'Big cat' spotted by motorist after pulling into layby and he thinks it was a panther

Paw prints (R) of the animal that was recorded (L) in the Worcestershire field
Paw prints (R) of the animal that was recorded (L) in the Worcestershire field -Credit:No credit


A motorist was left gobsmacked after he caught sight of what appeared to be a 'panther-like' big cat in a field. Geoff Thompson, 37, was driving between Great Witley and Martley, Worcestershire, when he had his encounter.

The classic car aficionado and YouTuber had pulled over to snap some shots of his cherished Renault 10 when he noticed an unusual presence in the distance on Sunday (April 14). Upon closer inspection, he discovered the creature's footprints and is convinced it was a panther.

Geoff, from Worcester, said: "I just went out for a sunny drive - I noticed it as I started photographing my car. I think it was a panther."

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Captured in a 24-second clip on his mobile, Geoff can be heard questioning, "What the heck is that animal? ! ". Determined to gather evidence, Geoff, who runs the YouTube channel Geoff Buys Cars, ventured into the field to track down the mysterious animal and its tracks.

He explained: "I saw this mystery animal so I'm going to take a stroll down this field and see how much mud there is at the bottom. The ground is very wet so if there are any prints or anything we'll see them."

"There's no dog walkers there's no one it's early in the morning no one's around no one at all."

Geoff, who has been fascinated by big cats since childhood, found the encounter quite amusing, saying: "Big cats have always been a bit of an obsession, fascination of mine since I was a kid so to actually see something odd while out and about is pretty funny in my book."

He got in touch with big cat researcher and filmmaker, Tim Whittard, who produced the award-winning documentary ‘Panthera Britannia Declassified’, which claims to prove that big cats are living in wilderness of rural Britain.

Tim, 38, of Gloucester, shared the video with other experts. He explained: “I have had some of my colleagues look over it and while we can't definitively say it was a big cat, the possibility remains on the table.

''It absolutely could have been a big cat. Consensus seems to suggest that the majority of the tracks photographed are more likely to be dog than anything else, so whilst the tracks do not yield positive proof, the video of the sighting itself is very organic, very natural and we can't rule out a cat.

This is not the first time big cats have been seen in the area and numerous people commented on Mr. Thompson’s video to report their own experiences. One said said: “I've seen a black cat in that area about 10 to 15 years ago.”

Another added: “There are big cats out there… Seen one about 20 years ago about 100 yards ahead of me. Lucky for me, I was in my car at the time.”

One said: “I'm going with panther... A friend tracks them in Wiltshire, I've seen similar photos, telephone poles with scratches on, height indicates big cat. 'Personally I saw something panther-like in Wiltshire one night drive. Can't be sure but will never forget the tail.”

The documentary about big cats in Britain, called ‘Panthera Britannia Declassified’ is available to buy and rent on Prime Video and Apple Movies.

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