Nature Features

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.

Judith Wenban
I saw a large black 'cat' on a country road near Hartley, kent, at around 4.30pm. It was going slowly into a hedgerow. It was jet black, long lean with long tail. did not appear startled by my car. I was unable to get a photo in time.
Wed Apr 21 21:13:26 2010

Katy Hogben
Black Panther on way back from Margate, Near Upstreet/Hersden at about 7:40pm on the 19th April 2010. Cleared the road and field within seconds. Whatever this animal was for sure was extremly quick!
Tue Apr 20 09:08:03 2010

James abbot
puma on way back from ukc uni (havent been drinking) at night cycling back in and out of woodland...that shot past me across the road in a matter of seconds!
Wed Apr 7 19:58:11 2010

Jules C
Was on the 8am train this morning from Ebbsfleet to Canterbury. Just the other side of the tunnel between Blue Bell Hill & Boxley was a large black cat animal (the size of a leopard, panther) seen very clearly only a very short distance from the railtrack. Did anyone else notice it?
Thu Mar 25 22:52:34 2010

Jason roberts
I'm am very shore I have seen 2 sighting in the last month of a large black cat in reinden woods densole if anybody else has see it iwould be intersted
Mon Mar 15 19:07:37 2010

Anne
On 12th March 2010 at 2.15pm. I was driving London bound on the M20, when I saw what I thought to be a large black cat in the field. It moved like a cat had a long body & small head.I was in the Lenham area at the time.
Sat Mar 13 17:06:36 2010

Eve
I saw a large black cat on the 10th march 2010 while travelling by train between Canterbury and Selling.
Thu Mar 11 21:53:10 2010

AL
I saw a what I believe was a Lynx in January 2009 in my garden and I have also seen 3 big cats out of the train window over the last 5 years. 2 Black Cats and 1 Lynx. Around the time of the siting of the black cats (probably the same one) there were 3 dead sheep in the fields around the siting area.
Tue Mar 2 12:26:39 2010

anon
near hever castle, a black leopard crossed in front of our car down a very quiet country rd. This was in june 2008 at 1.30pm. There was no mistaking what this beautiful creature was and made mine and 3 of my friends day out to the castle extra special.
Wed Feb 10 07:53:48 2010

James Shaw
We have been suspicious that a big cat is living around the Rugby Cement area in Halling, although there have been no sightings,there has been evidence which strongly suggests this may be the case such as disemboweled rabbits back in the summer of 2009 and unmistakeable large cat paw prints in the snow earlier this month,which trailed through my nans garden at Formby Terrace,continuing along the terrace.We are not sure if this cat is predominantly in this area or just ventures down in search of prey.
Sat Jan 30 20:15:22 2010

darren crittenden
im intrested in kent big cats an ive spoken to lots of people on ilse of sheepy sheerness an they say a big black is seen regaualy rond the prison area plus it is a bird reserve so plenty of fodder but as u no there terroitys go far an wide so who nos but i belive it an swim the medway easy
Tue Jan 26 23:18:20 2010

helen Gardner
I am a carer in the community and somebody who lives in the Phoenix Place, vicinity in Dartford sighted what was thought to be a black panther this was around the 8th January 2010. Could a panther really come into surbubia I know a couple of domestic cats have gone missing around that time as well but no evidence. Could this be possible? The cat was described as being black with a long body and long black tail too big for anything other than a wild animal.
Fri Jan 22 12:15:17 2010

