A man walking his dog in the ancient woodland of Pen y Pigyn, Corwen, Denbighshire, reported a close encounter with a large black animal they believe to be a panther at around 5:45 AM on Friday, 15th May 2026.
Shaun told Puma Watch: “I was going for my morning walk with my dog up Pen y Pigyn, I had just let my little dog off her lead just before the entrance to the ‘Dagger Trail’ when my dog went running in trees barking.
“I looked back and at first thought she was chasing a labrador-size dog when I clocked its movement and hind legs and tail, it was a black panther. My dog never barks, today was the first time she has ran at something barking, she lives with a cat and has no problems with them when out.
“The panther ran half up a tree clinging on, I seen its full size and how long and thick its tail was. I shouted my dog back and it then jumped down and walked, not ran, up into the trees. I’ve never seen a cat so big. I know what I seen.
“I am big into nature, knowing its movement, its size, shape, everything was a panther. I was always an open sceptic until today but I fully believe in other sightings now. I did try getting my phone out to video it but I wasn’t quick enough.”
Pen y Pigyn is a steep, wooded hillside rising directly above the Dee Valley market town of Corwen in Denbighshire, North Wales. The site features ancient oak woodland, the historic Gorsedd stone circle, and a network of footpaths including the circular Dagger Trail, named for the legend of Welsh Prince Owain Glyndŵr hurling his dagger from the hillside. The dense woodland and proximity to the wider Dee Valley make the area well-suited to large, reclusive animals with wide hunting ranges.
This is not the first time big cat activity has been reported here: a household neighbouring Coed Pen y Pigyn previously reported hearing a roar they described as “identical to a puma’s,” and a suspected puma was filmed on the railway line just hundreds of metres from the same woods. Corwen has also featured in a broader cluster of big cat sightings across Denbighshire and the Dee Valley, with multiple reports logged in the area in recent years.
Under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, it became illegal to keep big cats such as panthers and pumas as pets without a licence. Prior to the Act’s enforcement, some owners chose to release their animals into the British countryside rather than face rehoming costs, with remote areas of Wales believed to be a favoured release location. It is thought that small but established populations of big cats have survived in North Wales ever since, with sightings reported regularly across Snowdonia, the Clwydian Range, and the Dee Valley.
If you have seen a big cat in Wales or elsewhere in the UK, please report your sighting using our online form.