Site of the Week

Bigcats.org http://www.bigcats.org

Despite the name, this is a collection of sites which examines more than just large felines. Based in Scotland, Bigcats.org brings together sites which look at a number of related wildlife topics, all in considerable depth and with plenty to look at as well as read.

The star attraction is the controversial subject of alien big cats http://www.bigcats.org/abc/ - and here we aren’t just talking about larger-than-average household pets. There have been numerous reports of big cat sightings over the last few decades, some more convincing than others. The site looks into the possibility that cats like pumas and leopards are lurking in the Scottish countryside, with a huge collection of articles and discussions on both sides of the debate. The archives make intriguing reading, with some experts convinced that the case is ‘beyond doubt’, and others stating that there is no evidence at all. A related topic is the story of the Scottish wildcat http://www.bigcats.org/swc/, and the question of whether or not it exists. Collected articles from books and newspapers, some more comprehensive than others, discuss the potential for the original ‘pure’ wildcat species to have mated with domestic cats and been hybridised out of existence. The Exotic Species site http://www.bigcats.org/esa/ catalogues Scotland’s alien species invasions, and looks at planned species reintroductions. Archived material documents the grey squirrel’s sweep across the country, looks into reports of escaped baboons living outside Edinburgh, and discusses plans to have beavers and wild wolves swimming and running free in the highlands once more.

Each of the main sections has a good collection of links to take you on to related material, so if these subjects interests you, you should have no trouble finding all the info you need. The organisation as a whole welcomes contributions to the debate, as well as articles to expand their archives, and reports of sightings, should you be fortunate (or perhaps unfortunate) enough to encounter a big cat while out walking the dog…

Richard Northover

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