This page features the sightings log for 2002 Leics and Rutland and periphery only

Reports are received from a variety of sources including referrals from Leics Police, local media referrals, and direct or indirect contacts by phone, letter or increasingly email. It should be remembered that these are just the tip of the iceberg and many are not reported, or come in years later.

Where possible, all reports are followed up by telecon as a minimum or site visits. Where a "hot" report comes in, ourselves and the Police have been on site within a few hours and in at least a couple of occasions, further sightings have occurred whilst attending. One notable occasion in 2000 resulted in the Police wildlife officer eyeballing a Panther before it ran off at immense speed!! Needless to say that he is now (if not quite then) a 100% believer in their existence

Please note that sometimes, specific location details are withheld for safety of the Cats

This family has seen the cat several times now.

Thringstone was a really popular location for sightings a couple of years back but has not had as many recently. Only a mile from Coalville and Hugglescote, location for recent reports

Final thoughts: Possible Black Hybrid

2^nd Jan 5.30 am Tinwell by-pass near Ketton / Stamford

Panther like cat seen crossing road. Fortnight previous, another person saw Panther crossing at same place same time. Only mile from the vast Ketton cement quarry, location for previous sightings and paw print casts going back to early 1990. Apparently, the quarry workers are still seeing the cat(s) around the quarry and extensive woods from time to time.

7^th January Nr: 17:00 hrs. Nr Wilson’s Homes, (Donnisthorpe) NW Leics

A lady rings to report seeing a large black Panther like animal in the fields at the rear of her property. She said it had a long black tail that was thick at the end; it also moved like a cat but was about the size of a Labrador.

Close to Measham, Moira and Coalville, all active Panther and Puma locations

Final thoughts: Possible Black Hybrid

Report in Rutland Mercury of Panther like cat crossing the main Uppingham road next to the Rutland water Eggleton reserve at Gunthorpe. Guy who saw it is a countryman and is certain of what he saw.

John a member of Panther Watch rang in to report a sighting only 10 minutes old, of a possible Puma. He was on his way home with his kids when he saw some green/yellow eyes reflect back at him from the lights of his car as he drove down a local lane near to where he lives.

Panther Watch went out to the scene where hair was collected from a barbed wire fence, and there was a footprint near to the stream however it was not possible to take a cast as the ground was hardened by the frost, but there were no further development.

Final thoughts: Possible Puma

Note there have been ongoing Panther and Puma sightings near Burbage, Hinckley and Broughton Astley throughout 2001

She was only 3ft away from it and said it had piercing yellow/green eyes which were unforgettable and small ears. The taill curled up at the end and was near to the ground. Also big paws, it seemed well fed with muscular shoulders Plodded on looked at her, and ignored her

This sighting is less than a mile from where a panther was seen on 18th July 2000 in Gilmorton Avenue Aylestone.

What is really interesting is that we received a sighting report which occurred at 8.50 PM on 30th January 2002 nearly 20 miles away- EXACTLY 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE SIGHTING IN MONTROSE ROAD AYLESTONE SO IT CANNOT BE THE SAME ANIMAL!

NOTE , ON 4 DECEMBER 2001 a Panther was sighted near to Hugglescote Primary School.

 23^rd Feb 18.45 Knighton /central Leicester

Powerful security lights came on at the rear of the house. Householder looked out and they saw a cat with a 3ft long dark mottled body with 3 inch long ears and a thick dark tail. It almost floated across the lawn.

Large dark cat seen as it crossed in to the field in the direction of Burrough hill and rare breed animals in the field were not bothered by the cats presence.

A young lady reported seeing a Puma type cat via e-mail to PANTHER WATCH, that was sighted not to far from her home. She was just out cycling with her sisters near to the Bishop Meadow Lane, Industrial Estate, at approx 10 pm. She was just heading towards the direction of the lake there, when she noticed something in the ditch, on pointing it out to her sisters they all saw what she describes as a sandy collie dog sized feline, with a very straight but long tail. At first she thought it may have been a fox but the tail wasn’t bushy at all she said, and she said the creature had a more rounded face more like a puma with short stubby ears. The animal the looked up and ran off into some bushes. Taking her cycle light she shone it over into the bushes and saw two amber eyes reflecting back at them. This encounter had left her other two sisters rather shaken, so they returned home telling their farther all about it. A few nights later her sister had heard some rather strange noises coming from the lake where she walked her dog, so on the 4^th of April the young lady went out with her father armed with a spotlight and camera, they shone this over the playing fields and saw two amber glowing eyes reflecting back again, then what ever it was started to run towards then, stopped and stared right back. At this point the couple decided to retreat and go home, discussing their encounter. The cameras battery by the way was flat so very little came of it.

