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Shari Miller
Daily Mail
August 18, 2013
- Herbert and Doreen Smith were left shocked after seeing the huge animal
- Many have claimed to have seen the Beast of Trowbridge over the years
- Sightings have also occurred in Staverton and Westbury Leigh
The picture apparently showing a big cat dubbed the Beast of Trowbridge was last night claimed to be a fake.
Although it certainly appears to be a black and furry four-legged beast, doubt has been cast over whether it really was photographed prowling near a certain Wiltshire town.
It emerged the photograph – possibly of a cougar – may have in fact been taken in Lapeer County, Michigan, in the US- and first published in 2007
Herbert and Doreen Smith claim they saw the unusual animal while walking in Murhill Woods, in Trowbridge, Wiltshire last week and took the photo.
Mr Smith, 71, said they observed the animal catching and then eating some prey.
He said: ‘Our first impression was sheer astonishment. We really could not believe our eyes at what we were seeing.
‘The animal was eating what we believe it had just caught.
‘There was a lot of rabbits about so I expect it was having breakfast.
‘I was about 20ft away from it while it was eating. It looked up at me for a couple of seconds, then resumed eating.
‘If it wasn’t for my wife tugging at my arm to get me out of there, I would have stayed observing this magnificent animal.’
The Smiths are not the first to spot the creature which has been dubbed the ‘Beast of Trowbridge’ by locals and there have been numerous sightings over the years.
Described as a puma or panther, the animal has also been seen in nearby Staverton and Westbury Leigh.
After looking at the pictures, Big cat tracking expert Frank Tunbridge said the animal looks like a cross between a black leopard and a puma.
He said: ‘It is what we would call a British Big Cat.
‘Looking at the curve of the tail it is very feline. Cats lay down to eat like that, unlike dogs or foxes which usually stand up.
‘It is difficult to judge the size as there is very little in the photo to suggest proportions, but the couple who saw it certainly say they were shocked and presumably they would have known if it was just the size of a domestic cat.’
Mr Tunbridge, of Gloucester, added that it is entirely possible for big cats to survive in the UK.
‘I go out into the field all the time and I know how they live.
‘Big cats do not need antelopes or zebra to survive on. They can live off hares, rabbits, pheasants, moles, and of course there is plenty of those in our countryside.
‘In the summer when there is plenty to eat, they survive on the smaller mammals, but in winter when there is less food around they will go for the bigger prey like deer.’
He said it is widely thought big cats came to roam the British countryside after they were released by people who bought them as pets in the 1960s and 70s.
‘They were kept by the pop stars and models and people with money when there were no rules and regulations,’ he said.
‘In those days you could buy a puma cub for about £250 from a pet shop in Bristol with no questions asked, or a black leopard from an animal dealer.
‘When the Dangerous Animals Act came in in 1976, rather than have their pets destroyed they would take them out to the Cotswolds or the Forest of Dean or somewhere similar and just let them go.
‘They bred and cross-bred after that.’
