Contacting interviewee’s - 5th December 2009

In order to gain the opinions on various professionals in my piece, I contacted a forensics lecturer, the local forestry commission, researcher and author Neil Arnold of the Kent Big Cat Research Facility and the local papers.

I sent emails to all the mentioned parties, except the forensics lecturer whom I visited in his office. In these emails I explained who I was and the purpose of my documentary and the need of their assistance.

The responses I received were varying. Out of the eight local papers I contacted I had only this back from the Stafford Express and Star:

Hello Paul,

Thanks for your email. I am afraid as the Stafford reporter I have not been
involved in any stories relating to the beast of the chase.

However, having once worked in the Cannock office of the Express & Star I
can tell you that I do not believe the beast exists at all. If you look
simply at the fact the Chase is a managed working forest with thousands of
visitors each year there is no way any kind of beast could survive without
being seen and then dealt with.

In my personal opinion the beast of the chase has been whipped up by some of
our rival newspapers, who are less interested in real journalism as they are
writing this kind of tabloid drival. I for one think our time could be
better spent investigating real life issues like the failings of Stafford
Hospital, which escaped most of the newspapers until last year.

They are often assisted with these stories by individuals who run paranormal
websites etc who stand to benefit by any publicity and so they approach the
newspapers they know are willing to run the stories and so the myth feeds
itself.

I would not want to appear in any documentary as I have had no first hand
dealings with the story but I know the Chase Post, based in High Green
Court, Cannock have done many outlandish stories about this so-called beast
so they might be the best ones to approach.

Good luck with the coursework and if you manage to interview anyone give
them a hard time from me as this kind of story does nothing for the
reputation of hard working local journalists who are trying to do a proper
job.


Best regards,
Shaun Lintern
Journalist
Stafford Express & Star
Tel: 01785 273917

Not a good start to my contacting of interviewees, though at least I had a condemning view of the debate that I could include in my documentary.

The next reply I received was from the forestry commission who had this too say
:

Sorry Paul but due to large work loads and staff illnesses we will not be able to help you at the present time.

Andy

Andy Coggins
Visitor Services Manager - Cannock Chase
Forestry Commission
West Midlands District Office
Lady Hill
Birches Valley
Rugeley
Staffs
WS15 2UQ
Tel 01889 586 593
Fax 01889 574 217
andy.coggins@forestry.gsi.gov.uk

Things were looking bleak as nobody seemed to be interested in participating my documentary, and then I received the following reply from Neil Arnold in Kent.


Hi Paul,

I will gladly be of assistance so find here my statement, regarding big cats. If you have any further questions feel free to ask.

I have researched exotic cats in the wilds of the UK for more than twenty years and and a full-time researcher and author. I have often found it most baffling that such reports are still treated with scepticism and painted with the brush of mystery. There is no mystery as to why large exotic cats roam the UK.

A majority of the animals seen in the wilds today are offspring of many animals which were released/escaped during the 1960s, '70s and early '80s. During the 1960s it was very easy to obtain large exotic cats, such as puma, lions, servals, from places such as London department store Harrods, or via pet shops and dealers. In 1976 a law was introduced - the Dangerous Wild Animals Act - which meant that anyone who owned a cat had to pay expensive license fees to keep their 'pets'. Many were turned away from zoo parks, whilst other owners released such animals into local woods.

However, there are many reports on records of large cats roaming the wilds several centuries previous. Again, these would be escapees from private collections and travelling menageries which were in abundance during the Victorian period. Lions and tigers however, DO NOT roam the UK countryside despite a handful of reports. Lions seek a pride and both cats would seek larger prey. On any rare occasion when a lion or tiger escapes from a zoo, they are usually recaptured or shot dead.

