THE founder of a big cat group in Worcestershire says DNA evidence provides more proof to support sightings in the county and refutes any suggestion samples are being 'planted'.

Mandy Acres, founder of Evesham and Villages Big Cat Group, who has herself had an encounter with one of the large predators cited a recent study which had found genetic evidence of a big cat in northern England.

Mrs Acres cited a report in Discover Wildlife in May which suggested that a big cat, probably a leopard, had been identified from a dead sheep in the Lake District.

In October last year, Cumbrian resident Sharon Larkin-Snowden came across the carcass and disturbed the animal that had been feeding on it.

Larkin-Snowden took swabs from the sheep’s nose and back and front legs, and they were sent to a laboratory at the University of Warwick which specialises in testing for big cat DNA run by Prof Robin Allaby.

Allaby told BBC Countryfile Magazine they were able to make a positive identification of DNA belonging to a cat from the Panthera genus

 This includes five species – lion, leopard, tiger, jaguar and snow leopard, but only two – leopard and jaguar – have the melanistic (black) forms described.

Allaby told BBC Wildlife that it was very hard to lift DNA from swabs taken from carcasses but there was no doubt in this case.

The University of Warwick has since confirmed the accuracy of the accounts published so far.

He said: “I have remained somewhat open-minded and not overly invested in the big cat story.”

“As far as I was concerned, they may or may not exist, but I was happy to provide the testing service, which was clearly needed.

“We spent those 13 years continually disappointing Rick Minter — who has long been involved in tracking sightings of big cats and trying to assemble evidence of their existence in the UK — with identifications of fox or dog. Until, that is, this sample from the Lake District in October last year.

“In this case, the DNA sequence is 100 per cent unequivocally of the Panthera genus,” Dr Allaby told The Telegraph.

“This means that while the sequence is almost identical to panther (Panthera pardus), there is this one base difference which means scientifically that we must restrict ourselves to calling it as Panthera genus rather than the specific species.

“I find the data we have quite convincing. I’m 99 per cent plus persuaded that our hit is genuine from a panther in Cumbria. What do I think ate the sheep? Panthera pardus, a panther."

“I can understand that some would want more evidence before they are persuaded,” he said. “To build legitimacy, I think the obvious thing we need is more data.

“When we have enough samples, I would look to do much deeper sequencing – not just short sections of DNA but whole genomes if possible,” he said.

This, he says, would be the threshold for a potential publication “that would be universally acceptable and meet the high bar that folk understandably have”.

In 2022, strands of black animal hair were found on a barbed wire fence in Gloucestershire and there have been a number of recent sightings on the Gloucestershire and Worcestershire border.

Mrs Acres said: "Even though it is proof you will still have the non believers try to explain it away as it’s been planted etc. Who in their right mind would plant it, where would they get it from and why Gloucestershire?!"

Speaking previously, she said: "The reason I created the group was because I had a sighting in August 2013. Whilst I did not report the sighting at the time, not fear of being disbelieved but I didn’t want any harm to come to the animal by telling everyone where I saw it.

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"In the last few years I’ve seen stories on and off about sightings and my sister Beckie Gurney who is also an admin on the group had a friend who had seen large footprints and a deer carcass."

Other experts have not ruled out the possibility of the big cats roaming through the remoter parts of the county, including the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust. They just say more conclusive proof has yet to be found.

A National Farmers Union (NFU) spokesperson has also said farmers are keeping 'an open mind'.