Big cat hunters reveal what sightings in the British countryside really could be

A picture apparently showing a big cat prowling through grass in Somerset (Picture: SWNS)

Big cat sightings in the British countryside have been linked to dumped ‘trophy’ pets by two seasoned investigators. 

Members of the public have photographed and filmed what appear to be non-native creatures in the wild, but definitive proof remains elusive.  

In one of the latest sightings, what appeared to be a large cat was photographed on trail cameras set up in Gloucestershire.

The tantalising glimpse in woodland is said to show the exotic-looking creature ‘sniffing the ground’ in woodland. 

Rick Minter, who hosts the Big Cat Conversations podcast, told Metro.co.uk that the report is far from unusual.  

‘People across Britain routinely report and describe the same three types of large cat,’ he said.

‘Black leopards, the sandy-brown mountain lion and the lynx, which is Britain’s former native cat.

‘They are all generalists; very versatile and super stealthy.

‘People’s dogs and horses react to them too, so the encounters are rarely people making mistakes.’ 

Camera footage shows an apparent big cat in Gloucestershire (Picture: SWNS)

The presenter is among those searching for clear evidence — such as close-up camera trap photos, toothmarks on bones and DNA — to verify the presence of feral big cats in the UK.

‘A few private landowners and stalkers have managed to film big cats but they mainly hang on to their photos and footage, not wanting to draw attention to their land,’ he said.  

‘Because the cats seem to stick to natural game, and rarely switch to sheep, most people in the know end up respecting these predators and see them having a positive role in the ecosystem, quietly culling deer, rabbits and pigeons. Recent DNA results from Gloucestershire and Cumbria back the theory of black leopards here.

A picture of a panther-like creature taken in Smallthorne, Staffordshire, was discovered in zoology files (Picture: Dragonfly Films/SWNS)

‘Sceptics have suggested the DNA is planted, but as someone who helps coordinate samples for the University of Warwick DNA lab and the Royal Agricultural University, why would we cheat ourselves with fakes and betray the students who get involved?’ 

The sighting by Andy and Claire Rule was part of their work researching big cats which they began in 2012 after the intriguing death of two deer.

Their stills were taken on three cameras that they had set up in an area spanning half a mile in woodland near Nympsfield.

The release of the images followed a report that DNA from a black hair found on a barbed wire fence was definitive proof that the creatures are roaming the British countryside.

A walker in Somerset took this picture of a mystery animal (Picture: SWNS)

The sample was recovered from a farm in Gloucestershire after a sheep attack and similar video footage of a large black animal in the area. 

Documentary-makers said the mitochondrial DNA analysis had shown a 99% match to a leopard, a species more common to Africa and central Asia. 

Matthew Everett, of Dragonfly Films, which made the feature, entitled Panthera Britannia Declassified, said it was ‘not the first such DNA result and is unlikely to be the last.’ 

Rick traces the origin story of such beasts back many decades to when ownership rules concerning exotic pets were lax.

In the 60s and 70s big cats including leopards, pumas and panthers were popular fashion accessories and along with other exotic species could even be bought in Harrods’ pet shop. 

Changes to the law in following years included requiring owners to keep licenses. A minority of owners are said by the UK Big Cats research group to have released their exotic pets into the countryside rather than hand them over to zoos, have them put down or outlay expenditure on facilities to keep them privately.  

The fact that the escapees would have had to have bred in the wild for their descendants to be present today requires a huge leap in the theory.

But videos taken by members of the public continue to ask the question of whether big cats have made an incredible evolutionary jump, with the footage above considered by Rick to be the ‘real thing’ — a black leopard.

Researchers also point to escapes from registered UK zoos, although incidents in recent years show the captive animals have been largely accounted for as they wander in alien environments. 

However in 2013, a team from four British universities wound the clock back even further, publishing research concluding that big cats were likely to have escaped or been released into the wild as early as the Edwardian era.  

‘There are many “origin stories’” for these cats, but they are basically dumped trophy pets and people realising the expense of the grown up cuddly kitten,’ Rick said.  

‘They may also have been released due to meat shortages in war time, when a collection of carnivores would be hard to feed.

‘The undercover trade in exotic animals will also spill out these kinds of cats.

‘If these cats have leaked out at different times in different places, and are now breeding, the different origins could help the genetic health of a small population. Most witnesses describe the cats as confident, healthy and fit, and inbreeding signs don’t seem to be apparent.

‘Black leopards, mountain lions and lynx get called terms like ghost cats in their native lands. They are known as furtive and shy. People don’t expect to encounter them, but most wild mammals in Britain are rarely seen anyway.’ 

Aside from solving a perennial mystery, verifying the presence of feral big cats would have seismic evolutionary and scientific implications.

Rick cites the example of a precision engineer guesting on his podcast who described a close-up meeting with a black leopard which had been devouring a rabbit as his dog disturbed it.  

A driver believes they spotted a black panther in rural Wales (Picture: SWNS)

‘He had read up about the animals, whose native land is mainly in the Malay peninsula, but they are highly adaptable,’ Rick said.  

‘He said that black leopards are precision engineered for a British woodland.

‘So, have we got naturalising black leopards here, and how can we live alongside them, and learn more about their behaviour?  

‘And do they now have a British strain somehow?

‘These are important questions for science and for us all, if we already coexist with these secret predators.  

‘There are already students in British universities looking into this, and a citizen science approach, with people pointing out potential signs of these cats, can help us more on this journey.’    

A snow leopard is the real deal at Chester Zoo (Picture: Chester Zoo/PA Wire)

Marcus Matthews, a Wiltshire-based freelance journalist who has written a book entitled Big Cats Loose in Britain, is in no doubt that some mysterious creatures are living a twilight existence in the countryside.

‘They do exist, I’m positive there is something out there,’ he said.  

‘There may be up to 12 species of cats, with the potential that they could be descendants of escapees and releases.

‘There are possibly some hybrids out there too.

‘Most of these animals are shy and elusive, and some are nocturnal or crepuscular, so they are quite hard to find.  

‘In the 30 years since I wrote my book the sightings continue periodically and I get the odd report on the grapevine.

‘I still keep my eyes open for the wildlife locally.’  

The Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has previously said that there is no credible evidence to show any big cat activity.

Such a presence would threaten livestock and require the department to act alongside Natural England, the government body responsible for conserving and protecting the natural environment.

In one example, the Beast of Bodmin case in the 1990s led to a detailed investigation which drew a blank.

It is understood that any evidence of sightings would be considered on a case-by-case basis by Natural England at first internally, and then taking expert advice as and when needed.

MORE : Big cat hunters ‘have proof’ they are running wild in the UK

Have you got a story or video footage you wish to share? Contact josh.layton@metro.co.uk