Big cats, snakes and crocodiles – wave of bizarre animal sightings in and around Sheffield

When two teenage campers captured footage of what they believe was a ‘big cat’ sighting whilst walking through the Peak District recently, they were just the latest people to spot an unexpected mystery animal in or close to Sheffield.

Josh Williams and his friend Ben were walking from Mermaid’s Pool towards Edale, as they returned home after a night of camping in the Peaks, and both spotted what they believe to have been a big cat after passing Jacob’s Ladder.

But it is the latest in a series of unexpected sightings.

Just a few days earlier, The Star had reported how a holidaymaker claimed they had footage of two ‘crocodiles’ in the sea just off the Yorkshire Coast near Scarborough, between Filey and Cayton Bay.

Crocodile spotted off Yorkshire coast

Holidaymaker Sarah Craven filmed the sight whilst out on a walk with her family.

She said: “We took the boys up for a walk on the cliff top when we saw some dolphins jumping in the background.

“Suddenly, my son shouted ‘crocodiles!’. We all looked down and there in front of me were what I thought were two large crocodiles.

“We moved further along the cliff to get a closer look and I started to take pictures and videos.”

But Dr Angela Julian, Co-ordinator at Amphibian and Reptile Groups UK, said: “It is extremely unlikely that she has spotted actual living crocodiles in the North Sea - lovely as the idea sounds.

“They could be other marine creatures including walrus or turtles, or floating debris.”

Snakes spotted in Graves Park, Sheffield

Meanwhile, even closer to home, a series of reports of snakes were made by people using Graves Park, in Sheffield.

Pictures circulated showing African pythons in areas within the popular park, as residents voiced their surprise at the sightings.

Three of the snakes were picked up and taken to specialist pet shop Snakes and Adders, on Mansfield Road, Intake, after being found by worried residents.

Shop owner Charles Thompson confirmed they were harmless African royal pythons, and said the animals would have died if they had just been left in the park. He was angry that they appeared to have been dumped there by an irresponsible owner who no longer wanted them.

Big cat spotted near South Yorkshire McDonalds

Earlier this year, in February a ‘four foot, sandy coloured beast’ was spotted near a McDonald’s drive thru in Doncaster with fears it could have travelled 50 miles to South Yorkshire.

A woman living in North Yorkshire said the big cat may be her Savannah-breed feline which went missing from her home two years ago.

Local diners at the McDonald’s branch spotted the cat and were struck with shock as the size of the cat as it roamed around, presumably looking for food.

Sightings and stories of big cats in South Yorkshire date back to the 1960s when wealthy people kept them as pets.

But since it was banned in 1976, South Yorkshire has become somewhat of a hotspot for sightings of these big cats.

Here are some of the most memorable sightings and stories from over the years:

November 2019 – Black Panther in Doncaster

In November 2019, mum Jessica Clark spotted what she thought was a huge five foot black panther in the countryside close to Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium in an experience she described as “terrifying.”

“As we got closer, I thought it was a dog or something. But when we were right at the side of it, I could clearly tell it was a big cat,” she said.

“It looked about 5ft tall and I could see it over the grass. You could see its tail, its face, its muscular legs, everything.”

2018 – Bolsterstone

A woman in Bolsterstone was shocked when she saw a cat she “could only describe as a puma” roaming the area – and was seemingly staring at her until it seemed to be spooked and ran off.

“I know that the chance of seeing such an animal in the wild, especially around these parts, are practically nil. However this was a huge beast by feline standards and was about two feet tall on all four legs,” she said.

January 2017 – Panther Sighting on Junction One

Alan Tomlinson claimed to have spotted a panther or puma near to junction one of the M180, close to Doncaster services.

Mr Tomlinson, who says he has never seen anything like it, said he realised it was a big cat once he saw the tail.

“I only saw the back of it, but I knew it was a puma or a panther when I saw the size of its tale which was curled right round. That's how I knew.”