Derbyshire is in central England.
In todays Derbyshire Times we have this.
"Published on Thursday 1 March 2012 16:32
THEY may still be considered as nothing more than a myth by many - but according to some Derbyshire Times readers, big cat sightings are a common
occurrence in our county.
In response to an article published last month on Derbyshire big cats, several of you got in touch to share your experiences of the feline
phenomenon.
One reader, Andy Booker, emailed to say: “My dad has sighted a big cat around the Wingerworth area. He said it was unmistakable for any other common
animal.
“He said it was the size of a medium sized dog and jet black but had the ‘swagger’ of a cat walking.”
Another, who wished not to be named, reported several encounters with the animals, including one on Pudding Pie Hill, Chesterfield.
He said: “Turning a steep bend I was confronted by a largish animal in the road.
“No doubting whatsoever, the creature was a lynx with distinctive red brown/grey fur with black patterning and although the ears were back the tufts
at their tips were visible.”
On Facebook, Nigel Bradbury, commented: “A panther was sighted a few years ago, by my brother Richard, up the Headlands at Winster.”
But Facebook fan, Max Hall, was dubious. He said: “What a load of tosh. Big cats/UFOs/bigfoot - why in this day and age someone doesn’t get a
decent photo when everyone has a camera on their person?”
Nick Brown, enquiries officer for Derbyshire Wildlife Trust said that while big cats in the county is an interesting topic, more evidence is
needed.
He said: “I do think that there have been and perhaps still are large cats in Britain that are evading proper identification, but we still haven’t
got a good DNA record.
“It is fascinating and something we should get to the bottom of. But we do need some hard evidence.”
Do you think big cats in the UK are just a myth? Email
[email protected]"
A fair reporting of the situation. Notice the commonly asked question, why doesn't someone get a decent photo? Try it next time you catch sight of a
fox, badger or deer. Take a photograph with that camera that "everyone has". How good is the quality of that photograph? A black leopard walked
across the road in front of a friend who is a professional photographer. I asked him what were the chances of getting a photograph. His answer was
"Zero". Stop the car, take the camera out of its case, switch it on. Does the cat stand there smiling and showing its best side while you prepare
yourself?
"..evading proper identification.." is a good choice of words by the Wildlife Trust enquiries officer. However, saying we need some hard evidence
sounds a bit silly. Scat and hair are in the possession of many people and can be readily found with a bit of effort. The problem is much of the hair
doesn't match what is expected according to conventional wisdom.