There are three main species of large cat in the UK.
1) Black leopard - this cat is often known as the 'panther', but a 'panther' is NOT a species of animal but a term used to describe a black leopard or black jaguar. There is no evidence to suggest the jaguar ( a South American 'big cat' roams the UK). The black leopard is the same as a 'normal' leopard. Native to parts of Africa and Asia these cats were purchased by those who wished to flaunt their sexy and symbolic animals through the streets of places such as London. It is rare to find reports of 'normal' leopards in the UK, this is because the pairing of male and female black leopards only produce black offspring. The leopard has a dark coat due to a skin pigemnt known as melanin. However, it certain light the rosettes can be seen to bleed through the darkness of the coat. The leopard reaches up to around five-feet in length, has a very long, curving tail and hunts by night, solitary and lays up in trees where it is known to stash prey. A black leopard has ben seen around Cannock Chase.

2) The puma (mountain lion, cougar) - native to parts of the USA and Canada this IS NOT oficially a 'big cat' roar it cannot roar like the lion, tiger, leopard and jaguar, instead it emits a piercing scream. The puma can also reach up to around five-feet in length, it's coat is fawn-tan with a white underside, young have spots which fade with maturity. There IS NO such thing as a black puma.

3) The lynx - once native to the UK a few thousand years ago, the lynx is mainly identifiable by its short, stubby tail, and large tufted ears. The lynx appears leggy in appearance, has a thick mottled coat which ranges from silvery-reddish-grey. It emits a bird-like chirp. The lynx now roams parts of Europe.

Smaller cats also roam the UK, mainly Jungle Cat, which is able to breed with a domestic cat.

Main prey: Rabbit (three rabbits a day could keep a cat going for all of its life), deer, fox, livestock, mice, rats, domestic cats, pheasant, pigeon.

Habitat: These animals do not have foxed dens except when a female rears young. Territory can range from thirty square miles to one-hundred square miles. Despite being very elusive and mainly nocturnal, reports often emerge of cats basking in the sun, invading back gardens, although the most likely reports come from dog-walkers and motorists travelling late at night or during the early hours when these animals hunt.

These animals ARE NOT cross-breeding..leopards seek leopards, puma seek puma etc.
It's unlikely humans will be attacked. The only chance of an attack occurring is if a cat is cornered, provoked or injured, in turn making it handicapped and agitated. If one sees a large cat reasonably close it is advisable to keep eye contact and back away slowly. Do not run.

Evidence exists in abundance. I have filmed large cats, paw-print casts are often found, and excrement, scratch marks up trees and hair samples. I have seen a black leopard three times, a lynx once, and a puma once.

Cannock Chase: This area is often considered a 'window' area for mysterious happenings, and so such cats are lumped in with the paranormal, when the relaity is, it's only natural such animals would be seen around the Chase as it's heavily wooded and mainly undisturbed. Cat sightings have emerged outside the Chase but the local press like to confine such mysteries to the area as it makes good headline.

Scepticism is rather tiresome now in regards to such cats. Sceptics often sit behind a PC in the comfort of their armchair and say what can and cannot be without ever looking more in-depth at the situation. The oficial line on such animals, i.e. police, government, is that they don't exist which seems a strange attitude. If such animals become recognised it means we can monitor them officially. Of course, this would cost the government money, but the problem is, every time a cat sighting emerges, especially near a school, the police waste time and resources sending out a batch of officers, helicopters etc. It's a crazy situation.

Large cats will not often be found dead on the roads. When you consider that foxes, badger and deer are rarely found dead in the woods, and puma and leopard rarely found dead in their countries of origin, then what chance have we of finding such intelligent and elusive animals in the UK...when no-one is really looking! A jungle cat was killed on the roads in Shropshire a few years ago, a lynx was shot in Norfolk, but in most cases a cat would crawl away to die, and then its carcass would be eaten by nature - scavengers, insects etc.

All this background information and scientific reasoning behind the debate will provide a major contribution to my piece. In the reply were his opinions and how there is scientific evidence to back them up. Though I would have liked to interview him, it was impractical with us both being located so far apart. I will however include parts of the statement in my documentary as a voice over alongside establishing shots and panning shots of the landscape, as well as footage of a black leopard setting in Gloucester so as not to just have me reading off a piece of paper.

I then conducted a sit down interview with Mr Fletcher from the local higher education facility, which I will cut down and edit into my documentary giving his professional opinion on the debate which is an opposite of Mr Arnolds. This helps give a balanced unbiased argument in my five minute extract and proves there is scientific evidence to prove both sides correct.