LARGE cats could still be roaming the Cumbrian countryside – according to one local expert.

A freedom of information request to Cumbria Police revealed that they had received nine ‘big cat’ sightings in the county since 2016.

But Sharon Larkin-Snowdon, 48, from Cockermouth, who is the administrator of Big Cats in Cumbria Facebook page, said that number is much higher in reality.

She said her page had received at least 12 reports over the last year.

She said: “I think with running the Big Cat in Cumbria group it is taking the pressure off the police, in the last year we have had 12 reports.

“The most recent sighting was at Thirlmere, where there has been reports of a black and white leopard.”

In response to the FOI, Cumbria Police Inspector Richard Smillie said: “We wish to reassure the public that the reports of this nature are extremely rare and all sightings are investigated. We work closely with farmers and community groups to address any concerns.”

Since 2016, four of the reports to police were from residents in the north of the county, two in the west and three in the south.

One was made in the north in 2016, five reports were made in 2017 - two in the north and south and one in the west. In 2018 two sightings were reported in the west and south and in 2019 one sighting was reported in the north. No sightings were received by police for 2020.

From the nine sightings, police said four referred to ‘big cat’, three to ‘panther’, one to ‘large cat’ and one to ‘large black cat’.

For four of the sightings, officers contacted the wildlife officer and for one they contacted the council’s animal licenses department.

Sharon said there have also been sightings of a puma in the Lake District and several sightings in Kendal of two big cats that are hunting together. Earlier this year there was photographic evidence of a cat thought to be a Caracal.

In 25 years of big cat spotting Sharon has had seven sightings. She is currently awaiting the results from a testing lab on marks left on a deer jawbone found in the Lake District.

She added: “They are going to see if the marks are the same as a leopard, the marks were made by sharp teeth that have crunched the bone.”

She has also had a hair sample that was found in Kendal confirmed as being from a leopard, after it was sent away for analysis.

Ms Larkin-Snowden thinks that the animals may have been released by people once the 1976 dangerous wild animals act came in, which brought in regulations and licenses in order to keep these types of animals.

She said: “There are a small handful of cats in the UK that keep breeding and the white leopards that are seen could be as a result of inbreeding between a small community.”

Though she is sure that the public should not be concerned about any encounters, as the cats will make sure they keep their distance from people and can prove to be very elusive.