NAME.....The Surrey Puma
CODE.....AN1602
ORIGIN...Surrey, England 1959
STATUS...Undecided

The Surrey Puma: Example 1

In August 1959, Mr A Burningham couldn't believe his eyes as he was driving along a country lane in Crondall one evening. Less than 50 metres ahead of him, an enormous great cat the size of a Labrador dog was crossing the road. Mr.Burningham pulled over and observed as the great cat crouched down below trees, watching lambs in the nearby field. After a while, the cat walked off and was out of sight. Mr Burningham continued on his journey home, not quite believing what he had just seen.

In fact, it wasn't until there was another sighting three years later (1962), that he actually reported what he had seen. The second sighting happened near Farnham in Surrey, and was reported in the local newspaper. Ernest Jellett was walking along a country lane to work at the Reservoir on the North Downs, when he saw a big black cat bounding towards him chasing a rabbit. Mr Jellet shouted out at the cat in surprise, and scared it off. The cat was described as having a round, flat face, a long thin tail, and big paws.

The police investigated the story and found a flattened patch of ground where a large animal may have rested. The sightings continued throughout the sixties, with big paw prints being found and strange howling noises heard at night.

The Surrey Puma: Example 2

The latest sighting of the Surrey Puma occurred in Guildford in October 2000, by Mr.Quelsh. The large cat was spotted lying on a running track at the Spectrum (a sports and leisure complex in Guildford, Surrey), 100 yards from where Mr.Quelsh was standing. Mr.Quelsh commented that ""It was twice the length of a domestic cat and had its tail curled up above the ground. It definitely wasn't a dog, and did not seem aggressive. It laid on the green for a few minutes and then walked off into the trees."

Summary

As you can see from the two examples, the Surrey Puma legend refuses to die. There are still sightings being recorded on a regular basis, 40 years on from the original. The first sighting was near the Surrey/Hampshire border, and most of the sightings since have occurred around the Guildford area. In such places as Cranleigh, Thursley, Godalming, and Guildford City.

Although the first sighting of the Surrey Puma was in 1962, it wasn't until 1964 that the legend really took off. Apart from weird howling noises heard at night, and big paw prints found across the county, other incidents also occurred. A flock of sheep stampeded out of a field, frightened by a strange animal. Nearby, a deer was found dead. Its body had been badly mauled and bitten. In 1966, a very blurred photo was taken supposedly of the Surrey Puma. The photo was so blurred it was hard to distinguish what animal it was, so can hardly be considered evidence.

The question is; if there is a Puma roaming the Surrey countryside, how did it get there and why? Also, why has the animal not been caught after 40 years? There are a few theories to these questions: One theory is that a Puma owned by a well-known female singer, was taken away at her own request at a Health Farm near Guildford. The Puma was taken in the early hours of the morning under the blanket of darkness and was driven away in a Horse Box, later to be released into woods.

Another theory is that domestic cats have been interbreeding with Scottish Wild Cats, creating a new species. Another wonderful theory is that the cats belong to a species that was supposed to be extinct. Big Cats are known to have roamed Britain in Prehistoric times, perhaps they never completely died out!

Final Thoughts

The Surrey Puma was not the first Big Cat sightings ever to have taken place, and it certainly will not be the last. Big Cat sightings are commonplace in American Folklore, with stories of the 'Motown Panthers' being one example of many. Back in England we also have the 'Exmoor Beast', and the 'Shooter Hill Cheetah' of South East London. The 'Shooter Hill Cheetah' sighting gained credibility because it was spotted by a policeman. This sighting combined with the stories of the 'Surrey Puma' sparked the notorious Cheetah Hunt of 1963. Scotland has also had their fair share of Big Cat sightings over the years.
Research into Big Cats is one of the many subjects under investigation by the study of Cryptozoology. Cryptozoology is the scientific study and investigation of animals that are unusual because of place and time. Also, when the evidence concerning their existence is insufficient.

Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans coined the term Cryptozoology, and it simply means the 'Scientific Study Of Hidden Animals'. The following breakdown is how the word was derived, and is of Greek origin: Kruptos meaning 'hidden', Zoon is 'animal', and Logos means 'discourse'.