Dogwalker snaps photo of 'big cat' in Snowdonia's Dorothea Quarry

He was walking his dogs near the village of Talysarn when he spotted the creature.

He said he scared off the animal “to avoid a confrontation” while trying to control his two dogs after they “picked up its scent”.

In the latest sighting reported to Puma Watch North Wales, the man described the black cat as being around the size of a small sheepdog.

Big cat sighting, Snowdonia. Images: Puma Watch North Wales

He told Puma Watch North Wales, the group set up to document and record such encounters: “Out walking my 2 dogs. Saw what looked to be a big cat.

“I was 80 or so meters away and it looked larger than it should have for a pet cat.

“I took a photo (50% zoom) whilst trying to control my dogs who by this time had picked up its scent.

“My dogs were now in searching mode so not wishing for a confrontation I clapped my hands to scare it off.

“It was at this point I got to see how big the cat was (roughly border collie size, maybe a little smaller) as it turned and ran down an embankment.

“I’ve tried to add as much info as possible. Will definitely be a bit more wary when out walking from now on.”

Big cat sighting, Snowdonia. Images: Puma Watch North Wales

It is hard to determine the size of the creature in the photo, although it does appear to have pointed ears like a domestic cat rather than a panther or puma.

Puma Watch founder Tony Jones has disproved several big cat hoaxes and cases of misidentification, but always keeps an open mind when looking at sightings.

Big cat sighting, Snowdonia. Images: Puma Watch North Wales

He is building up a picture of sightings using an interactive map.

He said: "Big cats such as pumas are solitary with a hunting range of dozens of miles. They’re mostly spotted in Snowdonia and the Clwydian hills but reports of sightings in urban locations some distance from these areas are becoming more frequent.

"This summer, there were multiple witnesses to a puma at The Dingle, Llangefni. We’ve also had recent reports from the Conwy Valley and Llandudno.

"Previously, suspected big cat prints were found just a few miles from Penisarwaen at Rhiwlas, while last year, a man from Leeds came face-to-face with a puma while climbing Snowdon’s Crib Goch.

"The Dorothea sighting has been added to our interactive map."