MONSTERS OF KENT

Neil Arnold's new 'big cat' blog at Kent Online

2012-01-31T14:31:00.000-08:00

Over at KENT ONLINE, Neil Arnold will be writing a blog in regards to the British 'big cat' mystery - answering all those questions people may have, and presenting evidence and listing the latest sightings.

189 'big cat' sightings in 2011

2011-12-09T08:48:00.001-08:00

http://kentbigcats.blogspot.com/2011/12/189-sightings-for-2011-and-fox-kill.html

Wallaby...

2011-11-19T11:51:00.001-08:00

"I believe you're interested in wallaby sightings in Kent. I'm certain I saw one today (4/11/2011) about 2 pm to the North of the M25 to the east of Clackets Services. It was in a field at the base of the North Downs"

MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: LONDON - OUT NOW

2011-10-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: LONDON By Neil Arnold, published by the CFZ, is now available. The long wait is finally over. This much anticipated book is the first of its kind to venture forth into the concrete jungle of England's capital city and unravel fantastic, yet true tales of monsters and mysterious beasts. From yarns spun pertaining to strange creatures in the River Thames, to odd things-a-flutter in the skies of the city. Supernatural animals, beasts escaping from menageries, sightings of exotic cats such as leopards and lynx and the Surrey puma, and not forgetting a whole host of weird and wonderful arcane animals cast from the Ark. MYSTERY ANIMALS OF...LONDON weighs in at more than 300 pages, is richly illustrated and indexed, and proves once and for all that the greenest corners, dankest sewers, and darkest streets can still harbour all manner of elusive and out of place creatures. So, if you're thrilled, or repulsed by tales of flesh-eating giant rats, prowling alligators, blood-sucking fish, rampant wolves, swooping eagles and vultures, ghostly lions, spectral bears, phantom chickens and real life vampires, then MYSTERY ANIMALS OF...LONDON is perfect for campfires constructed on a crisp autumnal night. The book is available from Amazon and all good bookshops.

Rare stalked jellyfish found in Kent

2011-10-06T12:50:00.001-07:00

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/stalked-jellyfish.html#cr

Kent - where the wild things are! Or maybe not!

2011-10-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

In July the Kentish Express ran an article (written by James Scott) concerning the variety of unusual animals which Kent Police have received reports of. The article tends to make a mockery out of those genuine witnesses who DO see strange animals in the Kentish wilds. Sadly, the article, which features a table of sightings filed by the police - lists alleged reports of an emu, a cheetah, and several vague 'wild cats' and 'big cats' and even a wolf. The list also mentions sightings of dholes (wild dogs) which isn't as bizarre as it sounds considering a few years ago one of the local zoo parks had a few escape. However, whilst witnesses do see and report regular sightings of 'big cats' such as lynx, puma and black leopard, many of these aren't taken seriously, and we can see why!

The spectral hound that ate the brains of soldiers!

2011-10-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

A few years back, Peter Cook, in writing his The Way We Were column for the Medway Messenger, dredged up a sinister tale from the files of bygone ghost-hunter Frederick Sanders. Under the heading 'Midnight trip to 'island of ghosts' at river mouth', Cook wrote, 'Dead Man's Island lies at the point where the Swale meets the Medway. It is well named. About 200 years ago dozens of French soldiers taken prisoner by the British were buried there. These men of Napoleon's army had been cooped up in the fetid atmosphere of prison hulks anchored on the Medway. They had died of the bubonic plague. In June 1950, two intrepid journalists - Duncan Rand and Frederick Sanders, made a midnight trip to examine this "island of ghosts".

'At that time, many of the coffins were exposed with the lids gone. Mr Sanders was particularly intrigued by the fact that none of the skeletons revealed was in possession of its skull. Neither had any skull ever been found on the island. Mr Sanders recalled a legend of a huge spectral hound which ranged across the Medway marshes, digging up the coffins and flipping open the lids to consume the dead men's brains. The two explorers were ferried out to a part of the island known as Coffin Bay, where they were marooned for the night. "We found may broken coffins and hundreds of bones but no skulls," they later reported.

'The natural phosphorescence given off by the river's micro-organisms added to the atmosphere, and what appeared as warriors "black and gaunt in the moonlight" turned out to be piles driven into the mud to define the Smugglers Gut channel. As the tide returned, the men ran the risk of being cut off and joining the "spectral army". But three flashes from a torch brought a dinghy sploshing towards them.'

From the files:

2011-09-24T05:28:00.000-07:00

Raccoons - 21/10/86
'Raccoons found in a derelict van' - Two raccoons and their 12 week old baby are being cared for at the RSPCA's animal sanctuary at Hatch Beauchamp, near Somerset after being found in a derelict van at Lancing, Sussex. Colin Sneddon, of the RSPCA said: "The owner did not have a license for them and was persuaded to let us bring them here until we can find them a better home.'

Mink - 31/10/81
'A pack of 30 mink bred for the fur trade are still on the loose after escaping from a mink farm at Newingreen, near Folkestone, during the hurricane two weeks ago. The animals are worth £30 each.'

Sturgeon - 8/12/86
'A 15lb 3ft 6" sturgeon - the fish whose roe makes caviar - has been caught off the Sussex coast by Mr Richard Goodsell, 32, of Rye. It has been offered to the Queen, according to ancient tradition. It is worth about £150 and is te first to be caught in the area for 36 years.'

4/3/88 - Cliffe - 'Farmer Mr Jasper Wright of Buckland farm, Cliffe, has caught a rare wild mink which had been taking his ducks.'

Whale - 11/4/87
''The body of a 20ft whale was washed up on the beach at Rottingdean, Sussex yesterday.'

Talk: Mystery Animals of Kent

2011-08-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday 25th October 2011 at 7:30 pm Neil Arnold will conducting a talk on MYSTERY ANIMALS OF KENT at Eastgate House, in Rochester High Street. Tickets are available from the local Archives Centre on 01634 332714

Spectral animals in Kent ? The read HAUNTED ASHFORD

2011-08-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

On August 16th 2011 The History Press will be publishing Neil's third ghost book this year, Haunted Ashford. The town, which harbours Kent's 'most haunted' village of Pluckley, is also rich in other ghost lore. Whilst the book looks at phantom monks, ghostly children, ghostly hitchhikers and the like, there is also a spectral menagerie of ghostly animals, from Great Chart's demonic bull, the man-beast of Bilsington, devilish hellhounds, and even a spectral pig! Available from all good bookshops, priced £9.99, take a strange trip through this rural abode and beware the ghouls of Ashford!

Rare moth at Dungeness

2011-07-29T10:16:00.001-07:00

http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2011/07/dusky-marbled-brown.html

Swordfish off Kent coast

2011-07-20T11:24:00.000-07:00

The Illustrated News Vol 1 1842, reported that a swordfish, measuring sixteen-feet long, and five-feet in girth, was taken off the coast at Deal. The fish weighed in at 200lbs and sold to a Mr Sweeting of 159 Cheapside, London for £5.00. He in turn offered it to the British Museum for 20 guineas.

