Big Cat Conversations

Cat Fight is the new novel from author Kit Conway which centres around big cat encounters in Kent, published in the UK in May and the US in June 2025. We speak to Kit about how Big Cat Conversations helped shape her ideas for the big cat aspects of the plot. The book has already been optioned as a future TV screenplay, and Kit discusses how she weaved big cat sightings into a novel about the developing frictions across a close community in south-east England. It is a rollercoaster of a story which explores people's switch to wild behaviour on different levels.Our second guest Gary describes some big cat incidents in Surrey, just 50 miles west of where Cat Fight is set. He himself has twice observed a black panther in a neighbouring agricultural field, viewed from the same spot in his parents' house. Believed by Gary to be a black leopard on each occasion, the sightings were 20 years apart in 2003 and 2023.   Word of the week:   rosetteCat Fight book availability in UK:https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/463613/cat-fight-by-conway-kit/9780857506597 Cat Fight book availability in North America:  https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Cat-Fight/Kit-Conway/9781668066348Copies of Cat Fight are available for UK and for North America listeners to win by emailing ‘word of the week' suggestions – details in the podcast.Kit Conway, Cat Fight author's website: https://www.kitconway.com/ 1st June 2025

John explores the wild forests and farmland of his local Scottish borders area.  It's a sparsely populated region where black panthers and lynx are quietly discussed by some of the locals.  John takes us through various lynx encounters, including two of his own, and describes his three experiences with large black cats – one seen nearby from a slow moving train, and one unnervingly close at night.  John starts the episode by explaining how his military background helps his observation and tracking skills. He also discusses lynx reintroduction proposals which have been considered for his part of Britain. John is a musician and with his wife & friends created his own outro track for this edition…  Eyes Burning Bright. Words of the week:   orienting response 9 May 2025 

John met a “black panther” during his evening dog walks four times in 1996 in Staffordshire. On the first occasion he was confronted directly by the cat at close range. As the predator was poised, there seemed no easy way out. John explains his thoughts and the subliminal messages he received at that moment, as he reached in his pocket and unlatched his Swiss army knife… ‘Big Cat Mystery' outro track courtesy of Lancashire band DRIVE. Words of the Week:   beauty in the beast  17 April 2025 

Bonus feature - British wolverines?Our first guest Darren was asked to despatch a troublesome fox in south Wales in 1998. In the snowy conditions he actually saw a puma though his gun sights – he re-lives the high emotions on the winter hillside as bright green eyeshine stared back.  Rick and Darren also consider the prospects of a big cat  being trapped, and they discuss an event in 2011, when the police and the Home Office verified a plaster cast as from a puma-like big cat.For our second guest we return to Exmoor Zoo, meeting owner Danny Reynolds. He briefs us on the new female black leopard, Bagheera. She is a lively three year old, who enjoys playful stalking of the visitors and keepers.Exmoor Zoo also hosts two wolverines, last known in Britain 8,000 years ago, or has this podcast found that they are back somehow?  We discuss some footage which might hold the clues, with some extracted stills on the Big Cat Conversations website. Danny and Rick discuss the traits of wolverines, a big type of mustelid, both in the wild and at the zoo. Words of the week:  talon   &   Gulo gulo26 March 2025 

Andrea is a podcast listener in Victoria, Australia. She didn't expect to experience big cats on her land. But she explains how events and sightings have indicated she has visiting pumas, which seem to predate kangaroos, wallabies and rabbits. She looks after two pure dingoes, which have reacted to calls and movements of what appear to be a nearby big cat. Andrea discusses life with the dingoes, and her heightened awareness of new hidden predators in the local bushland. In the final section, British and SA tracker Mark Graves returns to discuss key issues which have cropped up in recent episodes, including the ‘clawed' carcass, alarm calls from birds when predators are around, and why big cats' fur can change in colder conditions. Rick describes two recent black panther-leopard reports from witnesses, and Mark explains how big cats drag their larger prey items.    Words of the week: ‘upside down country'   &  piloerection3 March 2025

