A ‘panther-like’ creature was spotted a few days ago in Devon “bounding down a hill” at sunset and one professor is 99% sure there are hundreds on the prowl
Big cat sightings have been reported over the decades from Devon to Scotland and pretty much any wild space in between. The latest glimpse of a “panther like” animal “bounding down” a hill comes from Dartmoor, with one man taking to social media to report what he’d seen.
On New Year’s Day at sunset Joe Wilby reported spotting a big black cat in a remote spot on the moors. He took to Facebook to share the sighting, posting in the Dartmoor Public Group – where others responded with their own observations of huge wild cats in the county.
But this is the tip of a very big paw/iceberg.
From Devon to Somerset, Yorkshire to Gloucester, Dorset to the north of England and the Lake District to Scotland – black cat sightings have been logged by many people over the decades. Torn apart deer carcasses and “sheep kills dragged up trees with their chests eaten out” have also led to huge speculation about massive cats living free.
Up to 100 big cats could be roaming the British countryside, according to a university professor, who found evidence indicating the presence of a lion, leopard, tiger, jaguar, or snow leopard in the wilds of the UK. And there could be a simple explanation as to why.
Professor Robin Allaby from Warwick University, who specialises in Life Sciences, found evidence of ‘Panthera genus’ DNA on a sheep carcass in the Lake District in 2024.
Prof Allaby said: “With the evidence we have now, I’m 99% sure. I always leave one per cent room for the possibility you may turn out to be wrong no matter how convincing the evidence is. I don’t think this is an easily faked piece of evidence from what I’ve seen.
“We know the evidence we’ve seen so far is hard to fake. It seems very likely on the balance of probabilities that, on the basis of this, there are panthers in the UK at the moment. Population viability analysis tells us that in general, a minimum viable population needs to be probably something over 50-100 individuals.”
There have been numerous sightings across the country for many years, though many people are sceptical – due the lack of footage showing the huge animals.
However, a zoo on Dartmoor in Devon once owned by Ellis Daw in the 1960s and 70s, is believed to have released wild cats when the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act was brought into effect.
One person commenting on the New Year’s Day sighting of a black cat said “obviously some have found each other over the years and they started breeding”. They added: “why shouldn’t there be big cats roaming Dartmoor”.
Others shared their sightings on the post in the Dartmoor Public Group, one woman said: “Both hubby and I saw a black panther type animal on the Quantocks (in Somerset) about 13 years ago. They are definitely about.”
Also commenting on the original post, Patricia Renwick said: “About five years ago I was driving from Moretonhampstead to Chagford (in Devon) when a black panther crossed the road right in front of me quite slowly so I had plenty of time to watch it.”
Paula Holbrook also commented: “We saw one not far away (from where the original poster spotted one), just outside Fernworthy Forest. It was about 10 years ago. It jumped into the lane, padded across and hopped out the other side. I didn’t believe there were any until then.”
Patricia Renwick wrote: “I saw one 20 years ago on A382 (Dartmoor) in a field next to the road, slowed down to a stop, it slowly walked through the field but phones in they days were not great for photos.”
Another woman wrote that she “saw a panther near Wimborne in Dorset about fourteen years ago”. Someone else commented saying their mum “saw one near Ashburton (in Devon) 25 years ago”.
However, not everyone is convinced they exist. Celia Moore shared her thoughts on the Dartmoor Public Group post. She wrote: “my doubting mind says there would be evidence of kills, ponies and cows with injuries where they got away. There would be more sightings, more evidence.”
Another person asked: “Has anyone found any dead ones? Or do they live forever.”
But Daniel Price disagreed, writing: “Ignore the doubters and trolls, you know what you saw and don’t need to prove anything to anyone. I know countless people that have seen, heard and been collecting evidence of big non-native cats for years.”