The Sydenham Park Panther

Friendly chat, questions, reviews, find old friends or relatives. Not limited to Sydenham only issues but keep it civil!

Have you seen the panther?

Yes
1
9%
No
3
27%
Though it was just my cat getting fat
7
64%
Not sure
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 11

Jane73
Posts: 25
Joined: 22 Mar 2005 19:08
Location: Kirkdale

To catch a cat

Post by Jane73 »

Shall I have a word with Tarzan & see what he thinks? :)
Adam
Posts: 54
Joined: 19 Mar 2005 16:02
Location: Forest Hill Shire

Post by Adam »

Good idea Jane, but isn't Tuesday his night for washing his hair and waxing his chest?

:lol:

He's not your hubby is he? you being called Jane afterall!
Newman
Posts: 49
Joined: 17 Mar 2005 11:19
Location: Sydenham

Post by Newman »

That would be one hell of a moggy, Adam - the guy reckons it was 6 ft long. Although he's also quoted as saying, "This thing knew what it wanted. If I was weak I think it could have killed me and then it could have gone on to hurt my family and everything else." Hmmm...An interesting, if somewhat flawed, theory.

Maybe we could coax the Sydenham Pink Panther out of hiding by singing Smelly Cat to it. 'Smelly cat, smelly cat, what are they feeding you, smelly cat, smelly cat, it's not your fault (that you're 6ft long)'
Jane73
Posts: 25
Joined: 22 Mar 2005 19:08
Location: Kirkdale

More evil deeds

Post by Jane73 »

Tarzan suggests he might turn to cat burgling next...
Adam
Posts: 54
Joined: 19 Mar 2005 16:02
Location: Forest Hill Shire

Post by Adam »

Jane and her jokes, made me laugh :lol:

You could have been Mr T from the A-Team and a panther would have still eaten you alive, why he made a media statment like that I dont know!

Perhaps its April fools come 1 week 3 days early?


A
Julsb
Posts: 98
Joined: 6 Mar 2005 18:16
Location: Sydenham

Post by Julsb »

Well, when I moved here from the wilds of Canada I never thought I'd have to put my cougar avoidance knowledge into action! :lol:

On a serious note, do keep your pets & small children indoors. We used to have quite a few puma sightings around where I grew up, and big cats regard them both as easy snacks.
Adam
Posts: 54
Joined: 19 Mar 2005 16:02
Location: Forest Hill Shire

Post by Adam »

Cool info,

can I ask a question?

Do you think the area/climate is suited for a panther? Perhaps Forest Hill was too hilly for it!

do you invisage it has been living around here for long or has just moved in?

Not sure if panthers move about or keep the same patch of territory see!


A
Weeble
Posts: 358
Joined: 1 Nov 2004 17:56
Location: Sydenham

Post by Weeble »

I wonder how long the pet curfew will remain in force? I live pretty close to Sydenham Park, but I don't think our mog will take too kindly to being confined indoors for a long period!

Does anyone know if they are actively trying to catch the beasty, or will we be living in terror indefinitely!? :o

OK, I'm not exactly in terror precisely, but I'd just like to know how long and how seriously we should be heeding the advice to keep pets indoors.
Adam
Posts: 54
Joined: 19 Mar 2005 16:02
Location: Forest Hill Shire

Post by Adam »

I guess the advice is really to keep your pets in at night?

You could always ring the RSPCA and ask, but I know cases like this before have had the animal on the run for years. As you said, your poor moggy!
Newman
Posts: 49
Joined: 17 Mar 2005 11:19
Location: Sydenham

Post by Newman »

Rather you than me, trying to keep a cat in against its will is not fun.

There's a good article in the Guardian today re. the Sydenham Pink Panther. It makes the point that "it has probably slunk off to a neighbouring suburb to become the Penge Panther, the Catford Cheetah or the Beast of Beckenham by now." I would imagine the animal is long gone by now.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story ... 98,00.html
Julsb
Posts: 98
Joined: 6 Mar 2005 18:16
Location: Sydenham

Post by Julsb »

Well...cougars roam over fairly large territories in the wild, but if this big moggy is used to roaming around SE London I'd expect that its hunting range may be smaller. If there's plenty of food around (bins, etc) it simply won't have to walk as far.

