SPECULATION that a large black cat could be prowling around the Chard and Ilminster area has resurfaced again.
PC Andy Stuart, of Chard Police, has told the News that they received reports from a resident stating that they had seen a large cat in fields around the Bishopswood area of Chard on Sunday.
“The cat has been described as being the size of a Doberman,” he said. “If anybody has seen anything similar please contact South Somerset District Council’s countryside wardens.”
The sighting comes just over a year after there was a spate of claims from people living across the area that they had seen or come across potential evidence to suggest that a large wild cat is living locally.
The News reported potential sightings in Broadway, Donyatt Hill and even in the urban residential area of Glynswood in Chard, while there were further reports from Hinton St George and Herne Hill in Ilminster.
Big cat expert Frank Tunbridge, who has been tracking cats for 25 years, said that sightings are becoming more frequent.
He said most of the big cats that are spotted are thought to descend from animals like leopards or pumas released by owners after the Dangerous Animals Act 1976 tightened up regulations over keeping them as pets.
If you would like to report a big cat sighting – please call South Somerset District Council on 01935-462462.
Have you seen a big cat prowling the countryside in the Chard, Ilminster and South Somerset area? If you have contact us on 01460-238180 or e-mail us at newsdesk@chardandilminsternews.co.uk
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