The Princes Risborough Puma
One of the things that has made the prospect of large cats living happily in Britain overwhelmingly real is the large volume of eye witness reports.
The problem with eye witness reports is you simply have to hold faith in the person providing their account. Interestingly my 15 years chasing large cats around the valleys of the Chilterns has taken the wind out of such scepticism.
Often I have found myself sitting at home giving myself a harsh talking to about these phenomena. You do realise this is just too unreal to be taken seriously! Do you want there to be large cats out there? Is your research merely reinforcing your delusional utopia?
The problem with eye witness reports is you simply have to hold faith in the person providing their account. Interestingly my 15 years chasing large cats around the valleys of the Chilterns has taken the wind out of such scepticism.
Often I have found myself sitting at home giving myself a harsh talking to about these phenomena. You do realise this is just too unreal to be taken seriously! Do you want there to be large cats out there? Is your research merely reinforcing your delusional utopia?
I remember tracking the trails that led down from the high hills of Sanjay Ghandi National Park in Mumbai India. Leading expert on the Urban leopard phenomenon Krishna Tiwari allowed me to see every corner of his research areas.
One thing that stood out to me was the very real presence of the animals we were always on the tail of. Krishna knew their routes from rocky outcrops less than a mile from one of the biggest most populated cities on the planet. We would come across fresh urine literally still dripping from boulders sometimes around the perimeter of human habitation.
Krishna would sometimes pause, look at me and say you 'know one is watching us right now?' I would look back smiling with a repetitive nod. The feeling of being watched a sense I believe we have carried with us from historical times. If you have never had that feeling you simply would not understand. I tell you something I have had this same sensation much closer to home!
One thing that stood out to me was the very real presence of the animals we were always on the tail of. Krishna knew their routes from rocky outcrops less than a mile from one of the biggest most populated cities on the planet. We would come across fresh urine literally still dripping from boulders sometimes around the perimeter of human habitation.
Krishna would sometimes pause, look at me and say you 'know one is watching us right now?' I would look back smiling with a repetitive nod. The feeling of being watched a sense I believe we have carried with us from historical times. If you have never had that feeling you simply would not understand. I tell you something I have had this same sensation much closer to home!
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One thing I learned spending time in the realm of the urban leopard was they are the ones with the upper hand. Many people especially urban dwellers simply do not give animals the credit they deserve.
In their environment they are masters Indeed leopards and pumas have been shown to have levels of problem solving intelligence. As I sit here writing I am analysing yet another sighting of a puma reported last night to Thames Valley Police. Am I surprised? Not anymore.
Last Night on Friday the 30 of December one of Buckinghamshire’s Pumas became a reality for yet another person. Turning out of the driveway, only fifty metres from her front door seeing a fully grown Puma in the headlights. Staring clearly at a large predatory cat native to the Americas comes as a shock when living in Princes Risborough. The lady did what any other sensible person would do. Call the police.
In their environment they are masters Indeed leopards and pumas have been shown to have levels of problem solving intelligence. As I sit here writing I am analysing yet another sighting of a puma reported last night to Thames Valley Police. Am I surprised? Not anymore.
Last Night on Friday the 30 of December one of Buckinghamshire’s Pumas became a reality for yet another person. Turning out of the driveway, only fifty metres from her front door seeing a fully grown Puma in the headlights. Staring clearly at a large predatory cat native to the Americas comes as a shock when living in Princes Risborough. The lady did what any other sensible person would do. Call the police.
It takes quite a level of certainty to report such an instance to the local police however she is not alone. What would amaze most people is this sighting happened amongst houses within the town. One of the things that I did not expect when I started researching years ago was just how urban these sightings are.
I always assumed there would be the odd person making up stories. Well I can tell you something I now believe 90% of the sightings I get are genuine and not misidentifications.
I get called to the same places year after year after year with the same species being seen. What interests me even more is these clusters go back 40 years. More than double the life span of both pumas and leopards.
I have consistently been responding to the sightings of very urban pumas that come into Princes Risborough. The cemetery of St Marys Church has seen two direct sightings come to my inbox in the past 3 years. I have had sightings from the local leisure centre and three from a local housing estate next to the brook. For me it is never an ‘odd sighting’ it is a consistent stream of sightings reports which goes back decades.
I always assumed there would be the odd person making up stories. Well I can tell you something I now believe 90% of the sightings I get are genuine and not misidentifications.
I get called to the same places year after year after year with the same species being seen. What interests me even more is these clusters go back 40 years. More than double the life span of both pumas and leopards.
I have consistently been responding to the sightings of very urban pumas that come into Princes Risborough. The cemetery of St Marys Church has seen two direct sightings come to my inbox in the past 3 years. I have had sightings from the local leisure centre and three from a local housing estate next to the brook. For me it is never an ‘odd sighting’ it is a consistent stream of sightings reports which goes back decades.
Why Princes Risborough? I simply do not know the answer to that but one thing is clear. Pumas and Leopards in their native ranges do ‘go urban’ there is a good reason there are three times the amount of foxes in urban environments compared to rural.
