Canadian lynx one of big cat sightings in Welsh countryside

A panther, a leopard and a Canadian lynx are among the reported sightings of big cats in Wales, according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

Fifteen “big cats” were reported to authorities in Wales between January 2020 and July 2025, the FOI to the Welsh government found.

The apparent spottings were made in areas ranging from Pembrokeshire to Ceredigion, Powys, Swansea, Denbighshire and Carmarthenshire.

One reporter described seeing what they believed was a panther jumping over a hedge onto the road in front of them while they were driving.

A leopard sighting was reported to Dyfed-Powys Police in Cwmtwrch, Swansea, on 16 January 2023, when the reporter saw a “leopard with spots walking around the garden when their dog was let out”.

The report stated that the dog did not react and “security lights kept coming on as it was walking around”.

No evidence was submitted and the report states that no action was taken after officials contacted the reporter to discuss further, but could not reach them.

A sighting of a “panther” between Capel Bangor and Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, was reported to Dyfed Powys Police (DPP) on 30 May 2023, with the reporter saying they were driving when they saw a “large black cat” come over a hedge and land on the road in front of him. The animal then “pounced across the road” before jumping over another hedge.

It was described as “jet black, smooth/short coat, muscular, long tail, and the size of a Labrador dog”, and the reporter said they would describe it as a panther after seeing a photo of the animals online.

No action was taken after no other reports or sightings were made and there were no reported livestock attacks.

An apparent sighting of a Canadian lynx was reported to DPP on 13 May 2025 in Port Henri, Carmarthenshire, and no action was taken.

A “puma-sized cat” was also reported in Fairy Falls, Trefnant, Denbighshire on 25 October 2023, but no action was taken after an investigation by North Wales Police confirmed it was not a real cat.