 A young gentleman camping out in Gracedieu Woods with his dog, sees a large black Panther like creature, about the size of a Great Dane with a long thick tail, it stood watching him from about 3 metres away, he saw the yellow reflection of its eyes quite clearly by the light of the camp fire, he just stood still and the animal then left running off out onto the park of the Melrose Road estate, the gentleman returned home with his dog quite shaken by the encounter.

Final thoughts: Possible

The security lights at the council houses on Leesthorpe rd were triggered by a darkish big cat crossing a garden from the direction of Saxon Lee and observed by householders (1/4 mile from sightings at Somerby in March)

A man and boy out shooting rabbits in a field saw a big cat approximately the size of a small cow. Man observed it clearly through hunting sights but as they approached, it went into thick cover

A female business Rep was parked opposite the garage facing towards the direction of the A1, suddenly she saw a big black cat crossing the rd 50 yds ahead. It ran out of the lane form the stone quarry and headed down a track leading to the golf course. It was black ,the size of a labrador with along `s` shaped tail. 10 years previous she had seen a big cat in Kent.

Wardens at Wanlip Watermead Park are mystified by evidence of the strength and skill of an animal which clinically killed and consumed selective parts of a swan on Wednesday night (15^th May).

The carcass of a perfectly fit adult cob swan had been carried ten metres from the point where it had been killed. The swan appeared to have been ambushed whilst asleep on the pathway. It had been attacked near the point of the crop and windpipe, an almost instantaneous killing. The neck feathers and skin had been smoothly and precisely peeled back as if rolled from the base of the neck up to the head, leaving a perfectly smooth neck meat surface to view and above it a tight roll of skin just below its head.

The smooth action could only have been achieved by the rasping action of a large cat’s tongue as the use of teeth or claws would have left a rough surface. It had also consumed a considerable part of the chest cavity and there was evidence of fine but deep claw puncture marks.

Towards its back the outside of the body of the swan was undisturbed with its beautiful white feathers still intact.

The general consensus of opinion of wardens, wild life officers and Robin Roberts Panther expert at Drayton Manor Zoo was that

there is no known British animal with the capability and agility to instantly overcome a swan and that the evidence points to a Big Cat kill.

During 2000 Panther Watch recorded two Big cat sightings relevant to this event: -

"I was travelling out of Thringstone at approximately 1600 hrs, north west down Lilly Bank Lane towards Griffydam when I noticed a large black cat in the field to my right (just behind the George and Dragon pub). It was a dark and gloomy day but I noticed that it was jet black with a really long tail. It was also much bigger that your average dog. Anyway, it looked like it was chasing something such as a rabbit on the farmer's field (there are a lot of rabbits down there) because it was really quick and I have never known a dog to change direction and accelerate as fast as that. It then must have heard me going down the lane because my exhaust is quite loud. It then saw me and then darted up the side of the field adjacent to the hedgerow of which it then dived into (in between the Bulls Head and the George & Dragon on the A512 Ashby Road). The sighting lasted about 5 minutes

Three employees at the car testing track and home to the Vulcan bomber saw a big black cat 30 yds away, it was walking in and out of parked cars. Its body length was 3ft long body and 2 and a ½ ft tail. Seen around Bruntingthorpe on previous years. Base is ex USAF and is surrounded by security fence and woods within base but it is able to move freely over the fence

 18 July 3.37 am Kirby Bellars, South West of Melton

A middle aged couple driving on the main Leicester Melton road past the Flying Childers pub, Kirby Bellars drove past a big cat sitting at the side of the road waiting to cross as soon as their car had gone by. It was definitely a Panther green eyes small ears and bigger than an Alsation .

This sighting area is the most active of any part of Panther watch territory . It is worth concentrating on this area in preference to anywhere else.

The householder saw a big cat with a smooth shiny jet black coat, It was the height of a fox but fatter came out the ditch, it had small ears and uniformly long thick tail. In the ditch were bird feathers and empty packets and cartons obviously raided from somewhere.