I have many reports of cats dragging away dead dear and badgers from rural roads. It was no surprise I received such a report in 2012 of a puma like cat next to a deer carcass on the A4010. The Bucks Free Press also lists a very clear sighting of a puma crossing this road at night.
In my opinion they thrive here! There is simply so much food I would even suggest they currently fill an important ecological niche for our countryside.
I have many reports of cats dragging away dead dear and badgers from rural roads. It was no surprise I received such a report in 2012 of a puma like cat next to a deer carcass on the A4010. The Bucks Free Press also lists a very clear sighting of a puma crossing this road at night.
In my opinion they thrive here! There is simply so much food I would even suggest they currently fill an important ecological niche for our countryside.
Image of Unknown origin suspected hoax of a puma at St Dunstan's Church
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St Dunstans Church Monks Risborough
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Pumas living and breeding in Buckinghamshire?
Pumas breeding in Britain is just too amazing for many people to digest including me! That’s why I research it! Quite simply the deeper I go the more convinced I am this is not the odd animal.
Why? Well in order to quite simply rationalise this you would need at least 50 animals spread across the whole UK to even give you a chance of subsequent generations turning up in the same rural village! The fact there are significant clusters from Scotland to Lands End can give at least some perspective. Pumas can travel extremely long distances but where food is plentiful territories are always smaller in size.
Why? Well in order to quite simply rationalise this you would need at least 50 animals spread across the whole UK to even give you a chance of subsequent generations turning up in the same rural village! The fact there are significant clusters from Scotland to Lands End can give at least some perspective. Pumas can travel extremely long distances but where food is plentiful territories are always smaller in size.
But how can they stay hidden? Well for those that know cats well they sleep a hell of a lot! Usually active for only a few hours a day under the cover of darkness I would not hold your hopes up of seeing one.
One of the first mistakes I made researching Big Cats of the Chilterns was spending all my time in the woods! Many sightings have taken me to familiar locations locally I simply never knew existed. Some of these include; an overgrown, derelict scout hut, a disused M.O.D housing estate and an abandoned farm. Not only do they have dry homes to go to they even have sofas!
Why have they not been found one yet? Well I can assure you! Grown men which crawl around in rural thickets all day smelling of big cat pheromone are in short supply. I can vouch for that personally. A puma was trapped in Scotland and many have been knocked down on roads. All seem to be seen by dozens of people but all seem to go missing before researchers can get there.
One of the first mistakes I made researching Big Cats of the Chilterns was spending all my time in the woods! Many sightings have taken me to familiar locations locally I simply never knew existed. Some of these include; an overgrown, derelict scout hut, a disused M.O.D housing estate and an abandoned farm. Not only do they have dry homes to go to they even have sofas!
Why have they not been found one yet? Well I can assure you! Grown men which crawl around in rural thickets all day smelling of big cat pheromone are in short supply. I can vouch for that personally. A puma was trapped in Scotland and many have been knocked down on roads. All seem to be seen by dozens of people but all seem to go missing before researchers can get there.
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Food is not really an issue for me there is a lot of wildlife in the Chilterns. The cat’s species concerned will eat anything from pheasants to deer to foxes and badgers.
In the last two years we have had some very interesting sightings which strongly indicate puma breeding in this part of the Chilterns. One sighting took place near High Wycombe the other at Watlington.
The first was a gentleman called Darren who was walking his dog near Wycombe air field. He was very clear in what he described to be a young puma. It was obvious Darren knew his wildlife. The behaviour described is consistent with what you would expect of a young puma playing and stalking. On subsequent visits with Darren we found foxes killed and eaten out with clear punctures to the throat.
In the last two years we have had some very interesting sightings which strongly indicate puma breeding in this part of the Chilterns. One sighting took place near High Wycombe the other at Watlington.
The first was a gentleman called Darren who was walking his dog near Wycombe air field. He was very clear in what he described to be a young puma. It was obvious Darren knew his wildlife. The behaviour described is consistent with what you would expect of a young puma playing and stalking. On subsequent visits with Darren we found foxes killed and eaten out with clear punctures to the throat.
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The second sighting was a lady driving on the Watlington road next to Shirburn. She was driving late at night when a large cat she identified as a Mountain Lion bounded across the road and stopped on the other side of the road. Slowing down to a near halt while watching the animal a second bounded across to meet the other before bounding off. This was a very clear sighting and any of multiple cats could point to breeding pairs or siblings.
The cats came from the direction of the wooded slopes connected to a nature reserve with a long history of big cat sightings.
The cats came from the direction of the wooded slopes connected to a nature reserve with a long history of big cat sightings.
Leopards verses Pumas
Pitching the big cat stand at the Bucks county show with author Rick Minter gave us some very fascinating Buckinghamshire sightings data.
I had always collected many sightings from the Chiltern Hills. The majority of sightings from the show were local to the Aylesbury Vale and northern parts of Buckinghamshire. These were always black animals with hardly any sandy coloured pumas. I had one very urban sighting of a puma however from Stewkley back in 2009.
