A startling sighting of a potential black panther roaming the Welsh countryside has been captured on camera by a couple. David Davis and his wife Natalie were on a kayaking trip along the Llangollen canal in Denbighshire when they encountered the mysterious creature. The incident took place last week on 16th October, as they were making their way back around 5pm.
David Davis, 48, initially noticed a cat near a gate in a field through the trees to his left. He was surprised to spot the animal from a distance of about 400 metres at the top of the field. As he maneuvered his boat for a better view, he was astonished to see what he believed was a black panther. The creature, resembling the size of a large Alsatian dog, stood halfway up the farm gate, providing a clear profile view.
Excited by the sighting, David tried to film the animal with the encouragement of his wife Natalie, who exclaimed, “Holy s**t it’s a big cat.” Although the video captured only a distant view, it shows a large black animal with a long tail moving across the field. The couple observed the creature for a couple of minutes as it moved in a zig-zag pattern down and back up the field before disappearing into the forest.
Responding to the footage, Rick Minter, host of the Big Cat Conversations podcast, shared his analysis. While acknowledging the larger size of the cat in the video compared to a domestic black cat, he doubted it to be a black leopard. He explained that black leopards, also known as panthers, are rarely seen in the UK due to their elusive nature. Despite the credibility of sightings in the region, he suggested that the creature in the video may lean more towards the size of a domestic cat.
The incident has left the couple and viewers intrigued about the presence of such a majestic creature in the Welsh countryside. Authorities and wildlife experts may further investigate the sighting to confirm the identity of the creature captured on camera.