A panther was seen stalking and playing with rabbits along the railway line to Market Harborough.

Observed it for over a minute as it walked around the field then disappeared behind a dip. It was bigger than a domestic cat and its walk was more purposeful.

Seen at 25 metres it was the size of a labrador it had a long tail and was leaping along.

Occupants of two vehicles saw the Panther cross the rd in front of them. It leapt the width of the rd causing them to brake hard. It was seen both of the occupants in the car and by the passenger in the van who stopped and got out to converse. They then saw the big cat running along the grass verge towards them before it went into the hedge. One of the lady's involved is keen on tracking Tigers and visits abroad and was sceptical until this sighting.

 8th August 15:30 Barrow / Quorn, Nrth Leics

 "I was very surprised to see this cat as it was a warm, sunny day, Thursday,
8 August, at about 3.30 p.m. I thought they only came out during the
evening. I was walking from Quorn towards Barrow along Barrow Road and was
on the bridge section that passes over the A6. Flesh Hovel lane would be
the next road on the left hand side, just before the roundabout near the
bungalow and nursery on the left and the sports field n the right. The cat
was walking towards me along a private lane, that leads to a farm. As the
cat was gazing at the gardener in his allotment I continued over the bridge
and turned left to go into the allotments to alert the gardeners but, having
second thoughts, I decided to leave well alone. I had visited the nursery a
few weeks earlier for plants and noticed they kept all their small animals
in large cages, so they would be safe from foxes, etc. I telephoned the
Loughborough Echo (anonymously) and they gave me your website address"

12 Aug 8..45pm Market Harborough Lubbenham - Gumley Rd 3 youths on fishing trip drove behind a Panther bigger than an Alsation for 100yds till it loloped through gap in hedge. Been seen all around this are over the years and recently at Thedingworth (2 miles away ) on 26th July. 

 16th August Stathern, Vale of Belvoir , North of Melton

Following report received from a friend but the driver has since contacted ourselves to verify

"A delivery driver called at the house yesterday with a parcel. Virtually
immediately he asked if we had seen any big cats near the house (we are the
last house in the village). I said no, but knew someone who logged such
sightings. He then told me that he had seen a huge, black, cat like
creature about the size of a small alsatian dog with staring red eyes
walking across Blacksmith End out of Stathern at about 9.30pm on Friday
16th August. Blacksmith End is the back lane out of Stathern towards Long
Lane. There is a turkey farm about half a mile out of the village. The cat
was going in a North Easterly direction roughly towards Belvoir Woods and
would have been about 400 yards from our house when he saw it!"

17th August 16:00 Kilby Bridge (old A50) 4 miles south of Leicester

Panther like cat seen clearly as it crossed the road next to the railway bridge and canal. Black with a long "S" tail and very cat like but as big as a large dog

 20th August 06:30 Ketton Cement works, South East Rutland

3 workers in the weighbridge at the vast Castle Cement works and quarry in Ketton saw a large Panther like black cat walking down the adjacent field. The security guards and driver could clearly see the very large alsation size cat at about 100 yards as it walked along side a fence near the works lagoons.

Panthers and Lynx are often seen either near the works or in the quarry by workers or drivers and have been since the early 90's. There is a vast SSSI wood (big enough to hide an army) on the old quarry workings providing abundance of cover and rabbits!!

Made a visit to the site that night but no sightings made.

A walker on the ancient hill, which is one of the highest points in Leics observed a large cat of labrador dog size on top of the ancient iron age hill fort.

The parks council ranger (who has also seen the cat numerous times of the years), observed at the same period that the cattle were very skittish on the fort and kept looking up to the woods etc.

A lady and her husband was travelling home from Loughborough to Barrow upon Soar on the 13:05 minibus that goes down Farley Way in Quorn, she was on the left hand side of the bus and her husband was on the right side, as they were going past the football stand she saw a large jet black cat, she said "it had a biggish head, longish body and a very long tail, I know it could not have been a pet cat" "I know someone with a pet cat that is very big, but in proportion this black thing was massive. Big head, long body, big tail and feet. .By the time I told my husband, it had gone through the hedge". "Whether it had come from the estate opposite, I don’t know". "I also saw one in Loughborough Cemetery about two years ago, I was on the bus then, and it seemed to be just walking through the gravestones." This is a letter which was sent to the Loughborough Echo and printed 6^th September 2002.

