Report from Fran Lockhart
Sheep attacked in shadow on Bennachie
February/March 2002
Reading the Highland FWAG Newsletter (4) I note your short piece on big cats. We had a sheep eaten (found still alive) in the field just before lambing last Feb March or possibly the year before. The back leg of the animal had been cleaned out completely to the hip bone but the animal was not killed and had to be destroyed on discovery. As I remember there were dragg marks as the animal had been moved a short distance from the main flock and some wool pulled off the carcase but other than that a remarkably clean attack and no real signs of the animal having struggled. Although
we joked about big cats on Bennachie we had concluded a badger attack (strange with large prey) and left it really as a bit of a mystery. There was no repeat on live animals although a revently fallen carcase was cleaned out (back leg clean to the hip bone) very shortly after.
Field on farm between Daviot and Pitcaple (Inverurie) in the shadow of Bennachie in Aberdeenshire.
Don't know if this is of interest but thought I would let you know
Regards
Follow up
Thanks for your e-mail. All reports are of interest and thank you for taking
the time to contact me.
It would be difficult to say for sure if it was a cat which caused the
injuries to your sheep but as you can rule out pretty much everthing else it
would probably safe to assume it was. I have heard of this sort of damage to
sheep on a number of farms with the unfortunate animal being left alive.
This part I find strange but sheep give up pretty easily and once down I
guess they are not really very well equiped to protect themselves. If you
had skinned the sheep you may well have found smallish puncture marks caused
by claws on other parts of its body which with all the wool still on would
not be that obvious. Also the neck may have shown signs of bruising or again
puncture wounds which wouldn't nessecarily be that obvious if they hadn't
bled that much. These factors would have been more conclusive proof of a cat
attack which will either kill by a bit to the back of the neck thus breaking
it, a bite to the skull in smaller prey or by a throat bite which
asphixiates. It really depends on what type of cat was the culprit. We
generally believe that puma, lynx and panther (which is really a black
leopard) are the most likely candidates due to extensive research and
historical records of such animals being kept in this country at one time.
If you could forward a 6 fig grid reference of the location on the sheep and
have another think of when exactly it happened that would be most helpful.
You may find the Scottish Big Cats Website interesting as there is a lot of
usful information on it. www.bigcats.org
Please don't hesitate to call if you want to know more or would like advice
if predation on sheep and lambs is becoming more frequent and therefore a
problem. Ask your neighbours if they have experienced anything similar. I
have a network of farmers here on the Black Isle who have lost tens of sheep
between them but had no idea that neighbours had been affected as they hadn't
told anyone else for fear of being laughed at!
On the whole these cats are very shy of people and will stay well clear but
they are a top preditor and should be treated with respect. I would also
advise against shooting such an animal as it requires specialist experience
and equipment and an injured animal would be extremely dangerous.
Keep me posted of any further incidents
Regards
Fran Lockhart
February/March 2002
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