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An animal expert claims to have solved the big cat mystery once and for all by shutting down theories about wild pumas roaming Britain's moors – in favour of a more known predator.
Hayley de Ronde, a former zookeeper, believes the answer to the scary sightings could actually be black foxes as more than 400 of the creatures are believed to be roaming the countryside.
Founder of Black Foxes UK and animal expert Ms de Ronde says a growing number of the rare melanistic foxes are responsible for a rising number of black wild cat reports.
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Hayley said: "If somebody believes they have seen a big cat more often than not it's going to be a more regular animal
"If they are adamant they have seen a big cat then there's a high chance that it might be a fox instead – that they did see something unusual but it isn't quite what they thought."
According to the Black Foxes UK website, the black version of the European red fox is a rare sight in the UK. It says the melanistic or black fox carries recessive traits that mean it's appearance in nature is a rare occurrence indeed.
In recent years, there appears to be a return however of melanistic traits in the UK fox population and the number of unusual fox sightings has increased as a result and could be responsible for a growing number of big cat reports.
Hayley continued: "Once you point it out to people what it is [foxes] they suddenly see what you're seeing. They're not only foxes –they can be dogs, cats, I believe a few cows get confused."
There are countless sightings of big cats across the UK each year. Most recently a family taking a stroll on Dartmoor came face to face with a beast that looked like a dog but moved like a cat.
A well-built panther-like black beast was also pictured laying in some long grass in Smallthorne, Staffordshire, earlier this summer and if genuine is 'probably the best photo of a British big cat that exists'.
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- Big cat sightings
- Cats
- Animals
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