BEASTS OF LONDON on Facebook

Join the Facebook page for regular updates on weird animal-related and cryptozoology around the capital https://www.facebook.com/groups/cryptozoologyinlondon/

A London-related 'big cat' tale...

"Very glad to see the Beast of Sydenham is still alive and well. My husband saw it in Dulwich Woods early one Sunday morning whilst walking our two Doberman a couple of years back. The two dogs were very anxious and wouldn't leave his side!

Round about the time the man was attacked nr Wells Park I definitely could smell 'big cat' musk in our garden.. and having been 'sprayed' at a Wildlife Park visit..it's a smell you NEVER forget. The policeman who attended the incident swears it was a big cat too!"

South-East London Leopard Sighting

"My ex came to visit earlier in the week (end of July 2015), and was woken up around 5am by some pigeons on my balcony. She went to my kitchen which overlooks ****** ***** at Sydenham and was amazed when she saw a very large black animal walking along the road. She is fairly certain that it was a panther. My kitchen window looks north, and straight down Seeley towards Sydenham hill station. The animal was on the left hand pavement looking from my kitchen, ver...y near to the entrance of the old early Victorian Kingswood House. Apparently a car drove past it and the animal froze but made no attempt to hide. If the driver had been looking he would have seen it for sure! It walked off in the direction of the station. To the right, and only a few hundred yards away is the ancient Dulwich Wood."

"I also saw a panther In the early 80's when I was returning to Farnham after a gig in London at around 2am near Wisley on the A3. I had stopped by the lake next to the A3 to have a pee. I got into my car, and pulled back onto the road. As I accelerated, I saw an animal coming towards me also on the road, I passed it on my side of the car and had a very clear view of what I was certain at the time was a large black panther. It completely freaked me out as only moments earlier I had been outside.
I wonder why more people haven't seen them as it seemed quite confident and could easily have darted into the side of the road."

Over the years I've received sporadic reports of a large black cat in and around Sydenham. I received photographs a few years ago of a domestic cat that had been eaten by a large black cat and in the same week a jogger, running with his dog, was chased by a "panther" at Dulwich Wood. Although the story from 2005 of the man who claimed to have been attacked by a black leopard was most certainly a hoax; it is very likely that a melanistic leopard does roam the area. If one looks at Sydenham on a map you'll notice several wooded parks dotted around the area, and it's also worth noting that I often receive reports from Bromley too which is just four miles from Sydenham. If one takes this into consideration then a black leopard around Sydenham could also have a territory that covers parts of Surrey and Kent; taking in West Wickham, Chislehurst etc.
Although I'm often dubious of reports of 'big cats' being seen more central to London it is worth taking into consideration that Brixton is only four or so miles from Sydenham!

A leopard in '60s London...

Here's a fantastic piece of footage from the 1960s showing a woman walking her pet leopard down the streets of swingin' London...the react of the poor dogs is priceless as is the inclusion of the woman in a leopard-skin fur coat! http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/good-to-share/10596046/Prowling-the-streets-of-London-with-a-Leopard.html

Forest Hill sighting...

"I saw a cat like creature in Forest Hill. I was in the Millennium Albion Woods and it ran past us, we disturbed it. I was freaked out as I was with my kids. It was not a deer, muntjac are supposed to inhabit this green area. I know what deer look like, this was a black feline animal, very swift, it was large too, so not a domestic cat.  It all happened so quickly and totally unexpected so it was difficult to make much out. What really caught my eye was its black colour, it moved very quickly like a cat, I would've expected small muntjac in there I have seen them elsewhere and this was not a deer. It was too fluid and powerful. It's size I would say was appx three foot from head to back legs. I can't say for sure I saw it's tail I'm afraid. It happened in an instant my kids didn't see it at all. It was bigger than a domestic cat, much bigger, obviously very shy. It reminded me of TV programmes I've watched about pumas or lynx. I thought, "I saw a deer it can't have been a big cat" but my eyes told me it was a cat. I'm convinced. I had never known of their existence until I got home and did a bit of research which is where I came across your stuff. It happened at about 11.30am on Tuesday 28th October, 2014. In the Albion Millennium Gardens in Forest Hill off Albion Villas Way".

HAUNTED HIGHGATE book

Author Della Farrant has just had published HAUNTED HIGHGATE (The History Press), a fascinating a collection of weird and wonderful stories from the Highgate region. A review/interview will be coming shortly but until then you can purchase your copy from Amazon by clicking HERE

'Panther' sighting in Surrey?

"I have literally just seen it too whilst out on a run (12/10/2014 at 1pm)!

I was running along Rickman Hill Road in Coulsdon, when I saw what looked like a large jet-black dog cross my path about 100 yards ahead. I couldn't get a glimpse of its head but had very large paws and a long tail that curled upwards at end. Having originally assumed it was a dog I carried on running, expecting there to be a driveway that it had walked into, but it was just dense woodland!

Just arrived back home and searched online and found this post, turns out I'm not going mad!"