I saw a scorpion in Deptford when i was growing up - nowhere near the market and it was a big f***er (about three inches long) so I guess it had escaped from someone's tank. Mate of mine worked on Lewisham market (his old man had a fruit and veg stall) and they used to get crab spiders inside crates of bananas all the time. Horrible little gits they were - used to lay along the length of a bunch of bananas and jump out when you moved 'em. Apparently they can bite humans, but their bite is no more painful than a wasp's sting. I also saw a dragonfly in Woolwich when I was really young (about seven or eight) - it was f***ing enormous and sounded like a radio controlled airplane. My mum reckons it must have been about six inches across. I guess things like this do stow away in fruit from time to time and, the closer you live to a market, the more likely you are to encounter them.
[cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]I love all that shit about 'big cats' living wild in the UK. Its an urban myth - tools like that bloke from 'Kent big cat research' are hilarious. There is absolutely no way any big cats are living wild in the UK - its all bollocks - myths perpetuated by people who miss the X-Files a bit too much. We simply don't have the wild stock in this country to support a large predator roaming wild - something the size of a panther would come into contact with the general population in VERY short order in the South of England as they'd need to raid livestock to survive. In addition, there have never been any confirmed reports of previously captive live big cats being released into the wild in the UK - contrary to popular belief most, if not ALL large cats that were sold into captivity in the UK prior to the introduction of proper legislation to control their sale were recorded properly and all accounted for. ALl the sightings made have been by people who were either pissed, looking to get their names in the paper or too stupid to realise the difference between a domestic cat, dog or badger.
When i was at school, we were told in assembley one day not to go to Malling woods as there had been a sighting of a large cat. As you can imagine, that afternoon (in malling woods) you could not move for kids. All brandishing home made spears and bow n' arrows.
The woodlouse spiders aren't aggressive at all, fortunately - you'd have to be very unlucky to be bitten by one, and their bite will not cause any serious or lasting damage.
My sister was living in Charlton at the time and I was surprised at how quickly they spread around the country, as before then they were only known about in the Thames corridor.
The nasty ones you get in bananas are frequently these horrible buggers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_wandering_spider It is so aggressive, if you try and shoo it away with a broom, it will run up it in a flash and bite you (they are very quick and nimble)! Not only that, their venom is life threatening. Handle with care!
Also, I actually think it is fairly likely that big cats are among us. They are incredibly stealthy and shy and just avoid humans, thats all.
BTW Pine Martens are a native species (they are beautiful things) and used to be found all over southern England, but are confined to Scotland now. :(
was thinking this morning taking my morning stroll to the train station, arnt grey squirrel's non british? sure the red is the native but the greys kicked there arses out to the country sides..
Yeah the Red is native. I think the Grey was brought over by the romans.
I'll also add the American Crayfish brought over in 70's for the restaurant business escaped into water ways ate most of the the native white clawed crayfish and are destroying the riverbanks. The plus point to this is that they're easy to catch and wonderful on the BBQ. Although you need a license to trap them I popped down the River Lee and was pulling them out by the handful using a bit of old fish on some fishing line last summer...
Used to have pinemartins in our garden in France. Lovely to look at but natures nutters by all accounts.
Once had a black widow spider in a box of imported wine in the car that I dropped off at some wierd pet place through work. Made sure that bag was done up tight I can tell you...
BTW my wifes nephew, a solicitor, coming home late at night (but sober!) near Exeter had to stop his car at the end of his road as there was a somehting lay across it. Got out to see what it was as he thought it was someone hurt or something. Got back in pretty flipping sharpish when an eff off big cat unfurled itself and wandered off. Claims it was easy the size of very large dog with a 3' long tail. Didn't report it at the time but I've no reason not to believe him.
See, that's my point les - if it was laying in the road then there's absolutely no way that someone wouldn't have been able to get empirical physical evidence of it by now. They're just too big to hide away in a country as densely populated as ours. Its different in the US, where their territories can stretch for hundreds of miles without there being more than log cabins. Even there they regularly encounter humans. A large cat like a panther or leopard cannot live on rabbits and squirrels - they need much larger prey than that, which leads me back to an earlier point about them killing livestock. As far as I'm aware there are no reports of cows and sheep being attacked - if there were such big cats roaming wild they would regularly be killing from herds because in this country much of the livestock is left free at night with no protection.
There aren't any big cats wild in this country - none. Our ecosystem and dense population wouldn't support them
[cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]There aren't any big cats wild in this country - none. Our ecosystem and dense population wouldn't support them
Maybe, but he was pretty sure about what about what he saw and there's penty of others sayng the same too (including one or two Police forces I think). When most of us live in towns and cities in the South East I think we don't fully realise how much open space there's around in places like Devon or Wales.
