Paws for thought

Big cat sightings are on the rise again in North Wales – but definite proof seems as elusive as ever. Andrew Forgrave examines the latest reports

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A holidaymaker reported seeing a "large dark coloured" animal, believed to be a puma, at Pen y Berth caravan site near Pwllheli in October last year. This -- fortunately for the holidaymaker! -- is a composite file picture

(GETTY/GOOGLE)

BIG cat sightings invite scepticism right up to the moment a sceptic sees something they can't explain.

In North Wales, reports keep coming in of large dark animals prowling the countryside and sometimes the outskirts of communities. Mobile phones are ubiquitous but photographic evidence remains elusive. Despite this, a sightings database compiled by Puma Watch North Wales continues to grow, the most recent reports being submitted in late October.

Police are not fans, wary of wasted resources and pointless paperwork. In the seven years to 2008, FOI figures showed North Wales Police (NWP) logged 45 alleged sightings across North Wales - including claims predators were seen killing other animals.

Since then, the flow of sightings has steadily eased: between 2011 and 2016, 10 official reports were made. And in the five years to July 2025, just one report was logged, of a "panther" with a head "the size of a dinner plate" in Ruabon near Wrexham. Investigations concluded it was probably a large domesticated cat.

Many sightings are made with genuine intent and where there's evidence, the police will investigate.

In 2018, the force released a sketch of a "large cat" resembling a lynx, again seen near Ruabon.

There are two reasons why official reports appear to be declining.

One, there are no big cats actually stalking unsuspecting walkers; and two, Freedom of Information (Fol) requests are being stymied by police databases.

Following two recent Fol inquiries, asking for reports of cougars, cheetahs, panthers, leopards, lions, lynx, pumas and tigers in North Wales, NWP protested its database had struggled to cope.