The day a narwhal washed up in Kent

2011-06-12T04:14:00.000-07:00

From Kent Messenger 10th June 2011

Sperm whale washes up on Kent beach

2011-06-09T11:50:00.003-07:00

http://cryptozoologynews.blogspot.com/2011/03/huge-sperm-whale-washes-up-on-kent.html

Black widow spider found in Kent ?

2011-06-09T11:25:00.001-07:00

Read all about it, here: http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kentonline/news/2011-1/june/7/deadly_black_widow_found_in_ke.aspx

New books by Neil Arnold

2011-06-09T09:21:00.000-07:00

If ghost stories are your thing - whether it's reports of phantom animals, spectral hellhounds, ghostly monks, haunted pubs, and castles, then Neil Arnold's new books are for you. Gather round a crackling fire and read HAUNTED ROCHESTER and HAUNTED MAIDSTONE. Both books promise a veritable feast of new phantoms for the fireside. From creaky, old accounts to brand new, and never before published tales of ghostly encounters. HAUNTED MAIDSTONE and HAUNTED ROCHESTER provide a glimpse into the darker side of Kent. Both books are available from Amazon and all good bookshops online or in your local High Street.

The Tin Foil Man of Sussex!

2011-02-20T06:39:00.001-08:00

The Day Great Chart Was Visited By A Spectral, Murderous Bull!

2011-02-03T06:59:00.000-08:00

There appear to be a handful of tales pertaining to the materialisation of hellhounds (phantom black dogs) on dark and stormy nights. Some of these cases are attached to churches, in the sense that, as the legend goes in varying yarns, the congregation gathered is terrorised by an abominable creature which appears amidst the thunder claps, lightning bolts and pounding rain. In the case of Black Shuck, the hellhound of Suffolk/Norfolk, such a legend has remained potent for centuries. This year my book Haunted Ashford will be published, and in it I’ve included a weird tale concerning an old church in this large Kentish town, which according to legend, was visited by a horrifying monster centuries ago, but such an apparition was from being a spectral black dog:

‘Monsters, ghosts and ghouls, are often said to appear during terrible thunderstorms, but the apparition which visited the Church of St Mary at Great Chart in 1613, chose a summery day to make its awful mark. As vicar Hadrian Savaria began his sermon a fearsome creature materialised before the congregation. The beast appeared in the form of a great black bull which petrified those in attendance and were keen to flee the church. The entity stamped its feet, snorted, and its fiery eyes were glowing for all to see. The monster built up its aggression and then stormed through the rows, battering those who were unable to escape in time. Some folk were badly injured and three people were killed as the spectre charged into the North Wall and exploded into a ball of furious flame. The wall was demolished and a powerful, nauseating odour permeated the air. The vicar escaped with minor burn marks to his garments.

Some theories have since been put forward to explain the manifestation. There are those who argue that the monster was not a supernatural beast but in fact a phenomenon known as ball lightning, said to usually occur during raging storms. Ball lightning, although dismissed by some experts, is said to occur when, according to the Wisegeek website, ‘…large clouds of charged water molecules are put into an excited state by electrical activity, briefly causing light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation, or the laser effect.’ This usually results in a small, spherical, fiery object which materialises for a few seconds. This phenomenon occurs infrequently and has never been understood. However, could such a phenomenon explain what took place in Great Chart in 1613 ? Probably not, when you consider that the service was not conducted in the middle of stormy weather. Sceptics argue that similar events have occurred nationwide over the years, usually during thunderstorms, and such monsters are believed to be nothing more than forms created by terrified, and often naïve witnesses keen to explain the apparition away as something unholy. Oddly, in 1983 another terrifying beast was seen in the village and observed by four witnesses who described the monster as resembling a shaggy, black dog with burning red eyes. The spectral hound was seen to pad up a country lane and head towards the church. The witnesses were in a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction to the creature. Rather coincidentally, Charles Igglesden, in his third volume of A Saunter Through Kent With Pen And Pencil, from 1902, writes of a sign board of a Black Dog hanging over the front door of a house in Great Chart.’

Sceptic see's 'big cat' at Darenth

2011-01-15T08:53:00.001-08:00

'The week before Christmas (2010) I was in Darenth Valley Hospital, and the day that I was being discharged I was waiting in a small area near some windows and I looked out and I am estimating about 100 yds away I saw a black cat walk along side of a fence and disappeared through a gate. I have always been sceptical of so called big cats but have always tried to have an open mind about anything really, anyway I am certain that this cat was not a pet type cat I reckon it was about 3 to 4 foot long , very long tail thick fur right to the end, no way was it an ordinary cat, kept thinking if only had camera but no time to take photo anyway, a couple of nurses I was told had seen it climbing a tree.

I heard you on BBC Kent today and found your web site and thought I would let you know, on the day I saw it everything was covered in snow so the cat showed up well, and it was about 1 pm - from Ray'

Bizarre 'big cat' story of the month!

2011-01-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

Every now and then a completely ridiculous story makes the local, and sometimes national newspapers, concerning 'big cat' sightings. The latest, pertaining to Kent, comes from the Daily Star newspaper of Saturday January 15th 2011, under the headline, 'Panther alert at A-plant'. Now, as we all know, newspapers aren't exactly the most knowledgeable sources when it comes to facts, but the following story simply makes a complete mockery of the so-called 'big cat' mystery. The report read: 'Up to 13 black panthers are living near a UK nuclear power station. The big cats are blamed for a spate of attacks on sheep on Romney Marsh near the Dungeness atomic planet.'
The first sentence alone is enough to send serious researchers cringing back to their homes, but it gets worse, the Daily Star adds, 'Wildlife expert Dave Riches has seen panthers on the Kent marsh several times and believes there are up to 13. Farmers have found dead sheep up trees where panthers eat, Dave added: "There are big claw marks on the trees."
There are so many things wrong with this report, but I guess we could expect such inaccuracy and drama from a tabloid, but for any researcher, serious, or otherwise to state, or even be included in a statement which claims there are "13 panthers" on Romney Marsh, needs their head examined. Many people state that Romney Marsh is a vast area - in Kent it may be considered so, but it's not the wilds of Africa. Whilst there have, in the past, been sightings of black leopard, puma and lynx around the area, there are NOT "13" 'panthers' inhabiting it. A large cat such as a black leopard (or what newspapers are keen to call 'panthers') has a vast territory, an animal, mainly hunting at night could comb an area of some fifty to one-hundred square miles. When a solitary male and female meet they can produce up to four cubs. However, there is NO evidence whatsoever to suggest that "13" leopards are roaming an area which simply could NOT harbour them. The marsh is very open, at times desolate, !13" black leopards would stick out like a sore thumb and certainly be a danger to the public and sheep would be killed at an alarming, and not an infrequent rate. A leopard does not have a fixed den but will roam an area searching for food. The marsh provides ample enough food for one or two of these animals. If a female produces cubs they will stay with the mother for around eighteen-months and then make their own way in life in their own territory. Surrounding areas such as Ashford, Canterbury, Dover, Deal, could also provide enough habitat and prey, but again, for a small pocket of animals, and not "13" 'panthers.
It's no wonder there is scepticism towards the existence of such animals when silly headlines and statements constantly filter through to the press. Usually we are used to the 'beast of...' type tags, but for a wildlife 'expert' to claim there are "13" panthers roaming one specific area of Kent is beyond the realms of madness. It's more than likely the area may become besieged with hunters, and once again the study of such animals is made a mockery of.

