because its still quite a common sight among us rural Northern Irish. The main problem was that we did not have the same laws as the rest of UK when it came to dangerous animals.

The Dangerous Wild Animals Act which has been operating in Britain since the 1970's, only came to Northern Ireland in 2006! Even when news reports like this one http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3140807.stm were being reported, it was still not an offence to own one, you could keep it in your back garden if you liked and some people did just that.

And stories like this one http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/3164771.stm where people just started to release their 'pets' as they could no longer cope with the size of the beast.

I have spotted them four times over the years, and they were not the same cat, three were black and one was a lighter colour. Where I grew up and lived there is a hotspot called 'werewolf alley' and I have lost count of the number of local reports that were coming through over the years, to the point where it was semi normal to see in that area.
spinynorman
Posts: 1
Joined: 6 Oct 2009 21:08
Location: Norf Landan

Post by spinynorman »

The Beast of Sydenham...in Bellingham.
Shouldn't it really live up the road in Catford? (groan)
paultreacy
Posts: 487
Joined: 10 Jun 2008 17:40
Location: Lawrie Park Road

Post by paultreacy »

I'd love to get this creature on camera.
Neil Arnold
Posts: 3
Joined: 25 Oct 2009 12:19
Location: Kent

Post by Neil Arnold »

With reference to the 'beasts' of Sydenham etc. I've read the posts with interest.
Firstly, I am a full-time researcher into the sightings, having recently released my book on the subject, MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: KENT which covers all the south-east London reports, and next year will be releasing my book on London.
To put a few things straight - scepticism. Sure, scepticism is healthy but anyone who doesn't believe such animals roam the UK really needs to spend some time out in the field looking at the evidence. i understand that most people can only judge amystery by eye-witness reports and what's read online or in newspapers, which, as we know isn't always accurate, but large, exotic cats in the UK are no mystery at all.

Although cats were released after the introduction of the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act, it's incorrect to state this the reason for why such cats roam the UK. The first cat sightings I have on record from Kent/London/Sussex and Surrey date back to the 1500s, andnthere are vague reports also in some Roman records, not forgetting of course that the Romans had amphitheatres. There was certainly an explosion of reports from the '60s onwards, particularly around Surrey, but this was only due to press interest who've made the situation seem like a modern mystery. Remember also that during the Victorian era travelling menageries were in abundance and used to house exotic cats, the Royals had a menagerie, Tudors used to hunt lynx in their grounds, there are so many many reasons as to why large, exotic cats roam the UK.

Evidence is only obtained by research, but these are shy, elusive animals with vast territories which mainly hunt at night. Film footage, photos, livestock kills, faeces, hair samples, paw-print casts...evidence is in abundance, but not all of it is submitted to YouTube for ridicule.

If anyone has any questions as to their scepticism, please ask away. If you want to know what is roaming south-east London, get in touch or log on to:

www.kentbigcats.blogspot.com

www.beastsoflondon.blogspot.com
thetransmitter
Posts: 7
Joined: 12 Oct 2009 14:33
Location: Crystal Palace

Post by thetransmitter »

paultreacy wrote:I'd love to get this creature on camera.
Did you catch this footage?
http://blog.thetransmitter.co.uk/2009/0 ... -se19.html :D
ALIB
Posts: 1553
Joined: 12 Oct 2006 21:34
Location: East Sussex

Post by ALIB »

thetransmitter wrote:
paultreacy wrote:I'd love to get this creature on camera.
Did you catch this footage?
http://blog.thetransmitter.co.uk/2009/0 ... -se19.html :D

No insults intended to the poster, ......

That video is such a crock of.....
My own house cat was twice the size of that tabby cat (at the end). It's stuff like this that makes residents dismissive of the 'big cat possibility' when actual evidence may not be available to all.
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