Peak District hiker discovers evidence of Derbyshire ‘big cat’ – including ‘large paw print’ and animal carcasses

On Saturday, November 19, Gareth Brimelow was walking by the River Dane in the Peak District, on the path to the bridge at Three Shires Head – where the borders of Derbyshire, Cheshire and Staffordshire meet.

Gareth said he noticed a number of carcasses along the route, as well as what he thought could be the paw print of a big cat.

“We were right by the River Dane and we passed several carcasses on the way, which was a terrible site, and what appears to be the paw print of a large cat.”

Gareth said there were no other animals in the vicinity – and that his gut feeling said the sheep must have been attacked by something large.

“The paw print was bigger than my hand – I should have put my hand next to it to compare. There were only sheep around, no cows or any other animal, and I’d say it was too big to be a dog.”

A series of visitors to the Peak District have reported encounters with big cats this year. Two students captured remarkable footage of what they believed was a big cat on Jacob’s Ladder – one of the main routes onto Kinder Scout.

A woman from Glossop was at a caravan park in the Peak District when she claimed that a big cat made its way onto the site, before attacking and killing an owl outside her door.

A railway worker also said that, while inspecting a tunnel between Edale and Chinley, he came across a black panther – which stalked him for a mile along the tracks.

READ THIS: Community group aiming to secure future of Chesterfield’s Tapton House host meeting as council considers 17 bids

Rick Minter is an author, podcaster and big cat expert – and he previously told the Derbyshire Times that he believed these animals have lived in the county for a long period of time.

He said: “Large cats like black panthers and tan coloured pumas have been reported by people in Derbyshire for several decades, not just in recent months. Across Britain, many witnesses describe the cat as confident, sleek and fit, which suggests they are breeding and conditions suit them. In fact the range of footage taken to date suggests there may be more than one cat in this area.