Apart from that, a lot of the assumptions I would usually make about its behaviour are probably moot in the UK. In Canada, if a cougar starts hanging around a human inhabited area it usually means that the cat is sick (ie looking for easy meals), or has been pushed out of its normal territory so often it's managed to get over its fear of people. But since this country is so low on real wilderness, I'd think it's likely that any big cats here would have been scavenging from bins & farms and picking off the occasional pet as a general rule. (Well, it's not like there's great herds of deer or elk wandering around Kent these days...)

Weeble, I agree with you about the pet curfew. My cat is also getting annoyed about being inside, and I've been weighing up the risks of letting her out this morning. I think Adam's comment about keeping kitties in at night is a good one.
Adam
Posts: 54
Joined: 19 Mar 2005 16:02
Location: Forest Hill Shire

Post by Adam »

Cool post Juls, very informative.

Weeble, I keep my cat in at night, it isnt really an issue, perhaps in time your cat will enjoy staying in! Good luck with it though!
Adam
Posts: 54
Joined: 19 Mar 2005 16:02
Location: Forest Hill Shire

Post by Adam »

QUOTE OF THE DAY FROM THE GUARDIAN

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story ... 98,00.html

Billy Rich, 44, was looking out of his window at 5.30am when he saw a black creature leap across the road and bound south towards Mayow Park.

"I see a ... thing," he said.

"What's he supposed to have seen?" asked his ex-wife.

"The beast of Sydenham," your correspondent explained.

"The only beast of Sydenham is him," she replied, prodding a finger at Mr Rich.

"On the news they said it was as big as a Doberman, but it wasn't," insisted Mr Rich. "It was big and black and I thought, **** hell, what was that?
Weeble
Posts: 358
Joined: 1 Nov 2004 17:56
Location: Sydenham

Post by Weeble »

Our cat also stays in every night, but is normally booted out in the day, and it is often after dark when we are back home to let him in.

Sometimes he stays in during the day but he gets a touch of cabin fever eventually starts acting crazy. :)

He's indoors today, so I imagine he'll be galloping up and down stairs chasing imaginary mice by the time we get in. :D
fishcox
Posts: 628
Joined: 4 Mar 2005 13:55
Location: lawrie park road

Post by fishcox »

I read that too Adam, it's a class article. I like the bit about the cat maybe scarpering, to become The Penge Panther, or The Beast of Beckenham.

I have almost been tempted to put a spoof 'Lost Cat' notice in the newsagent.
megan
Posts: 24
Joined: 9 Dec 2004 12:15
Location: sydenham

Post by megan »

fishcox that is so funny you really should do it!!
fishcox
Posts: 628
Joined: 4 Mar 2005 13:55
Location: lawrie park road

Post by fishcox »

at the risk of opening the floodgates, who can come up with the best spoof 'missing cat notice' for the newsagent. if we get a really good one, then i will personally place it in there.
Newman
Posts: 49
Joined: 17 Mar 2005 11:19
Location: Sydenham

Post by Newman »

MISSING: My cat has been missing since earlier this week. Any information on his whereabouts would be greatly appreciated. He's a standard-looking moggy, really - big, jet black, about 3ft tall and 5ft long nose to tail. Snarls a lot. Enjoys the occasional bloody rampage. Answers to the name of Tiddles, or 'the Beast of Sydenham' as we sometimes jokingly call him. He's a loveable little rascal who likes grappling with ex-soldiers, eating other cats and small children, attacking livestock, terrorising the general public and lurking around fish and chip shops in a menacing fashion. Reward for information leading to his return: £1.50 and a copy of last week's Heat magazine.
Adam
Posts: 54
Joined: 19 Mar 2005 16:02
Location: Forest Hill Shire

Post by Adam »

Guys,

I think my reply would be too smutty to put on the site, or in a shopfront window!
stuart
Posts: 3635
Joined: 21 Sep 2004 10:13
Location: Lawrie Park
Contact:

Now there are four!

Post by stuart »

A story that will not die. Or perhaps we may very soon if we don't watch out:
http://tinyurl.com/6lfs9
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