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You are in: Kent > Nature > Nature Features > Kent: Big Cat Country!

Wild cat at Cooling near Rochester. Photo by Harry Matthews.

Wild cat at Cooling near Rochester.

Kent: Big Cat Country!

Our county is alive with large, elusive felids - and they're breeding rapidly. That's according to big cat expert Neil Arnold. Here are some of the sightings in Kent.

Big cat sightings

There are been scores of eye-witness reports and other evidence reaching Kent Big Cat Research. Canterbury, Faversham, Paddlesworth, Iwade, Maidstone featured heavily, with black leopard reports making up more than 88% of sightings.

Neil Arnold, Big Cat Researcher.

Neil Arnold, Big Cat Researcher.

The most intriguing reports came from Sheppey, Thanet and Sussex, whilst the so-called ‘beasts’ of Bluewater and Blue Bell Hill remained relatively quiet, although sightings in neighbouring areas suggested the animals had moved on, as Dartford and up towards Bexley once again proved to be important for research.

At Sheppey, despite inconsistent clusters of sightings, the BBC worked with me to set up a trigger-camera for one week in the hope of catching the local black leopard on film. Of course, a week was not long enough but it didn’t stop a handful of witnesses also sighting a puma on the island.

The area has a legend of a large cat dating back to the 70s. The facts are, a puma was kept on the island in the 70s whilst a then hotel owner paraded a lion on his grounds!

A possible big cat in woods near Higham, near Strood.

A possible big cat in woods near Higham.

In Sussex, a farmer lost two sheep on a weekly basis from January to May in 2008 but no sign of the elusive predator. However, evidence was in abundance as numerous sheep were left stripped clean and eaten in the area, causing concern for the farmer who sent excrement to Kent Big Cat Research for analysis, but then the killings mysteriously stopped.

In the Spring of the same year several reports emerged from the Medway Towns of both puma and black leopard but the most impressive encounter involved a motorist from the Dover area who claimed he’d hit, and killed a large, exotic cat in the March.

The animal, described as weighing around 50 lbs, stocky, grey in colour with darker markings and pointed ears, leapt across the verge but collided with the vehicle causing a lot of damage. In the same month an impressive photo was taken from the Wye Downs of a big cat paw-print.

A flurry of black leopard sightings emerged from the outskirts of London shortly after I began giving lectures on the mystery cats of the south-east. Sightings took place at Bexley, Erith, Thamesmead, Abbey Wood and even deeper into London at Southwark where a puma was seen on two occasions.

Black leopard on Blue Bell Hill. c 1994

Black leopard on Blue Bell Hill. c 1994

There have been sightings at Sevenoaks (black leopard and puma), a foal was killed between Staplehurst and Headcorn and I had my third sighting of a black leopard not far from Hempstead.

An impressive paw-print was photographed at Queenborough, Sheppey by Louise Powell and Sally Spencer, but the busiest area for sightings from the Summer involved Thanet.

After an appeal in the local newspaper Kent Big Cat Research received more than 20 calls in a few days pertaining to big, black cats from Sandwich to Deal, from Ramsgate to Margate, whilst in-between there were also black leopard reports from Allington, Thurnham, and Swanley.

A possible big cat near Maidstone.

A possible big cat near Maidstone.

Other sightings have included Upstreet (black leopard), Staple (black leopard), Penshurst (puma), Walderslade (lynx), Hever (black leopard).

Kent Big Cat Research also received a tuft of black hair found by a witness who's pet cat had been eaten in the Sussex area. A black leopard was also seen chasing a fox in the Bexley area and a lamb was found eaten in the Kemsing area, near Sevenoaks.

last updated: 17/04/2009 at 16:04
created: 05/03/2007

Have Your Say

Seen any big cats lately? In order to help our research, please include the date and the location of your sighting in your message. Thanks.

The BBC reserves the right to edit comments submitted.

