A SIGHTING of a big cat in Llangollen has been reported - the latest such encounter in and around the town over the last ten years.

In the latest report, made to Puma Watch North Wales, a man described seeing a mystery animal stalking the edge of a field near Valle Crucis Abbey.

The witness, who was staying at Abbey Farm Caravan Park in October last year, said it was about 8.15pm when he saw the creature.

 

 

 

He told Puma Watch North Wales: “We spotted the big cat slowly walking along the edge of the camping field.

“At the time I said that looks like a puma. My wife, my daughter and her sons also seen it, but we just said it must have been a large cat. Having seen the pictures and videos online I can honestly say it is what we had seen.”

Abbey Farm told them told Puma Watch: “We are on a farm so quite likely it was one of our animals.”

“No pumas have been spotted.”

However, there have been several sightings in the area.

In July, 2018, North Wales Police even tweeted an artist's impression of a lynx after a big cat was sighted on the A5 between Llangollen and Chirk.

A tweet by the North Wales Police Rural Crime team said: "We have had a reported possible sighting of a larger than usual cat crossing the A5 between Chirk & Llangollen.

They said they were investigating and warned the public not to approach the animal.

In another historic report to Puma Watch North Wales, a group established to document and investigate such sightings, a "very large black cat" was seen on the Horseshoe Pass.

It reads: “This happened a very long time ago.. my friend and I cannot remember exactly when but we think between 2006 and 2008. We both remember it as vividly as when it happened though.. it was amazing!

“My friend and I were driving home late from a friends house in Llangollen. Whilst we were travelling along the A542, approaching Llandegla my friend noticed a large owl who was in the middle of the other lane.

“As we both were looking to the right at the owl we saw the back end of a very large black cat. The cat was climbing over the fence getting into the field that joins onto Llandegla forest. We assumed that the owl had possibly been spooked by the cat and we had probably disturbed its hunt.

“My friend is a massive animal lover and made me turn the car around so that she could rescue the owl… which I did. She got out and scooped the owl up with a towel and put it safely on the side of the road, the whole time me being absolutely terrified that she was going to get eaten by this big black beast.

“I stayed in the car with the engine running and looked out to see if the cat was near but he was gone.

“We didn’t know who to report it to at the time, we decided to phone the RSPCA, however, our excitement was mistaken for pure craziness and I don’t think we were taken very seriously.

And in July 2010, a woman saw a "large, black, cat-like creature" alongside the canal in Llangollen.

She told Puma Watch: “I spotted a very large, black, cat-like creature strolling along the top of a ridge of farmland from our canal boat. I called my friend over and we watched it vanish into woodland. It was some distance away but unmistakably a big cat.”