Has Cornish ‘lion’ got its teeth into a deer?

FIRST there were reports of a lion on the loose in Cornwall. Now locals say they’ve found gory evidence of the big cat’s kill.

The savaged body of a deer was found near the spot where the so-called ‘Simba of St Austell’ was seen crossing the road, it emerged yesterday.

The latest twist came after police confirmed they had investigated the original sighting by a lorry driver, who claimed the predator jumped out in front of his vehicle near a clay pit a fortnight ago.

Giant paw marks were reportedly found, but officers made no sighting of the animal and said it was not thought to be a danger to the public.

Last night there was renewed talk of a prowling lion when another lorry driver claimed he had discovered a decapitated deer near the clay pit on Tuesday. Haulier Brian Goldsworthy said: ‘I know a few people are taking it quite lightly. But when you start finding headless animals then things get a little bit serious.’

Experts yesterday said whatever was seen near the quarry was most likely a puma not a lion.

The first sighting, a fortnight ago, was described as being sandy-coloured with black markings on its face and a dark tail. A lynx called Flaviu which escaped from Dartmoor Zoo in Devon last month, was on the loose at around the same time.

Yesterday, the first lorry driver, named only as Duncan, told local radio he now believes what he saw could be a puma.

Tourists yesterday said they spotted a black panther hunting wild deer in the Lake District. Holidaymaker Jason Young, 43, said he saw the big cat near Ambleside.