A worried householder reported a ‘large feline creature’ to the government body responsible for looking into big cat sightings, official records show.
The resident spoke of a ‘large hissing animal’ and of being ‘a little on edge’ during the nighttime encounter in Rawcliffe, North Yorkshire.
The ‘concerned citizen’ contacted Natural England, which is responsible for conserving and protecting the natural environment, expressing concern for local pets ‘or other possible repercussions.’
Details of the sighting come after two seasoned big cat investigators linked the possible presence of non-native creatures in the wild to dumped ‘trophy’ pets.
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, which came to light in June, is said to show the exotic-looking creature ‘sniffing the ground’ in woodland.
Natural England has since released one report after being asked under the Freedom of Information Act for all cases on its books between 2022 and June this year.
The report reads: ‘Last night while taking out my recycling I heard a large animal that was hissing.
‘At first I thought it was a common cat, though it sounded like it was coming from an animal much too large which admittedly put me a little on edge.
‘However after returning inside I saw a very large feline creature leaving my property through my window.’
The email, dated May 12, 2023, was sent by a ‘concerned citizen’ — whose name is redacted — who wanted to protect other locals from a possible feral big cat.
‘It was definitely too large to be a common house cat,’ the person continues.
‘I estimate its size to be roughly that of an above medium dog.
‘I didn’t think much more of it until I saw the recent DNA reports in the newspapers about large cats in the country.
‘I am in Yorkshire, Rawcliffe to be precise.
‘It hasn’t done any harm as far as I can tell, however I am worried about local pets or other possible repercussions.
‘Of course, I may have been mistaken with my sighting as tricks of the light in the dark, especially with the stress of an audibly loud hiss which can’t be immediately identified, but I felt it my duty to report the incident should there be any real danger.’
While Natural England only released the solitary report, Rick Minter, who hosts the Big Cat Conversations podcast, has previously told Metro.co.uk that such sightings are commonplace.
‘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.’
The presenter is 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.
Exotic creatures, including leopards, pumas and panthers, were popular fashion accessories in the 60s and 70s and, along with other exotic species, could even be bought in Harrods’ pet shop.
Owners were required to keep licenses after the laws were changed in the following years.
The UK Big Cats research group has said that a minority of owners released their pets into the countryside rather than hand them over to zoos, have them put down or outlay expenditure on facilities to keep them privately.
A huge leap in the theory is required when it is considered that the escapees would have had to have bred in the wild for their descendants to be present today.
A mysterious creature was said to have roamed Cornwall for 30 years, mutilating livestock. The Beast of Bodmin case was significant because it garnered a government investigation after dozens of sightings.
Officials examining the reports in 1995 found that no definitive evidence existed to categorically prove the presence of the mooted creature, which was said to resemble a black panther.
But they did not rule out such a presence altogether.
A dramatic twist followed in 2016 when a zoo keeper said that a pack of pumas had been released from Dartmoor Zoo in the 80s and been on the loose for more than three decades.
Sightings have continued and the beast — real or otherwise — has even earnt a place in Cornwall’s tourist guide.
However images captured by members of the public continue to pose the question of whether big cats have made an incredible evolutionary jump.
The sighting in Gloucestershire by Andy and Claire Rule was part of their research into the possible presence of the non-native creatures, which they began in 2012 after the intriguing death of two deer.
The Rules captured the stills on three cameras that they had set up in an area spanning half a mile in woodland near Nympsfield.
Escapes from registered UK zoos are also highlighted by researchers, although incidents in recent years show the captive animals have been largely accounted for as they wander in alien environments.
In its response to the Freedom of Information request, Natural England said: ‘In view of the vagueness of the sighting and the ambiguity over the identity of the animal sighted by the reporting person, Natural England did not consider it proportionate to conduct any follow-up investigation in relation to this report on this occasion.’
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has previously said that there is no credible evidence to show any big cat activity in the wild.
Such a presence would threaten livestock and require the department to act alongside Natural England. 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.
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