Reports of ‘big cat’ sightings have sparked intrigue across Gloucestershire and its surrounding regions, fueled by eerie encounters and even claims of DNA evidence following a sheep attack in the Cotswolds. Among the most compelling stories is that of BBC presenter Clare Balding, who had a close encounter with an enigmatic creature while filming a BBC Radio 4 episode in the Wye Valley.
A clip shared on TikTok captures Clare recounting the moment: “It’s disappeared completely, hasn’t it? It’s gone off into the woods. I should point out, I never knew about stories of a big black cat before this, so I didn’t even think to alert you. I just thought, ‘Oh, look.’ But I promise you, I’m not making it up. It looked very big to me.”
She continued, describing the animal’s composed demeanor: “It didn’t scuffle or run—it was very confident.”
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Clare was interviewing Roger Smith, a local village footpath officer who has been familiar with big cat legends in the area for over two decades. Roger shared, “Well, who knows? No one’s ever taken a photo. But I saw it clearly sitting here once. It looked as large as our Rottweiler.”
He added, “Friends of ours even witnessed a big black cat feeding on a deer carcass nearby.”
The TikTok video drew a wave of responses, with many viewers recounting their own sightings. One wrote, “I saw a melanistic jaguar or leopard in Wales 22 years ago—I was so shocked I swore in front of my mum for the first time.”
Another commented, “With so many abandoned railway tunnels around, it’s entirely possible these big cats travel undetected.”
A third viewer claimed, “Last summer I was sure I saw one in Lincolnshire, lurking in a farmer’s field.”
The fascination isn’t limited to Gloucestershire. In May 2023, Steve Woodman from Chipping Campden reported a startling sighting in the Cotswolds. Driving home at around 1 a.m., he glimpsed a massive black cat towering as high as his Land Rover Freelander’s headlights while stopped at traffic lights. Once skeptical about big cat legends, Steve says his experience has transformed his views forever.
Whether the truth lies in local folklore or hidden wildlife, the tales of these elusive ‘big cats’ continue to captivate and mystify those who live near the Gloucestershire border and beyond.