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Lewis Gutteridge at the scene where the pawprint was found in Upper Bruntingthorpe

Is a Panther on the Prowl in Leicestershire?

This is Leicestershire: 12th August 2009

This is Leicestershire
   
The owner of an industrial estate is installing cameras after becoming convinced that big cats are visiting it.
Lewis Gutteridge said he had found paw prints, claw marks and droppings which he believes are from a big cat.
The intruder has been visiting the compound in Upper Bruntingthorpe, near Lutterworth, over the past two weeks
Big-cat sightings have been reported in the area.
Mr Gutteridge said: "I discovered the marks when I was about to level the site.
"I noticed a very strong smell and then saw the prints. We don't know what it could be, but it could be a panther or leopard.
"It has left very large paw prints and droppings. The claws look more than an inch long.
"We are looking to erect cameras so we can catch whatever it is on disc."
County councillor and ecologist Dr Sarah Hill has examined the image of the paw print.
She said: "It is not a dog. If I had to hazard an opinion, I'd say it was a puma. It is very big, whatever it is."
Animal expert Ben Potterton, of Twycross Zoo, has recently returned from studying big cats in Sri Lanka.
Mr Potterton said: "I am sceptical about most reported sightings in this country, but there is no doubt there are big cats in the UK.
"Animals were released into the wild after the introduction of the dangerous animals laws in the 1970s. They tend to look for isolated areas.
"In this case, I would urge the people to send the faeces for analysis. That could check the DNA and also what the animal has been eating."
Nigel Spencer, of Leicestershire and Rutland Panther Watch, said: "There is a history of sightings of big cats in the Bruntingthorpe area and surrounding villages."

Big Cat DOES Exist
 A black leopard IS on the prowl in Comet country and the public is being warned not to chase or threaten it or it might attack them.
A big cat expert confirmed this week that the leopard is almost certainly the same animal he has seen close to his home near Codicote.
Rob Martin runs the Cat Survival Trust near the village and has a number of big cats including leopards and is also a wild cat scientist.
This week, talking exclusively to The Comet, Mr Martin said the black leopard he had seen close to the Trust was without doubt the same one that had been seen in the countryside around North Herts and Stevenage.
"It is the same black leopard that has been roaming around the area for the past two years. There is only one black leopard on the loose," said Mr Martin.
"Normally leopards pose no threat to humans but if they are provoked or cornered they could attack because they would feel threatened.
"I have seen a very grainy film taken on a mobile phone that was shown to me by your photographer and can confirm that the animal is a black leopard. I am 100 per cent certain of that."
The video, taken by a reader walking in a field near Buntingford, appeared on the Comet website. Other sightings of a big cat have also been reported around Weston and Clothall Common near Baldock.
Mr Martin said the black leopard, which has made a number of visits to his property, had on two occasions been within 60 metres of him and then disappeared.
On several occasions he has been called out by local farmers and by the police following reports of a large black cat which he identified as a leopard due to the paw prints he discovered.
"I am certain there is only one black leopard prowling around and knowing they can travel up to 30 miles at night it could be seen anywhere in the open countryside around here," added Mr Martin.
"The countryside offers plenty of food for a leopard like rabbits, deer and even smaller animals and also plenty of cover. During the day they might rest in trees or take cover in long grass or even woodland.
"But my advice to anyone who sees this beautiful animal is keep your distance and it will just wander off. In most cases it might stay in one area for a few days and then leave.
"This is a lonely, solitary animal who knows how to survive. It was probably kept illegally as a pet in a private collection and either escaped or was let free.

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Do you have any information on the above reports. Were you the person involved, or are you aware of any more sightings in this area. We would appreciate any information that you could give us.