Original headline: Another Big Cat Caught on Film
New pictures of a "big cat" stalking its way across a Westcountry field are yet more evidence that the animals exist, a leading expert said yesterday. The cat - thought to be a puma - was spotted by a party of holidaymakers close to the Cornish Gold Centre, at Illogan, near Redruth, in West Cornwall, in January.
And it was captured on film by John Hallett, from Manchester, who then sent it to expert Mike Thomas at Newquay Zoo for verification.
"The pictures have been examined by a number of experts to ensure that this is not a domestic animal," said Mr Thomas, who released the pictures to the media yesterday. "If we had any doubts at all then we would not have made them public.
"There is no doubt in my mind that this is a big cat because of the shoulder muscle that is visible, its stance and the curl of the tail, which is typical of big cats."
More than a dozen holidaymakers witnessed the big cat make its way across the field at Tolgus and then disappear over a hedge.
Mr Thomas, who has been gathering evidence of big cats in the wild for the past eight years, believes that the grass in the field was about a foot deep when the shots were taken and has estimated that the big cat is about three feet long.
"Looking at the photographs, they are pretty good evidence that these animals are out there," he said. "I've had other recent sightings from people in that area so I've no doubt that these pictures are bona fide."
Hundreds of sightings of big cats have been recorded in Devon and Cornwall in recent years. Last year Devon was named by the British Big Cat Society as the country's big cat "hotspot" with some 97 new sightings.
Numerous animals have been caught on camera including video footage of what was believed to be a puma in a china clay pit near St Austell. Scores of sheep and horses are also thought to have been attacked and killed by the elusive creatures.
Theories on the origins of the animals in the wild vary, although many believe they are descended from big cats dumped in the region's countryside following the introduction of the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act which clamped down on the exotic creatures being kept as pets.
Mr Thomas believes that the big cats released into the wild may have bred with native wild cats, creating hybrid animals which are now being seen in increased numbers.
However, there are still those - including the Government - who have yet to be convinced of their existence despite sightings, impressions of paw prints and growing photographic evidence.
And while Mr Thomas hopes that the "definitive" evidence will soon emerge, he explained that there were many reasons why that hadn't happened.
"Like all cats, these are very shy creatures, they don't want to be seen and if they get hurt or ill, like domestic cats, they simply crawl away and die," Mr Thomas said.
"The chances of people seeing a big cat are not very great but from the evidence I've got these animals certainly do exist.
"We should leave them alone but it would be nice, after all this time, if we could get a really good, definitive, photograph."
