Neil Arnold Replies...

As promised, any reply by Neil Arnold will be posted in full.

I have made comments in red, as I address his points.

I have attempted on three occasion's to post a reply on your blog but am being met with an Error statement, so I would be grateful if you could tell your reader's that I have indeed replied to your post in which you decided, behind a facade, to make a dig at me.

Other people have been able to comment, so I have no idea why you have not been able to, but no worry, here is your reply in full. Regarding the "dig", as you yourself have in your article pourded scorn on others, you can't complain when your theories are subjected to the same treatment


I will happily answer the question's you have asked of me, although I'm sure you are quite eager to fuel a row.

I have no wish to cause a row, just to try and access the truth

Firstly, I don't recall naming any name's when I mentioned my theories, and I find it rather unprofessional that you have done.

So it's ok, to bring up other theories and dismiss them as nonsense, as long as you don't mention the names of the authors who's books support those theories. Very strange way of thinking in my opinion and one I find that very cowardly


I DID mention that I always thought Di Francis' and Janet & Colin Bord's books were dated, and what's wrong with that.

Nothing wrong with that, I never said there was.

As for the other guys you mention, Merrily Harpur has always connecting 'big cats' to the supernatural, and I don't know Rik Snook apart from the fact he likes to use everything I put in the papers for his own website.

So you have a problem with Rik Snook, putting links to sightings that appear in the papers, just because it's you that contacted the papers first. Sorry to burst your bubble, but a person reporting a sighting to yourself, doesn't mean it's for you and your eyes only. You are not the only big cat researcher in Kent. Maybe you don't like the "competition"


As for my book, I'm sure I'm allowed to promote it ? Do I need your permission to do so ?

Of course you are, but promoting a book containing your theories, whilst at the same time, running down the work of other authors, is a bit cheap.

As for theories being backed up. Receipts regarding the purchase of 'big cats' from Harrods were destroyed before the archives came into place. Any celebrity purchase of a large, exotic cat would have been dealt with the same way as any member's of public purchase, unless a newspaper had found out about the story. However, why would a general dealer/buyer from thirty or so years ago still have a receipt of a large cat, especially when such people have had scorn poured on them over the years for releasing such animals ? I think it's rather common knowledge that people purchased such animals in the '60s (i.e. Margot the puma, Christian the lion), and there are numerous records, which are mentioned in my book, of animal's escaping and even attacking people. Many newspaper stories dating back several centuries speak of escapees, but not everyone who loses/releases a large cat is keen to talk about it. Again, if you haven't spoken to or investigated any previous owner's of large cats then you clearly aren't looking in the right places.


The problem you fail to address is that all your examples do not match the animals people are actually seeing. There are no lions living in the wild in the UK, so how can they be the parents of the animals roaming the UK. You can't find any records of black leopards being bought, and yet you claim the UK is awash with black leopards. You still havn't furnished any proof


As for film footage of such animal's. I do not advertise areas of sightings, but my footage has been aired on Sky, ITV, BBC in the past,I don't need to go to You Tube to prove anything to you, in the same way you don't have to prove anything to me

You claimed that you took the footage, could you please provide links to this footage. After all, anyone could claim they took a film of a big cat. Proof is needed here. Otherwise we have to take your claims with a huge pinch of salt. A researcher is judged on his research material. Unfortunately your material is sadly lacking

, but judging by your response to my CFZ post it seems that either a) you don't believe such animal's roam the UK,

I do believe big cats aroam the UK, I have seen them with my own eyes


b) you haven't a clue as to where they came from,

No I don't know where they have come from, but then neither do you. None of us have any proof that is undeniable, that proves the existance of even one big cat out there.

c) you are simply spoiling for a petty argument.

No, I'm simply pointing out the flaws in your claims

I have seen several cats in the local wilds as many researchers and members of the public have. Why is this a false claim ? It's no big deal to see a large cat in the UK wilds. Unfortunately, for some it is the Holy Grail to see one but due to lack of patience, or the belief they are supernatural, they are unlikely to see one.

I never said it was a false claim, after all I am a believer.

Regarding the CFZ, who you clearly have a problem with. Maybe you should begin to realise that there are many research groups around the world, who all have their own opinion's. Some mount expedition's, some are armchair enthusiast's, each to their own, but if you are eager to exist only to create petty arguement's then more the fool you.

The only problem I have with the CFZ, is that they appear to be more of a money making organisation, (you only have to look at their desperate pleading for funding), than doing any real research. Not one expedition has been successful and that is undeniable. To me and others looking in, the CFZ is just a group of people going on big boys adventure holidays paid with the money of gullible benefactors.


I am more than happy for people to comment on what I do, or say, which is why I write posts on my opinion's. If you have a REAL problem with me however, I don't think you should be hiding behind a facade to state it.

I only have problems with people who claim to know the answers, but are unable to furnish any proof.

I think it's very difficult actually finding the 'real researchers out there', because it seems to me that the community is full of anorak's eager to create a mystery which isn't there at all whi is why much of the 'big cat' community are a laughing stock put alongside Ufologists etc.

Yes it is difficult to find real researchers, and I agree it's full of "anoraks" that make the public put big cat research on par with ufology. But then you also lecture on ghosts and the paranormal, making yourself part of the problem.


I'm unsure as to how I am full of "hot air" and making "outlandish claims" when the theories I suggest are far more down to earth than the supernatural claims Merrily Harpur suggests.

Any claim made without proof is outlandish. I have said the very same thing in person to Merrily Harpur. However you will never find Ms Harpur, putting her theory above all others as the one and only answer to the big cat conumdrum. She actually believes that there are many answers to the situation, including her pet theory of daimons.

I would be interested to hear where you think such animal's have come from, because I've always been of the opinion that we should be looking at the more realistic solution's, such as escapees/releases, including zoo parks, menagerie's etc, rather than demonic or prehistoric cats.

I actually agree in theory that most of the genuine big cat sightings are of escapees or deliberate releases. How we disagree is that unlike yourself I don't believe that every sighting is of a leopard or puma. And I certainly don't believe that the numbers of big cats at looses in the UK are the amount you claim. The proof is just not out there.


And finally, it seems that you are completely oblivious to what excatly happened in the '60s and '70s. I never claimed there were thousands of exotic felids roaming the UK. Many animal's were recaptured, some shot dead or died naturally in the wilds, but if what we are seeing in the UK wilds are not offspring or generation's past, then I'd like to hear your answer ?

Until someone, anyone, provides proof of a single black leopard loose in the UK, (we are still waiting are we not?), then no-one can claim they know the answers. Theories are great, but it's proof we need.

Thank you for your time.

Neil Arnold




So there it is, a long reply, but strangely, NOT ONE piece of proof to back up any of his claims. Strange that!