Tom Hayler
i was really interested in this big cat issue and the other day after the snow i decided on the 9th of january 2010 to see if i could track any paw prints of these big cats , any way i was out looking for some tracks i could follow but there was nothing ! i carried on searching but still no luck i got to about 150 yards from my house and a silouhette of a large cat crossed my path ! i would like this matter to be enhanced . many thanks Tom Hayler
Fri Jan 15 21:07:04 2010

ian williams
i spotted a big black cat aprox 1meter and high and 2 meters long with a thick long tail stalking rabbits on the river bank in the outskirts of edenbridge/hever. Creeping up like a lion would very stealth like then amazing speed and acceleration as it shot of after a rabbit. i called for others to see but they missed it. an hour later it was spotted by to of my colligues as it went further down the river eden.being very intreged by this i set off to the place where i last saw it to look for footprints in the snow. i found there was 3 large footprint in the the snow approx 12cm in size and took photos of them. From the research that i ahve conducted i belive this cat is to be a black leopard. ian
Wed Jan 13 23:14:52 2010

Adam
I spotted a big cat on 28 Decemebr in Kent also in the area of Charing hill. I was a passenger in a car and to the left of me I saw something big and black on the outskirts of some woodland. I turned to see what it was as it was partly screened by some undergrowth and to my surprise it was a cat! It had big yellow eyes and pointed ears. It suddenly dawned on me that what I had just seen was a big cat which is very funny as only a couple of days earlier I had been reading a story about it on the internet. The sheer size of it meant that it was definately not a domestic cat. It was just on the brow of Charing hill as we were coming down beside some woodland. It all happened so fast that I thought I was going mad but I definately know what I saw.
Mon Jan 4 22:47:59 2010

Michael
At approx 5.00am on the 23rd of Dec whilst walking home from work, I saw what appeared to be a large animal about the size of a labrador dog,walking across the Glen in Minster In profile the animal resembled a large cat. this was obvious from the shape of the head, body and tail and the way it moved.The animal was visible for about 2 minutes before it headed off into the nearby trees.
Fri Jan 1 11:37:36 2010

Darren Jeffrey
Hi,Today (28th Dec) at 14:30, myself, my dad and brother were in a field target shooting just outside High Halstow in North Kent. We clearly saw a very large white cat with a couple of black markings. The cat was about the same size as a sheep. We watched it from a distance for 5 minutes before it ran of after something. It had a very long curved tail. Spoke to one of the land owners, he had also seen it.Regards Darren
Mon Dec 28 22:56:02 2009

james
interesting about the lower rainham road comment (recent one) as i live near by and very interested in big cats. There have been many sighting around lower rainham road aswell as sightings in the nature resevres near by.
Wed Dec 23 00:31:40 2009

Randall Pratt
Seen large cats in Lamar County,Texas. About 20 inches tall and at least 3 ft long. One smokie black about 50 feet from me. Another one was yellow with dark brownish irregular circles with rosettes inside the circle with very long tails that was quite ig around about 10 feet from me.Met me at my gate. Held the flash light on him until he crossed the road. This was about 9:30 at night. Saw the black one this day 12-16-2009. I have a plaster of paris cast of a cat track measuring over 4 inches long by over 4 nches wide. Does anyone know what kind of a cat that digs holes and lives underground?
Thu Dec 17 06:06:38 2009

Lee
I saw what I believe to be a puma earlier on today (16th December 2009). I am a security guard who works on a holiday park in Minster-on-Sea on the Isle of Sheppey.I was doing a patrol around the park earlier and saw a big black cat chasing a rabbit. I know it wasn't a dog and it definately wasn't a pet cat because it was the size of a medium dog.I've never been so scared in all my life. I just jumped back in my car and quickly drove off.
Wed Dec 16 22:45:12 2009

sarah
have seen a cat in robin hood wood's near stoney lane rochester kent was frightened for my children because this cat was a large size!! it was licking it's paws and looked very much like a panther type as it coat was very shiney!! no one believes me and say i just saw a moggy!!! i think not as my sister was there aswell and we both saw it with our own eyes!! has anybody else seen it in the woods please tell us!!!
Sun Nov 15 15:52:39 2009

christine
i saw a big black cat yesterday(8th nov). off the lower rainham rd, rainham,kent. about 2pm or just after. has anyone else reported this. my hubby thinks im mad.i know what i saw. christine
Mon Nov 9 08:39:45 2009

sam
i cant help but remain sceptical on this. if there are big cats out there surely most people would be aware.
Sat Nov 7 21:57:27 2009