 26^th August 10:00 Nr: Pillings Lock, Barrow on Soar, Charnwood

A gentleman whist out walking his Doberman near to the main A6 flyover of which their had been a sighting before, his dog ran down the bank and started woofing then a large cat emerged and ran off, the dog didn’t give chase. This was near to Pillings Lock, and the Sewage Works.

Young gentleman goes fishing down at Pillings Lock, when he decided to move to a different spot, he was breaking through the reeds to find a different spot when he saw a cats tail about 1½ foot long in the reeds. The cat then leapt up onto the bank of which was approx 5 or 6 ft, and took of towards the woods where there is a stream.

3^rd September 17:00 hrs Nr: Chalfont Drive, Sileby, Charnwood, Leics

A young man reported seeing a large black feline about the size of a Labrador bounding across the field which is between Cossington on Cossington Road and Chalfont drive he described the animal to be of slim build at the rear but more thick set at the front, at a guess he said it would have had a gait of approx 5 –6 ft.

I can also confirm that the lady is Education Officer for Twycross Zoo, and is used to observing Big cats in captivity and in the wild. She alos discussed this with their Big Cat keeper who is now convinced that there is a thriving population of Panthers and Pumas at large in the UK

Twycross Zoo

4^th September : 13:30 hrs. Nr: Kissing Gates, (Woodhouse Eaves) Charnwood, Leics

A lady rang to report seeing a large Puma like cat bigger than her Dalmatian dog, on a very narrow footpath near to a stream, by the Kissing Gates. On seeing the animal see immediately called her two dogs back to her, this was also witnessed by her husband, they both described the cat as a golden honey with grey in its fur long legs with very large paws and long tail which curled up at the bottom, a very interesting point about this cat is it had about a 3 inch black tip at the end of its tail, this can be typical of a Puma

9th October, 02:20 Thringstone village, nr Coalville, NW Leics

The following email was received:

The following email came in from the chairperson of the allotments society

Another sighting by email:

There were no other signs of 'man-made' injuries and a patch of blood about 50 metres away that my dog duly found.

Having thought about it all day, i found your site and was amazed at the number of 'big cat ' sitings in the area. i will walk my dog in the same area tomorrow and take some photos.

Regards"

After speaking to the gentleman concerned, I am fairly positive that he came across a recent kill by a Panther and that the animal was disturbed by him and his dog and still in the locality. The low growl being the classic Leopard "cough" as a warning to keep away. He re-visited the scene the next day but the carcass had gone, buried or up a tree I would suspect.

Lady passenger in car on A511 at roundabout near the Birchwood pub saw a big cat like animal about size of deer crossing ahead towards the industrial estate.

 30th October 11:20 hrs Burrough Hill, near Melton, East Leics

Report from Melton Times 31st October

Driver travelling to Somerby near Burrough Hill fort saw a large cat like animal crossing the road in front. Described as labrador dog size, black with cat like body and walk, but its head was in the hedge as it disappeared. Previously sceptical, the man is now sure of what he saw.

 1st November 16:30 hrs Keyham lane near Lodge School, East Leicester suburbs

Report of a poss big cat sighting on land near the lane. More info when known but many reports have been logged for this eastern outskirt of Leicester over the years including on this busy lane itself.

 19th November 04:00 hrs Otowa rd, St Mathews estate, Nrth Central Leicester

Report came in today (19th) from the Leicester Mercury, of sighting in early hours of this morning. The gentleman in his early 60's reporting it has been interviewed and it seems to be a genuine clear sighting.

The man heard a deep growling noise and looked out the window of his house to see a very large , Leopard like cat staring feet away back at him through the glass, he said it flexed its shoulder muscles and was the size of what you would expect to see on a wildlife film. It was dark grey/ black in colour and as he watched, it scent marked the ground before it leapt clean over a 6 foot gate. He went outside and said there was a very strong smell of ammonia where it had marked the ground.

 ( note The Mercury did not run this report till some weeks later on 6th Dec)

RSPCA and police investigating calf being killed and cow attacked in unusual circumstances. Vet called police after finding evidence of big cat attack and not dogs. Also on same night, dog on nearby farm was scared enough to slip its chain and run off, after a very large creature got into its kennel. The creature then smashed the kennel up from the inside out, to get out, the remains having deep scratches and teeth marks. The dog survived with scratches.

