Could black leopards really be roaming Sheffield’s woods and fields?
For decades, people across South Yorkshire and the UK have reported seeing large, mysterious felines - often described as ‘panthers’ - slinking through the countryside.
It’s the stuff of local legends, but big cat sightings are surprisingly common, with new data revealing just how often these creatures have been spotted.
BBC Discover Wildlife Magazine claimed in 2025 that large cats such as black leopards are quietly naturalising in Britain.
Podcast host and author Rick Minter, who has spent years studying these animals, told listeners of Big Cats: Facing Britain's Wild Predators he’s collected around 1,500 witness accounts through talks, rural shows, and his podcast Big Cat Conversations.
Back in the 1960s and 70s, exotic pets were a fashionable status symbol. Big cats — including leopards and pumas — could even be bought from Harrods. But in 1976, new laws made it illegal to own such animals without a licence. Faced with expensive paperwork and nowhere to rehome their pets, some owners are believed to have simply released them into the wild.
Could those abandoned cats have survived — and even bred? It’s a question that fuels debate to this day.
While there’s no official record of black leopards living in Sheffield, exotic animal ownership is not unheard of.
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1. Oughtibridge Lane, Sheffield – 27 May 2020 Described as “a big cat with a large tail.”
The Police have records of phone calls made about big cats. One caller called the Police on 27 May 2020. They described the creature as “a big cat with a large tail.” | Google
2. the A1M to M18 Wadworth Interchange, Doncaster –
On the 3 January 2019 a call was made to Police about a “very big cat in a sooty colour” seen near a major motorway junction. On the same day, someone else called to say: "Please be aware - big cat seen in area of a1m j36 southbound - seen at around 08.05am. - unknown if escaped from wildlife park." | Google
3. Carr Lane, Bessacarr –
On the 2 April 2022, a caller on Carr Lane, Bessacarr called to say they had seen what they believed to be a “black pantha.” | Google
4. Peak District
In 2022 Josh Williams and his friend Ben were walking from Mermaid’s Pool on Kinder Scout towards Edale in September, returning home after a night of wild camping in the Peak District. They had just passed Jacob’s Ladder when the pair spotted and recorded what they thought was a wild cat with a ‘long black tail’ in a nearby field. Photo: Josh Williams