Sightings
of big cats are not especially common in Denmark, although we have had some
from time to time – a few lynxes (strangely enough the most common type in
Denmark), the odd panther, a lion or two and even a serval and a possible
cheetah. Now things (or should that be cats) are afoot again. About ten days
ago, a girl wrote to the Danish natural history website “Fugle og Natur” (www.fugleognatur.dk)
with her sighting of a big cat seen on a golf course north of the Danish
capital Copenhagen. Unfortunately her sighting was three weeks old at the time,
so chances of finding tracks, hairs or any other physical remains were rather
small, as the exact position of the animal at the time of the sighting could
not be established.
“My
boyfriend and I saw a large, dark cat with a short fur and a long tail about as
long as the rest of the animal. We would judge the animal to weigh something
like 10-20 kg, but it was hard to be certain as it was 100 meters away. The
animal looked very much like a black panther. It was seen on a golf course near
Birkerød on the 22nd of June 2013 between 1730 and 1830 in the
evening. We couldn’t take a photo, as the animal very quickly disappeared in
some shrubs. We tried to look on the internet to identify the animal which we
think looked like a panther.”
I have
corresponded with the girl, and she seems very straightforward and down to
earth. But as in so many cases there are problems. Especially the fact that the
animal seems to be to large to be a domestic cat, but on the other hand to
small to be a leopard. I have tried to visit the place of the sighting and look
for physical tracks, but with no luck. I have also talked to the golf club
whether any members had seen anything, but also with no luck so far. I have
managed to dig up a couple of other sightings from the area from earlier this
summer, but nothing definitive and nothing that can tell us what is going on.
If I learn
more, I will report in it – stay tuned!