We return to Cumbria for latest news of the mother and cub black leopards, being experienced by Liz on nearby land to her property. In autumn and winter sightings Liz has noticed longer fur develop on the mother, as well as alarm calls from magpies harassing the cats.  Liz and Rick discuss the challenges of getting evidence from this ongoing case.UPDATE:  Between recording and then releasing this interview with Liz, she reports that her husband has now had two evening encounters with the mother.Our second guest, Neil, describes a situation as a 14 year old, when he and his dad stumbled upon what appeared to be black panther cubs being recovered from the wild in Devon in an official covert operation…  Words of the week:   winter coat8 February 2025

Two retired police officers report their big cat encounters and incidents, including black leopards & lynx. We conclude the episode with comments on the January 2025 lynx release & capture saga from Paul Macdonald of Scottish Big Cat Research.Andrew our first guest from County Durham recounts his encounter with what he believes was a black leopard, when walking his dog in 2003.  Through his police activity he then learnt about similar big black cat reports nearby, and his interest in the subject grew. Nick from Kent nearly hit a big black cat in his vehicle when driving on police duty in the back lanes of Kent, in 1994. Nick raced out of the car to pursue the animal and soon realised the folly of his actions. A colleague then had a nearby sighting, which they felt may have been the same cat, while another contact shot a lynx in error, as it was flushed from woodland when he was out shooting foxes.    16 January 2025 Word of the week:   truncheon

Our end-of-year extended episode features Mandy from Worcestershire and Jon from neighbouring Herefordshire.Mandy explains the events which led to her setting-up a big cats Facebook group in Worcestershire, as a hotline for reports and discussion. Her own sighting was a close-up view of a black leopard type of cat, and instantly drew her to the subject.Jon watched a puma slink through his garden one night in 2003, close to the house he was renovating. His initial shock and concern turned to respect for big cats, as he and his wife experienced three different large cats in and around their remote garden until they moved in 2018. Jon kept a ‘big cat diary' throughout that time – he takes us through the events for this episode.  Word of the week:   estrangement12 December 2024

Tommy had two sightings of black panthers in the north of Exmoor as a teenager in the 90s.  His first viewing was of a mother guiding a small cub, which made a lasting impression on him. Tommy recounts a local vicar's sighting of a big black cat at the time, and he explains how local teenagers related to the Exmoor Beast legend. Later in his army career, Tommy heard fellow soldiers admitting to seeing pumas on Ministry of Defence land in Northumberland.  Word of the week:   Inquisitive17 November 2024

Liz describes several encounters with a black leopard visiting the farmyard where she and her husband feed the farm cats. She has been watched and advanced on by the large cat and is now fully alert to its potential presence.  On one occasion Liz noticed a small panther like cat dart out of cover to catch up with the big cat, and realised it was a cub rushing to its mother.   Liz reports how the farm cats change behaviour due to the bigger cats' presence, and she explains how she and her husband adapt their life, living in anticipation of their new stealthy neighbours.  Words of the week:   teddy bear  25 October 2024

Craig our guest returns after episode 72 when he re-lived his Exmoor big cat encounters in the 1980s.Now based in Herefordshire, Craig explains the big cat reports and potential activity occurring in his own village, right where he walks his dogs. He has been followed by an animal with large piercing eyeshine which alarmed his dogs, and he has recently found two fresh deer carcasses, one freshly devoured, and the other was still warm, had a severed windpipe, and showed claw marks raked down the muzzle and throat.  Craig also had a close view of a puma crossing his path in the Black Mountains, near Hay on Wye, in 2023. His photos and videos of these incidents, showing his immediate reactions, can be viewed on the podcast website…   https://bigcatconversations.com/refs-links/Word of the week:   kleptoparasite4 October 2024

Our first guest Graham recounts a close encounter with a large black cat on the Isle of Skye during one of his fishing trips. We discuss how a cat like a black leopard could have arrived on Skye and how well such a cat could go unnoticed in the island's wild terrain.  For our second guest we catch up with Scotland research coordinator Paul Macdonald. Amongst recent highlights he describes two clips of footage shown to him at a recent rural show stand, and a report of a roadside puma carcass being recovered by a military crew.   Thanks to Scottish folk singer Shona Donaldson for Beast o'the Bin.Word of the week:   Fieldwork12 September 2024

