The Nottingham Cougar / Nottingham Lion Theory
Summary
In 19,996 a body of a young adult demon, whose identity is unknown, was pulled out of the Hudson River in the early hours of the morning on Sola 4th. Marks on the body were clearly that of an animal attack, and medical examiners and coroners alike tasked with determining the cause of death and finding the individual's identity came to the conclusion the man was killed by multiple punctures to his skull caused by the bite of a large feline. This was unusual, as the city of Nottingham, although home to many forested parks and surrounded by nature preserves, was not known to have populations of any felines larger than that of a lynx. A lynx was determined to be far too small to have caused the man's injuries, and the bite marks were known to be quite large, bigger than that of a typical mountain lion or cougar. The first body was highly unusual in that none of it appeared to have been eaten, suggesting that he was killed by the animal and it was interrupted before being consumed, and the body may have been washed into the river by the week's earlier heavy rains.
With the investigation into the John Doe's death, many researchers and biologists from zoos across the state had routinely been weighing in that a cougar attack was unlikely, and the growing theory of a man-eater on the prowl even less so, until a second body was recovered Sola 29. Unlike John Doe, this body did have evidence that some of it had been consumed, and bite mark analysis done on the injuries indicated it was likely the same animal, a large feline. The body was identified as 46 year old Kila Shoemaker, a centaur who had recently moved to the area from Laramidia. Theories surrounding her death often claim that unlike John Doe, she may have been deliberately killed by the animal as mistaken predation, as mountain lions in Laramidia are known to sometimes attack Centauri, perhaps mistaking them for deer or horses.
During the investigation, other unclaimed bodies from older animal attack cases in Nottingham were examined and four were found to fit the pattern of a large predator that primarily killed by biting the spine, neck, or head. A popular conspiracy theory spread by true crime enthusiasts was that there may have been a serial killer in the city who owned big cats such as tigers or a male lion, given the reported size of the injuries. Another popular conspiracy theory, one repeatedly debunked by police and biologists alike, was that the attacks were caused by an escaped lion from Brickworth Zoo in eastern Nottingham and named a particular lion, Uran, as the culprit. This theory was easy to disprove, as Uran had passed away five years earlier due to old age.
Due to the unsolved nature of the case, theories continue to spread, and those more based in reality often claim that the deaths are the result of a large mountain lion. The common consensus is that Nottingham may have one to three mountain lions in or around the city that relocated to the area on their own from other nature preserves and may have been pushed out by other animals. Sekhmet, Goddess of Lions fueled interest in the case in 19,999, replying to a comment online herself that inquired whether she thought it was more likely to be an escaped lion, to which she said: "A cat of some kind, but it's not a lion."
Historical Basis
Six people were confirmed to have been killed in or around Nottingham due to animal attacks that were not typical of the local wildlife. Extensive searches for the animal never found a cat large enough to have been predating on the victims, however there does exist some circumstantial evidence of a large felid in the county- unidentified fur was found off of Highway 8 that did not yield results in DNA testing, and tracks were reportedly found in multiple areas following John Doe's death. All evidence gathered from the victim's bodies did conclude their deaths to be the result of a large carnivore, suggesting but never confirmed to be a big cat.
Spread
The theory, in particular the escaped lion theory, was heavily circulated online by true crime vloggers with little evidence. An individual named Eshire Kendall has been pointed to as the biggest spreader of the theory due to a large cult following of her channel for its less factual based theorizing, often using astrology, conspiracy theories, and exceedingly exaggerated details to draw in larger groups of viewers. Eshire actually received multiple cease and desist orders from numerous police departments for her coverage of certain cases and wasting investigator resources- the Nottingham Lion video in particular was named in one order.
Cultural Reception
Omnia in the Nottingham Underground point to one individual in particular as responsible for the 6 deaths, and claim that there is no less that 42 victims of the Nottingham Lion. The individual named is Sekhm McConnell, a devout of Sekhmet known to take on the form of a massive jaguar, slightly larger than a male African Lion who in the past, worked as a mercenary for the Underground. None of these claims have been brought to police and as there is no evidence connecting him to the crimes, this has never been investigated.
Date of First Recording
20000-20020
Date of Setting
19993-19999
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