Members of the public report seeing “big cats” as large, or larger than big dogs, often using terms such as “lynx”, “puma”, “jaguar”, “black leopard” or “panther”.
The unexplained sightings have occurred frequently around the more rural parts of Chesterfield but also in more densely-populated areas, including Derby city suburbs.
Larger than normal felines were reported “stalking" in rural parts of South Derbyshire such as Ticknall but were also seen in the Derby suburbs of Chellaston and Normanton.
While to the north of the county they were spotted around Chesterfield twice – in September and October 2016 – in the policing area of Dunston, Moor and St Helen’s.
Sightings also took place in Eckington and the more remote areas of Matlock and Milldale.
Derbyshire Times placed a Freedom of Information request with the Derbyshire force for the period from 2014 – 2022 following numerous videos, photos and narrative accounts of similar glimpses since September this year.
1. Normanton allotments, Derby
April 24, 2015 at 4am: "There was a massive cat - it was like a puma or a jaguar of some sort. It ran over towards the allotments. It definitely wasn't a domestic cat." Photo: Google
2. Dunston, Moor and St Helen's
September 20, 2016 at 1.45pm: "There's a dangerous cat - it's got a much bigger tail and it's a lot bigger and taller. It looks like a small panther. "It was laid 15 yards away from me and it was laid flat like it was stalking. "It's a young animal but is still growing - it's about the size of a dog. The face looks like a cat's but much bigger. It's most definitely not a native animal." Photo: Google
3. Dunston, Moor and St Helen's
October 6, 2016 at 10.38pm: "I have seen a panther. It isn't a fox, it looks different." Photo: Google
4. Kilburn
March 20, 2018 at 7.31pm: "On Sunday afternoon I was walking and I saw something that looked like a big wild cat. "It was not a fox because it had a cat's head, and it was about four times bigger. It looked something like a puma." Photo: Google