In this Summer edition we discuss pumas encountered in the wild on the England & Wales border in the Wye Valley, but we also visit a special sanctuary for re-homed exotic pets, also in the Wye Valley area. Our first guest Grant, explains how he and friends were advanced on by a puma when they were out lamping foxes one night. Grant describes the intense eye shine and what happened as the cat got closer…Our second guest Lindsay has experience with large cats from South Africa. Now she runs Wildside Exotic Rescue, where pumas, lynx and a serval are amongst the rescued animals cared for. She explains the challenges of looking after the cats and the other animals, and she reflects on the consequences of people owning and needing to give up their exotic pets. The pumas are sometimes fed deer, and will be involved in a special scientific experiment to help big cat studies in Britain…Visit www.wildsideexoticrescue.co.uk to learn more about Wildside and support the work of Lindsay and the team there. Words of the week:   scientific controls21 August 2024

Steve our guest trains his working gun dog, a springer spaniel every morning at dawn. We hear of four occasions when he's encountered a large black cat in his local Cheshire countryside.  For one of the sightings the animal had a pronounced limp.  On the BCC website (Refs & Links, Ep 113) Steve compares his sighting to the footage of a limping large black cat filmed in Scotland last year.Steve and Rick also discuss the footage of an alleged large black cat filmed in Steve's area of Cheshire in January 2024. The footage was shown in the media at the time and is now on the BCC website to view. Steve also recalls seeing a Scottish wildcat in Scotland and we hear about black panther and lynx reports mentioned on his fishing trips in Scotland. Word of the week:   observant  27 July 2024

Our first guest Richard recounts a sudden episode of big cat reports from his time as a local police officer in Wiltshire. One of the cases involved a threatened domestic cat.In the second part we catch up with tracker and wildlife guide Mark Graves who was first on ep 95. He explains why some photographed footprints and plaster casts are evidence for big cats in Scotland and in Dorset, and he discusses a call which matches a leopard vocalisation, recorded recently in a Devon woodland.  We also reflect on a recent press report of a camper experiencing a black panther advancing towards him in a Derbyshire campsite. Mark gives feedback after speaking with the witness. Finally, Mark and Rick consider how distinct the British big cats may be, tuned as they are to the UK environment.   Words of the week:   character release3 July 2024

We hear from Andy and from Gail, the different witnesses mentioned by Nick on his farm in episode 109. Andy and Gail speak about their own various big cat incidents during their farm visits, and they have each had one close up account… Andy confronted a large black “panther-leopard” one evening at the barns. Gail was on her way to the campsite portaloo when she watched a big black cat sitting in the early morning sun.The cat-like footprint photographed by Nick for episode 109 (BCC website, Refs & Links page) may match the scale of the cat described by Gail. Word of the week:   coexistence   8 June 2024

In this Cumbria update we discuss new DNA evidence with Sharon Larkin-Snowden following her input to episode 101. In October 2023 Sharon found a freshly consumed sheep carcass. Without realising, she also disturbed a big black cat at the scene. Later she swabbed the carcass for any saliva present, for a lab test. She and Rick discuss the DNA result which came back from the University of Warwick  Sharon and her husband Ian describe their further investigations, including their use of a drone and thermal camera, and the family's savannah cats provide some background sound effects. Our second-half guest is Diane from near Wigan in Lancashire. She has twice witnessed what she believes is a black leopard when dog walking. Diane was interviewed on Sky TV's Hold the Front Page at the podcast's big cat stand last September in Cumbria. She and Rick discuss their experience of working with TV comedians to help mainstream the topic of British big cats.   Words of the week:   forensic swabbing     14 May 2024

Nick runs a farm in the English midlands which is now transforming to wildlife friendly woods and meadows.  Amongst the farm's wildlife are sightings and signs of big cats. Nick recounts people's big cat encounters in the area and he describes the suspicious prints and the potential big cat lay-up spot found on his farm. He runs the farm in the knowledge that big cats have become part of the local wildlife, using the network of woods and the new wildlife habitats he helps to establish.  He feels the cats feast on rabbits and will help keep the deer skittish, which will prevent over-browsing of the younger trees and emerging woodland.    Words of the week:   Lay-up spots    19 April 2024

