British 'Big Cats' Not a Myth, Roamed Wild in Early 1900s After Prolonged Captivity

Britain has never been known for its diversity of "big cats," but tales of native feral felines have circulated among residents of the isle for decades nonetheless. Common knowledge suggests that the big cats which roam the nation were let loose upon the wild as a result of the 1976 Wild Animals Act, which outlawed the ownership of potentially dangerous pets. Yet, researchers from the University of Southampton recently reassessed the remains of a Eurasian lynx in the basement of a British museum, only to find that the breed had been wrongly identified. The cat was in fact a Canadian lynx.

Study contributor Darren Naish explains, "There have been enough sightings of exotic big cats which substantially pre-date 1976 to cast doubt on the idea that one piece of legislation made in 1976 explains all releases of these animals in the UK."

He adds, "It seems more likely that these escapes and releases have occurred throughout history and that this continual presence of aliens explains the 'British big cat' phenomenon.'"

A University press release, which summarizes the findings published in the journal Historical Biology, details that forensic evidence illustrates "severe tooth loss and plaque," which indicate prolonged captivity.

Researcher Ross Barnett asserts that "this Edwardian feral lynx provides concrete evidence that although rare, exotic fields have occasionally been part of the British fauna for more than a century. The animal remains are significant in representing the first historic big cat from Britain."

According to the museum's records, the Canadian lynx was put on display after succumbing to a gunshot wound after killing a pair of dogs that belonged to a local landowner in 1900.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service currently lists the breed as threatened in America, and a candidate for the very same status in New Mexico. A typical adult male weighs 22 pounds and measures 33.5 inches, and is "highly adapted for hunting in deep snow."