Dog walker films ‘puma-like’ beast mauling another animal while his hound ‘froze in terror’

A mysterious ‘big cat’ has been spotted mauling another animal in mobile phone footage captured by a terrified dog walker. 

Tom Mears, 34, witnessed the giant beast tussling in the undergrowth with an unidentified animal during his regular evening walk around Castle Hill Country Park in Leicester.

He managed to film the encounter and the grainy night time footage shows a long, dark animal with a long tail moving ‘in a feline way’.

Tom, a teaching assistant, said his jackadoodle froze with fear and added that he is now convinced it was a puma-like creature. 

Expert Frank Tunbridge, who has seen the footage, also believes it is a big cat, possibly a lynx. 

The grainy night time footage shows a long, dark animal with a long tail moving in a feline way

The ‘big cat’  was caught on camera tussling with another animal in mobile phone footage (left and right) taken by a startled dog walker in Castle Hill Country Park in Leicester

Tom said he had gone out on February 3 before dark as his dog had become scared of the park at night time.

He claims that he noticed some movement in a clearing among the trees just as he was about to leave.

He said: ‘I could see animals but I had no idea what animals they were.

‘I first thought it was foxes but when I looked closer that didn’t seem right.’

Tom, who was standing around 15 metres away, said he could not figure out what the mysterious beast was.

Tom walked back the next day to assess the scene and found a series of huge paw prints (pictured)

Tom walked back the next day to assess the scene and found a series of huge paw prints (pictured)

He followed the tracks to a secluded field and found an old badger's skull (pictured) which Tom said had only added to his suspicions

He followed the tracks to a secluded field and found an old badger’s skull (pictured) which Tom said had only added to his suspicions

Tom Mears (pictured), who works as a teaching assistant, said his jackadoodle froze with fear during the encounter and added that he is now convinced it was a puma-like big cat

Tom Mears (pictured), who works as a teaching assistant, said his jackadoodle froze with fear during the encounter and added that he is now convinced it was a puma-like big cat

He continued: ‘My dog was frozen in terror. This is really unusual as he often plays with foxes and other dogs. 

‘He’s not a cowardly dog at all.  

‘It looked like one animal was dragging another animal. I think we had witnessed a killing.’

The grainy footage shot on Tom’s iPhone shows a mysterious creature moving about the undergrowth.

He also said he saw a swishing tail which looked ‘quite feline’.

‘When I saw the tail I thought that was a big cat, and wanted to get my dog out of there,’ Tom explained.

Tom walked back the next day to assess the scene and found a series of huge paw prints.

He followed the tracks to a secluded field and found an old badger’s skull which Tom said had only added to his suspicions.

Big cat investigator Frank Tunbridge (pictured) has since analysed the footage and photos and said he thought it was 'highly probable' the creature was a big cat

Big cat investigator Frank Tunbridge (pictured) has since analysed the footage and photos and said he thought it was ‘highly probable’ the creature was a big cat 

Mr Tunbridge said that the tail and paw prints (pictured) were important indicators as they strongly resembled those of a feline

Mr Tunbridge said that the tail and paw prints (pictured) were important indicators as they strongly resembled those of a feline

Tom added: ‘It looked like an ideal place for wild animals to hide in. Some look like dog prints but others could be a lynx or a big cat.’

He said has sent off his evidence to big cat experts – hoping to discover what terrified his pooch.

‘I’ll be walking around with my eyes wide open and wary from now on,’ Tom added.

Big cat investigator Frank Tunbridge has since analysed the footage and photos and said he thought it was ‘highly probable’ the creature was a big cat.

He said that the tail and paw prints were important indicators.

Mr Tunbridge explained: ‘The shape and form look very catlike – it’s long in the body.

‘It’s not as large as a leopard or a puma but the way it moves is very catlike. It’s not a fox, you can see that from the shape of the body.

‘You can see it has a long sweeping tail, which is a very good indication that it is a big cat.’

And Mr Tunbridge said one of the pawprints also resembled a feline.

‘Cats’ back pads – on their paws – are much larger than on dogs,’ he explained.

‘You can fit all of their toe prints into the back pad, because it is so large. One of the large pawprints is quite distinctive as that of a cat.’

It comes after another possible big cat sighting around one mile away in Benskins Oval, Leicester, in May last year, when a teenager said they witnessed a big cat walking in the long grass.

And earlier this year, Mr Tunbridge identified that there were two wild pumas stalking the Welsh countryside after seven farmer’s sheep were killed amid a series of mysterious sightings.

Historically lynx were the UK’s biggest cat but they were wiped out by hunters.

There are plans to rewild the creatures in Scotland, but it is not thought lynx have roamed free on the British Isles for more than 1,000 years.