Eliza and two of her Cubs group friends came close to a black panther “with ears like a teddy bear” in their local Country Park in Spring 2023.  The location is a big greenspace, busy in the daytime with families and visitors on the edge of town, adding to the shock and surprise felt by Eliza and friends.  Eliza and her mum Sarah join us to discuss the difficulties of young people being believed when they report a big cat. Sarah and Rick consider the challenge of awareness raising on big cats, especially for adults supervising young people on outdoor activities.Words of the week:   tail talk26 March 2024

Wayne is an angler in Essex. He describes 3 close encounters with big cats at fishing lakes. On one occasion he met with a leopard warning him off just meters away on a lakeside path. The nearby muntjac deer might owe its life to Wayne's presence, as he stumbled upon the scene between the cat and the deer. He got close enough to see the big cat's markings… Words of the week:   leopard popcorn smell   5 March 2024

Janet is based in a remote corner of Argyll. She was unaware of the area's long history of big cat reports until events kicked off close to her house in 2023. She explains the warning calls and the sightings she experienced locally and coincidentally when visiting Aberdeenshire. Janet is a professional photographer and explains how she is adapting her range of camera kit in preparation for big cats, especially in darkness and low light.   Word of the week:   guttural 9 February 2024

We hear from Paul, an investigator near John O'Groats in north-east Scotland.  He re-tells several big cat sighting reports from recent years, and he explains his use of trail cams, night vision cameras, and lures.    Last summer he followed up a local black leopard report, then found himself in a dense woodland with a growling cat just a few feet away. The scary incident took a twist later that night… Words of the week:   nape bite17 January 2024

Adam's Grandfather's once had a big cat sighting in Sherwood Forest and now, decades later, Adam has just experienced a large black cat in the same area - we hear the details in this episode.Adam also discusses several big cat encounters he's heard of from friends and contacts in Nottinghamshire and Shropshire, as well as some perfect footage of a puma he was shown. As an ecologist he meets people in remote parts of the English midlands who are in prime positions to witness wildlife. He also considers the niche available for big cats in the British landscape, and he explains how a lifetime of observing wildlife can bring the odd surprise. More notes for the episode at:  bigcatconversations.com/refs-links/Words of the week:   niche   &   vigil27 December 2023

We hear Sue's experience after 10 years' worth of big cat sightings and incidents around her stables in Essex.Her daughter and sons have had close sightings, and in one of Sue's encounters she was next to a black panther in the stable yard at dusk.Sue describes some severe impacts on two of the horses after close confrontations with a big cat, and she explains the ongoing extra costs she is faced with in feed and vets' bills, managing the stables alongside the varying visits of big cats. Words of the week:   foxlights  predator deterrent11 December 2023

Charles reflects on his two encounters with a black panther or leopard, 21 years apart, both while caravanning and trekking in Cumbria. For the first incident Charles was in touching distance of the big cat as he entered his caravan awning and discovered it there – Charles recounts the moments he found himself closed in with a panther beside him…  Word of the week:   catstycam 19 November 2022

We catch up with Cumbrian investigator Sharon Larkin at the end of the Westmorland Show where Rick and Sharon were meeting witnesses and visitors to the big cat stand.Sharon explains how she follows up reports on her Facebook page, Big Cats in Cumbria. She describes several of her own encounters with large black cats and she justifies why she believes these are leopards, including the one she photographed near Gretna in 2014 as it spooked cows and consumed a rabbit.  South West investigator Paul Ramsden visited the show and also chipped in, comparing Cumbria's big cat landscape with his home base in Gloucestershire. He and Sharon recount their highlights from people's reports at the big cat stand at the show. We are also joined by Ian, Sharon's husband. He describes his own big cat sighting and he and Sharon reflect on the family's experience living with the subject and owning two cats bred from servals…  More show notes, photos and messages are on this link…  bigcatconversations.com/refs-links/ Words of the week:   savannah cats30 September 2023

