For decades, rumours have swirled about a population of big cats – possibly pumas or panthers – roaming around southern England.

Now it seems we have hard evidence, in the form of an authenticated big cat attack on a Cornwall man’s dog.

James Stephenson, of Harrowbarrow, east Cornwall, was exercising Labrador Marley in his garden when the dog was suddenly “taken down” by a mystery assailant.

James told Cornwall Live: “Marley is a rescue dog so he now has almost an acre of garden when, before, he lived in a confined space. He loves his garden.

“He walks around to make sure it’s safe and secure every night. It’s his routine to make sure him and his family are safe.

“He was walking the far end of the garden and I was about 20 feet from him and he was suddenly taken down to the floor as if his legs had given way from underneath him; like he was pulled down.

Police took plaster casts of paw prints found in the garden and have since confirmed they are the tracks of a big cat. 

James says: “We’re not sure whether it’s a puma or a panther but it’s been confirmed that it’s a big cat. We’re under the impression that it’s a puma. We went round to warn the neighbours to keep any dogs in and safe. They think it’s a panther.

“They normally only come out at night to not blow their cover but this one is out any time of day because it has adapted to its surroundings.”

Now he is calling for locals to keep their pets and children safe and see if they have any CCTV footage of the animal.

James continued: “We were told by the police that to take it any further we need to have it on video and a few other reports.

“It’s a danger to children. It will take a dog. So far I’ve heard about four or five cats in Harrowbarrow that have gone in the past week. One neighbour said there used to be a large amount of deer in the field and there hasn’t been any for four or five months.

“My mum’s concerned for the dogs’ safety. One of us used to take them out on our own and let them run around. It’s got to the point where we have to take both on leads with at least two people at a time.

“It’s a great concern. None of us are resting properly at night.”

Source: Read Full Article