Could this be the wild cat of Woodchester? Beast hunted after deer is devoured in Cotswolds

• Expert says attack had hallmarks of a big cat attack
• Dog walker claims beast is size of a German Shephe

By David Wilkes
Last updated at 10:22 PM on 12th January 2012

Nestled in the picture perfect Cotswolds, the parish of Woodchester is hardly the exotic location you might associate with such a beast.
But, following the slaughter of a deer in the area and several apparent sightings, rumours are abounding that a big cat is stalking the fields and woods around the Gloucestershire village.
Rick Minter, an expert on big cats in England, examined the carcass of the six-month-old roe deer in nearby Woodchester Park, yesterday. He said it showed ‘hallmarks of a big cat attack’, adding: ‘The claw and teeth impressions are indicative of big cat activity.

Is this it? This image of a large black animal was captured in a field in north-west Wiltshire and could be the beast that is stalking a Gloucestershire village

Examination: A man completes a DNA test on the carcass of the deer. Experts said that the attack had the hallmarks of a big cat due to claw and teeth impressions

‘And the stomach was taken out and discarded. Big cats are strict carnivores so they don’t want to eat the grass-filled intestines.’
The National Trust, which owns the land, is taking the theory so seriously it has ordered DNA tests on the deer’s remains to establish what killed it. Mr Minter said the team was also investigating paw prints near the carcass. He said: ‘There’s a saying with paw prints that “if it’s round it isn’t a hound” and these are quite round.’
Suspicion was raised further yesterday after a dog walker claimed to have seen a big cat in a field half a mile from where the deer was found on January 4.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said: ‘It was jet black and at least the size of a German Shepherd, very powerfully built and with large paws, a long tail and a smallish head.’
She is not the first to claim to have seen the ‘wild cat of Woodchester’ near the village, better known for being home to the largest Roman mosaic in Northern Europe.
Wilf Ashman, 72, said he had seen a big black cat nearby seven times in the past ten years, most recently in 2010. Mr Ashman said: ‘It’s not a normal feral cat, this is different and bigger.’ A large, panther-like animal has been pictured in fields just over the county border in north-west Wiltshire. 
Other recent sightings include a ‘pure white predator’ spotted in nearby Nailsworth, just weeks before the deer was killed.
Andy Todd, who said he saw the beast, added: ‘It was pure white. It almost looked like a polar bear.’
The DNA tests are expected to be completed later this month.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2085919/Could-wild-cat-Woodchester-Beast-hunted-deer-devoured-Cotswolds.html#ixzz1jQpKfp1o

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