For our centenary show we met with 25 contacts in a Herefordshire pub, to talk big cats, sample the local cider, and eat celebration panther cakes. We heard sighting reports from Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Dorset – two of which were genuinely ‘close' encounters.  David, one of the witnesses, also described the perfect footage he'd been shown of a black leopard in Herefordshire.Mark Graves led a discussion on tracking and ‘where next?' for investigating big cats, and we heard different views on how best to use a sum of £5,000 for getting more evidence. When we discussed big cats in our culture, Fleur reminded us of Roman finds in Britain in which the Greek god of wine and dance Dionysus is accompanied by a panther… Look out for Youtube extracts of this episode 100 to be linked on the Big Cat Conversations website and YT Channel in late August 2023.  Word of the week:   spoor19 August 2023

Phebe has been following-up big cat reports in different places for 30 years.  She's been trusted with local information on big cat incidents, and has witnessed a lynx in Hertfordshire and two black leopards together in SW Wales.We hear of her own cat encounters and some memorable information she's received from friends and contacts experiencing big cats. We also discuss whether the reported cats may be staying close to the sources of their first releases, or if other suitable areas are becoming a sink for them.   Words of the week:   exotic animals  29 July 2023

Gareth is a reporter for local papers in Derbyshire and joins us as another journalist guest on the podcast, following Tristan in episode 94. Gareth has had a long-term interest in big cat encounters and has glimpsed one himself. He explains how big cat stories get high hit rates in the media, so local newspapers welcome news of people's sightings.  Gareth describes some key big cat events in Derbyshire, including the release of lynx at the former Riber Castle zoo, the long-running Carsington Beast reports, and a farmer finding his dogs confronting a lynx.  Gareth also reflects on the time he received a hoax report and photo, and Rick refers to some recent big cat cases in Derbyshire and a TV show episode due in Summer 2023 which features Derbyshire big cat cases. See our Refs and Links page at  https://bigcatconversations.com/refs-links/  for details of the May 2023 YouGuv survey on people's belief in big cats living wild in Britain. Words of the week:   media algorithm7 July 2023

In the first half we hear from Jayne – she caught sight of a black panther with several of her jogging friends one morning this year in Somerset. Other friends had previously told her of their alleged reports at the Glastonbury festival area. In the second half, Mark Graves returns after episode 95. He reflects on a recent day spent with big cat investigators in Gloucestershire, and he explains how he survived a crocodile attack during his time in South Africa.      Words of the week:   aposematic colouration17 June 2023

George is a retired gamekeeper in Herefordshire. He recounts his sighting of a local black panther, and many years before, a puma in a forest near Bodmin in Cornwall. George also discusses his regrets at shooting an adult black panther as well as what appeared to be a young one, in recent years in Herefordshire – local farmers were experiencing sheep kills at the time. George explains why both the shot cats matched the description of a leopard.George considers that from his experience, farmers and keepers may tolerate big cats if they avoid sheep predation.     Word of the week:   DNA26 May 2023

Former South African farmer & wilderness guide Mark Graves briefs us on living with leopards in South Africa, where he has guided Kruger National Park visitors and trained trackers on leopards and the Big 5. Mark takes us through some of his close observations of leopards and he explains the moments when he once had to face and retreat from an advancing lioness. Now based in Britain, Mark discusses the large cats reportedly living here, and considers how we can live alongside them.  Word of the week:   anthropomorphism 5 May 2023

Tristan is senior reporter at the Bristol Post newspaper where big cat stories are rare. In contrast, he routinely heard of people's big cat incidents in his former role with the Western Daily Press.  We hear highlights of the big cat accounts he reported on, and learn how he realised big cat sightings were a genuine  part of the rural scene. Then one day, a large stealthy black animal arrived in his own local fields…    Word of the week:   clickbait14 April 2023

