SIGHTING: Big cat spotted & footprints found near Ellesmere Port

A sighting of a “large but slender” black big cat “with a long tail that it carried quite high” has been reported at Ince Marshes, close to Ellesmere Port’s Stanlow oil refinery.

Andy spotted the animal around 7:30 am on 16th December, just three days after a suspected puma was spotted on Chester Meadows, and reported the sighting via the form on our website this week. Despite it’s proximity to large industrial complexes, the location is a sensitive ecological site and has been a controversial target for fracking.

He told Puma Watch: “I reported for work that morning. It was dark still and the area I was heading to is undeveloped open space alongside Grinsome Road.

“As I approached the work area, [I saw] a large but slender animal with a long tail that it carried quite high. It was travelling quickly but I got the impression it wasn’t at full speed. It had a longish gait or stride pattern.

“It either didn’t see me or ignored me. I was less than 30m from it. I don’t believe that it was a dog.

“There was nobody else about and there was no traffic in or around the site. I followed the route of the animal for 50m but I didn’t see it again.

“Later that morning, I took the attached photo of a print in a location some 300m from the sighting. It may not be connected of course.

“The site is teeming with wildlife and many ecology areas are to be constructed during development. Badger setts and the like are protected and other species habitats are too. However some people, I hesitate to call them hunters, visit the site to exterminate the said wildlife. I’d not want to alert them and create some sort of frenzied safari but would be willing to discuss the sighting.”