Big cat sightings have soared in recent weeks as the drought forces the exotic beasts out of hiding to look for water, an expert has said. Rumours of panthers, pumas, and leopards have always been rife in Britain and a handful of sightings are reported each year, but we're having a bumper season in 2022.
It comes as large parts of the south of the UK have been placed under official drought warnings, as Gloucestershire Live reports. Now big cat sightings are coming in on a much more regular basis as people fear the lack of water is bringing the creatures out into the open.
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The latest sighting was in Gloucester, and last week a report was made from Glasgow - two in a week, which marks a stark increase from the previous year.
Patsy Toleman, from Gloucester, said: "I was walking on the lower path and we were headed to where the stream is as my dog like to go in there for a paddle.
"When I was walking I saw what I thought was a black labrador about 120 yards away. I looked around for an owner and could not see one.
"Then I noticed the animal had pointed ears. It looked at me, then was gone in a flash disappearing into the shrubs and poppies.
"I also read that three girls came across a big cat in the same area a few years ago. I am no expert but it was not a dog I saw or a domestic cat. Its coat was a dense black colour and it was a large creature."
It is not clear what exactly the animal was, but a local wildlife expert – known only as Mr Tunbridge – said that the increase in sightings has been caused by the drought.
He said that due to the lack of water, the UK's panther population, which stands at around 250, are venturing out of their natural habitats in search of food and water.
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The 74-year-old said: "Now, because of drought conditions, wildlife has to adapt its behaviour to suit.
"I am receiving reports of deer drinking from garden ponds, and cattle troughs, as their usual more remote sources of water evaporate in the heat.
"This big black cat was as possibly an itinerant hybrid, now breeding true to type.
"A descendant of the captive pumas and leopards which were released and dumped throughout the English countryside after the 1976 dangerous animals act came into force."
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