Steve our guest has spent half a lifetime investigating big cat reports in southern England – he takes us through key events in Oxfordshire in recent years, including the search for a puma body, the secrets of the Charlbury panther, and a big cat caught in a cage trap which then went missing. We learn about his time volunteering at a big cat sanctuary in Colorado, and hear how he links with his local police contacts. His own sightings include watching a black panther emerge with a friend, who just minutes earlier had mocked Steve's interest in the topic.   Word of the week:   misidentification25 March 2023

Alex our guest has had several big cat encounters in South West England, one of which involved a black panther creeping up behind him. He reflects on these experiences in this episode. Rick and Alex also discuss the challenge of raising awareness of large predators while minimising the fear factor.  We also hear about Alex's most recent sightings in south Devon, and discuss the interesting results on his trail cameras. Word of the week:   cryptic6 March 2023

A panther and cubs next to a fishing tent, gamekeepers' attitudes to big cats, a large cat carcass by the A9, admissions of lynx releases, and recent dashcam footage from West Highlands – we hear of these and other snippets as Paul MacDonald updates us on recent big cat highlights from Scotland.   We also hear some modern folklore, as The Black Beast of Bin, a poem from 1994, written following big cat sightings in the Huntly area of Aberdeenshire at the time, is sung specially for the podcast by Scottish folk singer Shona Donaldson.  Words of the week:   Origin stories12 February 2023

Andy and Claire explain why they are committed to tracking and learning about big cats in the Stroud area of Gloucestershire – we hear about their findings so far, from tree scratches, potential big cat calls, scat, carcasses of potential prey, and tantalising trail camera shots. Words of the week:   AI poetry    24 January 2023

Louise describes three different large cat encounters in Scotland, including meeting a lynx in her local woodland in Angus. As it noticed her, she felt vulnerable and time became fixed at that heart-stopping moment.11 years later a friend and neighbour of Louise had an encounter near the same location, on the edge of town – showing that such predators can be closer than we think… Words of the week:   A clowder of cats 8 January 2023

Lewis describes being confronted by a black panther in the Chilterns area back in 2006, on the edge of the Prime Minister's Chequers estate. Lewis was with three friends messing about in the snow by moonlight, when the panther emerged. Lewis describes events as they fled from the hill.  Our second guest is the experienced investigator Paulo, who runs the Big Cats of the Chilterns FB page. He updates us on recent trends of sightings across the Chilterns area, and we finish with details of a fresh big cat incident very close to Paulo's home in mid December 2022. Words of the week:   call blasters & hunting decoys22 December 2022

We hear from Bernard, an experienced stalker in the south of Ireland. He watched two adult black panthers resting in a field one evening in October 2022, as he walked his dog. There seemed to be a  third smaller cat with them. Bernard takes us through the incident and tries to make sense of the remarkable scene.    We finish with news of the big cats poem & limerick competition.Words of the week:   a destruction of cats6 December 2022

Rob explains his boyhood interest in the Exmoor Beast and roaming local woods for signs of big cats. Now living in British Canada, Rob encounters different wild animals on his regular mountain hikes. He describes his recent close observation of a dark coloured Canadian lynx, and his family's confrontation with a growling stalking cougar. Rob explains why he carries protective bear spray and knives in his rucksack after seeing black bears close to his hiking trails, and he discusses how local people adapt to living alongside cougars and bears.Rob finishes by commenting on recent night-vision footage taken in Devon and available to view on the Big Cat Conversations website, Refs & Links page for episode 86. Word of the week:   slesse  22 November 2022

Bob received big cat reports in the 1990s during his career with Warwickshire police – it became more real on duty one night when he saw a black panther himself. John our second guest also served with Warwickshire police - he investigated a crashed car incident one night in 2003 when his police dog Russ let him know there was something about, as a panther emerged on the scene…John discusses his experience working with dogs in the police and currently with Cornwall Search Dogs, and he and Rick consider how dogs could be deployed for tracking big cats. Words of the week:   scat detection dogs3 November 2022

