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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Emma Grimshaw & Tim Hanlon

Locals convinced thermal camera captures mysterious 'predator' skulking around

Locals have agreed new footage of a "big cat" is the "most convincing yet" after it was spotted lurking in a field in the West Country.

Numerous sightings have been made of a strange creature that is believed to be in the area and now a deer stalker has made a recording with a thermal camera in a Devon field of what could be a big cat.

And after sharing the clip most viewers have agreed that the video is the best evidence yet that pumas or jaguars are living somewhere in the countryside.

In the one-minute clip, which has been uploaded to TikTok, a feline with a long tail can be seen pouncing on an animal.

"You can see eyes and eyes in this frame quite clearly," it is said on the video. "We've slowed down the footage to show the back of the animal."

After sharing his results with Big Cats Conversation podcast dozens of people have replied debating the images.

One person said: "Please protect these animals at all costs".

Another wrote: "This is probably the only footage I’ve seen of a UK cat that is very convincing" and a third penned: "Very convincing footage, tail is very clear".

The sighting was made in a Devon field (tiktok.com/@bigcatconversations)

There have been scores of accounts of big cats being spotted in the West Country over the years. Farmers, dog walkers and train conductors have all retold their accounts.

Some have seen the strange creature on more than one occasion, others have described the scary moment they felt were stalked by what could have been a panther.

Recent DNA from a black hair sample, snagged on a fence at a Gloucestershire farm, was found to have 99% chance it was a black leopard, reported BristolLive.

The sighting has been called the "most convincing" yet (tiktok.com/@bigcatconversations)

During another recent case, a Gloucestershire man said he "100 per cent" saw a big cat running through a field while driving just an hour outside Bristol.

Jason Scriven, 30, was shocked upon seeing a "huge black object" sprinting along hedgerows in the Forest of Dean on June 1.

Jason, from Tetbury, insisted it was a big cat he saw he saw while driving from Whitecroft towards Lydney at around 10.50am.

After pulling over to try an grab a photo, the 30-year-old said he called police to report the sighting, noting the shape had a "very distinctive long tail".

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