The Fen Tiger
In the flat, open Fens of eastern England, people have reported a large black cat padding across the fields since the 1980s.
What was reported
Since 1982, people in the Fens around Cottenham, north of Cambridge, have reported seeing a big black cat, much larger than a domestic cat, moving across the fields and along the drainage ditches of the flat landscape. It came to be called the Fen Tiger.
Over the years, there have been reports of footprints, dead animals and grainy video footage, and the sightings have spread across East Anglia.
Explanations offered
No big cat has been found. Sceptics point to large domestic cats, which can look much bigger in open country with nothing to judge size by, along with dogs and foxes. Some believe a few big cats really were released in Britain after laws on keeping dangerous animals were tightened in 1976.
- When
- Reported since 1982
- Where
- Cottenham, Cambridgeshire, England, UK
- Witnesses
- Residents, farmers and walkers
- Status
- Unconfirmed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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