Very large fox killed in MAIDSTONE

2011-01-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

Following the death of a domestic cat in Maidstone, a fox, measuring almost four-feet in length was unfortunately blamed and killed. For more on the story, read KENT ONLINE

Stig Of The Dump!

2010-12-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

Neil's latest post for the CFZ (Centre for Fortean Zoology) concerns possible connections between the classic children's book 'Stig of the Dump', and the area of Blue Bell Hill in Kent, and some of its resident creatures. Read more HERE

Some unusual birds in Sussex

2010-12-08T03:40:00.001-08:00

As noted by THE FIELD magazine of 1855:

Over the years there have been many records of unusual birds seen over the county. Some more remarkable than others.

On 24th February 1855 it was recorded in The Field magazine of an unusual incident which took place in West Sussex.

‘The Eagle Shot – For some time past a very fine eagle has been seen hovering about the neighbourhood to Balcombe, attracting general notice, and affording to many a knight of the trigger the hope that he might be the lucky shot. The eagle was seen on two occasions to pounce down on a rabbit and the spot, being watched, Mr Baines, of Crabbet Park, offered pecuniary reward to a gamekeeper to dispatch him. Some fowls were staked down and the keeper lay up for the envied bird. On Monday his decoy birds had the effect of inducing a visit, when a shot from the keeper, passing through his body, brought “his Majesty” to a standstill, without much injuring his plumage. The eagle, which measures eight-feet from tip to tip of wing, has been forwarded to London to be preserved and will afterwards remain at the Three Bridges station for one week for inspection.’

The Field also reported on another eagle (10th Feb’ 1855), stating, ‘Alfriston – The weather here has been very cold and there have been several flights of wild fowl, including many geese, ducks et al, some of which have been shot. A very large eagle of fine species has been seen flying about in the Levels. Some expert knights of the trigger have given him chase, thinking it will be a prize should they capture him.’

The same magazine of August 18th 1855 reported on a ‘Singular Bird – A Mr Stephen Gates of Crawley, was walking in his garden when he espied a depredator among his cherries, and fetching his gun determined to stop his career. It proved to be a starling with beautiful glossy black head, crest, and wings, and back and belly of pale pink, or as some describe it, salmon colour. It will be stuffed, and is considered a very rare and remarkable specimen.’

Gravesend and Thanet water monsters...

2010-12-08T00:57:00.000-08:00

A chap named Gravesender notes, in The Kentish Garner of October 31st 1981, ‘I send an extract from p.159 of Pocock’s History & Antiquities of Gravesend & Milton, relating to the capture of some extraordinary monsters off the Kentish coast:-

‘At Gravesend on the 7th October 1552 three great Fishes called Whirlepooles were taken and drawn up to Westminster Bridge.

In 1786 a Fish of the Grampus kind was brought here by a fishing vessel, who found it at sea, floating on the water almost dead, its mouth was full of thready bones – and the like before the oldest fisherman at this place (Gravesend) had never seen. But neither of the above Fishes were any comparison to one that was taken at St. Peter’s in the isle of Thanet on July 9th 1574, and which Mr Kilburne says, “shot himself on shore on a little sand called Fishness, where for want of water he died the next day; before which time his roaring was heard above a mile. His length was 22 yards, the nether jaw opening 12 feet; one of his eyes was more than a cart and six horses cold draw, a man stood upright in the place from whence his eye was taken, the thickness from his back to the top of his belly (which lay upward) was 14 feet; his tail of the same breadth; the distance between his eyes was 12 feet, three men stood upright in his mouth; some of the ribs were 16 feet long; his liver was two cart loads; and a man might creep into his nostrils.”

Pocock adds, “Whatever absurdities there are in this account, the Rev. Mr Lewis has transcribed it into his History of the Isle of Thanet. I therefore give it my readers, but without desiring to vouch for the truth of any of the extraordinary circumstances of this monster”

A Battle With A Sea Serpent In Kent And Sussex

2010-12-08T00:51:00.000-08:00

Accounts of strange sea serpents around the Kent and Sussex coastlines are scarce, although in the CFZ Yearbook of 2010 I highlighted several cases. The following is an interesting report which suggests that a vessel once shot at and injured a sea monster.

From Bygone Kent magazine, Vol 6, No. 9, 1985, featured in an article named ‘Submarines, A Ghost And A Sea Monster’ by W.H. Lapthorne, ‘Each year during the silly season the media revel in fresh sightings of Nessie, the legendary Loch Ness Monster. Yet the sea monster encountered off the North Foreland in 1917 was far from legendary and more than just a product of a “wee dram”. In July 1917 the ‘Paramount’, an armed drifter from Ramsgate attached to the famed Dover Patrol, was cruising a mile from the Long Nose Spit, between the North Foreland and Margate. Suddenly the sharp eyes of the look-out sighted a large snake-like creature rearing out of the sea ahead of them “hard on the port bow”, a creature which the startled man later described as being “like some gigantic conger eel about fifty-feet in length, with a long scaly body, a large spiny dorsal fin and dark olive green in colour”. At the approach of the oncoming vessel the creature inquisitively raised its head, as the craft steamed past at a steady eight knots. At a distance of 300 yards the skipper gave the order to open fire on the curious but seemingly inoffensive beast. Six shells were fired, the last of which struck the creature in the dorsal fin. After thrashing violently on the surface for a few seconds it sank from sight in a welter of blood. Years later in 1957 a sequel to this narrative came some miles down Channel at Seaford in Sussex, when local fishermen reported having their nets ripped to pieces by a strange sea serpent some fifty-feet in length, with a long scaly body bearing traces of a deep seven-foot scar. The same thing happened again in 1968, when the incident was reported in a national daily and described as the Martello Monster, as it took place off Martello Tower No. 74 at Seaford, but this time the assailant remained unseen below the surface.’

A rain of fish...

2010-11-11T09:11:00.000-08:00

From the Philosophical Transactions of 1698 comes this weird tale of the day it rained fish:

'A letter from Dr. Rob Conny, to the late Dr. Rob Plot, F.R.S. : On Wednesday before Easter, Anno 1666, a pasture field at Cranstead near Wrotham in Kent, about two acres, which is far from any part of the sea or branch of it, and a place where are no fish ponds, but a scarcity of water, was all overspread with little fishes, conceived to be rained down, there having been at that time a great tempest of thunder and rain; the fishes were about the length of a man's little finger, and judged by all that saw them to be young whitings, many of them were taken up and shewed to several persons; the field belonged to one Ware a Yeoman, who was at that Easter sessions one of the Grand Inquest, and carried some of them to the sessions at Maidstone in Kent, and he showed them, among others, to Mr Lake, a bencher of the Middle Temple, who had one of them and brought it to London, the truth of it was averr'd by many that law the fishes lye scattered all over that field, and none in other the fields thereto adjoining; The quantity of them was estimated to be about a Bushel, being all together.'