More info posted when report received.

"I live in the country in approx.4acre site have a large pond with trees and hedgerow to the rear. I often put food out for the foxes, my husband came home one night and saw a very large black cat, a few days later I looked through the window and saw a very large black cat walking very slowly up my lawn but keeping very near the bushes he was being stalked by my cat who was creeping as low to the ground as he could, the black cat walked upright and glanced to each side as he walked and then vanished into the shrubs at the top. next day we saw a smaller black cat lying at the side of the pond he was around for approx. two weeks he all ways ran away if you took a step towards him we noticed lots of feathers on the grass and on the pond, we all ways have lots of ring neck doves around the pond suddenly they disappeared. I believe it was a big cat which stopped to have her young. I managed to get a photograph but it wouldn't let me get very near to it."

Other witnesses were present, warm and sunny day and think it was a very

young panther with adult.

Footnote: Ibstock is the centre of intense big cat sightings from the early 90's to present.

To view this and the other pictures taken at the lake, click on the pic

A local kennel owner and countryman contacted us and , reports having "lost" a 22 lb mirror carp from a pond on his land in unusual circumstances. The carp had been taken across an 8 foot wide river in flood and half eaten over night in a field, some 80 yards from its pond. The head remains, weigh 10 lbs and are intact with no damage to the outside, the rest of the body had been eaten apart from some scales. He doesn't believe any UK indigenous species could kill, move that distance and then consume overnight such a fish

He also lost an 18 lb carp in the summer and found a large patch of heavy flattened grass near then remains. There have been numerous smaller carp taken and eaten in the field as well.

As far as we know, no other predator in the UK could handle a fish of this size, and carry it such a distance. Otters are now coming up the rivers in Leics but will only take up to 8 lb fish, and certainly not drag them across fields to eat. The area is very active with panthers, being only a mile or so from Burrough Hill fort and also next to a disused railway where recent reports have been logged. The fish is in cold storage for evidence.

Its not the first time carp have been taken and linked to the big cats, in fact in the 1990's, a large mirror carp was killed and eaten at Hinckley on the other side of the county and a large panther was seen by the edge of the lake at the time and prints taken. Panthers have also been seen recently in Rutland catching trout on a weir and I gather the "Angling Times " has run articles on this particular trait.

The Leicester Mercury, tonight (7th Dec) ran an article and picture of the carps head in the Saturday edition.

Large Panther like cat observed on Heckadeck lane, Broughton, between Melton and Nottingham

More info when known

Another email relating to the Melton area was received:

"I was travelling through the village of Holwell (North of Melton
Mowbray)
towards Melton from Nottingham, as I approached the end of the village
at the bottom of the hill where the road takes a sharp left toward the
Underground Mining Danger Zone (usually full of sheep) A large black cat
like animal crossed the road in front of me causing me to brake. It was
about the same size as an adult Great Dane dog with a long tail, a thick
neck. It sort of bounced as it made its way across the road then after
it had crossed it looked back before heading into the garden of the last
house on the right hand side at the bottom of the village in the
direction of Ab Kettleby village. It was very dark in colour with no
other distinguishing marks and it looked like it had just come down the
hill along the road from the old mining zone cattle grid area. There
were no animals in that field that night."

Location: B581 Broughton Astley near to crossroads with Cosby Road,

The following email was received in Feb 2003

" I was driving along Cosby Road in Broughton Astley heading NE and turnedright at the crossroads on to the B581.Approximately 100 yards on the right hand side was a large road sign and close to this sign a saw a large black creature looking or bending its head towards the gutter. At first glance, it looked like a large black labrador taking a drink (which would be very unusual in that remote vicinity unless it had escaped) but upon closer inspection as I drove past, it appeared distinctly lithe in physical shape and its head was certainly that of a cat.
Being somewhat surprised at what I believed I had just seen, I turned the
car around to double-check but unfortunately the creature had already gone.
I have mentioned this sighting to people living on Cosby Road but to their
knowledge, they are not aware of any other sightings. One family who own a
dog are equally unaware of any large black dog living in the vicinity."

Footnote: There have in fact been may sightings in and around the villages surrounding this location over the past 4 years so it fits in a pattern. We also have had reports of these cats drinking from puddles on the road side in the past.

Or go to the sightings log for Leics and Rutland from the early 90's up to 2000

Ibstock 2002 lake pictures of young panther