Fen Tiger

[Fangman]

Fen Tigers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The ‘Fen Tiger’ | Local Myths and Legends

This one was seen today, All Hallows Eve (Halloween to the "Post Colonials"), deep in the flat lands near Ely - scavenging near the Village Hall in the rural village of Coveney

 

[Mully]

I bet it bites !!

 

[runnah]

Good photo, but the "myth" is weird.

 

[Overread]

Great shot - really captured those eyes well and the cats mood!


As for the myth its quite well established and its not totally without some foundations. Quite a few exotic pet collections were released into the wild during WW2 due to the bombing and the lack of food with owners not wanting to put the animals to death. Plus there are a few hundred wild board roaming around Kent (escaped from a food processing site) and nobody ever sees them so a few big cats roaming around isn't beyond the imagination.

 

[Fangman]

Fen Tiger was the generic name to the folk who lived in the Fens at the time it was being drained. Droves of "Navies" - usually Irish labourous were used to dig the drains and build the embankments. The livelyhood of the locals was being threatened - wealthy landowners took most of the new valuable farmland and the wildlife that lived in the swampy wilderness was lost - wildfowl and eels were the mainstay of their living. Many fights took place and the locals became the "Tigers". Now used to name local sports teams.

 

[Overread]

Ohhh learning something new

Though I should point out the second link you give mentions the fen tiger as the large wildcat myth I related (although normally its thought to be a panther not a tiger).

 

[WesternGuy]

Nice shot - maybe someone took his catnip away? :mrgreen:

WesternGuy