The Core

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8166017/Big-cat-blamed-for-string-of-livestock-attacks-in-Wales.html

Okay I can understand this in the US where big cats have been increasing their range moving back into areas they were wiped out from 125+ years ago.  But in the UK?  How does a big cat like a puma go missing in the UK and not get reported?

In the 70's we had the dangerous animals act, which made it really difficult to keep the animals that could be bought.

So people released them into the wild. There have been numerous sitings over the years in various parts of the UK that have large open land masses. Kind of cool really.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvCjyWp3rEk

This beast was bought in Harrods in London!

I am probably moving to Wales sometime in the next year or two,

You are? Lovely as it will be to have you down this general direction, why? Its very welsh, you know?

>>dangerous animals act

Ahh that explains it.  We had similar.  Back in the early 60's a family in our neighborhood kept a mountain lion in a large pen.  Looking back I'm amazed that nobody thought much of it at the time. Once in awhile we'd hear the yowl of the beast several blocks away and everyone would pause for a minute and then just carry on, once we had identified what the sound was. Not the kind of sound you expect in Indiana.  Eventually keeping large cats was outlawed and I remember my mother saying she was glad because keeping them in a small pen was cruel. 

Strange times back then. I suppose some were released into the wild.