Residential sightings of Cannock Chase panther

From the Cannock Chase Post: 22 Jan. 2009

By Kevin Edge

More witnesses have come forward to tell of their encounters with the Chase Beast, with the big cat spotted nearer to residential locations.

Last week the Post revealed the mysterious beast had been spotted near disused leisure units in Hemlock Way, Heath Hayes.

And this week, more eyewitnesses have contacted us tell of sightings of the beast near to homes in the village.

"My Wife and I were walking along Hemlock Way at about 10.30 pm last Saturday," one resident, who did not want to be named, said.

"When this animal ran across the road, about 100m in front of us.

"We were opposite the entrance to Sidon Hill Way and it ran across from the land between Deavall Way and Woodpecker Way, onto the Old Hednesford Park field.

"It was the size of a large Labrador, but had the very distinctive movement of a cat.

"Ordinarily, I would be fairly sceptical reading articles of this nature, but having witnessed it, it is a sobering thought, that we could be living in such close proximity to a big cat."

The shocked man said he had lived in the area for over a decade, and had never seen evidence of the big cat in the village before.

"We have lived off Hemlock Way for nearly 15 years and have never witnessed anything like this before."

Big cat expert Neil Arnold, of Kent Big Cat Research, said he was in no doubt panthers and other big cats are loose in the UK, but played down their threat to Heath Hayes residents.

"These cats are not a threat to humans, as there is so much prey out there in the wilds, from rabbits to deer and from birds to livestock, but such animals must be taken seriously," he said.