Fears big cat on the loose after ‘jaguar-like’ creature spotted in Brit town

Fears are growing a mysterious “big cat” is on the loose after a dog walker claims he saw it leap out in front of him.

Residents are being urged to be on the lookout for a panther or jaguar-like creature after the strange sighting in Todmorden, West Yorkshire.

One woman claimed her husband encountered it on Friday night, Yorkshire Live reports.

She said he was walking when “a large black animal” which was “bigger than an Alsatian” leapt over a wall in front of him.

Writing on Facebook, she said the creature froze and stared at him before running away across a field.

The woman said: “Its agility and sheer size and structure, he says, was that of a large cat.

“Now after researching we have since discovered large cat (jaguar) sightings are a thing and maybe others have encountered one too?”

She added: “My husband genuinely came back all shook up thinking he had lost the plot explaining what (had) just happened.”

Other social media users claimed to have also seen the creature, which has been dubbed the “Pike Panther”.

One claimed to have seen a “very large black cat-shaped creature” strutting around.

Another replied: “Three years ago I came face-to-face (with) only what I can say was a puma. I was stood about 7ft away.

“It was as large as a collie dog and a deep, intense black.

“Previously we had a sheep and an alpaca killed in adjacent fields to where we live. Farmers said they had never seen anything like it as it was skinned from the head.

“We didn’t report it (because we) were in shock for a while and thinking no-one would believe us although since then there have been many reports in the area.”

While one claimed to have spotted “the jaguar” from their home, describing the creature as “absolutely massive compared to seeing our cats on the same spot”.

Another claimed to have had an encounter with it by a canal in the area.