J Mattocks
7:45 I was jogging on small country road near Rolling Street, Ashford, Kent. A large black cat walked across the road and disappeared into the over grown hedge on the overside.It had a distinctive tail and was definately not a domestic cat.
Mon Jun 22 15:14:12 2009

Bridie Hill
030609 at 8:15 am in Watery Lane near Petham Kent a cat the size of a medium sized dog with grey/silver coat and a long black tail
Wed Jun 3 21:24:43 2009

Nicolien Heuver
Last weekend saw a black cat on the grounds of Parkwood Hall School in Swanley. My co-workers told me about seeing a big (like the size of a big black labrador) black cat around the school area too. Good luck with your research
Wed May 20 21:34:51 2009

paul jackson
black puma landed on my consevatry roof last night about 11.30pm almost comming through it my dogs went mad it had a long black tail and was defently a puma 18/05/2009
Tue May 19 19:51:22 2009

Becca.
im smeeth. might of seen a big cat in a wood. it was big and black long tail!it was defonatly something. it wernt a pet cat or a dog.
Sat May 9 17:13:11 2009

j fowler
7 april at 6.30am on the road to whytleaf just before the allmart suppliers near the kenley arms a huge black animal with a massive tail ran across the road in font of my van it looked exactly like the picture above on your website.out of curiosity i typed in beasts in kent as i couldn,t believe what i saw and now i feel vindicated
Tue Apr 21 21:01:10 2009

Eddwin Walters
Dear Debs The best thing you can do is not to run just stay very still and to keep an eye on it as to see where it is heading. Once the cat has moved on, head towards a busy place where you will be safe. They generally don't attack people if u don't run. Good luck and i hope that you find this information usefull.
Mon Apr 20 12:54:40 2009

Maeve Buckenham
This evening I was on a walk leading to the deer park in Smeeth/Brabourne Lees near Ashford, just branching off from the Ridgeway and spotted a very large black cat with a very long tail running across my path- it was definitely too big to be a domestic cat, and too far away from houses. I wonder if I have made a relevant sighting? My mum who was with me saw the same and agrees it definitely looked too big to be a domestic cat.
Sun Apr 12 18:59:06 2009

Debs
I have been interested in the big cat sightings for a while now, I am often out alone walking, running or cycling and feel a little worried about bumpping into a big cat.... can you tell me what to do if I ever come across one? Do I Run!!
Wed Apr 8 21:23:51 2009

Adam Law
Think I may have seen a big cat earlier this evening. I was out jogging around 19:30 on the old Aerodrome Estate in Detling, Kent. To the side of the road in a lightly wooded area at the edge of a field I saw a large dark grey/black cat that was clearly bigger than a domestic cat - maybe 3 feet long. It was running because I'd probably spooked it. Must have been about 30 metres from me.
Sun Apr 5 21:48:46 2009

Ann Freemantle
I saw a very large black cat on the boundary of a neighbours garden at Hoo Rochester Kent on the afternoon of the 23rd March 2009, it reached up to a tree trunk sharpened its claws, and it then it dissappeared from view.I was amazed at the size of the animal, and the length of its tail, and the way it carried it above the ground convinced me it was not a domestic cat.
Thu Apr 2 17:44:00 2009

Thomas hayler
i was out ferreting with my mum in mountfeild nr battle east sussex, i was desperate for the toilet, so i walked over hill and down a bank near a woodland, when i heard strange screatching noises in the direction of the woods then, as i looked a suddenly crash through the bushes came a young fox cub, and pounded across the field, followed bye what i can only say a black panther, i was about 80meteres away, the fox dissapeared an the panther just stopped and then slowly leaped away into a field heading for more woodland. it was a scary encounter as i felt that it hadnt a clue i was watching. thanks.
Fri Mar 27 23:08:40 2009

Michael Judson
on the 23rd of march 2009 me and my dog mr jackson was walkin in the field nr tesco's in cheriton (kent) were we walk through nearly every night but this 1 night mr jackson was acting very strange and kept wanting to walk back the other way! he usually loves that beutifull field me and my friends call it the field ov ibiza june, any way i let him of the lead and he just stayed right next to me i thought somebody might have been in the field and my dog was scared of this person so i started walkin back wen a car drove past and from the beam of the car light's i saw a small but very long puma or lynx type cat standing lokkin at me i saw the cat for around 5 seconds and it defenetly was not a normal house cat or a dog it looked very like some of the other encounters people have talked about on this site it was amazing. so when i went home i talked to a few of my xbox buddies whilst playin cod world at war but nobody bielived me but i was so exited it put me off my H/Q. THANKS FOR READING JUDS!
Wed Mar 25 11:13:11 2009