Christine
The train paused before entering Clapham Junction from the Victoria direction and as I looked up between the gaps in the trees I saw a Pantha type big cat prowling over near the opposite line (some distance away). It was a very dark brown with a thick long tail that curled up at the end just above the ground. Unfortunately the train moved on before I could watch it for a longer period
Wed Oct 21 14:41:50 2009

matteus
last april i took my dog sheppy for his daily walk at around 6pm ..same route for 5 years ..we was walkin between granite hills in fairwater..just as i was walkin between the hills i heard some kind of scufflin sound like animals running..i turned to see a deer go flying past me which frightened the life out of me and sheppy but that was nothin to the thing that was chasing it..i couldnt believe my eyes...i froze and so did sheppy....it was a huge...to be continued...
Fri Oct 16 20:47:40 2009

dave collins
10 years ago myself and a witness watched a large black feline walking along a hedgerow at redhill in surrey behind redstone cemetry' this cat was about 4 ft long from its nose to its very long cheeta like tail and was quite relaxed with a typical dumping of its shoulder blades with each step ' i saw it it was real.
Wed Oct 14 17:34:52 2009

Iona Wallace
Last month, September, I saw a large black cat, far too large to be a domestic cat, at the back of houses on Hill House Road, Stone. The cat was walking slowly and was in view for almost a minute.
Tue Oct 13 12:41:42 2009

iesha
intresting that there were 3 different sightings on the 27th september in different locations... this just proves how many there must be in the UK...
Thu Oct 8 09:27:25 2009

b.coomber
M25 BETEEN 7/6J IT CAME OUT THE WOODS AND BACK IN A LARG BLACK CAT IT WAS ONLY 50YARDS OF THE M/ WAY
Sat Oct 3 08:20:20 2009

Melissa
Sunday 27 September. I was lost driving from redborn (Hertfordshire) to Hemel Hempstead whilst on my way to a car boot sale with a friend. I was going 40mph, saw a fox speed out of the bushes across the narrow road in front, at the corner of my eye I saw what appeared to be a large black cat (possibly dog) leap back into where it had came from. Thank god I didn't hit the fox I just wonder what was chasing it.
Mon Sep 28 23:51:32 2009

John East + Michele Young
Whilst walking today Sunday 27th September 2009 at 10.15am on the North Downs way, Thurnham with our two dogs we saw a big black cat with a long slender body and very long tail the profile of the cat was like a cheetah and it was in a field adjacent to where we were walking and it frightened the life out of us and we did the walk on the Downs in half the usual time!!!!!!!!!!!! It ran off before we could take a picture.
Sun Sep 27 19:36:16 2009

Bambie
I awoke this morning (27/09/09)in Liverpool Aigburth Hall Rd and saw a large thing moving at the bottom of the garden so I went downstairs to see. I couldn't see from the peep hole so I went to look out the window, but before I could look I heard a scraching noise from the outside of the door.So I ran to the door to find out what it was. It look so big like a tiger, ... it WAS! EATING A FOX all over my porch!!!!!!!! My mummy came downstairs so the tiger ran away.I'm only 10 so mum didn't belvie me,but when she saw the mangeled fox it got her thinking...
Sun Sep 27 18:49:12 2009

carol greengrow
large black slinky cat seen in longbeech woods, charing, kent sighted on 25th sept. 2009, crossed the path in front of my husband as he walked the dog on his way to feed the fox family in the woods. He said it was swift and bigger than a fox, moved with great speed. its coat was deep black and very glossy, the animal had a longer body than either a fox of dog. wish i had been there to see it also. The local postmen have often spoken about large cats seen around this area,
Sat Sep 26 23:07:10 2009

