The mysterious black “panther-type” animal stalking residents in Shropshire has finally been spotted up close and personal.
David Strefford, of Donnington, near Wroxeter, was confronted by the animal while hedge-trimming in Kenley, near Shrewsbury.
The farmer got off his tractor to make an adjustment to the machine when a large black cat began bounding down the lane towards him.
He said: “It stopped suddenly roughly 10 to 12 yards away from me, it hissed, bearing its white fang teeth, ears flattened against its enormous head.
“I thought what am I to do. It happened so quickly that somehow I didn’t feel scared or frightened just alarmed at its presence.”
Mr Strefford describes it as a beautiful animal with massive paws and a tail about 4ft long.
“I waved my arms in the air and shouted. It turned and jumped into the woodland,” he added.
“I climbed on to my tractor and started the machinery and continued trimming the hedge, it ran parallel to me between the trees of the wood, coming out into the lane and bounding off ahead of me and then turned and ran back towards me, I stopped, it turned and faced the hedge and with one powerful thrust leapt up and over.
“There was a slope below the hedge of about 3ft and about a 5ft high hedge so it cleared about 9ft in all effortlessly, the power was amazing.” The ‘panther’ made its escape at Wenlock Edge.
“As I continued on trimming the hedge, I began to wonder what it would have done if it had confronted little children in the lane. I think they should be eradicated, it is certainly something I would not want to meet on a dark night. I do wonder just how many there are around the area or is it just one moving from place to place.”
Mr Strefford tells his story of the “panther” in the February/March Under the Wrekin newsletter.
16 Comments
And it was followed by a hairy bloke with big feet !
Wot hedges was he trimming can i have a sample?
The picture reminded me of an Old English Mastiff dog we used to have.
was any where near the vinyard?????
Yes - There were many reports of these big cats when I lived in BUCKS during the 1990’s.
…must be a slow or no news day..tell us something we don’t know..
Did somebody say trimmings? Do you know if they are fresh?
Typical farmer: nothing to moan about so he invents a big cat story.
CB, how did you know that David Strefford, of Donnington, near Wroxeter, was confronted by a mysterious black “panther-type” animal while hedge-trimming in Kenley? Is it indeed because you are actually the black panther?
well the picture’s changed now, was just the back end before !
I know David Strefford and he is an entirely credible person. If he says he saw it, then he did. A while back someone at Sheinton, not far from Kenley also saw something like this. I am not sure whether it made the newspapers or not.
I don’t think just because a panther is on the loose, that little children should be eradicated!!
I’ve yet to see a credible pic of any of these ‘big cat’ sightings.
It was probably a large dog, but the story was entertaining.Ha sthe farmer considered a career as a writer to top up his earnings. Tax payers have been doing it long enough.
PS Mark Chatham had the same idea I had, and I just can’t stop laughing at his comment. Comedy genius.
I thought I saw what appeared to be a big black cat, it looked about 2-3ft tall with a very black shiny coat and long tail when I was picking up my partner from work at around 10.20pm on Monday night by Nightriding services in Hortonwood, but I doubted myself until I read in the Journal tonight that someone had seen the same thing Sunday evening on the Hadley Road. For those of you making jokes, i guess you have to see it to believe it, why cant it be true? not everyone is a liar, i’m not. And the reason you havent seen any good photo’s of it is because it’s so fast and its not like everyone carries a camera round with them at all times!
my girlfriend believes thats iam going to be mauled by this pantha cus im such an hard arse cus i think i can kill it by beating it up with the end of my shot-gun instead of shooting it!
hahaha im so cool!!
we’re now on panther watch-so please can anyone do some reporting on it!!! much appreciated xx