A MYSTERY big cat caught on camera prowling through the British countryside is thought to be a panther, an expert says.
The shadowy animal was captured creeping through a field in Dartmouth, , leaving stunned onlookers baffled.
The animal has been dubbed the ‘new Beast of Bodmin’Credit: ACN / Karen Carter
It was caught roaming by a couple staying at a nearby hotelCredit: ACN / Karen Carter
The animal – dubbed the “new Beast of Bodmin” – was while celebrating a birthday stay at a hotel.
The couple say they were around 200 metres away when the dark silhouette strolled over the field before vanishing in the trees.
Captured around an area long linked with big cat sightings, the footage has sparked fierce debate online.
Big cat expert Rick Minter believes the creature could be a panther.
He said: “In looking at the footage, we need to consider the form, the movement, the behaviour and the scale.
“The long body, the apparent bulk, the thick tail and the thick legs do suggest a large cat which people might describe as a ‘panther’.
“In Britain the main specific candidate for a panther is a leopard in its black form. Two black leopards mating produce entirely black offspring, so they breed on black.”
Rick, host of the Big Cat Conversations podcast, added: “The cautious movement and the gait does fit the bill for a large cat.
“Large predators are mostly stealthy and cautious even in roaming mode.
“The scale appears large but to be fully sure, a reference point would help, such as the width of the trees it passes by would need to be known.
“Many experienced people getting back to me do feel this is likely a very large cat, possibly a black leopard.”
He also claimed to have seen six deer carcasses this year that had been “filleted” in a way he says points to a big cat.
Rick said: “People might say how come we do not often see these big cats and why is there so much mystery around them in the UK.
“These are very stealthy predators, they are often nocturnal too, so indeed it would be unlikely that we see them.
“Big cats also avoid people. They quietly go about their and save their energy for when they need to pounce on a deer.
“This year, I have seen several filleted deer carcasses, which in my view, could only have been the work of a big cat and a non indigenous animal.
“Big cats are very clinical and precise. Though can kill a deer, they would mainly hack at it.
“Foxes simply cannot kill deer, and of course they would eat a carcass, but they would merely pick at it rather than devour it all.”
Rick explained that tracking Britain’s mystery felines is tricky because their territories are vast due to their scarcity.
In countries where the predators are native, he said, their ranges are tighter and their movements more predictable.
But not everyone is convinced the animal in the video was an apex predator.
Big cat expert Rick Minter believes the creature could indeed be a pantherCredit: ACN / Karen Carter
Danny Bamping, founder of the British Big Cats Society, said the animal in the video looked like a domestic catCredit: ACN / Karen Carter
Danny Bamping, founder of the British Big Cats Society, said the animal in the video looked like a domestic cat.
He said: “I watched the video several times, firstly it is a shame it looks as though it was filmed on a potato.
“The footage is very grainy so we do not get a clear shot of the animal.
“Now, I have been doing this for over thirty years and I can tell you that the animal in that video is most likely a large domestic cat or a farm cat.
“The trees around it mean we can gauge its size, and I am certain that the animal is not a big cat, no way.
“And the fact the video was filmed near a hotel adds to the likeliness of it being a farm cat or a domestic cat as well.”
Karen, who filmed the creature, admitted she was left scratching her head.
She said: “It was filmed from the conservatory restaurant of the hotel.
“I’d booked it as my husband’s birthday gift.
“After relaxing in the spa, we decided to pop up to the bar and treat ourselves to a glass of prosecco.
“A couple of sips in and I saw movement on the course.
“We couldn’t go out and investigate further as we were both in dressing gowns.”
She added: “We are both keen wildlife watchers but we’re unsure what this was due to its size.”
The figure then vanished out of shot behind the treesCredit: ACN / Karen Carter
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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