PARANORMAL KENT - OUT NOW!

2010-11-04T09:15:00.000-07:00

Kent - The Garden Of England. Rich in history, steeped in folklore. Beautiful, tranquil...and running alive with ghosts, witches, monsters and ghouls! PARANORMAL KENT is a brand new book from monster-hunter Neil Arnold, who, after writing PARANORMAL LONDON, has now delved into obscure and sinister mysteries from the south-east of England.

PARANORMAL KENT is no ordinary book on the supernatural - although it contains some bone-chilling tales of ghosts, new light has been shed on some classic spook tales, including a solution put forward to explain the urban legend of the ghost of Blue Bell Hill, plus fresh stories from England's most haunted village - Pluckley, plus adventure's into Kent's oldest buildings such as Dover Castle and the castle, cathedral, shops and various pubs in historic Rochester.

The book also takes a look at the mystery of crop circles, the superstition of witches - burned on many a Kent heath - and even zombies, said to prowl the ancient woodlands and fog-bound marshes. And then there are the strange creatures cast from the Ark - a menagerie of monsters no zoo could accommodate, from serpents around the Kent coast, to hellhounds on the Pilgrims Way, mystery cats, hairy humanoids and weird, flying critters.

This ancient county finally gives up its paranormal secrets with bizarre tales of alien abduction, fairies and dragons. And not forgetting the occasional space-ape, stick man, flying jellyfish, spectral vehicle, ghostly horse, phantom ship and rampant gargoyle thrown in for good measure!

PARANORMAL KENT is available from Amazon and all good book stockists and published by The History Press.

The Mermaid of Kent and a few strange things in Kentish waters...

2010-11-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

G. Howell’s A Kentish Notebook of 1891 records the following stories:

The Gravesend Mermaid

‘Real Wonders!’ At Gravesend – Exhibition August 1825 – ‘A Gravesender visited these wonders (in relation to beautiful dolphins, a learned pig etc) in company with his children and saw the Mermaid, which, he says, “was about 2-ft high”, and had one arm, the other having been cut off and sold. The woman who exhibited it, declared to me it was no imposition that it had been inspected, very minutely, in London, by professional gentlemen and that it was pronounced to be a Mermaid.

A Kentish Swordfish

November 10th 1888 – Capture of a swordfish at Sittingbourne – Long Reach, Milton Creek, caught by a bargeman , 5-ft, 2” from tip of tail to tip of sword. Possibly in pursuit of a whale seen at Gillingham – trying to find its way to the Mediterranean or the Atlantic.

A Sea Eel

1761 – A sea eel, 6-ft long, 20 inches round and weighing 30lb was lately taken in a shallow water, where it had been left by the tide at Whitstable…

A Conger Eel

October 1760 – A conger eel was lately taken in the River Medway near Romney Marsh, which measured 7-ft, 6 ½ inches, and in circumference 2-ft 9” and ¾ with a weight of 56 lbs.

Sperm Whale

February 1762 – Sperm whale 61-ft in length at Broadstairs.

December 1764 – A Spermaceti whale was thrown ashore on the flats at Seasalter, nr Whistable – 54 ft in length, 38-ft in girth at its broadest point.

Autumn 1854 – forty to fifty young whales at the Thames at Gravesend – proceeded until (?). One struck by steamer paddle. All travelled down river.

Of Kentish Marten-Cats

2010-11-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Whilst trawling through local archives I found the following text, from The Kentish Notebook, August 3rd 1889 in reference to the Marten Cat in Kent.

Marten-Cat (June 15th, 19th) – An interesting description of the marten-cat, by the Right Hon. Lord Clifton, appears in the Rochester Naturalist of January 1884, from which I extract the following remarks on the occurrence of this rare animal in Kent:

“With regard to Kent, it never occurred to me to ask about marten-cats, till the other day, when one of my father’s old keepers, G. Mannering, informed me they were not uncommon in the woods round Luddesdown, particularly Red Wood, in the early part of the century, but in the Cobham and Shorne Woods they were unknown. Edward Wells, who was keeper first to Captain Markett, and then to my great-grandfather and grandfather told Mannering that he had killed them, both on the Meopham Court Estate and in Red Wood. A stuffed marten-cat was preserved for some time at the Darnley Arms, Cobham. Mannering states that they were particularly fond of lying on the top of pollard beech-stubs, where was brushwood. I can well believe this, and should also think that they found harbour in ivy-covered trees, and in squirrels nests in the yew trees, which abound in Red Wood and neighbouring woods. Curiously enough, about ten or twelve years ago, a beast very like a marten-cat was twice seen in that district, once in Cobhambury Wood, and another time crossing a field towards that wood. All the men who saw it described it as something between a fox-cub, a ferret, and a small dog. No such description would apply to a badger or otter, letting alone the dryness of the locality for an otter. On the other hand, an escaped (foreign) genet, a large sort of weasel-like animal, was once caught in Chattenden, and another was reported to me from near Chatham. The pole-cat would be nearer the description, but I do not think that men accustomed to foxes would liken a pole-cat to a fox-cub. The pole-cat is also quite as extinct here as the marten-cat, unless it be true than an animal, seen last year at the lay-by (heaps of material excavated for the Higham and Strood tunnel) near the little Hermitage, was a pole-cat. Mannering, who was born in 1815, can just remember a pole-cat being caught alive at Brewer’s Wood Brickyard, close to the Cobham and Rochester Road. The pole-cat is a very marsh-loving animal, and it may be that it is still found in the reed beds of the Hundred of Hoo. Anyhow, Cobhambury Wood is a place far more likely to harbour a stray marten-cat than a stray pole-cat. The pole-cat delighted in old walls, stacks of faggots, ditches and banks, etc, etc. It is not so much a woodland animal.”

At the ‘Free Museum and Reading Room’, Gillingham, the Secretary meeting-place of the Gillingham Naturalists’ Club (Secretary Mr. S.J. West), there are two splendid stuffed specimens of the marten-cat.'

Article submitted by ‘Observer’

Neil Arnold's HAUNTED ROCHESTER GHOST WALK

2010-11-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

From Sunday November 28th and every last Sunday of the month; 7:30pm - 8:30pm Neil Arnold will be conducting ghost walks through historic Rochester, in Kent.
For more information visit: HAUNTED ROCHESTER

Neil Arnold talks ghosts, ghouls and monsters

2010-10-18T04:46:00.000-07:00

From the KENT NEWS

Puma spotted at Tunbridge Wells

2010-10-11T11:54:00.001-07:00

Two Kent wallaby reports from October 2009

2010-10-08T09:20:00.000-07:00

From Kentonline:

1) Wallaby seen crossing road at Pluckley

2) Family ghost-hunting at Pluckley photograph wallaby

Red-bellied lemur escapes from Sussex zoo

2010-09-29T07:07:00.000-07:00

28th Sept' 2010:
A red-bellied lemur has evaded capture since escaping from an East Sussex zoo into nearby woodland.

