Big cat Britain: the sightings

[snopes]

A flurry of sightings of big cats emerged after the Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976 made it illegal to keep untamed pets. Many owners of exotic cats such as pumas or lynx simply freed their untamed pets into the countryside. Here is a round up sightings:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/ear...sightings.html

[Moku]

Ah, I love big cat stories and videos.

[llewtrah]

I received this from a colleague today:

Good Lord, you've been referenced!

http://news.sky.com/home/strange-news/article/16161764

Sky News make it sound like a spoke to them (which I didn't).

[Floater]

"Phenomena such as out of place big cats and UFOs attract conspiracy theorists like flies to a corpse,"

[NobodyAtAll]

An actual snopester quoted in Strange News about big cat urban legend. Be still my heart!

[HollyGolightly]

Just came on here to say I spotted you in the article, Llewtrah. It is written as though they spoke to you, which is naughty.

[llewtrah]

I had to email my manager to say I did not actually talk to the press. I'm not supposed to talk to the press without HR present because of the nature of my work (even for non-work stuff, just in case a reporter throws in a work-related question).

I have 2 deer-eating big cats in my home. Okay, venison-burger eating cats that have to watch their waistlines.

This is what can happen with more credulous reporters (it is based on a true account from another cat shelter worker, it really was a pregnant domestic cat in a hen-house, but there's a little bit of artistic licence in there for entertainment value, and I think the event it was based on was around Manchester)
http://www.messybeast.com/moggycat/purr26.htm

[Lainie]

I'd be tempted to contact the press outlet in question and explain how their reckless quoting had inconvenienced me and put me in a potentially uncomfortable situation.

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by Lainie

I'd be tempted to contact the press outlet in question and explain how their reckless quoting had inconvenienced me and put me in a potentially uncomfortable situation.

That wouldn't be allowed as it only attracts more - and worse - press attention (and draws attention to me being in a job I can't say much about). The only people who can do that are the company's HR dept (just so long as HR are clear that I didn't speak to the press it should be okay)

[Lainie]

Understood. Sloppy and unprofessional on their part, though.

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by Lainie

Understood. Sloppy and unprofessional on their part, though.

Interestingly, they have since changed says/said (which was the wording yesterday morning) to "writes" (which is less of a problem for me).

[RichardM]

Every one that knows you also knows that you would have run over the deer in a bus. Accidently of course as you are a kind person.