Buzz
Large predators like lions, tigers, and leopards are not naturally found in the British Isles. The most formidable feline species in Britain is the wildcat (Felis silvestris silvestris), which thrives in the Scottish Highlands. However, Great Britain is rife with reports of big cat encounters. England, in particular, sees frequent sightings in rural regions such as Dartmoor and West Sussex. These accounts often fall under the “mystery cat” classification, a domain typically explored by folklorists and cryptozoologists.
Some attribute the surge in big cat sightings in Great Britain to the folklore of “black dogs” or other supernatural hounds prevalent in local myths. Nevertheless, certain incidents have been treated with seriousness. For instance, in 1983, the British Royal Marines were deployed to Devon and Somerset for Operation Beastie—a mission aimed at capturing the Beast of Exmoor. Although the elusive creature avoided the Queen’s top marksmen, the troops reportedly caught a clear sighting of what they described as a large black panther.
Since 1983, reports of mysterious feline sightings in Great Britain have only grown, suggesting that the wilderness may harbor more secrets than commonly acknowledged.
10. The Phantom of Fiskerton
In August 1997, the Fiskerton Phantom was first encountered by four young girls from South Yorkshire. Nicki Handley, Nicola Proctor, Rachel Rowan, and Joanna Brogan were strolling near the Lincolnshire village of Fiskerton when they noticed a 1.2-meter-tall (4 ft) creature feasting on animal remains. The girls described the enigmatic beast as resembling a bear, with black fur, large teeth, and sharp claws. They also reported that the animal left behind footprints in the soil after devouring a pheasant.
Unknown to many outside Lincolnshire, similar sightings had been reported earlier that year. Most accounts depicted the creature as either bear-like or resembling a large, predatory feline. Since 1997, sightings of the Fiskerton Phantom have become rare. Today, the creature is more famously associated with the character Fiskerton from the animated series The Secret Saturdays.
9. The Beast of Bodmin Moor
Even without its infamous beast, Cornwall’s Bodmin Moor is an eerie and foreboding landscape. Officially recognized as an “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,” the moor is a bleak expanse of granite terrain dotted with windswept heather. It is also home to ancient landmarks like the Stripple Stones and the Trippet Stones, a prehistoric stone circle often compared to a miniature Stonehenge. It was in this haunting setting that the Beast of Bodmin Moor was said to roam, preying on local livestock.
Initial reports of the creature emerged in the 1990s, with 60 witnesses claiming to have seen a panther-like animal with black fur and glowing white-yellow eyes. The beast was estimated to be 1–1.5 meters (3–5 ft) in length. The British government treated these accounts seriously, launching an official investigation in 1995. While authorities stated they found no conclusive evidence of a panther on Bodmin Moor, they did not entirely dismiss the possibility.
Some individuals believe the beast targeted more than just sheep and cattle. On October 26, 1993, Jane Fuller reported being struck on the head by an unidentified creature while walking her dog on Bodmin Moor. Four years later, bite marks on farm animals and unusual droppings prompted amateur investigators to take action. One investigator even claimed to have spotted what looked like a puma and its cub roaming the moor.
In December 2014, the Daily Mail made public the files from the 1995 investigation. To the disappointment of cryptid enthusiasts, the documents revealed that the beast was merely a 30-centimeter-tall (12 in) domestic cat.
8. The Fen Tiger of Cambridgeshire
Two years prior to Operation Beastie, another large feline was spotted roaming the English countryside. Unlike the moors of the West Country, this creature favored the fens of Cambridgeshire. It was first sighted in 1982 near the village of Cottenham. After a 12-year absence, the Fen Tiger reappeared in 1994. William Rooker even managed to capture what he believed to be the tiger on film. Since then, the tiger has become a frequent subject of eyewitness reports submitted to the Cambridgeshire police.
In 2010, a lynx-like creature was reportedly seen roaming the fields of Little Eversden and Somersham. By 2013, a suspected big cat was accused of attacking sheep, with additional sightings of a panther-like animal reported in Comberton and Melbourne. The volume of these accounts has led members of the British Big Cat Society and other experts to suggest that the Fen Tiger might be a tiger or puma released into the wild by someone who had illegally owned it. While skeptics dismiss this idea, residents of Cambridgeshire continue to report encounters with the mysterious beast.
7. The Big Cats of Monmouthshire
In August 2000, police in the Welsh town of Gwent alerted residents to be cautious of a “leopard-like” animal that had attacked 11-year-old Josh Hopkins. The boy recounted that the creature struck him while he and his brother were looking for their pet near their home in Trellech. While searching through tall grass, the big cat leaped out and swiped Hopkins’ face with its paw, leaving five deep claw marks.
The incident quickly gained national attention, with big cat enthusiasts asserting that a black panther was responsible. Media outlets seized the opportunity to explore the broader phenomenon of big cat sightings across Great Britain. In Wales alone, over a dozen sightings around Gwent have been reported since 2011. The South Wales Police logged 17 reports in 2013, all describing a black, panther-like cat wandering the rural areas.
6. The Big Cats of the Cotswolds
The Cotswolds in south-central England is an idyllic retreat for those yearning for the serene charm of the British countryside. Nestled among its lush, rolling hills are picturesque cottages with thatched roofs and stone facades, evoking a sense of timeless beauty. However, this tranquil setting is also home to several big cats that have been unsettling local residents.