Larraine Bodycombe
Yesterday driving on the A21 from Pembury to Westerham on the stretch of road just past a large lake where several small yachts were sailing (as a passenger) I looked across to the left and saw what really looked like an extremely large cat (much too large for domestic) more labrador size laying on a grassy bank in the sun, it was leaning forward licking front left paw, I would say it was dark brown but not solid colour. I know I was quite a distance away and it was 11 in the morning but I feel very sure of what I saw and want to share it with you.
Mon Sep 21 08:54:23 2009

stuart
walking my black lab at woods between kings hill and east malling saw a dark cat like creature that shot past us at speed.lab was sniffing like mad but did not bark which is unusual.it was bigger than my dog.spooked us but the cat seemed more frightened like a domestic cat would.
Sun Sep 20 09:29:13 2009

Jody Anderson
During 2002 7.00 am , getting a lift to work from Canterbury to Herne bay,when looking into the large corn field to the left just coming out of Herne ,being a sunny morning I saw clearly a big black cat,the corn was high so no chance it was domestic because it wouldnt be seen!,this large cat was about 2 meters long and maybe more with the tail.The driver at the time refused to go round the island for a second look in fear it could rip though the soft top car!
Sat Sep 19 16:27:54 2009

kelly
my sister was driving on the back roads from highsted valley to doddington last month when she said a huge animal jumped out from bushes about 5 meters infront of her car, she nearly crashd, but said it seemed startled, like it was leaping away from something, not leaping out to scare her, we also saw what we described as a panther sitting in our back garden in 1985, in newnham, my 2 sisters and i all watched it for several minutes, it was quite calm, and was watching us. I remember a longer than normal tail and beautiful eyes, but I would day it was the size of a full grown golden retriever.
Sat Sep 19 09:41:24 2009

tony v
on my way to work this morning at approx 5:20AM i was travelling through littlebourne, got to the top of the hill by the even hill pub, as i rounded the corner i saw a large labrador size cat with a tail nearly the same length as its body, which was bushy on the underside, it ran across the road infront of me and stoped on the other side of the road. it turned round and had bright orange coloured eyes. just thought i would let you know.
Fri Sep 18 18:24:24 2009

Chris Taylor
Driving home at about 22.30 this evening (17.9.2009) between Bobbing and Iwade, i came around a bend in the road and there was a large, black act crossing in front of me. It was at least as big as my black labrador if not bigger
Fri Sep 18 00:34:38 2009

Jedd
Apparenltly my dad told me there is a puma like creature roaming trottiscliffe near west malling.
Mon Sep 14 20:58:17 2009

Annette
I saw a black panther in November 2007. It was in Egerton and it walked across a lane in front of my car.
Thu Aug 27 08:51:51 2009

jamie howard
i see a large black cat in higham 2 weeks ago wen i woz fishing with a friend
Wed Aug 26 23:22:30 2009

Ken Vernon
During Thursday [during the night] 20/8/09 our black cat was killed and eaten by another animal, Large cat, fox, badger or what??
Sun Aug 23 07:44:01 2009

Stacey
A big cat has been spotted on several occations lately at Luton Rec in Medway, it has also attacked a local dog too, thankfully it survived !
Wed Jul 29 13:04:59 2009

Daniel
I heard cat noises and scratching on my fence I kickd the fence and it didn't go away, I ran inside I know what I heard and Ive never heard anything like it.
Wed Jul 29 04:11:00 2009

Andy Downes
Today (28/7/09) we have twice seen what looked like an ocelot around our property on the outskirts of Goudhurst. It didn't seem to mind me!
Tue Jul 28 22:22:05 2009

leona
I Saw a large black cat like animal in the field at the back of Oak Lane area. 24.07.09 at 4.15 ish. Just thought I would let you know.
Fri Jul 24 16:39:15 2009

graham walker
saw a large black round upturned tail disappear through a hedge in Wateringbury.diameter of tail about 38mm and darker on the very tip. definatley not belonging to a pussy cat or any other native mammal I can think of.
Thu Jul 23 00:27:34 2009