‘Puma of Powick’ is caught on camera...
THE chilling moment a family spotted what they believe to be a big cat prowling around gravestones in a village churchyard has been captured on camera.
The mother and son were enjoying an evening stroll in St Peter’s Church, in Powick, near Worcester, when they saw the beast.
Their footage shows the animal, which resembles a puma or large wildcat, skulking around the graves.
The 37-year-old son who filmed the animal on August 22 said: “I noticed it run across the churchyard, and I thought it was a fox. “I even said, ‘oh there’s a fox.’ “Then it stopped, and I saw it was some sort of big cat.
“It was the size of a large dog and had a huge tail which could only be a wildcat.
“After I realised it wasn’t a fox, I started videoing.
“I was a little unnerved by it, and just a bit shocked.
“My mum was a bit scared to continue walk.”
The mum added: “I was quite shocked at the time.
“I wasn’t sure what it was at first. I thought it was someone’s dog off its lead. And the colour of it was nothing like I had seen before.
“I even wondered if it was a fox. “It certainly was big. It’s bigger than any UK domestic cat I can find. I looked up puma and it fits the description.”
Locals have now branded the beast the ‘Powick Puma’ and follows a spate of similar sightings in recent months.
Village Jan Taylor, 45, said: “My son saw a large dark-coloured wildcat resting against some hay bales in a field nearby. I think this could be the same one.
“As long as it doesn’t attack anyone then I think it’s fine but it’s quite worrying if it appears confident enough to be walking around in broad daylight.”