Staff from Drusillas Park, in Alfriston, have joined police and fire crews in the search for the animal.
Zoo manager Sue Woodgate said the small primates were not aggressive animals and posed no danger to the public.
She said the lemur - called Kirioka - had been spotted several times in abandoned rooks' nests in the woods but attempts to recapture him had failed.
Kirioka was being introduced to the walk-through enclosure Lemurland on 22 September when he escaped.
Ms Woodgate said: "Unfortunately, in this instance, Kirioka had not completely adjusted to his surroundings.
"He is only a youngster and when another lemur approached him, Kirioka fled up the barrier fencing and pure momentum took him through the electric deterrent."
She asked members of the public who spot Kirioka not to approach him but to contact zoo staff.

Animal rights group PETA hit back after the death of 'Two-Tone'

2010-09-17T07:46:00.000-07:00

From KENT ONLINE

Angler catches piranha in Folkestone pond!

2010-08-31T10:33:00.000-07:00

June 2010

Angler pulls piranha from pond.
Press Assoc.
A feared piranha has been caught in a British pond, thousands of miles from its common habitat in South America. Angler Derek Plum, 46, caught the fish, regarded as the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world, at Radnor Park in Folkestone, Kent. The 1lb 4oz catch was identified as a red-bellied piranha, whose diet consists mainly of fish, insects and worms.Mr Plum told the Sun newspaper: "It took about 15 minutes to reel it in. When it emerged, it was thrashing around and was going crazy. The other fishermen were yelling 'You've caught a piranha'. I couldn't believe it." The Environment Agency said it was probably placed in the pond once it became too large for its tank after being kept as a domestic pet.Experts say that while piranhas would not survive in UK rivers, the introduction of non-native species poses a serious threat to native wildlife. Fish species commonly found in the pond include carp, tench and roach. Reaching up to 14 inches long, the piranha is mainly found in the Amazon River basin in South America and is infamous for its razor-sharp teeth and for hunting prey in packs. In shoals, the piranha ambushes its prey, stripping the flesh of large animals such as anaconda snakes or even jaguar within minutes.Paul Foot, chairman of the Folkestone and Shepway Angling Club, said someone was seen emptying a bin into the pond the week before the piranha was caught. He said: "It's 100% kosher because our secretary, who is a professional angler, saw it. Our pond gets dumped full of goldfish and the odd koi carp because people cannot afford to keep them. It's unusual that this fish survived because the weather has been so cold."Someone was seen during the week emptying a bin into the pond so it's possible that it had only been in there a few days. Unfortunately, our pond does get used as a dumping ground for people's unwanted pets."

Super gran fights off giant fox with a shovel!

2010-08-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

From THIS IS KENT

Daily Mirror coverage of Two-Tone's death

2010-08-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

Daily Mirror 17th August 2010

'Two Tone', Britain's biggest carp, is dead.

2010-08-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

'Two Tone', the record British carp of Conningbrook lake, in Ashford has been found dead, possibly due to old age. More, from the BBC

Eagle owl on loose for eighteen months finally recaptured

2010-07-17T05:06:00.000-07:00

From Kent Online

Crocodile's in the living room!

2010-07-17T05:05:00.001-07:00

From Kent Online

The case of the 'sinister' skull!

2010-07-17T04:49:00.000-07:00

Although the practice of ‘witchcraft’ has often been inaccurately portrayed in the media, some cases of alleged ‘black magic’ have hinted at dark dabbling. In many cases where diabolical summoning has reputedly taken place, animal skulls have been discovered, as if such forms have been used for sacrifice or eerie decoration. During the 1970s in my home town of Chatham (long before chavs were born!) in Kent, a stir was caused by a peculiarly morbid discovery in an old chimney at a house in Luton Road. The story made the local Evening Post who reported ‘Sinister skull is a mystery’ stating, ‘The sinister looking blackened skull, with two brass cups, came to light as Mr Cornacchia was fitting a new fire place at his home…it must have been in the chimney for at least twenty years.’
The biggest mystery however was not the fact that such an oddment had been found, but as to what animal it had belonged to. The skull (see image) was of some size. The newspaper stated, ‘There is difference of opinion about the mystery skull. Mr Cornacchia’s thirteen-year old son, Enzo, took it to school where a teacher identified it as belonging to a wild boar. But another expert at his sister’s school thought it was a tiger. And at Rochester Museum they say firmly: “It is a bear, you can tell by the teeth”.
So, dear readers, as this case is over thirty years old, and the photo rather hazy, I hope you can solve the mystery as to what exactly had a skull this size. The teeth do not appear to suggest a wild boar.
The newspaper concluded, ‘Animal skulls are popular accessories among witchcraft devotees. Rams are most widely used, but there would appear to be nothing in the rules against bear skulls. Mr Cornacchia has no immediate plans for the skull. At the moment he is keeping it in the garden.
“It is not very pretty” he said.’

PARANORMAL LONDON - OUT NOW!

2010-06-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

Neil Arnold's new book, 'PARANORMAL LONDON' (published by The History Press) is OUT NOW.

Featuring a veritable feast of bizarre stories pertaining to high strangeness around the capital. From the Highgate 'vampire', to UFOs, from ghostly goings-on to big cats, and other mysterious animals. 'PARANORMAL LONDON' is a strange, often supernatural safari through the concrete jungle, stopping off to look at the London 'mermaid, Mr Davy's monster, phantom assailants - Spring-Heeled Jack, the London 'monster', the Hammermsith 'ghost' and the 'vampire' of the West End.

The book features a menagerie of ghostly birds, spectral cats, hellhounds and ethereal bears such as the horror of Hackney Marshes! Roll up, roll up for the magical mystery tour - with, the Surrey 'puma', the beast of Bexley, the Cricklewood lynx, and the Edgware tiger.

Exhibited also are the phantom ape of Hampstead, the Brentford griffin, dragons, monster rats and the flying jellyfish of Wimbledon!

And not forgetting tales of freak storms, insect swarms, fish from the sky, dancing coals, pennies from Heaven, fairies and monsters on the London Underground.

PARANORMAL LONDON...where the wild things are.

Available now from Amazon and all good bookshops, or directly from The History Press

Possible jackal sighting in Ashford

2010-06-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

On Thursday 24th June at 3pm, a couple walking in a deer park not far from Ashford, observed what they believed was a jackal.

The animal was in view for several minutes as the couple, visiting Brabourne, were on a stroll looking for deer. The animal appeared around thirty metres away, stopped to glare at the witnesses and then walked away.

The animal was knee-height, had a mottled dark brown coat, large ears and a long tail with a white line running down to the white tip at the end.

The male witness stated, "It was no fox, at first I thought it was hyena-like in its coat colouration and I looked at pictures of a dhole, and although similar I believe it was a jackal. It matched all then pictures I saw on the internet."

The purple herons of Dungeness

2010-06-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

Link HERE

Angling Times mention the 'beast' of Blue Bell Hill

2010-06-21T04:30:00.000-07:00

Daily Mail talks 'big cats'....

2010-05-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1282333/Leopards-big-cats-ARE-loose-Britain--just-dont-tell-soul.html

Snapping Turtle found in Faversham

2010-05-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

Story from KENT ONLINE

Bigfoot in Kent ?