Don saw a black panther or leopard in Derbyshire in 1989 at a time when local farmers and police were reporting sightings of a big black cat in the Derbyshire press.  Don retained his interest in the topic and brought a thermal camera in 2022 to film local wildlife and hopefully a big cat. Within a few weeks he noticed one of the blobs on his thermal footage was cat shaped, and larger than any foxes and badgers he had filmed. Seeing the shape again Don concluded he was indeed filming a large cat. It is judged to be around 109 cms from nose to rump.   Don discusses the thermal footage on this episode. A selection of the video recordings and stills taken from the videos are on the Big Cat Conversations website, under ep 84 of the Refs & Links page.     Word of the week:   monopod13 October 2022

We join investigator Paul Ramsden for a visit to two big cat sighting spots in Gloucestershire. We look out along the edge of the Cotswold hills and then go deep into a hidden valley woodland. Paul explains how mammals including big cats would use the woodland and he considers prime places for trail cameras for filming any large cats. Rick describes past panther, puma and lynx reports in the area and Paul recounts his own past big cat sighting that happened in Dorset.Words of the week:   a glaring of cats  28 September 2022 

Clare met a black leopard watching her from a ditch in a Somerset lane back in 1993. Her family's dogs and horses had been spooked at the time, sensing a possible predator nearby.In a wide-ranging discussion including the wonders of the Zanzibar leopard and the search for the supposedly lost Thylacine, Clare discusses her experience working with leopards, puma and lynx at a zoo, and lessons she learnt about the traits of these cats for their behaviour in the wild in Britain. Words of the week:   electromagnetic shielding  14 September 2022

Darren Millar the Welsh Parliament Member for Clwyd West believes the Welsh Government should be researching big cats – we hear from Darren at the Denbigh and Flint Show in August 2022. We then hear from Carla who witnessed a black cat as big as her labrador dog in mid Wales in early August – when she returned to the spot the next day she was hissed at and fled the scene. Finally we hear from Michelle – she drove past a big cat's body over 20 years ago and had a black panther sighting near Carmarthen in south west Wales in 2007.Words of the week:   Magnus cattus 29 August 2022

Charlie watched a lynx sunning itself at the edge of his village in Kent, then two years later he had a close encounter with a puma on the other side of the village. Charlie compares the wild Kent puma with one he witnessed in Alberta, Canada, and one he studied at a big cat sanctuary. Charlie also discusses how he is naturally fearful of panthers due to the black colour, but he explains why the most dangerous local animal he's encountered is a deer.    Word of the week:   Klandagi       8 August 2022

Kayleigh our first guest was driving when she and her dog both reacted to a large black panther in front of the car near forestry land in south west Wales in March 2022. Kayleigh feels that large black cats are now quietly accepted as part of the South Wales environment in some remote areas.  Our second guest Adam was walking in the Rhonda area in south Wales with a friend in winter 2022 – they noticed a large black panther run down a track and make two attempts at sheep as it got disturbed. Although his friends scoff at the report, Adam is keen to understand more about the hidden big cats of South Wales.      Word of the week:   phenomenon19 July 2022

Chris is a metal detectorist in North Wiltshire – he has had 3 big cat encounters including a puma descending a tree and warning him. We hear from an experienced detectorists as he explains highlights of his recent finds, including close views of three different big cats, and deer carcasses which have been examined for tooth pits…Word of the week:    Cat-tecting4 July 2022

Our first guest Martin describes seeing a black panther move towards his son who was cycling in front of him and unaware of the animal. In terms of public awareness, Martin is concerned at the fear that any big cat information signs could create.Our second guest John had a lynx come close to him in a Surrey woodland – he explains how he remained calm and avoided a possible confrontation. Earlier this year, close to the first sighting location, he saw a smaller lynx which bounded off, keeping away. John compares the two cats' different behaviours and in discussing his close encounter, he is keen to avoid any alarmism.   Word of the week:   resilience20 June 2022

Carole from Aberdeenshire was feeding farm feral cats in the 1990s when a sleek black panther turned up. In the following weeks she had four sightings of two different large black cats in the area, and took a photo which resulted in a distant blob. She has received many reports of similar cats in the region and has investigated carcasses of their suspected prey. She has also seen “Kellas cats” and thinks these could represent a mutant felis cat which roams parts of Britain.     Word of the week:   ailurophilia5 June 2022