The Australian bush holds many secrets, and one of its biggest is ?about to be revealed. For decades there has been talk of big cats roaming the Australian bush. These large cats - predominantly black - have only afforded their witnesses fleeting glimpses, and left behind tantalising clues: scraps of fur, a paw print or three, unusually large scats, and livestock carcasses surgically dismembered and picked clean of flesh. In their wake, they leave carnage and bewilderment: What are they? How did they get here? The authors don't just ask the questions, they seek the answers, and what they have found will intrigue the sceptic and the believer alike. The book also dedicates a chapter to the profusion of sightings and speculation in neighbouring New Zealand, and sharing for the first time highlights from the unpublished manuscript of New Zealand's first big cat hunter. Flesh-and-blood or flight of fancy? Exotic pest, mutant feral or 'extinct' marsupial lion? Join the authors as they explore one of Australia's greatest wildlife mysteries. "The authors' even-handed, open-minded approach provides ample evidences for the theories they touch upon...this is a first-rate Fortean classic, fastidiously sourced, and essential reading for all students of the ABC phenomenon." - Fortean Times "At 434 pages, it s substantial. It s also highly readable, nicely formatted and very well illustrated. The authors have collated a vast amount of information gleaned not only from published sources but also from interviews with both eyewitnesses and people who have examined evidence firsthand. So, to anyone seriously interested in mystery animals, mystery big cats or Australian mammals in general, this book is a must-have..." - Dr Darren Naish, author of Scientific American blog Tetrapod Zoology"

Big cat scares have for generations haunted Victorians; stories of stock killed, claims of paw-prints left behind, rumours of 'beast' attacks only breeding the 'myth'. Often there was a large local response, with massive bushland hunts that focused on the notion of escaped lions, tigers or other big cats. The 'myth' of the big cat has evolved over time, but relates closely to Australia's engagement with its environment. Waldron and Townsend study this big cat folklore evolution across Victoria.

Right across Britain, people are reporting large feral cats resembling panthers, pumas and lynx. How have these cats established themselves? What are their territories, how are they breeding and are numbers viable? This book reviews the evidence and considers the implications of Britain's large cats, for people and for wildlife.

Ranging from the largest - the Tiger to the smallest species - the Rusty-spotted Cat and Black-footed Cat, the world's wild cats are some of the most beautiful, ferocious and feared carnivores in the world. Wild Cats of the World provides a detailed account of each species of wild cat, examining their importance throughout history and the future of some of the most endangered breeds. Using stunning photography and magnificent colour plates by top wildlife artist Priscilla Barrett to depict each cat in detail, Wild Cats of the World examines the characteristics of all 38 species, as well as their history, distribution and current IUCN status.

Around the world there are many animals close to extinction. One group particularly under threat are wild cats. Meet the species that are on the edge, learn how they are threatened and what is being done to help them survive.

At the end of the 19th Century, and even into the early 20th Century, large areas of eastern Australia were still in a state that could be regarded as "wilderness" despite the proximity of cities and towns. Dense scrub, rough bushland and imposing mountains all combined to create places that had little appeal for human habitation by any but the hardiest of souls.It's probably little surprise then that it was easy to give credence to stories of strange, unknown animals roaming the populated fringes of the country. Legendary creatures, such as the Yowie (Australia's answer to Bigfoot) and the Bunyip, received their share of accounts in the newspapers of the time. But the most common "strange animal" reports concerned creatures that would be somewhat more mundane in comparison were it not for the out-of-place nature of their appearances.Tigers and lions.Presented here, then, is a collection of original newspaper reports of "big cat" sightings spanning the years 1885 to 1955. In cryptozoology circles, these creatures are known as "Alien Big Cats" or ABC's. The "alien" in this case refers to something foreign to the environment and not something from space.Whether it was a case of mistaken identity, people seeing thylacines (the marsupial 'Tasmanian Tiger', not yet declared extinct at the time), or people had not yet come to terms with how large feral cats could become in the wild, there were many sightings of something prowling the Australian bush.