The big cat was seen ‘cornering a fox’ at duskPhil Norris Editor, Gloucestershire Live and Richard Ashmore
15:00, 18 Aug 2025
There have been reports of a big cat moggy near the King’s home in Gloucestershire (stock image)(Image: Getty )
Big cat enthusiasts are convinced that a panther-like creature is prowling the countryside near King Charles’s beloved Gloucestershire estate
An eyewitness reportedly spotted the large black feline in Tetbury, home to Highgrove House, the family residence of King Charles and Queen Camilla.
A dog walker reportedly startled the potentially dangerous beast when their three large dogs caused the animal to hastily retreat, abandoning a fox it had been attempting to kill.
Sightings of big cats are not unusual in Gloucestershire and Britain, with many speculating that the country could support a small population of elusive creatures such as panthers and leopards.
Since Victorian times, several big cats were imported to the UK for private collections, and some theorise that the animals now roaming the countryside could be descendants of those which escaped captivity over the years.
If a big cat is indeed lurking in the fields near a Royal residence, the King may need to consider this as he has a busy schedule ahead, including the visit of Donald Trump in September.
King Charles’s Highgrove House is near the village of Tetbury(Image: Getty )
This most recent encounter follows a motorist’s claim of spotting a black panther near the M5 back in May, igniting discussions about whether large felines are routinely roaming close to our major roads, reports the Express.
The reports are currently being investigated by big cat specialist Rick Minter, who is organising an exhibition focused on big cats that is currently taking place in Gloucestershire.
The showcase is being held in partnership with Rick’s Big Cat Conversations podcast, which has documented numerous close encounters from ramblers, including the Tetbury incident.
Charles, then Prince of Wales, at Highgrove House in 2019(Image: Chris Jackson, Getty ImagGetty Images For Clarence House)
Environmental adviser Rick, who penned Big Cats: Facing Britain’s Wild Predators, described what occurred.
“Episode 41 features a dog walker near Tetbury who watched a black panther cornering a fox at dusk,” he explained.
“Her three big dogs were on leads but they rumbled the cat, which rushed away and the fox emerged from its trapped situation and left the area keeping close to the walker and her dogs, seemingly wanting their company for safe escort.”
There are reports of a ‘panther-like’ creature in Tetbury (stock image)(Image: Getty )
Rick continued: “Episode 71 includes a witness who unwittingly disturbed a black panther hunkered down watching roe deer just north of Stroud. He noticed an orange hue to the animals’ otherwise dark fur, suggesting it was a leopard in its black form, which most of the credible ‘panther’ sightings would seem to be.
“One of the illustrations at the exhibition shows the orange highlights of a black leopard, which can sometimes be noticed when the animal is lit up in sunlight.”
Rick has also been investigating the M5 sighting and reveals that a local farmer reported their livestock had been acting agitated around that time for several days.
There are many big cat sightings across the UK(Image: Sarah Cheriton-Jones/Getty)
A motorist glimpsed the ‘panther’ on the western side of the M5/M4 junction in May – prompting suggestions that our motorway verges might be a peculiarly appealing habitat for big cats thought to be roaming the British countryside.
“In May a driver claimed to have seen a black panther lurking in the scrub by the M5 motorway verge in south Gloucestershire,” said Rick.
“In following it up I found that the neighbouring farm at that spot reported that its cattle had been on edge and were behaving nervously for a few days around the time of the slighting.”
In recent years there have been two other ‘credible’ sightings by motorists who have seen beasts resting on the verge of the M5 between Gloucester and Thornbury, added Rick.