As intriguing as the Loch Ness Monster tales, and local Himalayan folklore spottings of the Abominable Snowman - local reports surrounding ‘big cats’ connect to a broader regional legend known as the ‘Pembrokeshire Panther’. Now the Welsh Government has released its own files on such reported sightings!
There have been numerous sightings of such a black cat across rural parts of the country over the years -ranging from when a motorist said they had seen the animal on the A477 to the west of Llanddowror back in the winter of 2010, to a former police officer describing a "most definitive" daytime encounter near the village of Treffgarne, whne they observed a large, muscular, brown-spotted animal the ‘size of a German Shepherd’ cross a single-track lane right in front of their car around the same time.
So has the mysterious county 'big cat' been on the prowl in Pembrokeshire and other parts of West Wales again in recent times?
Well, a panther, a leopard and a Canadian lynx are among the reported sightings of big cats across various regions of Wales, ranging from Manorbier in Pembrokeshire to Lovesgrove near Aberystwyth, and the subject of a Freedom of Information (FOI) request of sightings recorded between 2020 and 2025 and released by Welsh Government this month.
The records are held by the Wildlife team in relation to alleged big cat sightings for the period 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2025.
These files include any correspondence between the Welsh Government's Wildlife team and Natural Resources Wales (NRW), The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in Wales, which safeguards animal and plant health; along with police forces.
The Welsh Government records also hold a number of videos and photos as evidence of such sightings that have been sent to them.
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