DNA test ‘confirms’ big cats are roaming around British countryside

A DNA test has ‘confirmed’ black panthers and other big cats are roaming around the British countryside.

Documentary makers have said a DNA test has offered definitive proof that black panthers and other big cats are prowling the British countryside.

The DNA was taken from black hair found on a barbed wire fence following a sheep attack in the UK.

The strands were sent off for testing after being recovered from a farm in Gloucestershire where there had been some ‘unusual’ predatory activity.

Suspicion was raised when video footage of a large black animal was also captured just a few miles away from where the sample was taken. 

Documentary-makers, who had been investigating sightings across the UK, say the test has now come back ‘positive’ — which they day confirms the existence of black panthers and other big cats roaming free in the UK.

A forensic laboratory took on the species identification task and used mitochondrial DNA analysis to ascertain a 99% match to a big cat species. 

The findings came to light as part of filming for an upcoming documentary, Panthera Britannia Declassified — which investigates claims of big cat sightings in Britain.

Matthew Everett, from Dragonfly Films, said: “The DNA was from hairs caught on a barbed wire fence where there had been some unusual predatory activity. It’s taken five years for the production team to find such evidence and film its journey from collection to analysis.

“People in Gloucestershire and Britain have described what appear to be black leopards for decades. So, a leopard DNA result from a black hair sample is unsurprising. This is not the first such DNA result and is unlikely to be the last.

“There is a great deal of ‘secondary evidence’ for these cats, such as consistent witness reports, but hard evidence like DNA is hard to get, so the contribution from this documentary is very helpful.

“Collecting such evidence from local people, farmers and landowners is essential — Citizen Science like this will hopefully help us learn more about the Bagheera type big cats which may be quietly naturalising here.”

For decades, people in Gloucestershire and across the UK have reported sightings of what appear to be black leopards.

Witnesses have described them as ‘healthy’ and ‘confident’, suggesting they grew up in their environment.

These stealthy predators mainly prey on wild animals like deer, but they’ve also been reported to attack foxes, ducks, geese and even pigeons. While they can switch to sheep, it seems that they much prefer natural game.

The current findings are not the first of their kind, but they provide valuable evidence to help understand possible big cats living in the British countryside.

Dragonfly Films is currently looking into broadcast options for the upcoming doc, while an earlier version of the film Panthera Britannia is available on Amazon Prime, Vimeo and Apple TV.

In 1976, the UK introduced the Dangerous Wild Animals Act, which required owners of certain exotic animals to obtain a licence and meet strict safety standards. This led to a surge in the number of abandoned or released exotic pets, including big cats, snakes, and primates.

The aftermath of the act’s implementation resulted in the formation of animal sanctuaries and rescue centres, as well as concerns over the welfare and safety of both the exotic animals and the public.

Some of the abandoned animals were able to be rehomed, while others were too dangerous to be domesticated and had to be euthanized. The act continues to be in effect today and has greatly reduced the number of exotic animals kept as pets in the UK.