THE beast of Bolton is back.
The elusive big cat said to prowl the town has been spotted again.
An early morning walker caught a glimpse of the secretive black animal in Leverhulme Park, sparking speculation that the creature — which was last recorded as being seen locally three years ago — has returned home.
Retired former policeman Peter Wood, of Poulton Avenue, Breightmet, was walking a friend’s border collie dog, named Ben, in a wooded area of the park at about 5.30am one day earlier this month.
He said: “This huge thing just shot across the path in front of me. It could have only been about 10 to 15 yards away from me.
“It was about a metre-and-a-half from face to tail. Its tail was as long as its body, curved up into the air. It was black from top to toe.
“It didn’t look very old to me. In fact, it looked very young. If it was, it makes you wonder where its mum and dad are.”
Mr Wood, aged 62, said he decided not to tell anyone about what he had seen, except his wife, Jane, because he thought no one would believe him.
But the next morning he came across another walker who had also spotted the mysterious creature. Now he is hoping he will see it again.
He said: “I wish I could see it every day to be honest. It took my breath away, I was in awe of it.”
The beast was spotted in Darcy Lever, not far from Leverhulme Park, in June, 2006. Anne Wright spotted a panther-like creature from her window in Spring Meadows, and reported the sighting to the police.
Earlier that year, horse rider Julie Foster reported seeing a large cat-like animal in woods at the bottom of Old Hall Lane, in Darcy Lever.
Big cat experts say they are more than 1,000 recorded sightings in Britain every year, many of which are classed as “reliable” and come from the likes of Forestry Commission rangers.
It is thought many big cats were released into the wild in the late 1970s, following the introduction of the 1976 Dangerous Wild Animals Act.
Many people who had kept the animals as exotic pets could not meet the strict criteria the act demanded, such as keeping the animals in secure enclosures.
lucy.ewing@theboltonnews.co.uk
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