AL
I saw in a January before the country was hit with snow what I believe was a Lynx in East Sussex. I was walking the dog in the garden, with my head torch on and turned around and saw 2 green dots on the other side of the gate, I walked closer to see what they were and realised that is was in fact the eyes of a bearded creature that was bigger than a fox and didn't look like any kind of big dog I have seen before. It had long pointy ears with black stripes (well one stripe on each ear). It wasn't startled or intimidated by me or at all, or even threatening towards me and my puppy considering I was within 10ft from the creature, it stood our eye glazed for about 30 seconds then disappeared into the night.
Mon Mar 23 16:36:41 2009

Eddwin Walters
This is very strange as i saw the what could have been the same animal in Densole a few days prior to Christian Tunnsuckles encounter. it seemed to be moving like a cat and looked like it was ready to pounce on its prey. so i stood very still and waited. A minuite mast have passed when i saw it leap and latch onto a sheep. I will never forget the noise that was being made by the predater or the prey. I'm very happy for my encounter with this animal and i Hope that i will see it again.
Tue Mar 17 14:43:11 2009

danny mcdounagh
Last year around the May time me and a friend Adam and our 2 girlfriends decided to go camping in saltwood woods(kent) we made a small fire and had a few alcaholic drinks between us then me and my partner fell asleep. About 6/7am i heard a loud scream! it was adams girlfriend I jumped out of the tent and saw a panther type animal runnin of into the woods. The creture was around 3 to 4 and a half ft long it was all black, from wat i saw of it but i only see the big cat for around 3 seconds as it ran very very fast through the woods a head of us adams girlfriens (japepper) thought it was like the cat from the jungle book ie the panther. if anybody has seen any thing wat matches the description ov this huge cat please if could let me no wat u thought it was thank you d.Mcdounage
Tue Mar 17 14:32:59 2009

Christian Tunnsuckle
on the 15/3/09 i thought i saw a big black dog but as it came closer to my cottage in the countryside i realised that it was no dog, it was a cat with a long tail it must have been about 5 ft in length. unfortunatly my two dobermans and my rottweiler got the sent of this wonderfull creature and chassed it away into the night. this location is Densole Kent. i have not seen it since but when i have been walking my dogs i have seen what appears to be bones that have been completely stripped of any meet.
Mon Mar 16 14:57:08 2009

sheila kitchener
Whilst sitting in a leadership meeting last night, myself and the deputy head saw what we thought was a huge black dog bounding across the school garden (about 30 metres away). It bounded in a very fluid way. It then stopped still and a huge tail went up into the air and waved about. It then dropped to its haunches and froze. We pointed it out to othed staff but all they saw was a black shape (as it was so low). It then slunk into down the bank and disappeared. this is at Silverbank Park School in Chatham.RegardsSheila KitchenerDate of sighting 10.3.09 approx. 5.00 pm
Wed Mar 11 09:20:07 2009

Robert Palmer
A friend of mine has a large house at Thurnham nr Maidstone with grounds.A few weeks ago he and his wife had a restless night when they heard sounds like a Puma close to the house. In the morning they found the half eaten remains of a freshly killed fox and later large pug marks in mud on a track leading through the grounds.
Sun Mar 8 21:48:37 2009

John Field
At 6.45 this morning (4/3/2009) I was driving on the country road from East Malling to Wateringbury when about 100m ahead an animal crossed the road. It appeared black not much bigger than a fox but with a feline face outline and a feline shaped tail.By the time I had got to the spot where it crossed the road it had disappeared into the undergrowth. The weather was dull and with a slight drizzle so could not see if the animal had any markings.
Wed Mar 4 07:19:18 2009

jordan peck
seen big cat sightings around wittersham kent sightings have been seen for 2 years in this village it whent away for a while but now its back eating sheep,badgers and other small animals
Tue Feb 24 16:31:20 2009

Lucy Daniels
I saw the Sheppy Big Cat as I was on my way to my Grandma's house.It was black with a smooth coat and a curly tail.It was in the middle of a field.I shouted to everyone else in the car but they didn't believe me because we were driving to fast.Everyone thinks that i'm lying because I am only 12. But I know what I saw because I am studying big cats.
Wed Feb 18 13:53:08 2009

Megan T
Also in may 2008 I was scarealy close to a large big 6ft Black cat which was passing through a field It was about 5metres away from me Then 2 days later i caught a glisps of another big cat when me and some friends where walking in the woods it was sitting in the bushes but we where a safe distance away it was very chunky and was a yellowy sand colour it looked like a puma
Wed Feb 18 13:24:42 2009

