Despite the scarcity of physical evidence, people continue to report large black cats in North Wales, with four new sightings logged in 2025
Paw prints found at Rhiwlas, near Bangor, in January 2021(Image: Sophie Van Neste)
Throughout 2025, reports of large, cat-like animals continued to surface across North Wales, reigniting a debate that refuses to fade. While scepticism remains widespread, witnesses consistently described encounters that felt immediate and unsettling, often taking place in quiet rural settings or on the edges of built-up areas. For those involved, the experiences were vivid enough to be remembered in precise detail long after the moment had passed.
Despite the near-universal presence of smartphones, definitive photographic evidence remains scarce. Animals were glimpsed briefly, often at dusk or after dark, and disappeared before cameras could be raised.
Even so, the sightings database maintained by Puma Watch North Wales has continued to expand, with the latest reports submitted in late October.
Police forces are wary, concerned about squandered resources and unnecessary administration. Freedom of information (FoI) figures revealed that between 2001 and 2008, North Wales Police (NWP) recorded 45 alleged sightings throughout the region – including claims that predators were witnessed killing other animals.
Following that period, the number of sightings has gradually diminished: from 2011 to 2016, with 10 official accounts were submitted. In the five years leading to July 2025, only one report was recorded, concerning a “panther” with a head “the size of a dinner plate” in Ruabon near Wrexham.
Enquiries determined it was likely a large domestic cat, reports North Wales Live. For the biggest stories in Wales first, sign up to our daily newsletter here
Numerous sightings are reported with sincere conviction and when evidence exists, police will look into matters. In 2018, the force issued a sketch of a “large cat” resembling a lynx, also spotted near Ruabon.
Two factors may explain why official accounts seem to be falling. Firstly, there are no big cats genuinely prowling amongst unsuspecting ramblers; and secondly, FoI requests are being hindered by police databases.
Following two recent FoI requests seeking reports of cougars, cheetahs, panthers, leopards, lions, lynx, pumas and tigers in North Wales, NWP complained that its database had struggled to manage.
Whilst searching for these terms, the force said: “‘Leopard’ brought up clothing descriptions, and ‘lynx’ and ‘puma’ are brand names and so returned over 1,000 entries.”
In a separate response, an officer stated the search results were irrelevant as they “relate to public houses and other products eg. Red Lion, Lynx deodorant, leopard print top.”
In truth, to police, these searches were only carried out as “gestures of goodwill”. The requests could have been turned down as “excess cost” inquiries.
Puma Watch North Wales’ own reporting channel went quiet when the website took a year-long break. The site was relaunched last summer – and the sightings started to emerge once more, as outlined below.
Report 1: Caravan site prowler
A holidaymaker claimed to have spotted a “large dark coloured” animal, thought to be a puma, at a caravan park on the Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd. The sighting took place at the Pen y Berth site near Pwllheli around 10.15pm on Thursday, October 23.
The report stated: “Wife (Jane) was sitting outside caravan drinking a cup of tea, on a bench set (no noise). Heard/saw movement out of the corner of her eye.
“Looked to right and saw 20ft away (approx), what looked like a large dark coloured (black) cat, about the size of a dog, muscular looking with long tail, and had a curl in its tail.
“The cat had stopped and was looking at her. When she stood up/moved the cat jumped and ran off into the dark.”
Puma Watch has recorded only three previous big cat sightings in Pen Llŷn – in Pwllheli and Abersoch. The organisation suggests the region’s remote coastal landscape might offer ideal habitat for feline predators.
“Nearby golf courses provide quieter corridors where wildlife can roam,” the site noted.
Report 2: Golf course puma
A man was left rattled after coming face-to-face with what he suspects was a large black puma on a golf course in Old Colwyn, Conwy. The encounter is reported to have taken place at approximately 8pm on Saturday, 5 July.
The witness, a man named Cassian, claimed he nearly fainted upon spotting the creature. He stated: “I was walking across the golf course in Old Colwyn, and I saw something over by one of the holes.
“It looked pretty big and black. I nearly passed out because of the size of it!”.
Puma Watch observed that nearby Fairy Glen and Pwllycrochan Wood could offer shelter for large predators. It continued: “A footbridge in the Nant-y-Glyn Valley, not far from Old Colwyn, is even known locally as ‘Puma Bridge’ due to historic sightings.”
Report 3: Sheep stalking
A couple travelling by car both witnessed what they believed to be a puma, a large black cat, apparently stalking sheep near the Premier Inn roundabout in Holyhead, Anglesey. The sighting occurred at approximately 8.15pm on Friday, 18 July.
Jo, the wife, recounted: “We were driving past and spotted the cat stalking sheep. It went behind a bush. We looped back but couldn’t see it. My husband spotted it first then I saw it. It was large, black with pointy ears.”
According to Puma Watch, the report was noteworthy as big cat sightings typically occur in Eryri (Snowdonia) and the Clwydian hills. Nevertheless, the organisation suggested that urban encounters are “becoming more frequent”.
Puma Watch noted that fields surrounding Holyhead are often “teeming with rabbits and sheep”, offering “ample hunting opportunities” for large felines.
Report 4: Cat ‘as big as a Labrador’
Two holidaymakers separately claimed to have seen a large black cat with a “very long and thick tail” in the Anglesey countryside. The sighting was subsequently reported to Puma Watch, with concerns that a suspected panther was roaming farmland between Llanfechell and Llanfairynghornwy.
Travelling in a two-car convoy, one passenger from each vehicle said they observed the mysterious creature on the evening of Friday, 24 October. A visitor named Joe reported the incident to Puma Watch.
He stated: “I was returning from a nice day in the east of Anglesey with a group of friends, back towards our hotel in Llangefni, and I spotted a large black cat in a field beside the road.
“We weren’t travelling fast, so I got a good look at him: much larger than a domestic cat, it looked to be as big as a Labrador-Retriever dog – only with a very long and thick tail.
“I got a good view of the side of the animal for a few seconds, including of its head as it looked towards the car. Unfortunately, neither of the other guys in our car saw it – they were chatting in the front seat and I was in the back!”.
“Thankfully however, when we got back to the hotel my other friend, who was travelling in a separate car, had also seen the very large cat at the same location.”