
It’s been a busy few days here at bigcatsofsuffolk.com. Although it’s been quiet in terms of actual big cat sighting reports lately, I appear to have had my 15 minutes of fame, with a live interview on Channel 5 News, a mention in the Mail newspaper and a mention in the Daily Star.
A recent fairly routine big cat sighting with – unusually – some interesting photos – was picked up by Jam Press news agency, who sold the story to the Daily Star on Sunday. Their story was based on a wafer-thin celebrity connection to the estate of Ed Sheeran, who lives some five miles from Eye, where the sighting happened. The article incorrectly said “Big cat experts are warning Ed Sheeran to watch out…” I said no such thing. I had a brief chat with Jam Press and sent them anonymised data on hyperlocal sightings from my database, but they lifted all my quotes from this website. The Daily Star article is linked from here.
Then the Mail picked up the story, again emphasising the most tenuous of Ed Sheeran connections. Which is a shame as Ed does so much to proudly support so many creative endeavours in the county of Suffolk. The Mail Online article is linked from here.
Then I got a call from Channel 5 News and before I knew it I was outside their London studio in London’s Gray’s Inn Road waiting to go in. As the building is unmarked with any Channel 5 or ITN logos, I wondered whether I had come to the right place until I saw Krishnan Guru-Murthy having a cigarette break across the road.
I got the “And finally…” slot at the end of the 9 June 2025 5 o’clock news, so I got to wave goodbye as the credits rolled. I come in 42 minutes into the recording. Thanks to Yusuf from Channel 5 News for looking after me on the day. There’s a link to the Channel 5 News programme here. (Fast forward to 42 minutes in.)

I put my anonymous witness in touch with Channel 5 and they got paid for their image. Lee Acaster, whose still image of a black leopard seen at Wortham, North Suffolk in 2010 appears on the cover of Mystery Animals of Suffolk, also supplied some (credited) footage. Yes, “Big Cats of Suffolk” was displayed on screen.
Just before all this, I delivered a course on using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), to my union branch, NUJ London Freelance Branch. It included case studies from my big cat investigations in Suffolk – Suffolk Police call logs of reports of big cat sightings, Natural England FOIA disclosures of sightings of “exotics” and my FOIA requests to West Suffolk Council about an escaped bobcat. See the FOIA disclosures page.
Enjoying my 15 minutes of fame. Photo: ©️ Jane Inglesfield.
