A big cat expert insists a second gruesome dead animal find near Nailsworth isn’t related to an attack by a wild beast or any satanic rituals.
Three years ago this month, dog walker Lucy Conboy stumbled across a number of rotting dead animals at the entrance to Upper Balls Green Quarry near Nailsworth and now another batch of what appears to be rotting sheep carcasses have been found in the same spot.
Rick Minter, host of Big Cat Conversations podcast believes the dead sheep have succumbed to natural causes, he said: “Once again it’s a puzzling situation, and we can only guess at theories for this second carcass.
“Although no sheep graze nearby I still might have thought a stray one wandered and got stranded here, but with this second case, perhaps that’s not so likely.
The site also shows signs of a bonfire, but Mr Minter ruled out any satanic activities, he added: “The decay, with maggots and heat causes the blackening effect that is evident, so it has not been burnt and is not a case of a primitive cook-out.
“From what we see in the photos taken by Matt Bigwood, I don’t feel there are any signs of the carcass being big cat related, although it’s better to judge when there is a fresh carcass to assess. We know of big cats in Gloucestershire from the regular consistent descriptions, and hard evidence from DNA and from the Royal Agricultural University study of tooth marks on bones of suspected prey.
“The main large cats described match black leopards and tan coloured pumas. Their larger prey is mainly deer, but they can ‘prey-switch’ to sheep sometimes. The carcasses are clinically and neatly devoured, and can include shearing of rib ends, skin and pelt, and peeling back of skin and fur. Sometimes razor sharp claw marks are apparent on the carcass, strongly indicating a cat like predator.
“They can use caves and small quarry workings as lay up spots and den sites, and for dragging in carcasses for undisturbed feeds. But they would likely avoid such places if there are human smells and disturbances. In their native lands they use these enclosed spaces, but they select ones with a back exit – they sometimes get confronted by other large mammals, so they need an escape route.
“So I don’t feel any big cats are hanging out at this site, and I wish the people who do so would take their litter home.”
For more on Rick’s Big Cat Conversations click HERE
