FOOTAGE captures what appears to be a big cat feasting on a dead sheep at a popular beauty spot.
The video sparked fear among wildlife enthusiasts who believe a panther is prowling the British countryside.
3
3
3
The beast was spotted by Josh Williams, 17, with a friend after camping overnight near Jacob’s Ladder in the Peak District.
He quickly pulled out his phone and was able to capture some amazing footage of Monday’s encounter.
Josh said they were walking from Mermaid’s Pool on Kinder Scout towards Edale when they saw what they first thought was a feral cat in a nearby field.
But upon closer inspection, they knew what they saw was extraordinary—and that the creature sounded like it was feasting on the carcass of another animal.
Josh said he was convinced that the… creature was a big cat and looked like a panther, but weren’t quite sure what they were seeing.
He said: “We were both confused when we first saw it.
“We stood staring at it and wondered what it could be for about five minutes before I decided to start recording so I could zoom in and see it better.
“We tried to get his attention so he would turn to us so we could better understand what we were looking at.
“We honestly had no idea what it could be if it wasn’t a big cat.
“It was in a field of sheep with no different animals around, and it appeared to have a long black tail, so it was definitely not a sheep.
“We didn’t hear much noise from the wildcat, just the occasional creaking, which made me think it was feeding on something like a dead animal – most likely a sheep.
Josh said he and his friend Ben knew right away that there was something strange about meeting the beast.
He said: “I could see we were both thinking the same thing as the day before, we were actually discussing the possibility that we might encounter a feral cat during our trip.
“The animals around it didn’t seem concerned, but they certainly kept their distance, as if they were used to this happening. It was creepy.”
The stark contrast to its surroundings betrayed it – the jet-black silhouette stuck out from its surroundings like a sore thumb
Josh Williams, 17 years old
Josh and his friend Ben Burns continued to try to get the wildcat’s attention, but were reluctant to enter the field where the animal was located for their own safety.
Josh said: “We stood and watched the animal for about 10 minutes, trying to get its attention, but it didn’t budge – it just kept doing exactly the same thing it did in the video.
“We didn’t get any closer because we were behind a fence and didn’t want to risk becoming cat food.
“The reason we didn’t stay longer was because we had to catch a train and got a little behind after looking at this animal for so long.”
Josh said he was honored to have captured footage of his potential encounter with feral cats — everyone he’s shared the video with is shocked by their discovery.
He added: “We didn’t shut up about what we saw all the way home, saying to each other that it couldn’t possibly be a feral cat.
“But then that also begs the question, what the hell is it?
“I showed the video to my teacher and friends to make sure I wasn’t going crazy and they were all incredulous.
“I was glad to be able to video it after the event because I knew no one would believe me if I told them I saw a panther in the Peak District the first time I went camping.”