Creatures, Myths & Legends

Mystery 'large predator' kills sheep in England

By T.K. Randall
January 9, 2021

Image: Black Panther
Credit: Davidvraju / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) According to reports, officers visited the farm after several sheep were attacked and killed by an unidentified carnivorous animal earlier this week.

"Today PCSO Smith and myself have attended a triple sheep killing in Marton, Salterswall, Winsford district," PC Moss of the Cheshire Police Rural Crime Team wrote on Facebook.

"This attack occurred overnight from around 9pm yesterday (7th) and 8:30am today(8th). One sheep and two lambs, killed near the farmhouse with the rest of the flock unharmed. "

"There are some extremely unusual elements in the case and a thorough investigation is currently underway to establish the full circumstances."The case follows on from the deaths of several sheep at another nearby farm last week, prompting concerns that there could be a large animal on the loose, possibly an exotic big cat.

"The area has very little human interaction and at the moment the thought is very much on a larger predator and not as initially thought, a dog attack," the police wrote at the time.

"On speaking to the farmer they confirmed a sighting some years ago of a very large black cat type animal not a million miles from this location."

Sightings of large predatory cats have persisted across the British Isles for years. While it has long been suspected that a population of these animals has been roaming the countryside, conclusive evidence of their existence in the UK has been thin on the ground.

These latest sheep deaths however may be just the proof authorities have been looking for.

Source: Cheshire Live

Tags: Big Cats