As recently as 2015, numerous Cotswolds residents have reported sightings of a black panther or a similar creature. Most of these encounters have occurred near Cirencester and South Cerney, with one individual claiming to have seen a large, black cat roaming near Cirencester’s Roman amphitheater. Some locals believe these big cats are responsible for the increasing number of attacks on the local deer population.
While big cat enthusiasts and amateur investigators continue to support the idea of these creatures roaming rural Great Britain, the Forestry Commission confirmed in 2009 that two of its agents had spotted what they believed to be large panthers in Gloucestershire’s Forest of Dean.
5. The Big Cats of Shropshire and Wales
Shropshire, located on the Welsh border, is at the center of England’s big cat territory. Between 2010 and 2015, 14 sightings were reported to the Dyfed-Powys police in Wales, with one Shropshire resident claiming to have seen a panther-like creature in March 2014. Similar accounts have been shared since 2009. That year, a wounded lamb was discovered in Builth Wells, Wales. A year later, in Oswestry, a Shropshire border town, a large cat the size of a sheepdog was reported to authorities. Additional sightings have been recorded in Telford, Meifod, and Llanidloes.
In 2008, the Shropshire Star published video footage captured by farmer Shirley Lewis of Billingsley. The video appeared to show a black cat strolling calmly through fields near their farm. Many believe these animals are descendants of wild creatures affected by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976, which aimed to curb the trend of keeping exotic predators like tigers and lions as pets. A small group suggests panthers were brought to Britain by the Romans and later released. Others speculate these cats are linked to extraterrestrials, with some sightings coinciding with UFO reports.
4. The Beast of Buchan
Since the 1930s, the Buchan region in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, has been a hotspot for big cat sightings, though Scottish wildcats are also known to roam Aberdeenshire and Banffshire. Both areas border the Highlands, and witnesses argue that the Beast of Buchan is too large and elongated to be a wildcat. A 2006 video from Banffshire appears to support this claim.
In 2011, James Gray, a recent arrival from Inverness, shared an online account of his encounter. While walking his dog, Sophie, between Old Deer and Mintlaw around 5:00 PM, he spotted a large, black cat with a bushy tail. According to his report and subsequent interviews, the animal crouched, paused briefly, and then trotted away.
Other witnesses have described the creature as anything from an oversized lynx to a black panther. Many accounts liken it to large dog breeds such as greyhounds or Alsatians. George Redpath, a wildlife liaison officer and big cat enthusiast in Fife, suggests the Beast of Buchan is one of approximately 50 feline species living largely unnoticed in Scotland’s wilderness.
3. The Lion of Bedford
While most big cat sightings in Great Britain involve black panthers, a smaller number point to lynxes or mountain lions. Lions, however, are rarely reported. This changed in October 2012 when residents near Bedford claimed to see a lion in a residential area. Six weeks earlier, an “orange and brown” creature had sparked panic in Essex, with locals convinced a lion was roaming near a Clacton campsite. The Essex police took these reports seriously, deploying armed officers and helicopters to locate the animal. Ultimately, they found a large Maine Coon cat named Teddy Bear, concluding it was the source of the alarm.
In Bedford, the lion sightings started when two women walking their dogs spotted what they believed to be a lion resting near a housing estate. Similar to the earlier Essex scare, Bedford’s lion was likely just a large Maine Coon. Though not the most credible big cat sighting in Great Britain, the 2012 Bedford incident remains one of the most unusual.
2. The Beast of Bevendean
Known as the “Beast of Bevendean,” this creature has been reported since 2008. That summer, multiple witnesses came forward claiming to have seen a large, black cat in the woods near Brighton and Hove. After sharing their stories at a meeting in Bevendean’s Holy Nativity Church, residents concluded that the animal was a potential danger to their pets and possibly their children.
On June 10 of the same year, Bevendean resident Bill Batchelor reported that a large, aggressive cat had attacked his dog during a walk. Unlike most British big cat accounts, Batchelor described the animal as a sandy-colored cat with a gray muzzle, not a black panther. In October 2010, Avis Carter of Preston Park, Brighton, claimed to have seen the Beast of Bevendean while picking apples on Bevendean Hill. Carter noted the cat had tabby-like markings and fled into the bushes upon noticing her.
In 2009, Debra Munn, a 56-year-old Brighton resident, informed the Sussex Big Cat Watch that the Beast of Bevendean was likely one of several pumas and lynxes breeding naturally in the region. While not a widely accepted theory, Munn’s explanation could account for the varying descriptions of the creature’s appearance in different reports.
1. The Policeman and the Mystery Cat
On June 30, 2009, Chris Swallow, an off-duty Ministry of Defense dog-handler, was assisting a friend with gardening in Helensburgh, Argyll, Scotland. Swallow spotted a large, black figure moving near a railway line. He initially thought the creature was larger than a Labrador, longer than any local cat species, and had an unusually long tail. Realizing the animal was at risk of being struck by an oncoming train, Swallow rushed to warn it. It was then he recognized he was face-to-face with the legendary Coulport Cougar.
Swallow quickly grabbed his cell phone and filmed the animal. The footage captured what appeared to be a black panther confidently walking along a railway track. The video gained widespread attention and has since become a notable addition to the growing catalog of big cat sightings in Great Britain.
