A man driving through the Welsh countryside said he was stunned to see a big cat run across the road, just a matter of feet away from his car, in broad daylight
A driver claims to have seen a “ginormous” big cat dart across a country road and into nearby woodland.
Peter Harding said he was stunned to see the massive black cat just a mere 15 to 50ft away from his vehicle as he passed through a Welsh village in broad daylight.
The 49-year-old from Penyffordd, Flintshire, insists it was “definitely, 100 per cent, a cat” as he drove on the A525 near Bangor-on-Dee, Wales. Peter said: “I saw this absolutely ginormous black cat run across the road in front of me. I’ve never seen anything like it before, ever. It was definitely, 100 per cent, a cat.”
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“It looked just like a puma. As I got nearer it ran off into woodlands on the other side of the road. He said the animal had a “a long, muscular body, thick legs, and a large, heavy tail.”
“It was completely jet black, there wasn’t any colour on it at all,” he said. “It almost looked unreal. The first thing I thought was, ‘What on earth is that?’ It didn’t look like it was meant to be there.”
After spotting the beast, Peter said he tried to see where it had ran off to. “I slowed the car to try and see where it went, but it vanished,” he continued. “I was in a bit of shock, really. I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing.”
It was only when he got home and researched online that he felt “completely convinced” it was indeed a big cat. Peter said he researched similar sightings and found there had been a series of ‘big cat’ sightings across North Wales in recent years.
“I honestly wouldn’t have believed it if someone else had told me,” he said. “Before this, I’d probably have thought they were mistaken, maybe a dog or something. But after seeing it myself, I’m completely convinced.”
After reporting his find online he then heard of a similar sighting in nearby Ellesmere. Peter said: “It must be the same animal. Ellesmere and Bangor-on-Dee aren’t far apart. I can’t imagine there’s more than one.”
“I wouldn’t make something like this up. This was real, I’m still a bit in shock now. If I’d been walking my dog and saw that, I’d have been petrified. You worry about dog walkers and livestock. I think people need to be made aware so they can be cautious… It sounds mad, I know but I know what I saw. I’d never have believed it unless I’d seen it with my own eyes.”
Monitoring group Puma Watch North Wales has previously said: “Big cats are not native to the UK, but it is thought that a population of pumas and other big cats has been living in the wild since the Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976 made it illegal to keep them as pets without a license.
“This led to many owners releasing their animals into the countryside.”
