Scarborough Evening News

23 December 2003

Big cat prints mystery

Large paw prints that could belong to a lynx or panther have been found in the snow at Staxton.

Janet Sowerby, of Ganton Dale House, discovered the prints next to her dining room yesterday and called the police immediately.

She said: "They measured several inches, which is far too big to be a normal cat or dog. They also had three pads and the prints were two to three feet apart.

"Even the policeman said it was far too big to be any domestic animal."

Mrs Sowerby said a friend had spotted a large black cat near the house in January.

"Two children were playing outside, then all of a sudden my friend came racing back in with the children, who looked terrified," she said. "She said they had seen a big black cat run across the field. We have a great dane dog but she said it was much bigger. She said it was like a lynx or a panther.

"Just before that had happened my husband had also found a rabbit that had been torn to pieces.

"We have not seen any evidence since then until now. I'm not really all that worried about it, I find it quite interesting really. I would be interested to hear if anyone else has seen it in the area."

Panther pointers

There have been a number of sightings of mystery beasts over the years.

• April 1994 - two sisters came face to face with a 'black panther' in a field near Cloughton, and a 25-year-old man was confronted by a large cat while driving near Cayton Carr.
• June 1994 - Burniston villager Howard Pattison came within a whisker of photographing a black panther-like creature in a field.
• January 1995 - two boys saw a panther-type beast as they walked in woods near their Scarborough homes.
• October 1995 - four people reported seeing a mysterious big cat at the miniature railway in north Bay.
• June 1997 - Nick Abbey, 16, of Scarborough, reported being chased by a large black panther-like creature as he cycled on Oliver's Mount.
• August 1998 - woman at Primrose Holiday Village, Filey, saw a straw-coloured creature, believed to be a puma or mountain lion, in her garden.
• December 1999 - mystery prints were found in the snow at Barrowcliffe
• April 2001 - postal worker Debbie Bradshaw said she had to swerve her car to avoid a beast in Brompton-by-Sawdon. Days later it was spotted in Osgodby.