The latest 'panther' DNA evidence suggests wild big cats may be stalking the British countryside but what does the genetic data tell us about these animals?
With the last potential sighting earlier this month in Mamble between Kidderminster and Tenbury and with DNA evidence of the predator from both Cumbria and Gloucestershire, we look in more detail about what we know so far - and what to look out for.
There were reports last week of a sighting on Thursday (November 14) on the A456 between Tenbury Wells and Kidderminster at around on Thursday at around 4.30pm.
Meanwhile, a loud growling sound scared a woman and her two powerful dogs earlier this year in Gorse Hill and Elbury Mount Nature Reserve in Worcester.
One of her dogs is a female 65kg Sarplaninac guardian herding dog from Bosnia which she said was 'bred to fight wolves, coyotes and mountain lions' and 'to protect cattle'.
At best many photos of so-called big cats have been out of focus or too distant to provide definitive proof of these dark 'leopards' in Worcestershire.
As the jury is out, experts at the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust said there has been as yet 'no confirmed evidence of their presence – whether that be pawprints, prey carcasses or photographs'.
However, new sightings are reported and described all the time in popular Facebook groups like the Evesham and Villages Big Cat Group and Sighted: Big Cats in Britain.
Can all these people be wrong all of the time and is new genetic data finally providing proof of these claims and sightings some have been all too eager to dismiss as outlandish?
It does appear there is now genetic evidence of these leopards at least in two corners of England, one in Gloucestershire which shares a border with Worcestershire.
In 2022, strands of black animal hair were found on a barbed wire fence in Gloucestershire and there have been a number of recent sightings on the Gloucestershire and Worcestershire border.
A forensic laboratory then analysed it using mitochondrial DNA methods to ascertain a 99.9 per cent match to the leopard species 'Panthera Pardus' (a leopard).
In October last year, Cumbrian resident Sharon Larkin-Snowden came across the carcass and disturbed the animal that had been feeding on it.
Larkin-Snowden took swabs from the sheep’s nose and back and front legs, and they were sent to a laboratory at the University of Warwick which specialises in testing for big cat DNA run by Prof Robin Allaby.
Aalaby told BBC Wildlife that it was very hard to lift DNA from swabs taken from carcasses but there was no doubt in this case.
The University of Warwick has since confirmed the accuracy of the accounts published so far.
He said: “I have remained somewhat open-minded and not overly invested in the big cat story.”
“As far as I was concerned, they may or may not exist, but I was happy to provide the testing service, which was clearly needed.
“We spent those 13 years continually disappointing Rick Minter — who has long been involved in tracking sightings of big cats and trying to assemble evidence of their existence in the UK — with identifications of fox or dog. Until, that is, this sample from the Lake District in October last year.
“In this case, the DNA sequence is 100 per cent unequivocally of the Panthera genus,” Dr Allaby told The Telegraph.
“This means that while the sequence is almost identical to panther (Panthera pardus), there is this one base difference which means scientifically that we must restrict ourselves to calling it as Panthera genus rather than the specific species."
He added: “I find the data we have quite convincing. I’m 99 per cent plus persuaded that our hit is genuine from a panther in Cumbria. What do I think ate the sheep? Panthera pardus, a panther."
So what should people look out for?
Appearance: Melanistic leopards, also known as black panthers, seem to be most similar to the descriptions of big cats seen in the UK. Melanism in leopards is caused by a recessive allele and is inherited as a recessive trait. The animal has relatively short limbs (compared to other big cats) and a broad head.
Size: The leopard (Panthera pardus) is slender but muscular big cat reaching a length of 92–183 cm (36–72 in) with a 66–102 cm (26–40 in) long tail and a shoulder height of 60–70 cm (24–28 in). Males typically weigh 30.9 to 72 kg (68–159 lb), and females 20.5 to 43 kg (45–95 lb). They are smaller than other big cats including tigers, lions, jaguars and cougars.
Behaviour: The leopard is solitary and territorial and by nature shy and alert when crossing roads. They can attack people or other animals when they feel threatened.
Calls: They make a variety of sounds including growls, snarls, meows, and purrs. The roaring in leopards is made up of grunts, also called "sawing". Cubs call their mother with an urr-urr sound.
Prey: Leopards are opportunistic predators. The leopard stalks its prey and tries to approach as closely as possible, typically within 16ft of the target. When it pounces, it kills its prey by suffocation. Small prey is killed with a bite to the back of the neck. The leopard holds larger animals by the throat and strangles them. The leopard primarily hunts at night in most areas.
Prints: Leopard paw prints are compact, with four toes and a pad, and no visible claw marks. They are often called "pug marks".
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