Report from Chris Smith
Large dark-coloured cat seen at Muasdale
2 nd December 2002
Hi Chris,
We have had another sighting of a large dark-coloured cat in Kintyre, only this time it was seen in the village of Muasdale which is about 25 miles by road from Southend (where the animal has been seen recently and where several sheep have been killed). I was wondering if you could tell me how far big cats can travel in a day.
Cheers!
Aileen Brown
Campbeltown Courier
PS. The couple who saw it believe that it had a white tip on its tail.
Campbeltown Courier, 2 nd December 2002
How long is a piece of string - ok you want a serious answer. Puma and leopard have been recorded covering maximum of 25-30 miles in a night, but average is very much less 8-12 miles (Phil?). Cat movement depends on what they are doing - seeking a mate, hunting etc.hungry leopards will hunt for long distances depending how sparse prey is, e.g in the tropics they might only need to move a few miles while in desert environs e.g. Namibia they will cover much further - this is also reflected in individual territory sizes and the number of leopards occupying individual areas big territories in desert much smaller in tropical/forest.
This probably doesn't answer the question - but may help.
John Murray
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