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Big cat prints?
andrew-theasby - 28/8/10 at 09:23 PM

Ive been out in a grass field in the middle of nowhere today where we fly our model aeroplanes and in the middle of the mowed runway was what looked like a torn off hares leg. The strange thing is theres also a irrigation pond there which has just recently dried up, its soft in the bottom, but hard enough to walk on. In the bottom of the dry pond are some prints of a really large animal. Our own footsteps werent leaving prints, although i suppose these could have been done when it was a bit softer. Also found some dropping which looked like cat/hedgehog, but much bigger than the ones you get on the lawn. Anybody recognise these prints, and what could have killed a hare in the middle of a mown grass field? Not sure i want to investigate further....

Image deleted by owner

Image deleted by owner

[Edited on 28/8/10 by andrew-theasby]


MakeEverything - 28/8/10 at 09:35 PM

Holy shit, looks like a bear print. Its got big claws whatever it is. Worth a phonecall to the fuzz i think.

The rabbit leg could have been anything, but those tracks are too big for comfort.

It looks like a big cat track?? - Panther maybe?

Or it could just be a really big dog. This is a wolf track;



[Edited on 28-8-10 by MakeEverything]

[Edited on 28-8-10 by MakeEverything]


Mark Allanson - 28/8/10 at 09:39 PM

Looks like an adult badger - possibly a hungry one!


MakeEverything - 28/8/10 at 09:42 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
Looks like an adult badger - possibly a hungry one!


Badgers have five toes, not four.


liam.mccaffrey - 28/8/10 at 09:43 PM

looks like a bear print, saw them in the hills in southern oklahoma

could be badger and wet mud


mookaloid - 28/8/10 at 09:52 PM

looks like a big dog paw print to me


bilbo - 28/8/10 at 09:52 PM

The fact that there are clear claw marks probably rules out big cats, as they have their claws retracted when walking.
I would suspect it's a big dog.

Edtited to say, you could see claw marks off a cat if it was running after prey

[Edited on 28/8/10 by bilbo]


bilbo - 28/8/10 at 09:57 PM

Have you got a pic without your thumb in the way? If it's a cat, it would have a thrid lobe on the heal pad, but if it's there it's under you thumb.


Fozzie - 28/8/10 at 09:58 PM

Badger paw print
Image deleted by owner


wilkingj - 28/8/10 at 10:15 PM

Call it in to some wildlife experts.

I took a picture in May on a Caledonian ferry of a Moth taking a breather. It was pretty so I snapped it.
Someone told me to mail the photo to this wildlife chap in the outer hebrides (Ferry was from Harris).

Turned out to be a not very common moth, and unusual to be seen in those parts, let alone on a ferry!

All in all, it was worth sending the photo to this guy, even though I am more interested in watching paint dry than fluttery moths!

Send it in to someone, and not just the police. Someone with Wildlife interests will do, better still the Local newspaper, but make sure they get a piccy of you and your car not just the paw print


StevieB - 28/8/10 at 10:17 PM

I'd agree with the badger theory.

The hare leg was probably a coincidence and taken down by a fox - probably not where you found it but brought back to the cubs maybe.


andrew-theasby - 28/8/10 at 10:40 PM

Ive definitely seen a fox in there before so that is a good possibility for the leg, didnt realise they would be quick enough to have a hare/rabbit. I thought a badger at first because its ideal badger teritory but only 4 toes. Heres another pic, does that show anything different? Im not an animal person so i dont want to make a fool of myself if it is just a big dog

[img][/img]


Fozzie - 28/8/10 at 10:48 PM

Hmmmm I see 5 toes .... the outer left...looking at the picture, looks as though there are 2 toes very close/squashed together?

Fozzie
(Not touched a drop of incahol honest... )


andrew-theasby - 28/8/10 at 10:52 PM

Hmmm ye never noticed that, ill have to go back and check the rest. Do badgers attack...


Peteff - 28/8/10 at 10:54 PM

Rotweiler most likely.


MakeEverything - 28/8/10 at 10:57 PM

quote:
Originally posted by andrew-theasby
Hmmm ye never noticed that, ill have to go back and check the rest. Do badgers attack...


If provoked or territorial, yes. Vicious buggers too - and protected. Steer clear if you do find it. They are surprisingly fast and will take your fingers off if they get hold of them.


Ninehigh - 28/8/10 at 11:31 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MakeEverything
quote:
Originally posted by Mark Allanson
Looks like an adult badger - possibly a hungry one!


Badgers have five toes, not four.


Just like that hare had 4 legs!

I vote for Big Dog


Fozzie - 28/8/10 at 11:50 PM

Your pic in a negative type mode.....
Image deleted by owner

I am sure that with dogs, toes 2 and 3 are the same size, and toes 1 and 4 are the same size....
so if that is right, that is not a dog.......as the middle toe is deffo longer .... but of course I could be wrong .....


norfolkluego - 29/8/10 at 12:37 AM

Aliens?
You could be in deep do do's if it is


MakeEverything - 29/8/10 at 07:18 AM

I just found a similar track from a badger....


thunderace - 29/8/10 at 07:29 AM

badger seem 100s like it.
or theres a very big cat hanging round there set


craig1410 - 29/8/10 at 07:35 AM

Front foot of a large domestic dog I'd say.

A bit like this one:


Dangle_kt - 29/8/10 at 08:44 AM

have you got a left hand like jeremy beadle?


bilbo - 29/8/10 at 09:05 AM

Yep, I can see only 2 lobes on the rear of the heal pad, so I'm 99.9% sure it's a dog. A cat has three lobes (and normally no claw marks) and a badger has a very different shaped heal pad.

Here's a cat print for comparison. You can see the difference in the pad:

Tiger Paw
Tiger Paw


[Edited on 29/8/10 by bilbo]


MakeEverything - 29/8/10 at 09:37 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Dangle_kt
have you got a left hand like jeremy beadle?


I was thinking that. You have stumpy fingers!


bigpig - 29/8/10 at 09:49 AM

I agree with badger. It could possibly be either the ground is slightly harder to the left or its lost a claw at some point. As mentioned the left most claw print is too wide for just one toe and its probably two.

I'd agree that the carcass looks too fresh to match the foot print. It looks like there is new growth of vegetation inside the mark.


gottabedone - 29/8/10 at 09:51 AM

I have two mountain dogs, with the weather that we have and paws this big is why I have hard floors downstairs!!!

There are many that have paws this big - Newfoundlands and Danes included

Steve

[Edited on 29/8/10 by gottabedone]


BenB - 29/8/10 at 10:39 AM



from Durham County badgers.

Looks like a badger to me.
Didn't know they flew R/C planes


craig1410 - 29/8/10 at 01:53 PM

quote:
Originally posted by BenB


from Durham County badgers.

Looks like a badger to me.


The shape of the pad is wrong to be a badger. It's definitely a dog due to the triangular pad shape. All IMHO of course...