Whitby Park Big Cat (February 2021)

The following account was reported in Cheshire Live by Olivia Williams in an article entitled ‘Cheshire woman describes encounter with ‘big cat’ as reported sightings continue’ (02/02/2021)

The woman was walking her dog in the park when she claims she saw the mysterious creature

There has been another reported sighting of a “big cat” in Cheshire.

This time, a dog walker claims she saw an animal “staring” at her through a fence at a popular Ellesmere Port park.

The woman said she was exercising her spaniel in an enclosed area of Whitby Park near the tennis courts at around 8.30am on Monday, February 1.

She said as she was there, a “large cat-like animal” stood about six to eight feet away from her on the opposite side of the fence.

The woman said she tried to get her phone to take a picture, however the animal ran off into the bushes.

The woman, named Carol according to Puma Watch North Wales – a group set up to document sightings and raise awareness of suspected big cats – reported the sighting to them.

She described the mysterious creature as “cat-like” with “short hair with a bushy tail, and slender”, and bigger than her pet spaniel.

Carol said: “I was in an enclosed area by tennis courts with my dog, he was the opposite side of the area.

“A large cat-like animal, about six to eight feet away from me on the opposite side of the fence, staring.

“I went to take my phone out of my pocket to take a photo and it ran off into the bushes as my dog had come running over to me.

“It was bigger than my spaniel but short hair with a bushy tail and slender.”

The dog owner said to Puma Watch North Wales that she stayed in the area for around 20 minutes to see if she could get another glance of the animal, but to no avail.

She added: “I stayed in the area for about 20 minutes hoping it would reappear so I could get a photo but saw no further sighting.”