Video
WARKS WILD CAT
A BIG cat has been spotted stalking a field just yards from homes in a sleepy village.
Chilling footage shows the beast prowling around before making its way into a patch of bushes out of sight.
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The cat, which is around 4ft in length, has a black tail and appears to have patterned markings similar to a lynx.
Stunned Philip White, 39, was looking out of his patio window when he spotted the giant animal lurking in a field behind his home in the picturesque village of Great Alne, Warks.
The dad-of-one said: "I've seen it before but never had my camera so when it appeared again I just started filming.
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"I saw it on the left and at first I thought it might be a deer.
"Then it was on the right and it moved quickly across the field.
"It was skulking around and that's when I took the video.
"It's a big cat in my mind, there's no doubt about it. It looks like a wild cat you normally see in the zoo or a safari park.
"Either it's escaped from a private collection or just living in the wild but it was pretty scary to see.
"It looked fully grown and was walking around with confidence so its obviously used to its surroundings.
"We keep our windows and doors closed at all times now and are always careful when we take our one-year-old daughter out in the garden."
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Phillip, who filmed the dramatic footage at around 10am, said he was concerned for the safety of people in the village.
He added: "I am worried for the children because they are more vulnerable.
"There are lots of families. There is actually a children's playground nearby so the thought of that is quite concerning."
The sighting comes after another animal, described as a large feline creature with leopard makings, was also spotted in the same area just weeks earlier.
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The creature, which is thought to be larger than a fox, was reported by a resident to Alcester Police South Safer Neighbourhood Team.
Another resident, Colin Wilks, 60, from nearby Alcester, Warks., also said he heard a creature growl while he was walking his dogs on October 10.
Big Cat expert Frank Tunbridge, 70, who has investigated wild animal sightings for 30 years, said: "From the size of this big cat, it looks like some kind of leopard.
"It has an enormous tail and appears to be preparing to get into a crouching position, probably to pounce on a small mammal.
"It is definitely a big cat, you can tell that from its body movement and the size of its tail. It could be jaguar but the colouring suggests it's a leopard hybrid of some kind.
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"This is one of the best close-up videos of a big cat I've seen in a long time. They are elusive and you rarely see them in the daylight.
"Makers of wildlife documentaries spend a fortune, and often years trying to get footage of a leopard in the wild, so to film one in Britain is very rare.
"These big cats are not dangerous, they keep out of human's way and I've never heard of any attacks."
In July, lynx Flaviu was returned to Dartmoor zoo after evading capture for three weeks when he escaped from keepers.
The big cat was snared on a killing spree after a widespread hunt was launched.
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