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On The Trail Of The Essex Panther
Braintree man John Hancock has always had a fascination with the unknown, but it was the mystery of big cats in the wild that caused him to devote more time to unravelling their secrets.With his wife, Yanoulla, John now spends as much time as possible looking at various theories and investigating sightings of these creatures around Essex.
One of the hotspots for sightings at the moment is Shalford, but they have also been seen in Stisted and Wethersfield.
John, of Comma Close, said: “It is likely that people are seeing the black leopard or the panther. Although people may think the county would not be suitable for these animals to live, it still appears to provide the necessary cover, food and living conditions.”
John now has the full co-operation of Essex Police, who refer sightings straight to him for investigation.
“I believe that the reason we are seeing more of these animals now is that they were once kept as pets but, once the 1976 Dangerous Animals Act was introduced, they were released into the British countryside,” he said.
“Obviously, they can track each other with scent, and I now believe that they are breeding, which is only natural.”
John will now be telling his stories on the Discovery Channel, in a new series called Animal X , and his programme will be called The Essex Panther.
“I was very excited when they asked me if I wanted to do the programme, and I think it is a great honour,” said John.
He now believes that the situation is developing a more serious edge as the animals are no longer scared of humans. “I have had cases where the animal has just sat in the road and not moved when a car came along, and the driver has just had to wait until it walked past the vehicle,” said John.
“So it is becoming more dangerous. It is a fascinating phenomenon, and I urge anyone who sees one of these cats to call me as soon as possible.”
John and Yannoulla have set up the Essex Big Cat Research Project and can be contacted on 01376 342384.
• Story originally published by •
Essex Chronicle - September 15 2000
