(Original Headline: Police probe sightings of a panther-like 'big cat' )
POLICE are investigating several "big cat" sightings across the Halifax area.
Members of the public have reported seeing a creature similar to a black panther on the prowl in Cunnery Wood at Hipperholme and near Park Road, Elland. Since February, sightings have also been made in Cragg Vale, Hebden Bridge, and Goitside, Booth, Halifax.
Experts say sightings in Yorkshire have been concentrated in the Huddersfield and Halifax areas in recent times.
Big cat sighting expert Paul Westwood, of website bigcatmonitors.co.uk, is planning to camp out in the Halifax area over the next two weeks in the hope of spotting the mystery beast. Other recent sightings of big cats have been made in Ilkley, Wetherby and Dewsbury.
Calderdale wildlife officer PC Roman Soltan said that he was looking into two reports – at Cunnery Wood and at Elland – both of which were made in the past three months.
He is taking the reports seriously and says it is possible that a big cat, such as a lynx, could be on the loose as many people keep them. So far he has not found any evidence of a big cat, nor seen one, but he is willing to keep looking."
He added: "Should anybody see what they believe to be a big cat I would stress that they do not approach the animal, but take a detailed description of its size and shape, length of tail and where and when it was
seen.
"That would enable us to search the area for prints and collect solid evidence on these often mysterious sightings."
