Steven Searle's security camera captured a large feline prowling along a neighbour's driveway in Malvern, Worcestershire, at around 2am on Sunday, December 28. The 51-year-old resident described the animal as a 'black jaguar type big cat' that was as tall as a car bonnet and larger than any domestic cat.
The CCTV footage shows the dog-sized creature moving alongside a fence before passing a gate and disappearing into the darkness. Searle noted that his camera is set to trigger only for people or cars, meaning the animal must have been substantial in size to activate the recording.
Last year, Professor Robin Allaby from Warwick University identified DNA from the Panthera genus—which includes lions, leopards, tigers, jaguars, and snow leopards—on a sheep carcass found in the Lake District. This evidence suggests that up to 100 big cats could be roaming the British countryside.
Previous sightings in Worcestershire include a half-eaten deer carcass discovered in the Wyre Forest near Bewdley in June. Passerby Jessica Lodge stated she had never seen anything like it and believed a big cat could be responsible.