[cite]Posted By: Leroy Ambrose[/cite]See, that's my point les - if it was laying in the road then there's absolutely no way that someone wouldn't have been able to get empirical physical evidence of it by now. They're just too big to hide away in a country as densely populated as ours. Its different in the US, where their territories can stretch for hundreds of miles without there being more than log cabins. Even there they regularly encounter humans. A large cat like a panther or leopard cannot live on rabbits and squirrels - they need much larger prey than that, which leads me back to an earlier point about them killing livestock. As far as I'm aware there are no reports of cows and sheep being attacked - if there were such big cats roaming wild they would regularly be killing from herds because in this country much of the livestock is left free at night with no protection.
There aren't any big cats wild in this country - none. Our ecosystem and dense population wouldn't support them
have to agree although the cougars round here live on a diet partly made up of domestic cats and dogs!!
Sorry Leroy, but you are totally wrong- I know for a fact that several circus type people let there big cats loose when the law on Licencing then change in the late 80's. There was a bloke in Leysdown , Isle of Sheppey who let several big cats loose in remote places. Also, yes our eco system would support them, especially if they mated with wild cats which can happen. We aren't talking of packs of them, just one or two in isolated groups who adapted to their enviroment. As a former Police officer I came into contact with several people who have investigated sightings professionally and yes paw prints have been indentified as cats not normally native to this country. When I lived in Hartlip, My wife and I had a sighting of one in the warren there. We knew it wasn't a cat as we have four and this thing was huge- also our cats were well spooked when it was about and refused to go out which was not like them!. ABC's (Alien Big Cats- Alien as in not native, not alien as in from outer space that is!) are quite common in remote rural areas. My Mother -in-law lives on a farm on Dartmoor and yes the locals all believe that they are about. With regards to Scorpions, there used to be a colony of them at Orpington Train Station as well. The Marshes on Sheppey also host Mosquito's that have been know to carry the Malaria strain as well.
Fair enough - you're entitled to your opinion. Just like all those Californians are entitled to believe they've been abducted by aliens.
The funniest part of your post has to be about mating with wild cats. Have you seen the size of a puma/panther/leopard? Compared with the size of a native British wildcat? Madre de Dios - that would be like me trying to lob one up an Elephant! Quite apart from the fact that they are completely different genotypes and could not ever produce viable offspring.
Any 'big cat' sightings in Britain that aren't made by drunkards/attention-seekers/people with poor eyesight/retards/the mentally deficient are either badgers, foxes or - rarely - wildcats.
If you - or anyone else - EVER finds proof that big cats are alive and roaming the British countryside (and that doesn't include one that might have escaped from a circus the day before, or paw-prints 'positively identified' by some nutbag who has a vested interest in cryptozoology) I'll eat my own feet. Both of them.
PS: The legislation you are referring to about keeping wild animals (the Dangerous Wild Animals Act) was actuallybrought into law in 1976. Any animals that may have been released as a result of this act would have died out long, long ago (within 15 years of natural causes - even if they had managed to elude capture, roadkill, poisoning, trapping etc)
Sorry Leroy but as I said- it has been officially confirmed ( although not openly) that these animals do indeed inhabit our shores ( I have had it offically confirmed to me by people in the know when I was a serving Police Officer and part of my role was Wildlife Intelligence Officer Liason)
The thing is - it HASN'T been officially confirmed. How can it be 'officially confirmed' if it hasn't been done 'openly'? And what do you hope to prove by continually stating you were a 'serving police officer'? I worked for the old bill for two years - most (95%) of the coppers I came into contact with couldn't find their own arse with both hands and a map.
If you want to continue deluding yourself though, you go right ahead.
Leroy Ambrose have you not seen a elephorse? Those buggers can't run for falling over their big ears. Still the jaffars are all dying out now.
Abouyt twetny years ago Meridian did a thing about big cats sighted round our way in Rochester/Strood, the middle of the North Downs; mind you not in the country but built up areas. Funny how all the people who saw them in my parents 'hood were lovely people but about as reliable as the old bill's notepad.
Still there are BIG CATS alive in England. I've often seen Peter Bonnetti around West London, you have to be careful though any West German tourists and he'll drop everything and run for cover.
I think there probably 'has' been the odd exotic large cat...i.e. panther/cougar/lynx deliberately released (or escaped) somewhere in The UK over the years, it would be daft to think otherwise...however I'd say it would be very very rare and nothing even remotely like the numbers 'reportedly' seen.
Also the idea that they are breeding and thriving (either with their own species or domestic cats) is of course ridiculous.....they are way too busy creating crop circles.
If someone had told me a few years ago i would have paraquets inmy garden every day i would have said b*ll*x.
years back down by the level crossing near the Royal Oak im sure i saw two deer in the woods as i drove past. Stopped the car and went back --------nothing there , im sure i saw them, but cant see how deer would be in those woods. It was early in the morning and i was coming home from work ---maybe i needed my bed.
I was first aware of green parakeets around 1960/61 in Beckenham Place Park. There was a fairly large established colony living in the poplar trees along the banks of the River Ravensbourne in the area of the park near Bromley Hill/Downham....so there's nothing new about them in SE London.
