Recent sightings

There have been recent sightings of a black leopard on the Romney Marsh and two miles inward from Herne Bay. The latter sighting took place Sunday 24th April at 12:30 pm. There have been five sightings of a large, black cat on the marshes at Romney.

Black leopard sighted at Challock, Ashford

Thursday 21st April 2011
Challock, near Ashford.
Male cyclist travelling towards Gold Hill, Challock. Large, black cat, size of a labrador crossed road slowly twenty-feet ahead.

Black leopard sighted at Sheppey

In the past there has been a lot of scepticism regarding the possibility that a black leopard inhabits the Isle of Sheppey. In 2002 it was claimed by a local builder that a large black cat had been shot by a farmer. This has never been proven. Even so, over the last decade there have been a number of sightings which usually come in clusters around the island. Some people may be seeing a large feral cat but others are certainly seeing a cat larger than any feral. A few days ago a black leopard, measuring four-feet in length, was seen on the island by a group of witnesses. The sighting took place in broad daylight as the animal sat in undergrowth stalking rabbits. Although the island is relatively small there is enough marsh and undergrowth to hide a very elusive cat. The big question is, how did it get there ?

Black leopard sighting.

Several sightings have been received during early April, not all will be published here, but here is the latest.

'Hi Neil ..Today (6th April 2011) 1pm in very good light a large black cat (approx 3ft head to rear ) ran across the road in front of us as we drove between Ulcombe and Grafty Green in Eastwood Road; it was close enough for us to be ABSOLUTELY sure of its size.....and the fact it could NOT have been a domestic cat....Kind Regards John '

Black leopard sighting at Brockley...

'I live in Brockley in SE4, London. Our garden backs onto undergrowth and the train line South East.

On Thursday night (24th March) my partner noticed a large black shape at the end of our garden making a strange growl as my domestic cat Peach was freaking out looking at it from the window. He went outside only for the creature to have gone rather quickly.

I returned home later on and opened the back door to the garden (It was the first nice evening we'd had) and I obviously startled the creature again and it ran away, clearing three or so garden fences in a matter of seconds. Very heavy footed, claws audible and the strength of the thing evident. We startle foxes and other cats all the time and none of them moved in the way this one did. It was remarkably quick and powerful.'

Recent Gravesend sighting.

'My name is Gill and I live in Gravesend. On Saturday the 26th March at 22.45 I was at the shops in Winfell way Riverview Park and I saw a large black animal walking very close to the wall going around to the back of the shops. I was with my granddaughter and I told her to get her camera ready on her phone I then drove slowly around the back of the shops the only thing we then saw was a small fox running towards my car.The animal I saw was not a fox It had a really long curved tail and stood about 2ft high and very slender in build and walked very slowly.'

More late March sightings...

In the last week there have been reports of a black leopard at Cuxton (observed by two witnesses from bedroom window as it slinked across a field in broad daylight), Ulcombe (large, black cat seen running through a neighbours garden - third sighting in the week) and Marden.