A DOGWALKER has recalled an encounter with a "black panther or lynx"in fields near Guilden Sutton in July 2000.

In recent months there has been a spate of sightings of "big cats" in North Wales.

There have also been sightings in Chester and Ellesmere Port, reports of which made to Puma Watch North Wales sparked memories of an encounter more than twenty years ago.

Kate, who asked for her surname not to be used, said she and her Labrador froze in shock when the big cat crossed their path no more than 12 ft away.

She told Puma Watch North Wales: “I was walking my Labrador across the fields behind the barn conversion I lived at in Guilden Sutton, Chester years ago and I am convinced a black panther/lynx walked right in front of us no more than 12ft away.

“The reason I’m so sure about it is because my Labrador even stopped in his tracks when he saw it too, I just froze because I was so shocked.

“It sounds crazy but I have never forgot it and I truly believe it was a panther type animal due to its body shape, size and the way it walked.”

This historical sighting was reported just days after a big cat was spotted in Ellesmere Port.

There have also been several sightings of a large cat-like creature on Chester Meadows.

In December, delivery rider Richard Evans photographed a mystery creature on Chester Meadows while returning from making a McDonald's delivery.

And, in January, a witness reported seeing a “large but slender” black big cat “with a long tail that it carried quite high” at Ince Marshes, close to Ellesmere Port’s Stanlow oil refinery.

Puma Watch founder Tony Jones said their is increasing evidence of small populations of big cats in the UK.

He said: "Big cats such as pumas are solitary with a hunting range of dozens of miles. They’re mostly spotted in Snowdonia and the Clwydian hills but reports of sightings in urban locations some distance from these areas are becoming more frequent.

"As seen with Llandundo’s now-famous goats, who have taken to roaming the town’s deserted streets during the coronavirus lockdowns, it’s likely that the reduced levels of human activity over the last year is encouraging big cats to roam further from the hills into more populated areas.

"When big cats were banned as pets in the 1970s, it was legal to release them into the countryside to avoid expensive rehoming costs. Owners from across the UK travelled to areas like Wales to release their cats in the remote environment, where small but significant populations have thrived ever since."