2010-05-23T06:36:00.000-07:00

Of course not, but it looks good...!

Photo by Neil Arnold

A Kentish monster ?

2010-05-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

Not really. This interesting carcass, which incidentally, was stiff as a board and light as a feather was found in the Medway Towns. It's clearly a fox carcass, but interesting to note that maybe, just maybe...elsewhere on the planet this creature may be considered something more sinister. There have been several images across the internet over the years, of a similar creature which people like to call the 'goatsucker' or Chupacabra. A majority of these bodies turn out to be nothing more than the carcass of a coyote, dog, or in this case a fox.

In the UK there is much scepticism to the existence of so-called 'big cats', especially when no bodies of such animals seem to turn up. However, apart from kills on roads, fox, badger, and other native species remains, are difficult to find unless you know where to look, as in the case of this fox which was found under an old shed. The carcass appears rather ghastly but the creature was only around two-feet in length and had a few people fooled!

Strange Creature Found On Sussex beach ?

2010-05-07T11:44:00.001-07:00

You decide, more HERE

A Hideous Sussex Monster

2010-05-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Sussex notes and queries; a quarterly journal of the Sussex Archaeological Society, Volume 14, page 43, 1958 records a strange creature recorded from possibly the seventeenth century ‘At Birdham, near Chichester in Sussex, about 23 years ago, there was a monster find upon the Common, having the form and figure of a man in the fore-part…’

But, as Alan W. Bates 2005 work Emblematic Monsters: Unnatural Conceptions and Deformed Births…’ adds, ‘…having two arms and two hands, and a human visage, with only one eye in the middle of his forehead; the hinder part was like a lamb. A young man in the neighbourhood was supposed to have generated the monster by bestial copulation and that the rather, because he was afterwards found in the like beastly act with a mare; upon discovery whereof, he fled out of the country. This young monster was nailed up in the church porch of the said parish, and exposed to public view a long time, as a monument of divine judgement’

If 'big cats' are myths....

2010-04-11T13:35:00.001-07:00

After the statement from organisation NATURAL ENGLAND that all big cats are "a myth", it's interesting to note that in March 2010, Kent Big Cat Research received twenty-seven reports of large, exotic cats throughout the county. This suggests of course that either every witness is hallucinating, or NATURAL ENGLAND are completely wrong.

In March 2010 there were sightings from Blue Bell Hill, Lordswood, Densole, Lenham, Canterbury, and Ashford. These mainly concerned reports of black leopard, the most recent coming from a Jules C, who on March 25th at 8:00 am, whilst on a train from Ebbsfleet to Canterbury, stated that, "..on the other side of the tunnel between Boxley and Blue Bell Hill, near train track I saw a big, black cat from a short distance. It resembled a black leopard."

In early March a black leopard was observed by a male motorist, a Mr Wright and his girlfriend. At 6:00 am they travelled down North Dane Way in Lordswood in the Medway Towns and saw a big black cat bound towards the undergrowth. Mr Wright was convinced it was a black leopard as he'd seen a similar one in 2000 in Hempstead.

On march 12th a woman named Anne observed a black leopard in a field at Lenham, near Maidstone. It was 2:15 pm as she travelled on the M20 London bound and saw the cat which she described as being, "very long in the body".
On March 10th a lady named Eve saw a black leopard whilst travelling on a train between Canterbury and Selling.

Cats such as the leopard use railway lines not only for navigation but of a night they provide perfect food and there is a lot of shelter in these areas.
During the same month there were two sightings of a black leopard made by a Jason Roberts from Reinden Woods in Densole.

In 2010 Kent Big Cat Research has already received seventy-three reports of large cats. On 2nd January a member of an angling society from Marden was walking along a field at 4:15 pm when a big, black cat bounded across the field fifty yards away. The cat was around five-feet in length.The witness was quite shocked by the appearnce of the animal as he never previously believed such animals existed.

Five days later a Mr Head reported to police a big black cat which he observed whilst sitting on a train at Swanley station at 9:00 am. The witness noticed a creature on the embankment opposite the Kent bound platform. As people began to move along the platform the cat crouched low. It had piercing green eyes.

The following day on the 8th a black leopard was seen at Pheonix Place in Dartford and on the 15th January a Mr Jackson observed a massive black cat at Shottenden. The sighting took place at 2:15 pm as the animal walked into a field around fifteen yards away. On 31st January a black leopard was observed by a couple in Meopham who were sceptical to such sightings. It was 2:00 pm when they spotted a big black cat on a woodland path which sauntered off into the woods.

In February 2010 there were numerous sightings around Canterbury and Ashford. A black leopard ran out in front of a vehicle near Wye on the 20th at 6:00pm, there were also several sightings from Sevenoaks of a black leopard. In April there were sightings of lynx from Sussex and Romney Marsh, puma from Canterbury and Dover, and black leopard at Hawkinge, Gravesend, and near Bromley and Bexley.

Maybe NATURAL ENGLAND, if they admit to such animals roaming the wilds, would have to re-name themselves UNNATURAL ENGLAND! Sightings date back across Surrey, Kent, and Sussex to the 1500s. A majority of animals sighted in the countryside are not connected to zoo escapee's as the organisation stated. Hundreds of puma and leopards, mainly cubs, were released in the 1960s and '70s and what we are now seeing are their offspring. Also, previous centuries prove that animals escaped and were released from menageries. In 2007 Neil Arnold wrote a 400 page book, MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: KENT, a result of his twenty years of research into such animals. Proof that such animals are reported quite regularly across the south-east.

How many strange, and rash statement's will these organisations issue over the next few years ? If some organisations refuse to believe in such animals, it may be wiser to not issue any statements whatsoever. With their type od scepticism is it any wonder that NATURAL ENGLAND and similar groups only receive a handful of reports each year. The vicious circle of repetition continues...

An old strange encounter in Sussex...or was it ?

2010-04-11T12:19:00.001-07:00

Neil's latest blog at the Centre for Fortean Zoology

BIG CAT'S 'A MYTH' - so say NATURAL ENGLAND

2010-04-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

So it's official - 'big cats' in the UK wilds are a myth, or so says NATURAL ENGLAND.
If such a statement is true, then why even release it ? Any organisation called NATURAL ENGLAND is certainly not going to admit that large, exotic cats such as puma an lynx inhabits the woods of Britain. Sadly, this ignorance could backfire if a child is attacked in the future by a large cat which may have been injured after someone has shot it.

Reports of large felids in the UK countryside date back centuries. Despite the ignorant scepticism, evidence is in abundance, from the hundreds of reports each year from eye-witnesses, to evidence such as paw-print casts, and kills on livestock.

There is no mystery as to why they are there, an explosion of animals came about after cubs and adult cats were released in the wilds during the 1960s and '70s, mainly after the introduction of the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act. A majority of the animals seen in UK woodlands are NOT zoo escapees, which only occur on a rare occasion.

