This story -if you can call it that since there is not much to it, was published on BB here
I know Gloucestershire and large cat activity there as I talked to farmers and witnesses many times from 1977-2018. So my first thought was "about time!" However I then saw the photos. My comments follow the published account.
A possible black panther sighting has raised concerns in Gloucestershire after a walker captured an image of a large cat-like animal.
The sighting occurred in the village of Thrupp, near Stroud, on a morning walk, and experts believe the creature could be a black panther.
The walker, who remained anonymous, encountered the animal in a wooded area. He initially thought it was a dog but soon realized it moved like a feline.
“At first, I wasn’t alarmed, thinking it was just a family pet,” he explained. “But when I noticed its movements, I quickly took a few photos and backed away.”
Frank Tunbridge, a wildlife enthusiast who has spent decades researching big cat sightings in the UK, reviewed the images and described the animal as “streamlined” with characteristics typical of a black panther.
Tunbridge noted that the long tail with a tuft, seen in the photo, is a distinctive feature of leopards. He added, “This type of cat is perfectly adapted for hunting swift prey, like deer, here in the UK.”
The sighting follows other recent reports of big cats in the British countryside. In Wales, experts have linked pumas to several sheep deaths, citing precise, non-random attacks.
Farmers in Snowdonia reported seeing large claw marks on trees, signs that a large predator might be marking its territory.
Tunbridge, 73, believes the presence of big cats in the UK can be traced back to the release of exotic animals after introducing the Dangerous Animals Act in 1976.
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Firstly the whole 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act was blown out of the water in the 1990s and proven beyond any doubt to have been a minor release period of large cats. The history and explanations can all be found in my Red Paper 2022 Felids.
But what struck me here was the odd body shape and black featureless head in good lighting. As you can see below it is just a black blob.
I
f not here is what I am talking about.
A large squarish shadow...or stand?
You decide. Me -I'm not buying any of this.
