Deepdale, Yorkshire, 4th March, 2007, U.K.
"A black panther has been seen prowling a remote
hillside in the
Yorkshire Dales, according to reports. Day-tripper David
Sykes said he saw the
animal between Beckermonds and
Deepdale, in Langstrothdale, between Hawes and
Buckden, on
Sunday."
Mr Sykes had gone for a drive with his wife, Jeanette, when he noticed a 5ft-long, jet-black creature out of the car window. The 48-year-old kitchen designer from Thackley, near Bradford, said: "I looked to my right and saw this black object running through the field.
"I thought it was a sheepdog, but then it turned and I saw it in profile. I nudged my wife and I said 'look at that - it's a big cat'. We pulled in to the side of the road, got out and we must have been watching it for five minutes. It followed the stream down, coming towards us with its tail lofting in the air. My wife commented on how big its head was compared to its body."
Mr Sykes said he was annoyed with himself for not carrying a camera. He said: "It was a bright sunny day and we got a clear view of it. We did not mistake it for anything else -in my mind it was a black panther or something similar. It was one of those experiences that you do not know how to describe -it was a 'wow' moment."
Mr Sykes has reported the sighting to police, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority and the Big Cat Society.
A spokesman for the park authority said the report of a big cat roaming the park was the first received: He said: "Our rangers will keep their eyes open."
