A woman says she was stunned to see a panther-like big cat walking across a stubble field at dusk in Northamptonshire. Mel Barnes, 55, reported the encounter in Deenethorpe village, about 10 miles south of Rutland and 30 miles from Leicester.
Witness describes encounter
Barnes, a Quality Improvement Lead, said the animal was far bigger than any domestic cat she had seen. She said: "It looked too big for a domestic cat. I was so shocked by what I was seeing I had to run back in the house for my phone. It was 15 feet away from me."
She added: "I probably won't ever see this again. I know what a domestic cat looks like and I wouldn't have darted into the house to get my phone just for a moggy. I have never in my life seen what I suspect looked like a panther - and will probably never see one again."
Police confirm report
Northamptonshire Police confirmed they received a report about the sighting. A spokesman said: "We received a report from a member of the public who believed they had seen a large cat in the Deenethorpe area."
History of big cat sightings
This sighting adds to a catalogue of big cat encounters in Northamptonshire and Rutland spanning years. In 1996, a £500 bounty was offered for evidence of a black panther-like creature in East Northamptonshire. In 2003, a bus driver reportedly saw one near the A6116, and another driver saw a large black cat with amber eyes near Gretton.
In 2004, six encounters were reported in two weeks. A sighting was logged in Wellingborough in 2008, and in 2012, a pair walking their dog in Wakerley Woods reported a large feline. The observer said the animal was two or three times the size of their dog, with golden eyes.
