Big cat on the prowl?

9:09am Wednesday 21st November 2007

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A PUB landlady from South Somerset is convinced she saw a big cat like a black panther on the outskirts of Yeovil.

Ruth Turner, of the Volunteer Inn at Sea-vington St Michael, was driving on the Cart-gate link road out of Yeovil to join the A303 when she saw the creature crossing the road.

She said: "It had a very long tail and I saw it jump over a crash barrier.

"It was graceful. I'm 90% certain it was a panther - either that or it was a Great Dane."

There is a growing belief that a large panther is roaming in South Somerset, but pol-ice have said they have not been informed of any recent sightings of big cats in the area.

Helen Bishop has told The Express she is sure she came face to face with a big cat while walking her dog in a field off the main road between Chard and Crewkerne.

She contacted The Express after twice seeing the animal on consecutive days in the same field earlier this month.

The first occasion came when Helen initially saw an animal in the distance.

She said: "I thought it was a badger first of all, but then it got up out of the grass and it was without question a big black cat."

The next morning Helen went back to the field with her dog and to her surprise saw the animal again, but this time it was a "bit too close for comfort".

She said: "I opened the gate to the field and all of a sudden it was there.

"It must have only been a couple of car lengths away and there it was looking at me.

"It's a big cat - it certainly isn't a dog. It was close enough for me to get a really good look at it - too close for comfort really."

Helen admitted she felt a bit silly' talking about what she saw, but was tempted to speak out after reading in The Express' sister paper, the Chard & Ilminster News, on October 31 how Hinton St George man Dave Pitman was out walking in fields close to his home when he came across a dead deer.

Dave said he had never seen a deer's carcass mauled in such a way and even though he was sceptical he thought it could be the work of a big cat.

He said: "I know someone who's adamant he has seen one in the area between Merriott and Hinton St George. I've shown him a picture of a black panther and he was 100% certain that's what he'd seen."

Only this week, Simon Lancaster has said he, too, recently found a mauled deer while walking his dogs on Herne Hill, Ilminster.

He said: "I was amazed at the severity of the kill. The animal which killed this deer must have been some serious meat eater and no ordinary wild animal."

Have you seen a panther-like creature? Have you any photos? E-mail advertising@ yeovilexpress.co.uk or write to: Yeovil Ex-press, 46 Princes Street, Yeovil BA20 1EQ.