Black Leopard In A South Devon Wood - 2023
On the 5th of September 2023 I visited a wood in South Devon with a friend called Martin, who looks for signs of big cats with me, who also had his dog with him. As we walked down a track we met a lady who had two dogs with her, both off their leads. As we all chatted, I advised her to keep her dogs on their leads in woods at all times! As she listened to me, out of the woods on the left appeared what looked like a black leopard about 100 feet beyond us and in the shade of the trees! It looked at us and then disappeared back into the woods! My warning to the lady was certainly vindicated! It was 10:30 in the morning. I now have a photograph of what I believe to be the same animal, taken at dawn 18 days after I saw it, showing its back and long tail reaching to the ground.
On the 5th of September 2023 I visited a wood in South Devon with a friend called Martin, who looks for signs of big cats with me, who also had his dog with him. As we walked down a track we met a lady who had two dogs with her, both off their leads. As we all chatted, I advised her to keep her dogs on their leads in woods at all times! As she listened to me, out of the woods on the left appeared what looked like a black leopard about 100 feet beyond us and in the shade of the trees! It looked at us and then disappeared back into the woods! My warning to the lady was certainly vindicated! It was 10:30 in the morning. I now have a photograph of what I believe to be the same animal, taken at dawn 18 days after I saw it, showing its back and long tail reaching to the ground.
It's very interesting that I have spoken to 3 independent witnesses who have informed me that they have seen a large black cat within a few hundred yards of this location! Another friend and big cat expert told me that a holidaymaker who contacted him told him that he saw a big black cat and cub very nearby during the Summer of 2023. Perhaps our leopard was checking out the dogs, as she wanted to feed her cub! I would not be surprised! Keep your eyes open and your wits about you when YOU visit woods and if you have a dog or dogs, please remember this story!
Photos
Here we see two photos taken in the same location. The first one shows what I believe to be a black leopard and the same animal I saw on the 5th of September 2023 and the second shows a dog, for size comparison. The first photo was taken at 6:30 am on the 23rd of September 2023 and the second photo was taken at 7:37 am on the 28th of September 2023.
Foot Print
This right hind leopard foot print was found on the 19th of February 2024 in the same location.