Dave
I was on a Train today from Kings Cross to Peterborough and we were somewhere near Welwyn or my be Stevenage and towards a side of a field next to a Road running vertical to the tracks and in front of a single White Coloured fronted House approximately 150 metres away from the train there was a fairly large black animal what i can only describe as being 'curled up in a ball' but with its head up, laying on what i can describe as a strip of straw vegetation which was flattened , which also run vertical away from the tracks was looked like a Large black cat with a tail? It look too long to be a dog and did not lay like a cow, a horse and indeed looked too long to be a goat or a sheep?Maybe someone who travels that route regularly might have an explanation? I cannot think what animal could have been that long shape?
Tue Feb 17 20:41:47 2009

Megan T
In March last year I was at my stables in kemsing me and some friends where walking dogs in a field the yard owners dont use at the back of the field theres a little gavering of trees where we made a den We all split up me and one other friend took one dog next to a fence it was an old fence that has now been fixed but it used to be broken on the other side of the fence there was a large (five foot)black cat it was eating a rabbit when the light hit it you could see light spots on it We croched down behind a bush when it got up and started to walk i new all of us needed to get out of the field when it was out of sight because she had cubs as she had swollen tetes and they where not far away As soon as she was out of sight i rang the yard phone and got some one to come and meet us at the top of the field so we didn@t walk back alone megan age eleven
Tue Feb 17 10:33:36 2009

John Wilkinson
Hi Neil, up to about 3yrs ago I went out to Challock forest, (Kings Wood) quite early, around 7.30am, I had by the way been looking for signs of big cats in Challock forest for a couple of years prior to that day, I heard what I thought was a Fox after a Pheasant, I then heard a pounding noise coming through the trees, I looked over my left shoulder only to see a large black Cat, about 6feet from nose to tail tip. I am just about to start a fresh search for big Cats in Challock forest. (Feb 2009).I am hoping that I may this time if I come across a big Cat get a photograph of this elusive animal.
Sun Feb 15 13:50:02 2009

iesha mathews
yer that would be really good it you could actually get a pic of it!thanks iesha
Thu Feb 5 19:48:21 2009

Angelo shepherd
ok i will set my camera up and if i see the big cat i will post the pictures on . about a week ago my mum also saw the black cat when she went outside to feed are chickens she has noticed that the chickens have been dissapearing this could be foxes but i think it may be the panther as we saw it hanging around by the chickens. thanks Angelo
Wed Feb 4 14:02:26 2009

iesha, to angelo sheperd
hi. you are really lucky!it would be so great if you could get some some pictures of them. where abouts do you live and see these sightings? iesha, also 16
Mon Feb 2 19:45:59 2009

william roberts
i was walking my two black labradors, through norminghurst estate, catsfield.near battle, when i heard my dogs barking histarically in the direction of a certain part of the woodland,i persumed they were terrorising a cat which was hissing loudly , as i walked round to see what was going on, behond my belief a huge black cat jumped out in my direction an pounced down to the far woods, the speed was rapid, the previous friday i was reading the battle observer, an read that there was a sighting near battle, i think it might be related to this sighting. i was very scared an shocked i couldnt believe what i witnessed my dogs havent been the same since.
Mon Jan 26 23:45:16 2009

Angelo shepherd
i have seen a a very unusual black cat figure hunting in my next door neibours feilds this is a very regular sighting it passes my house at about 5am-7am every once and a while .This cat has been seen by passers by also i have seen a panther run across the road near johns cross this big cat came out infront about 50yds infront off me while i was riding my bicycle ,this was a very large cat it. i have been told by a local deer stalker that he has also seen the cat around in the British gypsum forestry he was out one day and he came across this cat it was to big to be a dear he stil questions him self now about what it could have been. thank you Angelo shepherd age 16
Mon Jan 26 20:13:21 2009

Marc
I live near to Trottiscliffe park on the North Downs and have seen a few large cats. Two of them were small, Lynx like. One was a large black Possible Leopard which crossed the A20 about 3 metres in front of me and jumped a fence into open fields.
Sun Jan 25 10:58:07 2009

