A WOMAN has captured what she thinks was a 'big cat' on camera in the Cheshire countryside – in what experts have hailed an 'incredible' sighting.
Becky Clarke spotted the mystery beast prowling through a field while out for a walk recently.
The video, recorded on Becky's iPhone has been hailed as "incredible" by some experts.
Despite capturing some of the clearest evidence to date of big cats’ existence in the wild of the UK, Becky said they almost missed their opportunity to record their sighting.
She added: "We watched it for about 20 seconds on zoom before I realised I hadn't pressed record.
"There has been so much disruption in our area with thousands of houses going up over the last five to six years, and now motorway works cutting through green space.
"It was only in the last few years I was lucky enough to see the deer, and now the cat.
"I suspect their areas have been disrupted so much they have had to move. We are hopeful to see it again."
The sighting was made on a recent Saturday afternoon on the outskirts of a town in Cheshire, although its exact location is being kept secret to avoid hunters.
Matt Everett, director of recent hit Amazon documentary Panthera Britannia Declassified, said: "It is pretty good evidence. Even without scaling you can tell it is a large cat.
"The birds seemed to get spoiled as if there was a predator nearby too. It is all consistent with what you would expect."
Tim Whittard, co-producer of Panthera Britannia Declassified, added: "I think it is an incredible sighting.
"We have seen a significant surge in eye-witness reports, as well as people coming forward with new photographic and video evidence since the release of the documentary.
"I think it has really changed the attitude of Joe Public towards this subject, and it is no longer a matter of ridicule for eyewitnesses.
"Things like the leopard DNA being found in the Stroud Valleys in 2022, as well as being able to piece together so much of the history around how these big cats came to be roaming freely in the British countryside in the first place, appears to have given more people the confidence to come forward."
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