SE23 Forum

Let me first say that I am always the first to dismiss stories of aliens, or sightings of strange animals.

However early this morning I clearly saw a large cat like animal prowling behind our flats, off Netherby Road. I was brushing my teeth about 1 am when I heard a strange cry. It was unusual enough to make me open the bathroom window. At first I thought it was my neighbours cat which was sitting on the fence opposite. However I then became aware of a much larger animal prowling almost immediately under the window which is at second floor level.

This area is lit by fairly strong floodlights so other than the fact that I was looking almost straight down at it, rather than from the side, I got quite a good lock. It was very black and about the size of a small labrador!! Oddly, I am convinved it was wearing a collar though I might be wrong about that. It disappeared briefly into the stairwell entrance to my flat, then wandered off down the garden when I lost sight of it.

I stress I had not touched a drop all weekend!! I really don't want to start 'Beast of Forest Hill' type stories but I have to wonder if this was an escaped pet. I will certainly be looking over my shoulder late at night!!

I think there's been a sighting like this before but I can't find the thread....

Sounds familiar.....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4370893.stm

Perhaps a relative of the Beast of Sydenham - see http://forum.sydenham.org.uk/viewtopic.p...dbec46f1db

We had a similar problem where I live on Saturday night when our doorstep was surrounded by zombies, skeletons, witches, and giant pumpkins.

Rather unusually I found that feeding them stopped them coming back again.
This seems to happen at this time of year, every year.

I notice it doesn't say that they caught that one in 2005! The picture looks familiar......

Given the coverage I don't think this is a joke. Its worth reporting again or have someone look into it, like the guy on the Sydenham website. Thankfully no one seems to have been killed or seriously injured by these animals but I do wonder now whether they are the prime reason for so many helicopters of late searching the FH-Sydenham railway line in the middle of the night.

Just thinking a bit more, some of our neighbours cats have been attacked recently and left with strange bites and abcesses. Ours was similarly bitten badly just over 2 years ago and we took her to the vet for treatment; we thought given the size of the bite it must have been a fox but the vet said not. It was definitely not the jaw size of a standard cat nor did it look like a fox bite. He couldn't identify it as a dog bite either so the potential cause was left open ended and we thought nothing of it but now it may be possible it was one of these animals. Our cat wouldn't venture far at night and we know the dogs locally are usually locked up and probably would be too scared to go for a cat anyway so that sort of ruled them out. Foxes dont tend to bother with cats unless they are weak or they go near their cubs but it was out of cub season. Anyone else have similar experiences with their pets?

Roz. I'm pretty sure the helicopters are not for animals. They are put up there just to wake me up. After all, I do pay my taxes.

Last year, my cat (now sadly passed away, from kidney failure) came home with a large gash on his head. It healed after a week. I assumed he had got into a fight with a fox.

I was being a little tongue in cheek about the helicopters!

I also saw a man walking a large black dog today in Forest Hill- I took a second look at the dog as its face did look strangely like the ' cat' picture earlier on in the thread, a sort of squashed up boxer dog face. I wish I'd taken a photo. If I see this guy/dog again, I will ask if I can. He didn't seem as if he would be difficult to approach. ( The man, not the dog). Perhaps a lead? ( ho ho).

I think you need to paws for thought here Roz

Have you considered that you may be barking up the wrong tree?

It's out there again...

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/playlist/view...-on-prowl/

I think if it was a panther, and it was running after him he wouldnt be being quoted in a newspaper, he would be being slowly digested.

Indeed. Not much cop as a panther, is it?

And what a silly name (King) for a puppy but I suppose it makes a change from Tyson.