Meesh
This morning at about 7.40am I looked out of my bedroom window and saw what I thought at first was a dog walking in the ground behind my estate in Manston, when I looked closer I reaslied it was a large cat. It was long in the body and the legs and had rounded cat shaped ears, it was very black and shiney. Then it quickly disappeared back into the bushes. I have also reported this sighting to the local newspaper has also run this story!
Fri Jan 23 21:05:16 2009

Iesha Mathews
hello, my uncle was on a dog walk about 2 week before xmas, in the old coal mining fields near sandwich (they are now open to the public , for you to walk in)any way he was walking in the fields when further up he could see a herd of cows as he was looking at them he saw a big black shadowy thing (much too big for a domestic animal or a cow or anything) dart between the heard, it was literally weathing in and out of the cattle. It could have been some kind of dog although it didn’t look like one, but the weird thing was, that none of the cattle ran away, so what ever this big black animal was the cows were oboiously used to it. We think it may have been a black leopard.Also this is’nt the only sightings my family have had. My mum and her friend saw a big black cat like animal with a long curved tail walking through the cabbage feils in presteg (half way between ramsgat and broadstairs about 10 years ago. My nan and granddad and a whole load of other people saw a big black cat on a wall in the camping site in Ramsgate it was no demestic, clearly a ‘big cat’ it was discovered when a camper was going to the toilet, a screamed then my nan and granddad and other people came out of their tents to see it jump over a wall. Also they swear blind, that they saw a deffinat lynx in the new forrest, near surryThanks iesha mathews
Thu Jan 15 16:29:28 2009

tom bridger
saw a unusualy large big black cat like creature in the car park in sedlescombe village hall, about 1.00 am 9th january , it must of been what i hear of these black panthers , it strolled like a normal house cat but 4x as big. the previous week my friend kirby said he saw something similar on his farm in roberts bridge east sussex.
Thu Jan 15 16:06:06 2009

Helen Densley
30/12/08 We were walking our dog through Shorne Wood Country Park. About 100 yards in the distance we saw a fox running closely followed by what appeared to be a large black cat like creature. Both had disappeared by the time we reached the spot we had seen them.
Wed Dec 31 12:14:29 2008

Alfie Adcock
I was out walking along birling road, walking towards the village of Birling, when I saw the head of a black animal watching me from behind an estate wall which I believe is called Birling Place. As soon as I spotted it & he saw me the head disappeared behind the wall . It was to big for a dog, & the way it ducked its head behind the wall when it was spotted, made me feel un easy.Has anyone else in this area seen anything like it.The sighting took place at about 2.00pm Sunday the 21st December 2008
Mon Dec 22 16:02:16 2008

charlie
i was driving along the motorway and then i looked to my left and saw a black cat shaped figure chasing a horse... my sister saw it aswell it was about 6 months ago near kent
Tue Dec 16 15:14:07 2008

Emily Burch
In my back garden in Larkfield, Aylesford, kent 9.12.08, I have photos on my mobile phone.

Hi Emily, please can you email your photos and further details to us (kent@bbc.co.uk) and we'll pass them on to Neil Arnold.

Wed Dec 10 11:45:54 2008

Sean
This did not happen in Kent but thought you may be interested in it. I am a train guard on the North Downs line (Reading to Gatwick), and was travelling towards Dorking from Guildford this afternoon. Looking out of the back cab I saw a black cat in the woods near a farm house. Thought it was a domestic cat but then realised there was something different about it. Then I thought about how far away it was and how big it must be! Doing shift work I see all kinds of wildlife but this really stood out. When I googled big cats north downs this site came up. I can give you details of the location if you wish.
Sat Dec 6 21:37:16 2008

James Murr
i live in rainham kent, i havnt seen any large cats but i wouldnt be suprised if there was a large cat in the nature reserve, theres 2 parts to the nature reserve one bit are with bushes and open land and then the woods like area which is swampy in some areas and not many people go down there
Sun Nov 23 01:31:23 2008

