Big cat sightings in North Wales lead to calls for Welsh Government investigation

Nov 28, 2014 

By Tom Davidson

Darren Millar AM says there has been a 'a flurry of sightings of big cats' in Conwy and Denbighshire

Darren Millar calls on Welsh Government to investigate big cat sightings in North Wales

A flurry of big cat sightings should spark a Welsh Government investigation, according to a Tory AM.

Clwyd West AM Darren Millar has criticized the Welsh Government’s lack of action over big cat sightings in Conwy and Denbighshire.

In the Senedd on Wednesday he asked Natural Resources Minister, Carl Sargeant AM what research the Welsh Government is undertaking into tigers, lions and pumas in Wales

Mr Millar said: “There has been a flurry of sightings of big cats since the Dangerous Wild Animals Act of 1976 made it illegal to keep untamed pets. “Many owners of exotic cats such as pumas or lynx simply freed their animals into the countryside.

Darren Millar

 “It is worrying that despite there being a number of sightings across Wales, the Welsh Government is doing nothing about it.”

In 2011 there was fears big cats could have been responsible for slaughtering badgers and sheep in Snowdonia.

Farmers Dafydd and Pam Parry claimed to have seen the wild animals in the hills around their home near Beddgelert, Gwynedd.

Mr Millar added: “There have been a number of sightings over the years of big cats in the Welsh countryside, including in Conwy and Denbighshire, with tracks having been found in the snow a few years back in the Clocaenog Forest and a number of farmers having lost livestock mysteriously which show signs of big cat type attacks. “I wonder what research the Welsh Government may have commissioned on the subject of big cats, and the threat that they might pose to native wildlife species.”

Carl Sargeant said the Welsh Government has not commissioned any work on big cats. Danny Bamping at the British Big Cat Society agreed with Mr Millar that more needed to be done to investigate big cat sightings.  He said: "I certainly support this call. I've been investigating sights for 20 years and some of the best evidence of big cats living and breeding in Britain is in North Wales. 
"There was a law-loophole in 1976 which saw potentially dangerous animals released into the wild and the Welsh Government has the jurisdiction to look into it."

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