So-called authorities need to wake up and officially monitor such animals in the wilds. Although not a threat to humans, these are still wild animals, but they do elude humans with ease and mainly hunt at night. Prey in the UK is perfect for such animals but as long as organisations such as NATURAL ENGLAND continue to dismiss the evidence, it seems that such animals will forever be condemned to the murky world of UFOs and ghosts, when in reality there are viable populations of black leopard, puma, lynx and smaller cats in Britain.

Coming Soon..to a bookshop near you!

2010-04-06T13:18:00.001-07:00

PARANORMAL LONDON...A NEW BOOK BY NEIL ARNOLD.

They say that in London you're never more than five-feet away from a rat. After reading PARANORMAL LONDON rats will be the last thing on your mind.

A surreal safari through the concrete jungle will introduce you to a menagerie of mystery as we meet hellhounds, the spectral ape of Hampstead, the Highgate 'vampire', ghostly bears, mystery 'big cats', ghostly birds, and more...

Roll up, roll up for the magical mystery tour...UFOs, phantom airships, spectral stone throwers, fish from the sky, flying jellyfish, phantom assailants...

PARANORMAL LONDON...WHERE THE WILD...AND THE WEIRD THINGS ARE.

Coming soon to a book store near you.

'Beast' of Blue Bell Hill seen again ?

2010-04-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

In 2000 Neil Arnold twice observed a black leopard on the outskirts of Blue Bell Hill, and again in 2008. On 5th March 2010 at 6:30 am two witnesses travelling from Lordswood observed a large, black cat which bounded across the North Dane Way road from Lordswood, into undergrowth, heading towards Capstone Country Park. The male witness, who was driving, was certain the animal was a black leopard as he'd seen a similar animal in 2000.

The Surrey Puma...

2010-02-17T06:17:00.000-08:00

The Surrey puma has remained, alongside the 'beast of Exmoor', probably the most famous legendary 'mystery cat' said to roam the countryside. Over the years hundreds of reports, theories and investigations have been tied to the animal. Now, a website has been constructed to chronicle all the sightings of the past and present, separating fact from fiction. Surrey Big Cat Research is the work of Neil Arnold, who, with twenty years experience, is a full-time researcher and author pertaining to sightings of large, exotic cats across the south-east. The website will not only feature press reports, but also many of Neil's files which he has accumulated over the years.

Stay tuned...

Sussex Big Cats...

2010-02-17T06:13:00.000-08:00

A new website devoted to reports of 'big cat' sightings across Sussex has been constructed. SUSSEX BIG CAT RESEARCH will be the most comprehensive website devoted to the subject. The site is a result of Neil Arnold's twenty years of research into the county, with hundreds of reports emerging from his database. From the modern day to several centuries previous, the website will allow readers, enthusiasts, and even sceptics, access to a majority of reports which have not only appeared in the local press, but which Neil has investigated over the years.

Stay tuned...

Bears, monkeys and wolves...

2010-02-03T13:07:00.000-08:00

Neil's latest CFZ blog speaks of a monkey hunt in Brighton, and a wolf once on the loose in Kent. Read it HERE

The case of the Sussex Spring-Heeled Jack!

2010-02-01T06:17:00.001-08:00

Find out more at the CFZ

Man keeps crocodile in his bungalow.

2010-01-20T13:55:00.001-08:00

On the track..of the Sheppey 'big cat.

2009-12-30T05:38:00.001-08:00

Neil Arnold aims to film the elusive 'big cat' of Sheppey. The Times Guardian have the story HERE

Sittingbourne 'big cats'.

2009-12-30T04:54:00.001-08:00

From KENT ONLINE

Neil Arnold in the CFZ hot-seat!

2009-12-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

Neil Arnood is asked five cryptozoological questions by the CFZ's Oll Lewis. Read it HERE

The River Medway 'monster'.

2009-12-10T05:42:00.000-08:00

In January 2010 the Centre for Fortean Zoology will be publishing their new yearbook, featuring a whole host of cracking articles including one by Neil Arnold on strange creature sightings in the River Medway. From whales, to alleged serpents, this stretch of water harbours several mysteries and you can read all about it by ordering your copy HERE

Neil to appear on COAST TO COAST AM radio

2009-11-26T03:49:00.001-08:00

COAST TO COAST AM is one of the USA's biggest radio stations attracting more than four-million listeners. Neil will be discussing his research into monsters and other strange beasts 6:00 am December 1st (UK time) and 11:30 pm November 30th (US time). Click HERE for more info.

Neil talks about strange beasts in London and the outskirts...

2009-11-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

Check out an interview with Neil at THE LONDON WORD where he discusses his research into vampires, winged humanoids, 'big cats' and other mysterious creatures.

Man has penguin stolen...!

2009-11-23T02:06:00.000-08:00

A bizarre story from the Isle of Sheppey, HERE

South-east London and Kent mystery cats...

2009-10-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

Over at the Centre for Fortean Zoology daily blog, researcher Richard Muirhead looks into recent reports of strange, exotic cat panics around south-east London and parts of Kent. Read it HERE

Neil Arnold in CHAT! Magazine

2009-10-22T14:07:00.000-07:00

Issue 43, Oct' 29th, page 40-41 of CHAT! Magazine features an article from Neil Arnold on his monster-hunting exploits.

Wallaby sighting...

2009-10-18T05:24:00.001-07:00

A wallaby has been sighted at Pluckley, near Ashford. KENT ONLINE have the story.

Neil's Halloween talk on 'big cats'.

2009-10-09T10:42:00.000-07:00

Neil's talk on 'big cats' in the local woods, at the 900-year old Abbey Gatehouse, Minster, Sheppey, is now SOLD OUT. As well as Neil's talk, there will be a ghost walk and an offer of witches brew!

Big cats in Kent ? Neil Arnold discusses his research.

2009-09-18T08:29:00.000-07:00

Full story from the KENTISH TIMES

Humpback whale stranded on banks of River Thames

2009-09-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

The DARTFORD TIMES have the story of the whale found stranded at Dartford Bridge.

Fortean Times comic strip

2009-09-13T04:45:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of Fortean Times Magazine has a nice comic-strip from resident artist Hunt Emerson, in reference to the Weird Wekend in Devon, which Neil spoke at. All the characters involved can be seen in glorious colour. Thanks Hunt!

Wallaby brings traffic to a standstill

2009-08-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

The 'monkey' of Bexley!

2009-08-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

This report came from a woman named Liz:

'I think I saw a monkey run across the road in front of me this morning (11th August 2009) as I was driving from Bexley to Bexleyheath.

It was a sort of greeney, browny stone colour with hanging fur from its skinny limbs and it ran across the road with a slightly sideways skip on back legs and one front leg. It didn’t move like a cat but it was so quick that it had gone before I was aware what was happening. I looked down the drive of the house it had run towards but of course saw nothing. It wasn’t very big, sort of large cat sized but would probably be about 20 – 24 inches tall had it been standing.'

The 'beast' of Blue Bell Hill is back...

2009-08-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

The so-called 'beast' of Blue Bell Hill has existed in one for or other since the 1500s when a mysterious creature was spotted near Boxley and Burham. On August 5th 2009 a sheep was killed not far from Blue Bell Hill at a farm which had never, in 40 years, suffered a sheep loss. In the area two piles of fresh excrement were discovered next to the contents of the sheeps gut (digested grass) and a few yards away the eaten, and cleanly rasped remains of a sheep.