Niels
Hi Neil, I have just gotten back from Canterbury and while driving home seem a large black cat. Im a Hybrid cat breeder myself and I say this cat was no domestic. Around 3 feet long nose to rump, plus a long tail with rounded tip. It crossed the road in Hersden nr canterbuy carrying a rabbit. At first glance I assumed a fox but when I actually turned to look it crossed the road in just over 2 leaps. Show me a domestic cat that can do that! I would estimate the cat at around 24” at the shoulder. In the headlights the cat first appeared solid black but as it reached the other side of the road and the lights refracted on its coat masked spotting could be seen. I would hazard a guess this was a black panther from its build and movements. I have seen there has been a sighting reported in upstreet on this site so I would say it’s the same cat. I know it has also been spotted in Minster in Thanet and also in the shooting range near by, but I always took the peoples stories with a pinch of salt. As off this evening I think of these sightings in a very different light. The cat I saw although only a brief sighting the animal looked healthy and appeared to be carrying a rabbit in its mouth. Let me know if you would like any more info. Cheers , p.s sighting was just after 11 this evening.
Sat Nov 22 00:09:16 2008

Susan East
AT 6.40 am this morning, I saw A very large Black cat, (I estimate at least 5ft from nose to tip of tail) in the Dully lane area, between Bapchild and Lynsted. The Sheep in the fields either side of the track were aware of its presence, those closest to it moving away, and those some distance from it were watching it as it walked along the track near to them . The Cat appeared not to be interested in the sheep, as it sauntered off into the woods.
Fri Nov 14 20:24:18 2008

NEIL ARNOLD - KENT BIG CAT RESEARCH
FAO Sue Lowrey,Please could you tell me where you saw the cat,ThanksNeil
Tue Nov 11 17:30:35 2008

David Towner
3 FOOT BLACK CAT + TAIL SEEN, NEAR UPSTREET,08/11/08 AT 0:20HRS.,
Sat Nov 8 22:37:55 2008

sue lowrey
i had just got home from work shortly before midnight on 5/11/08 when a large cat like creature ran across the road in front of my car. I was unable to see the exact colour as it was the middle of the night. I was a little freaked at the time, however, by the morning it had slipped my mind. At work a few hours into thursday, I remembered the incident and mentioned it to a couple of colleagues, who both said, together, "the Rainham panther".
Fri Nov 7 18:09:59 2008

Brenda
I saw a large black cat on the quarry bank in Lower Upnor and looking at your comment from M Cutts this would tie in as Chattendean is over the Hill. I saw this cat run up the bank on Wednesday 29 October. If it wasn't a cat it must have been a large black dog, but I am sure it was a cat.
Thu Oct 30 18:59:28 2008

m cutts
Not a sighting, but signs.I have seen big cat footprints twice on the MOD land around chattendean.one of these times there was a whole trail of footprints running from a woodland across a field and into some undergrowth.
Wed Oct 29 13:17:42 2008

keoghan bellew
i live at the top of teh north downs. and twice within a year i have seen at night and during teh day a a large black cat, from a distance too. larger than a domestic cat. this was an area where there are no houses so even less chance of it being a domestic cat
Mon Oct 27 00:16:09 2008

Roger Joulin
seen wot we believe to be a Lynx run across the road in Ivey Church,Nen Romney Kent
Sun Oct 19 11:53:33 2008

angelo banks
if seen many sightings of black leopards around cranbrook area, there are apple orchards an last sunday i was walking my grandads dog through them , when i peered in the distance of 100 yrds away and in a thick sheltered oak tree a black leopard was layed out calmly on a huge branch unfortunatly i didnt have any camera of any sort to capture it , so i slowly walked away hoping his dog would follow and it did, ive told people but know one believes me. thanks
Fri Oct 17 11:12:18 2008

joe jordan
i was in canterbury woods and found a set of big cat prints
Tue Oct 14 17:37:17 2008

Jennifer Price
Large brown/ginger cat seen in road outside of Borden (Sittingbourne)Too large to be a domestic cat.(Mon.15th.Sept.2008)
Fri Oct 10 19:45:59 2008

Luke Orchard
I first saw this huge black cat looking creature in headcorn and the again in mote park maidstone. im not sure on what the animal is, but it isit a normal cat or dog.
Sun Oct 5 20:08:11 2008

Lewis Everitt
28th September Approx. Southborough Tunbridge Wells 2.30pm saw large black cat crossing a small road (powdermill lane)next to Barnetts wood, distance about 20 metres size around that of a labrador.
Sun Sep 28 15:20:32 2008