Where they first originated from is open to debate....but I wouldn't mind betting that the ones you see around nowadays in SE London (and more and more frequently it would seem), are direct decendents of that colony.
Comments
There was a trawler perhaps!!
Maybe they though Tuna would be thrown....into.... the sea....
When i was at school, we were told in assembley one day not to go to Malling woods as there had been a sighting of a large cat. As you can imagine, that afternoon (in malling woods) you could not move for kids. All brandishing home made spears and bow n' arrows.
how old are you - Bloody cavemen
My sister was living in Charlton at the time and I was surprised at how quickly they spread around the country, as before then they were only known about in the Thames corridor.
The nasty ones you get in bananas are frequently these horrible buggers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_wandering_spider
It is so aggressive, if you try and shoo it away with a broom, it will run up it in a flash and bite you (they are very quick and nimble)! Not only that, their venom is life threatening. Handle with care!
Also, I actually think it is fairly likely that big cats are among us. They are incredibly stealthy and shy and just avoid humans, thats all.
BTW Pine Martens are a native species (they are beautiful things) and used to be found all over southern England, but are confined to Scotland now. :(
31 this Friday. Entering the 31-35 box on surveys and applications! Boooo.
This is all i was referring to.
All brandishing home made spears and bow n' arrows.
I'll also add the American Crayfish brought over in 70's for the restaurant business escaped into water ways ate most of the the native white clawed crayfish and are destroying the riverbanks. The plus point to this is that they're easy to catch and wonderful on the BBQ. Although you need a license to trap them I popped down the River Lee and was pulling them out by the handful using a bit of old fish on some fishing line last summer...
Once had a black widow spider in a box of imported wine in the car that I dropped off at some wierd pet place through work. Made sure that bag was done up tight I can tell you...
BTW my wifes nephew, a solicitor, coming home late at night (but sober!) near Exeter had to stop his car at the end of his road as there was a somehting lay across it. Got out to see what it was as he thought it was someone hurt or something. Got back in pretty flipping sharpish when an eff off big cat unfurled itself and wandered off. Claims it was easy the size of very large dog with a 3' long tail. Didn't report it at the time but I've no reason not to believe him.
There aren't any big cats wild in this country - none. Our ecosystem and dense population wouldn't support them
Maybe, but he was pretty sure about what about what he saw and there's penty of others sayng the same too (including one or two Police forces I think). When most of us live in towns and cities in the South East I think we don't fully realise how much open space there's around in places like Devon or Wales.
have to agree although the cougars round here live on a diet partly made up of domestic cats and dogs!!
With regards to Scorpions, there used to be a colony of them at Orpington Train Station as well. The Marshes on Sheppey also host Mosquito's that have been know to carry the Malaria strain as well.
The funniest part of your post has to be about mating with wild cats. Have you seen the size of a puma/panther/leopard? Compared with the size of a native British wildcat? Madre de Dios - that would be like me trying to lob one up an Elephant! Quite apart from the fact that they are completely different genotypes and could not ever produce viable offspring.
Any 'big cat' sightings in Britain that aren't made by drunkards/attention-seekers/people with poor eyesight/retards/the mentally deficient are either badgers, foxes or - rarely - wildcats.
If you - or anyone else - EVER finds proof that big cats are alive and roaming the British countryside (and that doesn't include one that might have escaped from a circus the day before, or paw-prints 'positively identified' by some nutbag who has a vested interest in cryptozoology) I'll eat my own feet. Both of them.
PS: The legislation you are referring to about keeping wild animals (the Dangerous Wild Animals Act) was actuallybrought into law in 1976. Any animals that may have been released as a result of this act would have died out long, long ago (within 15 years of natural causes - even if they had managed to elude capture, roadkill, poisoning, trapping etc)
If you want to continue deluding yourself though, you go right ahead.
http://www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/news/400-year-old-cat-bathroom/article-920304-detail/article.html
Abouyt twetny years ago Meridian did a thing about big cats sighted round our way in Rochester/Strood, the middle of the North Downs; mind you not in the country but built up areas. Funny how all the people who saw them in my parents 'hood were lovely people but about as reliable as the old bill's notepad.
Still there are BIG CATS alive in England. I've often seen Peter Bonnetti around West London, you have to be careful though any West German tourists and he'll drop everything and run for cover.
Also the idea that they are breeding and thriving (either with their own species or domestic cats) is of course ridiculous.....they are way too busy creating crop circles.
years back down by the level crossing near the Royal Oak im sure i saw two deer in the woods as i drove past. Stopped the car and went back --------nothing there , im sure i saw them, but cant see how deer would be in those woods. It was early in the morning and i was coming home from work ---maybe i needed my bed.
Where they first originated from is open to debate....but I wouldn't mind betting that the ones you see around nowadays in SE London (and more and more frequently it would seem), are direct decendents of that colony.