Big cat Britain: the sightings

A roaming "lion" which understandably caused an extensive police operation after allegedly being spotted in a field in Essex is now believed to be a pet cat. Suspects included a ginger cat called Tom and a Maine Coon called Teddy Bear. the Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976 made it illegal to keep untamed pets. Many owners of exotic cats such as pumas or lynx simply freed their animals into the countryside. Here is a round up sightings:

Derbyshire 2007

A large black cat was spotted walking along a dry stone wall that was 3ft high. From working out how large the stones were it was estimated the cat was at least 18 inches high and 3ft long excluding the tail.It was believed to be a young black leopard. Experts said it was too large to be a domestic cat but could be a hybrid mix.

Hazel Grove, Manchester February 2012

Semi-retired businessman Peter Jackson told the ManchesterEvening News that he had spotted the ‘mountain lion’ type creature in the back garden of his Longnor Road home. The 54-year-old was woken by the barking of his pet dog on January 16 and spotted what he described as a ‘large black cat’. Police later issued a warning saying that anyone seeing it should not approach the animal. Jean Bruckshaw, 80, of Grendale Avenue, contacted the paper to say she had seen the cat the day before Mr Jackson.

She said: “At the time I was washing the dishes and looked out of the backwindow and saw a large black cat prowling in a neighbour’s garden.“ "It had a big tail similar to a fox but not a brushy one, and I can say Ihave never seen such a huge cat before. “My neighbour also said that she had seen it.” Mrs Bruckshaw said she thought the cat made its escape onto a railwayembankment behind her street.

Beast of Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, 2009

The wildcat dubbed the Beast of Burnham Thorpe in Norfolk was spotted near theQueen’s Sandringham home. Experts claim it was a Scottish wildcat, which has been known to attack humans with their razor-sharp claws, or a lynx. Others claimed it looked more like a domestic tabby.

Beast of Banff 2007

A big black panther-like animal was spotted only yards from the edge of Banff. It was seen on the prowl in broad daylight above the Links, terrifying aholiday visitor who was out for an afternoon stroll. At least one nearby resident also claimed to have seen the big cat at close hand. The creature is described as being five feet long and three feet high. It walked across the path of a man who was staying at the Banff Springs Hotel over the holiday period as he was out for a walk near the hotel on Hogmanay according to the BanffshireJournal.

Helensburgh, Argyle 2009

An off-duty Ministry of Defence police dog-handler took a video after spottinga panther-sized big cat. Pc Chris Swallow told the BBC he was helping a friend with their garden in Helensburgh, Argyll, when he spotted the black creature on a nearby railway line. The officer, who was stationed at the Faslane naval base on the Clyde, said the cat was as big as a Labrador dog. Big cats had been reported in the area in the past, with several sightings of the so-called Coulport Cougar.

"I've heard stories about creatures like this moving about the countryside, but never really believed them before," he said.

Newtown Crossroads, Herefordshire 2009

A large black cat was filmed prowling across fields in rural Herefordshire in December 2009.Steve Hall contacted the HerefordTimes when he managed to to capture video footage of a large black catresembling a panther crossing farmland near Newtown Crossroads. Mr Hall was out walking his dog when they spotted the creature.

“It was just walking across the hedge and then it saw us and sat in the hedgea bit watching.” Mr Hall said. “I thought I saw one a few years ago but I wasn’t too sure as it was dark, but this footage proves they are local. It was far too big to be a domestic cat.” There have been numerous sightings of big cats stalking the Herefordshire countryside. “I go out all the time in the countryside and know the difference between a cat and a dog,” Mr Hall told the paper. “This was definitely a big cat.”