Jeff
I'm afraid that this occurred quite a while ago,June 19th 1994. A mate and I had been on a ramble and whilst resting, high above the village of Four Elms, we saw a long and sinewy dark cat lope out of a deciduous forest. It ducked down into a field of green corn. It had a long thick tail, quite unlike its domestic cousin...and it was about ten times the size! Later that afternoon an elderly woman told us that a woodsman had seen the "panther" about a mile from where we spotted it. Apparantly there had been an article in the local paper, but I can't confirm that.
Thu Sep 25 22:45:39 2008

Georgina
I didn't see a big cat but out walking I found the carcass of a sheep (the mid-section of it: spinal cord + ribs). It had been broken off at the neck, the ribs had been bitten off and the carcass stripped clean of all meat. Further up the hill there was what looked like a femur - again this had been stripped and cleaned of meat.Found on Tyler Hill, Canterbury, 18/9/08 - carcass estimated to be about a week old.
Fri Sep 19 14:44:58 2008

Stephen Millen
Large black cat about size of Labrador seen between Tenterden and High Halden 3 am 16 September 2008
Tue Sep 16 23:03:24 2008

mark cutts
i see a big black cat run straight across the road in margate nash road i was driving and just around 10 meters in front of me quite scary.
Sun Sep 14 21:23:16 2008

Ian Forsyth
approximately 1 month ago on the A23 near Gatwick around 1a.m I saw a large black cat apparently eating road kill on the side of the road - it was parallel to the road as I drove past - in a typical prone cat position it may have caught something in its front paws - this was definately a cat complete with powerful black tail. I'd guess the cat to be 4ft-5ft long.
Thu Sep 11 17:12:10 2008

debs
My partner and a friend were fishing near the Kings Ferry Bridge about 6 months ago in the early hours of the morning when they spotted the black cat under the jetty between Clay Reach & Emley Reach.The reason i write now is after reading the september 11 times gaurdian report. All of the comments state that is about the size of a german sheppard however my partner swears the cat is a lot lot bigger, and described it as pure muscle,and very powerfull!! They saw it aagain about 2 weeks later in the same area.
Wed Sep 10 21:28:52 2008

Shaun
Hi there On Monday 08th SEP 08, morning @ approx 05:10 hours. I was driving along GREEN LANE towards ST PETERS, when I saw a black cat, climb out from the field on the right hand side. At first I thought it must be a black labrador dog, but then it looked at my car, and its eyes shined/reflected like a cats. As I got a little nearer, it turned and leaped back into the field. It was then I could tell it was 100% a big black cat, as the way the nimbly leap, and I saw its full shape and tail.From looking at pictures, I would say it was like a panther.Hope this helps Cheers Shaun
Tue Sep 9 19:06:29 2008

s laurie
cAN YOU TELL ME A FOXES HEAD WAS FOUND IN MY GARDEN WHAT SORT OF ANIMAL WOULD HAVE DONE THIS
Tue Sep 9 14:21:51 2008

ballet and ballet
about 4 years along the lower road in rainham kent early in the morning me and my boss saw a massive cat like animal with along tale walking along the tree edge but throw a field, we both see it but the big, we was about 100 yards away from it and could see it clearly, question is that it was not black this was a sandy colour..........
Mon Sep 8 15:12:23 2008

priscilla mann
just read another post about the caravan park on sheppey, that is where i saw it!! could not remeber as it was relation to my ex we were visiting at the time but it was def minster cliffs, have emailed u before with this info neil but could not remember exactly at the time as i come from Essex
Sun Sep 7 20:51:06 2008

priscill mann
i saw a black leopard in sheppey about 12 years ago, i was walking my dog down a patway either side really long grass and it walked out in front of me about 6 feet, it looked at me then turned around and walked the way it had come, nobody believed me but it def was black leopard no mistake!!
Sun Sep 7 20:47:48 2008

Andrew Peeke
Last year someone in my family saw a black large cat crossing the road in Southfleet, Kent. For years people in Southfleet have spoted a black cat in fields and on roads.
Sun Sep 7 15:58:09 2008

mike
I have two sightings, one of which was in the area of bredhurst Kent about four months ago. My friends dad was driving through the lanes late at night then out of the woodlands a black panther crossed in front of the car. The next sighting goes back a couple of years. My friend came across a black panther in a field next to bluebell hill. It was no more than 20 metres away. He and his girlfriend slowly backed off but it ran into undergrowth.
Sun Sep 7 15:47:26 2008

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