[France] Big Cat-Time!

[BIAD]

As some of the world leaders play nice in Glasgow about how the world is dying, other occupants of this planet
are visiting places that are not the wilderness they're pretending is dying.

Big cat spotted 50km away from Pas-de-Calais puma sightings
3 November 2021.

Authorities could not catch the animal and were unable to determine whether it is the same one that was
spotted in Auxi-le-Château a fortnight ago



'A big cat has been sighted in an industrial area on the outskirts of Arras, over 50km away from the village
of Auxi-le-Château, where a puma was spotted on the loose on October 13 and is yet to be found. Around
03:00 on Sunday morning (October 31), a motorist reported having seen the cat on a narrow road near
Dainville and Achicourt on the outskirts of Arras. 

A police team from Arras were sent to the scene and also saw the cat. Police officers, gendarmes, professional
hunters and a vet then began to track the animal and a helicopter was deployed to survey the area. 
Thermal imaging technology was used to locate the cat, which had taken refuge in a copse.

However, the authorities were not able to coax it out, despite a hunt lasting until midday, and the search was
eventually abandoned. Those who saw the cat described it as having spots and a short tail, while the animal
first seen in Auxi-le-Château had light, unspotted fur and was of a larger build. 

“According to these visual descriptions, this is not the same animal as the one in Auxi,” said Montreuil-sur-Mer
sub-prefect Frédéric Sampson.  “The helicopter intervention confirmed that there was a cat in the copse, without
being able to determine its size, or whether it was a large [domestic] cat or a small big cat.”

However, it was later suggested that the cat’s spots could in fact have been dirt, as police teams who saw the
animal walk nearby their vehicle believed it to have the same characteristics as the Auxi puma, reports La Voix
du Nord. 
According to this newspaper, the cat was about 80cm tall and had “a large head.”

“The authorities remain vigilant and on high alert in the hope of finding the animal,” sub-prefect of Béthune Chantal
Ambroise told Franceinfo. There have been numerous reports of big cat sightings in the area over the past few
days, but several appear to be false...'

ConnexionFrance:

[F2d5thCav]

I like the idea that these big cats are descendants of escaped mascots of the U.S. tank destroyer battalions of World War II.  Their symbol was a black panther and some of the units actually brought the big cats with them to the war in Europe.

Cheers

[Ninurta]

Cue scenes from the film "Brotherhood of the Wolf" ("Le Pacte des loups").


.

[Kenzo]

I guess they call it  Le big cat in France

[GeauxHomeLittleD]

Cue scenes from the film "Brotherhood of the Wolf" ("Le Pacte des loups").


.

LOVE that movie!

Wouldn't it be funny if the cat (cats) were really werewolves in disguise? 
I'd call that a full circle! 

[Ninurta]

Cue scenes from the film "Brotherhood of the Wolf" ("Le Pacte des loups").


.

LOVE that movie!

Wouldn't it be funny if the cat (cats) were really werewolves in disguise? 
I'd call that a full circle! 

The movie was based on an actual incident, that did involve a wolf rather than a cat, and which people thought was a werewolf: The Beast of Gevaudan

.

[ABNARTY]

Because I am weird that way, I went to see what the terrain looks like near Arras, France. 

https://www.google.com/maps/@50.2847177,...!1e4?hl=en

Not a very big town and surrounded by farm fields. A few patches of woods. Some creeks going through with decent cover on both sides. 

Plenty of corridors for a larger critter to wander around without being seen too readily. And probably 50 or so miles from two large nature preserves. Easily within traveling distance for a large cat.

[GeauxHomeLittleD]

Cue scenes from the film "Brotherhood of the Wolf" ("Le Pacte des loups").


.

LOVE that movie!

Wouldn't it be funny if the cat (cats) were really werewolves in disguise? 
I'd call that a full circle! 

The movie was based on an actual incident, that did involve a wolf rather than a cat, and which people thought was a werewolf: The Beast of Gevaudan

.

You're preaching to the choir my friend! Immediately after watching for the first time I plunged in! 

Coming from a Cajun family we have our own stories of the Rougarou (a Cajun re-naming of the loup garou) so the story behind the movie was of great interest to me.

[BIAD]

The French news outlet seems interested in the 'Big Cat' subject, here's another article from October of this year.

Search intensifies for ‘big cat’ spotted near villages in north France
15 October 2021

“We are not sure that it is a lion or lioness,” said the gendarmerie, “but it is certainly a ‘big cat'.


Le Chat. (Which is what I'd do if I saw one!)

'The search for a “big cat” first spotted near a village in Pas-de-Calais in north France on Wednesday
(October 13) - and again near another village today (October 15) - is picking up pace.

The Gendarmerie of Nord and Pas-de-Calais notified the public on Wednesday that the cat had been
seen on the edges of the village of Auxi-le-Château at around 18:30, heading in the direction of Frévent.  

Around 20 gendarmes – alerted to the animal’s presence by a local resident – tracked it over the course of
the evening but lost its trail.  Yesterday, the search concentrated around Frévent, following further sightings
by locals.

This morning, the cat was seen in a field near the village of Ligny-sur-Canche, which is approximately midway
between Calais and Amiens. Around 60 gendarmes are at the scene and the RD 941 road between Ligny and
Vacquerie-le-Boucq is closed. A helicopter has also been deployed to assist with the search. 
“We are not sure that it is a lion or lioness,” the gendarmerie said, “but it is certainly a ‘big cat’.

“The local population are urged to be vigilant,” as the animal did not seem to be afraid of people.
In order to “protect” the town’s inhabitants, “armed officers” may be deployed. 
The French biodiversity agency, Office français de la biodiversité is helping to track the animal and determine
its species by examining its faeces and its pawprints. 

There is neither a zoo nor a circus in the area and the gendarmerie believe that it could be an undeclared pet...'

Connexion:

[F2d5thCav]

@"BIAD" 

Conveniently, nothing to indicate scale.  Could be a housecat.

Cheers

[BIAD]

@"BIAD" 

Conveniently, nothing to indicate scale.  Could be a housecat.

Cheers

True and it does give off a 'house cat'-type of look.