Here is one of several photo's taken at the time:

Photo by Neil Arnold

Why do birds suddenly appear...

2009-07-29T05:57:00.001-07:00

Neil has had two encounters of the crow kind...read more HERE

The 'Hairy Man' of Wouldham

2009-07-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: KENT is littered with tales of strange, hairy humanoids roaming the annals of local folklore. Several witnesses have, over the decades reported encountering bizarre, red-eyed beings in the local woods, mainly in the deep stretches flanking the village Blue Bell Hill, near Maidstone. Recently, an Ann Partridge whilst reading the book, mentioned a tale she was told in the 1960s by her grandmother in regards to Wouldham, a small village near Blue Bell Hill. Ann said that when she was a child her grandmother used to speak of the 'hairy man' of Wouldham which she encountered on occasion in the local woods. So, it seems that although we clearly ARE NOT dealing with a Bigfoot in our local woods, we do in fact have some kind of creature embedded in the history of these places as a wildman, or 'wudwose'.

For some reason these ancient places harbour a lot of high strangeness, but we don't know why, but the more these kind of reports are mentioned, the more eye-witnesses come forward to see of things which surely can not be...or can they ?

Neil giving a talk...

2009-07-08T07:03:00.001-07:00

Neil will be discussing his adventures in search of exotic cats and 'monsters' at the PHANTOM ENCOUNTERS fayre, Witham in Essex, Saturday July 11th.

Pesky wild peacocks...

2009-07-07T08:01:00.000-07:00

From the TIMES GUARDIAN

The Maidstone Monkey!

2009-06-29T04:37:00.000-07:00

A Mr Price reported that a year or so ago, in the wilds of Maidstone, he was awoken one night by a startled domestic cat. Upon reaching his bedroom window and looking out he was amazed to see a 'monkey' bound along and head off towards the woods. Mr Price had seen a large puma a few years before but the last thing he expected was a monkey. In height he stated that the creature was Labrador-size, but the length smaller than a domestic cat, as on all fours it leaped by.

The witness stated that the primate was larger than a capuchin, which inhabit South America, the Weeper Capuchin however, which lives in the north-eastern region of South America, can measure up to18 inches in length, whilst the Brown Capuchin (which inhabits much of north, east and central South America) is similar in size. Mr Price said the animal was brownish in colour but hard to tell under the street lights, and it seems very likely the animal had escaped from a private menagerie.

What the papers say...

2009-06-25T09:35:00.001-07:00

The Sheerness Times Guardian of Thursday 25th June 2009:

From Our Files

50 years ago...A Sheerness man attacked by a bear as he slept was refusing to talk to reporters. He was humiliated by the deep scratches to his head, hands and face, which were caused by a honey bear, the same size as a child's teddy bear.

The creature, which had been brought to England by a relative, had been locked in the bathroom, but was let out in error by the man's wife. Charles O' Neill was fast asleep at home in Medway Road when he awoke to find the bear clawing at him. The animal was caught and accepted into London Zoo.

Mr O' Neill was deeply embarrassed by the incident, calling it "bizarre in the extreme".

A strange Sussex tale...

2009-06-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

Taken from Richard Jefferies 1879 work, WILD LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY, Neil's latest CFZ post HERE

What is the mystery behind Thanet's strange object ?

2009-06-12T02:57:00.000-07:00

THIS IS KENT investigate the strange, black, triangular object photographed for GoogleMaps, which appeared a mile or so off Thanet, kent.

Painted Ladies invade Kent...

2009-06-12T02:54:00.000-07:00

The beaches of Thanet have been visited by enigmatic butterflies...courtesy of THIS IS KENT

An Interview With Neil Arnold...

2009-06-12T02:52:00.001-07:00

Nick Redfern is a well known author who resides in Texas. At his MONSTER USA blog he talks to Neil Arnold about hunting monsters.

BOOK SIGNING

2009-06-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

Neil Arnold will be giving a talk and signing copies of MYSTERY ANIMALS OF THE BRITISH ISLES: KENT at The Bookshop, New Ash Green, 7 The Row, Longfield, Kent, DA3 8JB - 8:00 pm.

Neil interviewed at The Ghost Writer's Society

2009-05-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Neil Arnold talks about his research into big cats, and other strange beasts. HERE at the Ghost Writer's Society.

African wild dogs roaming Kent ?

2009-05-11T02:19:00.000-07:00

Several months ago it was reported that a pack of dholes (African wild dog) had escaped from a Kent zoo. Moat were recaptured, the rest shot, according to reports. Now, a lady named Denise has come forward to report her sighting of unusual creature roaming the Lyminge area, not far from where the original animals escaped, she writes:

"On Friday the 8th of may at about 6.30 am , I believe I saw what was a fox but taking another look as the animal was moving slowly and deliberately in stalk an sniffing the road , I think it may have been an African wild dog .
I phoned my husband who contacted Port Lympne zoo who say they have counted all of their's an none missing ,
I'm sure it wasn't an ordinary dog as the legs were very slim to the hip brown mottled grey colour with large white tip to its tail which was bushy at the tip
Has there been any other reports in the skeet , and Brady rd area of or around Lyminge."

More on the Channel creature.

2009-05-05T09:44:00.001-07:00

Richard Freeman and co reveal the 'Channel Creature' mystery to be nothing more than, as suspected, a dodgy hoax: http://forteanzoology.blogspot.com/2009/05/richard-freeman-its-hoax-folks.html

School of Pilot whales.

2009-05-02T06:01:00.000-07:00

Peter Cook, a weekly columnist for the Medway Messenger, recalled in an email:

"My personal recollection is of a whole school of pilot whales coming up the Thames in the 1960s when I was a cub reporter on the Gravesend Reporter. There were about 40 of them. A magnificent sight. I went out in a boat with our photographer Arnold Bearman and still have a couple of prints somewhere. The Billy Smarts Circus people tried to catch one but were warned off by the PLA because of course everything in the London river belongs to the Queen. The whales had apparently come up after a shoal of whitebait. They got as far as Tower Bridge I believe."

The Channel Creature - what is it all about ?!

2009-05-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

You may have seen the advert's in the local press ? You may have seen the dodgy You Tube footage ? Now you decide: http://www.thechannelcreature.com/

Is this website for real ? Or just some awful publicity/promotional stunt ? Or is there a really a creature lurking in the Channel between Dover (Kent) and France. Of course not...

Dangerous jellyfish on the shore...

2009-05-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

News from the BBC of a Portuguese Man-o'-war being found at West Sussex

The Stranded Whale of Sandwhich Bay

2009-05-01T05:23:00.000-07:00

Link HERE

Various links for Marine Wildlife stranding etc.

2009-05-01T05:14:00.000-07:00

Various species of whales, dolphins etc, have been stranded/caught around the south-coast. Link HERE for the details.

More south coast dolphin sightings.

2009-05-01T05:10:00.000-07:00

Link HERE

Dolphins around Sussex

2009-05-01T05:07:00.000-07:00

Link HERE