Is a PANTHER on the loose in the Peak District? Camper says he filmed big cat feeding on dead sheep 

A teenage camper has captured footage of what he believes is a big cat feeding on a ‘dead sheep’ in the Peak District, raising fears of a panther prowling the British countryside.

Josh Williams, 17, had been wild camping overnight with a friend at the British beauty spot when they spotted what looked like a panther in the Peak District.

He quickly pulled out his cell phone and was able to capture footage of Monday’s close encounter.

Panthers are most common in the humid tropical forests of Asia and Africa, but the teen said he saw the big cat walking from Mermaid’s Pool in the Peak District in Derbyshire.

He added that the creature sounded like it was feasting on the carcass of another animal.

Josh said he was convinced the creature was a big cat and looked like a panther, but he couldn’t be quite sure what they were seeing.

He said, “We were both confused when we first saw it.

“We stood staring at it and wondered what it could be for about five minutes before I decided to start recording so I could zoom in and see it better.

“We tried to get his attention so he would turn to us so we could better understand what we were looking at.

Josh Williams (left) had been wild camping overnight with friend Ben Burns (right), at the British beauty spot, when they spotted what looked like a panther in the Peak District

“We honestly had no idea what it could be if it wasn’t a big cat.

“It was in a sheep pasture with no other animals around, and it appeared to have a long black tail, so it certainly wasn’t a sheep.

“We didn’t hear much noise from the wildcat, just the occasional creaking, which made me think it was feeding on something like a dead animal – most likely a sheep.

“We saw immediately that it was something different when we saw it – we both saw it at the same time and looked at each other confused.

“I could see we were both thinking the same thing as the day before, we were actually discussing the possibility of encountering a feral cat during our trip.

Josh was convinced the creature sounded like it was feeding on the carcass of another animal

“The animals around were seemingly undisturbed, but they certainly kept their distance, as if they were used to this happening. It was scary.

“The stark contrast to its surroundings betrayed it – the jet-black silhouette stuck out from its surroundings like a sore thumb.”

Josh and his friend Ben Burns continued to try to get the wildcat’s attention, but were reluctant to enter the field where the animal was located for their own safety.

Josh said, “We stood and watched the animal for about 10 minutes, trying to get its attention, but it didn’t budge – it kept doing exactly the same thing it did in the video.

“We didn’t go any closer because we were behind a fence and didn’t want to risk becoming cat food.

“The reason we didn’t stay longer was because we had to catch a train and were a bit behind after looking at this animal for so long.

“It just stayed in the same position as we walked away.”

Josh said he was honored to have captured footage of his potential encounter with feral cats — everyone he’s shared the video with is shocked by their discovery.

He added: “We weren’t silent about what we saw all the way home, saying to each other that it couldn’t possibly be a wild cat.

‘But that also begs the question: what the hell is that?

“I showed the video to my tutor and friends to make sure I wasn’t going crazy and they were all incredulous.

“I was glad to be able to video it after the event because I knew no one would believe me if I told them I saw a panther in the Peak District the first time I went camping.”