What I find fascinating from my research is these two species must live alongside each other. There have been studies done on the territory interactions of Puma and Jaguar but these fill slightly different ecological niches. Puma and Leopard being so similar in size supposedly would fill the same ecological niche. What effect this would have on the cats in Buckinghamshire is up for discussion. I would guess that food availability would be a major factor on this.
I had always collected many sightings from the Chiltern Hills. The majority of sightings from the show were local to the Aylesbury Vale and northern parts of Buckinghamshire. These were always black animals with hardly any sandy coloured pumas. I had one very urban sighting of a puma however from Stewkley back in 2009.
What I find fascinating from my research is these two species must live alongside each other. There have been studies done on the territory interactions of Puma and Jaguar but these fill slightly different ecological niches. Puma and Leopard being so similar in size supposedly would fill the same ecological niche. What effect this would have on the cats in Buckinghamshire is up for discussion. I would guess that food availability would be a major factor on this.
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High Wycombe to Princes Risborough.
By far the biggest clusters of Puma sightings in the Chilterns are in and around the towns of High Wycombe and Princes Risborough. The sightings of the famous ‘Hughenden Puma’ back in the early 2000’s could suggest a corridor between two urban centres or the movement of one animal. The single animal hypothesis is literally dead as the life span of pumas could not span that far.
Why do Pumas in the Chilterns like the streets and back gardens of these two towns? Is it simply they get seen more in these environments? Do they feed off the spoils of people? Foxes do!
Why do Pumas in the Chilterns like the streets and back gardens of these two towns? Is it simply they get seen more in these environments? Do they feed off the spoils of people? Foxes do!
Are they dangerous?
There is no doubt Pumas are ‘potentially’ dangerous I would certainly aim not corner one or be nearby a cat with cubs. The simple fact here is they do not like us! We are bad news and although they can patrol urban areas at night they are always in a hurry to run from us.
In the USA it averages at about 1 death per year at the very most. I would guess that would be zero with good food availability and no accidental cornering. These points I am speculating on but let’s get some perspective. In the UK on average 10 people a year are killed by horses and 7 people killed by cows.
In the USA it averages at about 1 death per year at the very most. I would guess that would be zero with good food availability and no accidental cornering. These points I am speculating on but let’s get some perspective. In the UK on average 10 people a year are killed by horses and 7 people killed by cows.
Prepared by Rick Minter
Will we ever get a photo?
Obtaining a photo or footage of these cats is not as easy as some would think. Researchers are self funded and have busy lives and schedules like everyone else. Add to this the problem of extremely large areas to cover and multiple routes and trails. Even with lures it is not in an animal’s interest to walk in front of a camera. This is especially true if cats are content and well fed. I’m sure it has already happened and will happen again but do not be surprised if researchers keep it to themselves.
What does the future hold?
Well for me this is a big question. I do not believe these animals will ever be recognised or accepted. Extermination will be attempted if a problem animal arises which may or may not get rid of ‘one’ animal.
Extermination has already been attempted locally but the animal is never caught. In my opinion Britain is too divided up by boundaries, private land, derelict land, quarries, urban areas, railways and rural habitats. It is extremely difficult to get to an animal that knows how to exploit these environments in the dead of night.
For me The Princes Risborough puma seems to rear its head every other year. It seems to like this particular area for some reason. Last night’s sighting is another pin on the map within the town. Why? I just do not have a decisive answer but one thing is for sure this will not be the last sighting of a Puma in Princes Risborough.
The idea a single Puma is moving huge distances across the country become less likely with such concentrated urban, sightings, clusters. Especially over many decades.
Extermination has already been attempted locally but the animal is never caught. In my opinion Britain is too divided up by boundaries, private land, derelict land, quarries, urban areas, railways and rural habitats. It is extremely difficult to get to an animal that knows how to exploit these environments in the dead of night.
For me The Princes Risborough puma seems to rear its head every other year. It seems to like this particular area for some reason. Last night’s sighting is another pin on the map within the town. Why? I just do not have a decisive answer but one thing is for sure this will not be the last sighting of a Puma in Princes Risborough.
The idea a single Puma is moving huge distances across the country become less likely with such concentrated urban, sightings, clusters. Especially over many decades.
So next time you are going about your daily life, travelling to work, walking or sitting in your living room just give a thought! One of the world’s most majestic big cats could be just over the garden fence. If you live in Princes Risborough or anywhere else in Britain for that matter!
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Thank you for reading this article which was provoked by last night’s sighting of a Puma in Princess Risborough. Historically this or these animals have been referred to as the ‘Beast of Bucks’.
My ongoing research into the Big Cats of the Chilterns plots sightings clusters and aims to collect physical and video evidence. Please feel free to follow the Facebook page for more updates.
Feel free to share this article with your family and friends. Have you ever seen a big cat in Britain?
Regards Paulo.
My ongoing research into the Big Cats of the Chilterns plots sightings clusters and aims to collect physical and video evidence. Please feel free to follow the Facebook page for more updates.
Feel free to share this article with your family and friends. Have you ever seen a big cat in Britain?
Regards Paulo.
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